Ask the Artists!!

We haven't done an "ask the artists" for a while and I thought now would be a great time!! So let's get a chance to get to know our contributing artists better by reading their answers to these questions :D

1. What product (ie - adhesive, paper, flowers, etc) do you wish was unlimited in your scrap supply and you wouldn't have to buy more of all of the time? Why? 
Cathy: If adhesive could just automatically restock itself, I would be so happy!  But I really think it would be cool to have a drawer that every time I opened it there would be new trims in it each time.  I think I could spend all day just closing and opening that drawer. I love fancy pretty trims!!!

Dolores: Since I enjoy shopping for paper and embellishments like flowers, I wouldn't want to give that up.  It's just a really fun thing to do. On the other hand, shopping for the essential stuff, like adhesives, etc. is kind of boring.  So if I had an unlimited supply of all those ordinary things, then my shopping excurisons would only be the fun stuff. As a result I'd choose to have an unlimited supply of adhesives, glue pens, photo squares, etc.

Heather: I wish I could always have the correct shade of Bazzill cardstock in my stash and that I had an unlimited supply of adhesive. Those two things can stop me right in the middle of my creativity and I dislike going to the store to pick up more because sometimes it makes me lose my mojo!

Lisa: Flowers because they are a bit pricey but so beautiful and i just love them so much!

Nancy: I would love to have unlimited adhesive.  I hate spending money on it.  I would rather spend my money on something pretty and fun.

Sara: I wish I had a unlimited stock of foam take! I love giving dimension to my layouts and I use that stuff up like crazy!  I also wish I had a endless supply of albums.  I don't like buying albums as much as I like buying scrapbook supplies!

Vicky: I love flowers and can't seem to do a layout without any. My first choice is Prima but an economical second option is the mulberry flowers that come from Thailand. A lot of online places retail these like Wild Orchid Crafts and I am Roses.


2. What small, inexpensive tool (think q-tips, nail files, needles), are essential to your scrapping? What do you suggest ever scrapper needs.
Cathy: Q-tips rule!  I use them to apply and blend inks, to apply small amounts of glue, to "sweep" away stray glitter. I even use them to clean up those leaks of excessive liquid adhesive.  Another little gadget I always have handy is a push pin.  They are great for poking a hole for placing brads, piercing for stitching, they are priceless when you need to lift a self-adhesive alpha that you stuck down and now want it moved. Oh yeah, that happens all the time!  The head of the pin can be used to press down the wings of the brad too.  What do you suggest ever scrapper needs.....  A really good pair or sharp scissors!

Dolores: I know this will sound weird, but I am a scrapper who likes to lay everything out on my whole page before I glue anything down.  As a result I always keep small post it notes near by (sometimes I even cut them into smaller pieces) and when I am ready to glue the layout down I use these small post it papers to mark the placement of things. Marking items with post it notes is so easy, clean and fuss free.  It lets me preserve the design and I don't have to remember how all the layers and embellishments fit together when I start lifting things off the glue them down.

Heather:  I draw lines in pencil to keep everything straight on my pages. Because I do that I need an excellent eraser. I use one the white ones that click up and down in the dispensers. I don't know the brand name but I'd say a good eraser is definitely an essential!

Lisa: A distressing tool

Nancy: I couldn't live without my precision scissors.  With fussy cutting and edge distressing they are a necessity.

Sara: Every scrapbooker needs to have sand paper in their tool kit! I use it all the time for distressing and to smooth the edges of chipboard!

Vicky: Every shabby chic style scrapper needs to spend under $5 on a paper edge distressing tool (mike is the $3 Making Memories one) and some fine grit sandpaper. 


3. If you could predict the trends (products, colors, embellishments, tool) for the future in scrapping, what what it be? Why?
Cathy: Well, since most of my photos are of my family, and I only have sons, no daughters.... I've really likes the trend toward more elements, papers and trims that can be used for masculine or non-gender specific pages and projects. The industry has been saturated with flowers, bling and the color pink for too long! :-)

Dolores: There are so many beautiful embellishments to add to pages these days, I am guessing that scrapbook albums are going to change in order to handlethe extra bulk we add to our pages.  I can also imagine that paper punches or craft cutters will keep getting better and more versatile since these tools allow us to much freedom to make our pages unique.

Heather:  I think jewel colors will be in instead of brighter colors. I predict that butterflies and flourishes will still be big. Vintage will still be in. I think that the trend of decorating with birds may be on the way out. As far as why... I don't know! I'm just guessing. Hehe

Lisa: I think that more vintage and distressed scrapping is the wave of the future because it really takes a lot more time to make like artwork.

Nancy: I think we are going to see a return to metal.  Years ago metal embellishments were huge, with lots of plaques, tiles, keys, locks, photo turns, and such.  I think we are going to see these make a come back in new and exciting ways.  For instance, zippers were huge and now they are coming back but in new and exciting ways, zipper flowers being one example.  I am also seeing metal coming back in florals. 

Sara: If I could predict the scrapbooking trends I would say their would be lots of new boy products coming our way!  I would love papers and embellishments filled with brown, orange and green!  I would also like a die cutting machine that you could just tell it what you wanted it it cut the exact object and the perfect size..... the first time, every time!

Vicky: Seems like metal, feathers, doilies, canvas and chipboard are huge trends right now - anything that adds texture to layouts. Vintage/shabby chic is still going strong and I predict is a style that's here to stay (my personal fave too). 


 4. Share the love :).. share the links and usernames (or first names from blog) of three scrappers you have just discovered in the past few months or so. 
Cathy: Some new to me scrappers that I have discovered recently are Lisa Patterson (Avant Garden and Artwerx), Linda Cain (Friends in Art), and Julia (Vintage with Laces)

Dolores:  Janine Koczwara at  http://www.janinekoczwara.typepad.com/; Helena (Willea at Scrapbook.com)  at http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/583705.html; Madeleines Mom (at scrapbook.com)  http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/210189.html

Heather:  I love Melissa Wilson's work. She does an amazing job layering and her layouts are always so funky and fun. Plus, she uses song titles for layout titles frequently just like I love to do. http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=130187
Sharon just started her blog and it's already super cute. She has a unique and fabulous style. I just adore when she does steam punk layouts! Her pages are full of little details. You have to look a while to take everything in! http://www.thatgirlfritchey.blogspot.com/
Vija has a beautiful romantic style! She's currently scrapping photos of her vacation to Paris and her layout about all of the unique doors she found is one of my favorite layouts ever! She also has two adorable dogs that have totally stolen my heart! http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=108744&type=-1&page=1

Lisa: I haven't been blog hopping lately but there are some really inspirational bloggers out there.

Nancy: Gina at http://canoncreativegirl.blogspot.com; Casey at http://creativecasey.blogspot.com; Irini at http://thelimitationsofthought.blogspot.com/

Sara:  Missy Widden at http://littlenuggetcreations.blogspot.com/; Melissa  at http://burstsofcreativity.blogspot.com/; Heather at http://thespottedleopard.blogspot.com/

Vicky: Jennifer (Jrabs)  at http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/176327.html; Renea (reneabouquets) at http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/537905.html; Dana (datartar) - http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/166245.html


5. I would describe my way of scrapping photos most like this (fill in the blank) ____________ (choices: I try to scrap almost ALL of the photos, I scrap about half of all of the photos I take, or I just scrap the photos that I really love).
Cathy: I would describe my way of scrapping photos most like this... I take a lot of photos. There is no way I could ever scrap them all!  With the exception of special trips, I generally scrap only the photos I really love.  BUT - I tend to love almost all of my photos! You can see my frustration - I want to scrap them all, but just can't!  I find it hard to NOT scrap all my photos. That's way you'll see that I have a lot of multi-photo pages. So, I scrap the photos I really, really love. I use ring bound 12x12 albums. I put most of the others photos that I really like, but just don't have time to scrap in page protectors with the 4x6 pockets on them. That way I can have the unscrapped-photos in the same album with the scrapped photos.

Dolores:  I usually scrap just the photos I love.  I take so many pictures, I could never scrap all of them.

Heather:  When I upload photos to my computer, I delete the ones that aren't so great. Then I edit them and upload them to a photo site and have them printed. I file them away in plastic containers labeled by month and year. When I get ready to scrap I pull out an entire event at the same time. I may use a few photos from each event. I pick the best ones and make one or two pages. When I'm done, I put the rest of the photographs in regular albums. I have been known to scrap the same photos twice if they are favorites!

Lisa: I scrap about half of all of the photos I take.

Nancy: I scrap the photos I really love.  I pick an event, or even just a photo I love and design around that.

Sara: I only scrapbook the photos I really love! I have a system to organize the others that I get printed.

Vicky: I definitely scrap my favorite pictures and memories. I mostly scrap one picture per layout to let that snapped second in time shine.