FAQs.

I am a beginner scrapbooker. How should I start?
Don’t panic. Don’t buy a lot of supplies. The hardest part is not overwhelming yourself. Don’t think, “I need to go back and scrapbook 20 years of memories.” For one, that is impossible, and for two, that will not be any fun. Start by printing or finding your favorite photos. Make scrapbook pages telling the story of those photos. If you are able to get through all your favorites, THEN start working on some of the not so favorites. Try to not get caught up in hype that you must scrapbook everything.

I also recommend browsing the galleries (and design team galleries) at Two Peas in a Bucket and Scrap in Style TV. There is so much inspiration on both of those sites to start getting ideas. Another idea: buy a scrapbooking kit from a website like Studio Calico or Cocoa Daisy. I am always impressed with the amount of stuff in scrapbooking kits. You will only need to add adhesive, scissors and your photos.

What are your favorite scrapbooking supplies?
I am a big believer in less is more. My favorite tools are: detail scissors (extra pointy), a Fiskars paper cutter , stapler, a Crop-A-Dile (punches through everything all at once and can set eyelets), a corner  rounder, scalloped scissors and a gluestick. A lot of people hate gluesticks, but it’s a habit for me. They are cheap and they get the job done.

I also love: paint, glitter, labels, shipping tags, embroidery floss and transparencies (the all clear ones that used to be used with an overhead projector in school).

For paper, I primarily use: white textured cardstock and gray and tan cardstock.  The patterned papers I use most frequently are Hambly, Anna Griffith and American Crafts.

For pens, I use American Crafts Slick Writers in black. Exclusively. It used to be sharpies, but these pens were worth the acid-free switch.

For stamps, I believe in keeping it simple. Circles, squares, frames. And I use Staz-on ink pads almost exclusively. I hate waiting for ink to dry.

What is your job?
Currently, I work part-time at a paper store called Paper Source. For awhile, I was an assistant manager there. Now I am just a customer service associate a.k.a. the girl that helps you work through projects and does demos and rings you out. I also teach online workshops. (Full information page on workshops coming soon.) And sell letterpress and other paper goods in my etsy shop.

Here is my most current resume.

I am very blessed to have a flexible work schedule.

What is letterpress? Can you print a single card/print/something for me?
Here is a full description of the letterpress process. Because the set up takes so much time and the rental costs money – no. I cannot print just one thing for you. If you are interested in a set of stationery, email me. Let’s chat. If you have a great idea for a letterpress print but only want one or two copies, email me. If I like it enough and think it will sell, I will run a whole batch and give you a discount for providing the idea. Please note: I am very picky and extremely random when it comes to what prints I want to make.

How do you get people to read your blog?
I have been keeping a blog since December 2005. At first, it was just for my friends and I managed to get my parents reading. At the time, I was active on a scrapbooking message board, and some people found the blog from there.

Here are my recommendations if you are hoping to increase your blog readership. Ultimately though – stay true to who you are. I think people like honesty.

Can I link to your blog and use your photos?
Yes, you can link. Yes, you can use my photos but you must provide a link back to where you found them. Common sense. Credit where credit is due. Thank you!

What kind of camera do you have?
The tiniest little point and shoot. It is a Canon PowerShot SD 1000 and a few years old. It gets the job done. Eventually I will get a cool big digital SLR, but first I have to save up $1200 which means j.crew needs to stop having sales.

The best trick I have to making a crappy camera take decent photos is to play around with the ISO. This will adjust the amount of light let into the camera and may improve your indoor photos. Also, avoid using the flash at all costs.

How do you print your photos?
I print a lot at home. Mostly because I want instant gratification. We have a HP Photosmart printer that works just fine. It cost about $100 and I don’t think it goes through ink too quickly. I print on the cheapest photo paper I can find.

I used to develop photos at Target, but my local Target is just terrible at photo processing. BUMMER. Now I use walgreens.com and just have them shipped to me. Good deals to be found there all the time.

I don’t like it when you don’t blog about craft/scrapbooking/mini-books. Why don’t you do that more?
Hmm. This blog is a personal blog. It is a blog about my life. Often, that involves craft projects – but it also involves wedding plans and general chatter. If you are looking for all craft all the time, I highly recommend the Martha Stewart Craft Blog. Or a google search for “craft blog.”

How do you make your mini books?
Here is a big post on the topic of minibooks.

So are the photos and the paper in your mini books just touching each other? Will that ruin the photos?
Yep, just touching. I don’t know if this will ruin the photos, but if it does, I am not too worried. They are just pictures. And I have them all on my computer anyway. For me, it is worth it to have the creative outlet of making stuff.

Any other questions? Something I have missed? Leave a comment I will get it added. Thank you for reading!