Community Forums Username: Shaela

Blog Address: www.shaelaodd.blogspot.com

If I was stranded on a remote island and magically had a small handful of scrapbook supplies with me, I would not be able to live without my Cricut, inkpads for distressing, punches and "bling". I love scrapbooking because it's a way to preserve memories through art.

Some of my favorite scrapbook manufacturers are October Afternoon, Making Memories, American Crafts, Bo Bunny and My Mind's Eye. I usually love tidbits from every manufacturer!

When I scrapbook, I start with the story. I pick a title and then write out the journaling. If I don't have pictures to go along with the story, I take some. Then I sketch out my page(s), resize and print my photos, pick my paper, and put it all together! Each month I scrapbook the previous month's photos and therefore stay pretty well caught up. When I find myself with "extra" crop time, or if I get bored with what I have, I have a box of old photos labeled "Scrapbook Sometime" that I draw from. I also find inspiration from everywhere: idea books, magazines, online galleries, advertisements – everything is scrapliftable!

My advice: try everything at least once. Who knows? You may find something you never knew you loved!

JUDGE'S NOTES:

This girl has made a huge transformation in her style! Her arsenal of techniques and skills has grown tremendously over the last year. Last year we loved her clean and simple style. This year, we love the way she has used that style as a jumping off place to explore and try new things. While she has maintained her careful execution and sweet design style. I have loved watching her designs evolve over time.