Scrapbook Blogger Tour: rukristin
Last week I was tagged by the awesomely adorable Meghann Andrew as one of her favorite scrapbookers (squee!) and to participate in a scrapbook blog tour! This was a fabulous excuse to write up a new 'about me right-now' post with a bunch of things I've been wanting to share lately. If you're new, this is a great place to get to know me a little bit better, and if you're old -- then you're probably one of those really cool old people I look up to and totally want to be when I grow up.
1. What am I working on right now?
Getting back into the swing of things. After a big cross-country move from New Jersey (where I've lived my entire life) out to the midwest (where we'll be for at least the next five years), I'm still getting everything organized and settled into its right place. I've been working on outlines for a few new workshops about feminist scrapbooking and telling your story.
I've also spent some time getting the shop up and running, and working on releasing a couple of new products later this month.
I also just got about 150 new photos printed from Persnickety Prints, and I'm starting on my new Project Life album tonight! I'm gonna be going back to a 12x12 format -- I have a lot that I want to document from our new Michigan life.
2. How long does it take me to create a project?
A while. If we're being honest. I'm a really slow scrapbooker. I like playing around with a bunch of different options before I actually glue anything down.
I'm usually working on a couple of different projects at once, and I tend to flit between all of them, which means it will naturally take me a longer time to finish any given project. That being said, once I'm settled on how I want a project to look -- I make it happen pretty quickly.
3. What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?
Random pretty papers and memorabilia for mini-albums
8x6 sheets of paper (as my layout base)
Pens & Copic markers
Neon colors
Tags and Labels
4. How does my writing/creating process work?
I start with something. It might be a photo, a story, a sheet of paper, an embellishment that I really want to use. It's different each time.
I usually pull out a couple of coordinating supplies -- paper, stickers, stamps, etc -- and then just start placing them on a sheet of plain white cardstock and fiddle around until I feel like its done. Not super technical I know -- but it works for me, and that's the most important part.
After I finish up a project, I take pictures (usually one overview and a few detail shots) and then put it away (or in a pile on my desk).
I share a fair amount of my projects online, either here on my blog, in one of my workshops, or for one of the design teams/magazines I do freelance work for.
Then it all starts again!
5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
I become inspired by pretty much anything, but lately I've really been into:
Anything neon -- especially warm neons.
Women. Feminists. Ladies who make me want to be the best version of myself.
Anything mid-century -- our new house is a super cool mid-century modern ranch and I'm having the best time taking in everything from that time period. I love clean lines and natural substances.
Pop Culture. TV shows -- especially premier serialized dramas. They just rock storytelling so hard.
I stay inspired by challenging myself and keeping myself involved in supportive and inspirational communities.
My Thursday3 selfie challenge means I have at least one photo of myself to scrapbook each week.
My Currently List journaling challenge means that I always have a quick place to jot down my right-now story.
The Awesome Ladies Project means that for at least two hours a month, I will be working on a project that makes me feel good about myself -- and that in turn makes me more creative.
Keeping myself healthy and happy -- both mentally and physically -- is the best way for me to exercise my creative parts. If I'm feeling sad or sick, I'm not going to be inspired by anything, and I'm certainly not going to be able to create anything that makes me feel awesome, so that has to be a big priority for me.
6. What is my signature style?
White cardstock backgrounds
Handwritten journaling/doodling
Bright Colors
Single photo layouts and mini-albums
Non-Square sized layouts (right now I'm really into 8x6 layouts)
Now to continue the tradition -- two of my favorite scrapbookers are Megan and Kara.
Megan is an amazing storyteller. She has this knack of telling her entire family's story, but still making sure that each of her family members are represented in their own voice. She also does an incredible job of documenting her life as a whole human person, instead of just as 'the mom of the family'.
Kara is an awesome feminist artist. She has a beautiful view of the world and it's such a pleasure seeing her tell her story through instagram and her creative projects just kick-ass so hard. Her new project Babe Vibes is an incredible bold view on what it means to be a woman, sisterhood, and owning your beauty -- both inside and out.
Make sure to check both of them out! If you have any questions about anything I talked about, leave a comment below. xo.
