I just got back from a quick trip home to visit family in Southern California--blissful days full of chatting with friends, reading on the beach and Mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies. I managed to actually snap a few photos, so I’m already thinking about my next travel mini album.
Speaking of travel albums, I never shared with you the album I made for my recent trip to Italy:
To create the album, I first covered a Cloud 9 board book with decoupage medium and maps I used on the trip. (I also added paint to the cover.) I fell in love Making Memories' Passport collection and used those stickers and rub-ons as accents, along with labels from Martha Stewart Crafts and various rub-ons and alphas.
Want to see how else you can use the Passport collection and Cloud 9 album? Check out this recent Memory Makers Magazine blog post. And don’t forget about Travel Scrapbooks, full of all sorts of great travel mini album inspiration.
Congratulations Ami – you’ve won a copy of Cut Loose! Ami commented, “Crystal, I am in awe. I have a tough time cutting loose and would love to be more free in my page styles. I over think almost everything and find that when I just "DO IT" the layout is one that folks like more. So let's all "Cut Loose".”
While we randomly draw the winners of our book giveaways, we also always read through the comments left by readers. This time around, we received a particularly creative comment from member Linda. And while we didn't draw her name as the winner, I just had to share her comment with everyone:
"So many rules!" I often said,
 Frustrated, from the start.
 Papers to match, shapes to fit,
 Can I use this? Which part?


So I've tried to fit into the mold,
 Eager to please and learn,
 Just the right colors, never too much,
 Wait, is this the way it turns?


Then along came a book, encouraging me,
 An artist, to do what I choose.
 I'm grateful to Crystal,who whispered to me,
 "Friend, let go and CUT LOOSE!"
How cool is that?! Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts on being a “cut loose” scrapper. It looks like a lot of us are looking to break a few rules in our crafting ;) (UK readers, click here for book details.)
As promised, here is Part 2 of the Q&A with Cut Loose author Crystal Jeffrey Rieger.
After reading the Q&A, stop by the messageboard to ask your
own questions of Crystal. And don't forget to enter the Cut Loose giveaway before Monday, July 9. Click here for entry details.
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What’s on your scrapping desk right now? What isn't on my desk? Mostly scrappy supplies, a couple half started mini albums, some kidlet craft supplies and other miscellaneous debris that seems to collect around the edge. Okay, and some dark chocolate M&Ms. But shh….that is a secret!
How would you describe your scrapping style? I guess overtime a style must have developed but I have a hard time seeing it. I know that there are certain things I am drawn to like vivid colors and embellishment groupings but when I look at my pages there seems to be such a variety from crazy busy to clean and simple. All I know is that my pages are me. Created with my heart and totally enjoyed.
What do you most want readers to get out of the book? Freedom. Encouragement. A sense that what they make and want to make is OK. I mean, there are no scrapbooking police. I did research for the book and checked. No. Scrapbooking. Police. My favorite saying is “take chances.” You might surprise yourself. I completely believe this. If you experiment and learn to trust yourself you will be happier with your creative self. Shut off the inner critic and try something. See if it works. If it doesn't, that is OK. Learn from that and move on.
What’s your favorite layout in the book? This is a killer question! I love so many for so many reasons. I love Pure Bliss because the photos are out of focus and less than perfect but to me they capture the moment so perfectly. I love You & Me because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me work with white and cream together. I love Enjoying Nature because the page makeover shows the concept of the book so perfectly--a really simple page that goes from OK to fabulous with one simple rule breaking twist.
Tell us something we don’t know about you. Umm…. I hate my food to touch and I think divided plates are a dream come true. My husband likes to pile all my food together on my plate to mess with me. I am a night owl. 3am is pure bliss. My night self often messes over my morning self. I am the mom who lets their kids pick their noses in the car. Disgusting I know but they are their noses and there has to be somewhere it is allowed. I don't fit in with the other moms at school. This might be because of the last fact. I love to laugh. I mean, deep, down belly laugh. My husband taught me this and I married him because of it. I rarely watch TV. This is because I have other things to do (see next fact). I love to scrapbook. Maybe you already knew this.
Think you know all there is to know about Cut Loose author Crystal Jeffrey Rieger? Think again! I (Kristin) have the scoop right here, a little insight into what makes Crystal tick.
After reading the Q&A, stop by the messageboard to ask your own questions of Crystal. And don't forget to enter the Cut Loose giveaway before Monday, July 9. Click here for entry details.
And now, my Q&A with Crystal...
1. What gave you the idea for Cut Loose? OK, here is the short version. I have always been a rule breaker. Even as an adult whenever someone tells me to do one thing I automatically want to do the opposite. Just ask my husband. Now the long version and possibly more informative? (Of course this is debatable. Talk among yourselves.) I grew up in an environment where I was encouraged to think for myself and to question everything. And of course when I discovered scrapbooking this way of thinking translated to it. When I first started scrapbooking I needed to find out everything about it. Once I had learned this and felt comfortable, my scrapbooking started to change. I stopped mimicking others and started creating for myself. Suddenly I didn't want to only make my pages from left to right or pick colors from my photos. The rule breaker started kicking in. I then wanted to encourage others to be OK with doing things differently and to try new things.
2. What was it like being a Memory Makers Master? Best gig ever! Loved, loved, loved it. In fact, I just pretend I am still a current MM Master so I can live in my happy bubble.
3. What’s in your purse right now? I actually don't carry a purse. Weird, I know, but I would just end up lugging too much stuff around. I carry a wristlet.
4. What scrappers do you admire? I love scrappers who say they are not creative. I love that they think that about themselves yet they are scrapbooking. It makes me laugh every time I hear it. Creativity doesn't need to be the latest and greatest to be creative 5. If you weren’t a stay-at-home-scrapper, what would you be doing? Clearly I would be a super awesome business-type-person who made a gazillion dollars by day, a fabulous Broadway star with rave reviews by night and in my spare time the probably the tooth fairy. I mean, a girl can never have too many options.
6. What are some of your favorite blogs? I have a short attention span and love to flit from one strange and weird blog to the next. Some of my recent favorites: -Icing: About nothing serious but love the rambles and the eye candy. -It's (K)not Wood: Cannot pull myself away from this. -A Little Hut: Totally inspires me. -Matt, Liz and Madeline: Heartbreaking, but love the human strength. -Design Mom: 'cause I am a mom and I love design. There are many more and they will probably all change next week.
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Tomorrow, read more about Crystal in Part 2 of the Q&A!
Are you stuck on the scrapbooking rules? Tell us, and you’ll get a chance to win a copy of Memory Makers Books' newest release Cut Loose.
Cut Loose, by '07 Memory Makers Master (and super-blogger)
Crystal Jeffrey Rieger, is all about taking away the “shoulds" of
scrapbooking. With lots of great layouts that illustrate how to break
30 common scrapbooking “rules” (like “patterned paper must match”), Cut Loose is
bound to spark a bit of rebellion in you and get you creating in fresh
new ways. Plus, in the book Crystal shares step-by-step instructions
for fun techniques, challenges for cutting loose, and makeovers showing
the same layouts both following and breaking the rules. (And who
doesn’t love a good makeover?)
To enter the Cut Loose giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post
answering this question: Are you a cut loose scrapper or do you have
trouble letting go? The winner will be posted on the S+P blog on
Monday morning, July 7. Remember, the winner will be posted on the blog
on Monday, so you need to check back here on Monday to find out if
you’ve won!
And check back here this week for more Cut Loose fun.
