A few months ago we started the new blog feature, Getting To Know You, which is posted every other week on Tuesdays. This week I am happy to bring you an interview with one of my favorite scrappers at Designer Digitals: Phyilis (aka Whatnext). If you haven’t yet visited her gallery, (Whatnext’s DD Gallery), you are in for a treat because Phylis is wonderfully artistic and creative, whether she’s scrapping a heritage page, a page about her grandson or joining in on a one of the many challenges here at Designer Digitals.

Here is how Phylis describes herself:
I was born and raised in Southwestern PA and will probably always live here. (Dunno how I feel about that!) In my “former life” I earned a degree in music and was a music and piano teacher. My last music-related job was teaching Eurhythmics at the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh. I’ve been married for over 30 years to a quiet, smart and honorable man. Plus he’s good-looking! When our son was born in the early ‘80s, he became my life’s work. Our daughter arrived  five years later, and my lifelong “profession” was decided: Mom-hood! I’ve never looked back and have frankly lost interest in music. I have been a  part time volunteer, salesgirl and preschool aide in the intervening years, but now I stay pretty close to home and do whatever I feel like doing on a daily basis. Completely decadent!

And, without further ado, here is my interview with Phylis:
Phylis, when I visit your gallery here at Designer Digitals, I know I am seeing the work of an artist. Before the advent of software for creating digital art, how did you express yourself through art?
I used to do a lot of needlework after I lost interest in music. Then somehow needlework led me to spinning, which I adore. (Yep. I’m talkin’ about a spinning wheel.) I don’t do as much of it as I would like to anymore, but I have to tell you: BIG FUN!!
 
Hmm. Well. I don’t know about being an artist. Really, I think of myself as “painting with someone else’s hand,” as far as doing digital scrapping is concerned. Before I found digi, I was a frustrated paper scrapper, knowing the look I wanted but unable to create it because I wasn’t  someone who could draw or paint or execute a decent flourish with a colored pen or paintbrush. Digi freed me from the impediment of NOT being an artist. I can lean on the talents of people like Katie and Anna Aspnes and all the other wonderful DD designers who use THEIR artistic ability to create the magic that I can then put onto a page.



I’d like to imagine you in your home creating at your computer. What do you see surrounding you when you look up from your computer screen? Is there a favorite time of day when you feel the most creative?
I’m a morning person. Everything clicks for me in the A.M. That’s when you can usually find me working on a page. I’m sitting here at my computer looking at what we jokingly refer to as “The Upper 40.” My window looks out onto a gentle hill covered with grass, trees, several rows of raspberry bushes and my husband’s orchard of  semi-neglected apple, pear and peach trees. This orchard produces totally ugly fruit, but the fruit makes excellent apple cider. We usually get about 50 gallons of the stuff every fall from our trees, then we give it away to friends and family so that they can forget all about having it until it explodes in their refrigerator.



Among your fabulous layouts are many with introspective and soul searching subjects. What are your thoughts about using art as therapy?
One of the most useful things I learned from my piano teacher in college is that the key to “reaching” someone is to find something similar they can relate to. Someone may not know what kumquats taste like, and you could spend a lifetime trying to characterize the taste. But until you say: “They taste a little like a banana and a grape,” something that they have a real connection to, the explaining can be a fruitless (Oh, good grief. NO pun intended. Really) exercise. With therapy, it seems to me that, to reach someone, it must be through something that “speaks” to that particular person. If it’s art, so much the better. If it’s music, go for it. But I think that these sorts of therapies can be empty exercises if the patient doesn’t have the gut connection with the medium. “Draw how you’re feeling” can be really annoying for someone who would rather dance his feelings. Or write them.

Where does your inspiration most often come from….do you start with a photo or is it a feeling you want to express and then you find the photo or photos?
I have absolutely NO idea how I do what I do. I rather avoid looking too closely at the creative process for fear it will evaporate under any sort of scrutiny. So, generally it’s me trying to sneak up on “it” from behind. Lately I’ve been relying heavily on the various Challenges on DD for inspiration. (Long Live the iTunes Challenge!) Once I think about the challenge, the first thing that usually pops into my mind is a photo in my collection. Then I go from there. And sometimes “it” happens and, as we all know, sometimes it doesn’t.



Do you have a few favorite elements you recommend we all keep in our digital stash?
Did you hear that?? That was about 50 DD women all yelling my answer simultaneously before I even say it:
 
Anna Aspnes’ FotoBlendz Clipping Masks!!!!!!!!!!

Textured FotoBlendz Clipping Mask no. 01 by Anna Aspnes

I asked Phylis to choose one of her layouts to feature with this interview. She says, This page is ME in a nutshell! I love coloring outside the lines, but especially with a heritage page.

Isn’t that a delightful heritage page? Like I said before, you must visit her gallery for lots more inspiration. Phylis, I know I speak for all of us at Designer Digitals when I say we are so glad you hang out with us here and share your talent and your friendship. Thanks so much for a delightful interview.

I have been a huge fan of her work for ages (and I’m insanely jealous of her GREAT hair), so I was a bit overawed and very excited to interview our very own DD Captain Kelly (aka Mugsbigsis)! I know that many of you are inspired by her work too, so settle in and get to know her a little better today.

Introducing . . .(insert drum roll)

Kelly’s gallery is one of the most exciting and eclectic galleries at DD, so if you haven’t been over to check it out yet, don’t waste any time getting there.

Kelly’s a Native Texan now living in SD. She has a wonderful husband and they will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year. They have 3 fantastic boys (although seeing that two of her boys are 22 and one is 16, we think “boys” might not be quite the right word to use). Kelly has a degree in marketing and advertising, but chose to be a stay at home mom, which she loved. She worked part time for a few years, but in reality describes herself as a professional volunteer (less politics that way, she says!!) Her hobbies change and “rotate”, but a few are constant; quilting, needlepoint, photography and digi scrapping. Kelly loves to see new places (notice we didn’t say “travel” because she hates flying). Being married to a military man (ironically, he’s a pilot), has allowed her to live in and experience several wonderful places and when her guys are all grown and on their own, Kelly hopes to see more.

I know you’ll enjoy reading Kelly’s interview responses and finding out the story behind her screen name! Do you get it?

Q1. Were you ever a paper scrapper and who, or what, brought you to Digital scrapping and DD?

I have 14 paper scrapped albums that my boys loved looking at as they were growing up. I was always taking lots of pictures and found that scrapping was a fun way to record my boys’ childhood. My youngest sister got into digital scrap-booking a few years back. I remember her telling me about it, but I never looked into it because I figured it would not look “real” and wouldn’t be for me. Then one day she sent me a page she had done. I was very impressed and wanted to know how she did it so she sent me one of the tutorials that she was writing for DD to proof-read. One tut led to another and Cassie Jones had me hooked on digi.

Q2. Kelly, you are so creative - your pages are so varied and yet they always carry that inimitable “Kelly Style”. What inspires you - where do you get your ideas?

Like everything else in my life, I feel like my pages are very eclectic. I hate making the same quilt twice, the same recipes over and over and if my pages were all the same style I would get bored. I love to try new things and try new looks. My pages all begin differently, with a photo, a paper, a quote, or an event that I want to record. I’m afraid there is no rhyme or reason to them. I do LOVE the challenges and lifts though. I only wish I had enough time to do them all.

Q3. You’ve been posting some amazing Week In The Life pages. Can you tell us a bit about this project and how you feel about it?

Oh, I LOVED the Week In The Life challenge! When I first saw it, I figured it wouldn’t be for me because I no longer have little ones at home to “spice up” the week in photos. But, then I figured it would be a great way to document some of the things I do whether they seem boring or not. At the end of the week, I didn’t want it to end. I had so much fun with this challenge and would encourage everyone to try it.

Q4. If you had to give away all but five of your DD kits - which ones would you keep?

OMGosh, only 5??? . . . Well, first I would have to keep either Michelle’s Colbie Solids or Just Linen Papers for sure (I love woven texture in papers). Then I would need a set of Pattie’s Text Bytes and Anna’s Foto Blendz Masks since I use PSE. A pack of Anna’s stitching and Katie’s frames (the biggest kit available) would be a must, too. Although, if I were staying true to my frugal self, then I would probably have to swap one of those kits for a layered template kit with masks, stitching and elements included so I could have “more stuff.” lol I guess I wouldn’t really need any of Cassie’s tutorials since I could just email her with questions.

Q5. Which are your favourite DD galleries to browse?

I love the challenge galleries. Some of my favorites are Itunes, JMT, 365, Saturday Scraplift and I love to browse the new Art Journal and AAM galleries.

We asked Kelly to choose a favourite from her gallery and she chose this one - a real beauty!

Thank you so much, Kelly, for being such a vital member of our little community. Your gallery is inspiring, and your status as “DD Captain” speaks volumes about the support and encouragement that you share with all of us.

Today the Getting to Know You spotlight is on Designer Digitals community member, Dorah! A visit to her gallery reveals, first and foremost, her love of family, her participation in DD challenges and her beautiful heritage pages. She’s very active in our community giving us all encouragement and inspiration, too. I just learned that Dorah is her user name and her real name is Deborah.
Dorah’s Gallery at Designer Digitals

I enjoyed reading Deborah’s (aka Dorah) introduction and interview answers. I hope you do, too!
I grew up in small town America. My father’s entire family lived in the same hometown when I was a little girl. So growing up it was more a matter of who you belonged to rather than who you were. I am the youngest of eight children. I guess it would be worth mentioning that my name is actually Deborah and not Dorah. In my neighborhood there were 3 of us and we were Debbie Ann, Debbie Sue and Debi Jean. There are definitely an abundance of Deborahs in the world with that being one of the most popular girls’ names in the 50s. My extended family is still large with many nieces and nephews and now they are having children. My immediate family consists of just me and my son who is now 19. We have been our own little family since 1999 and are used to it by now. I also took care of my mom until she went into the nursing home in 2000 and passed away in 2007. I found DD when searching out freebies and began lurking in the gallery and the forum for a long time before taking the plunge. I am forever grateful that I did as this is just a warm and welcoming community. I have learned so much here.

Deborah, I’ve been following the lovely pages you post in our gallery for a long time; especially your December Daily pages and recently your pages for the Art Journal challenge. What’s your favorite kind of scrapbook page to create?
I love making all kinds of pages and love the broad range of challenges offered at DD. But my favorite page is and always will be the Heritage. I love being able to document the past and hopefully leave more stories to go with the names for my future descendants.

When and where do you usually do your scrapping?
I use a laptop for my scrapping so I do it all from my living room sofa.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out to learn digital scrapping?
I started out using freebies until I was sure that this was the medium for me. So I would recommend that and using any tutorials or tips you can find. And haunt the galleries and forums until you find a home that is a “fit” for you. Also don’t be afraid to scraplift a layout or two that you like until you find the style that works for you. And ask questions. I don’t know about other sites but here at DD someone is always able and willing to guide you in the right direction.

If you were marooned on a desert Island with your computer and only 5 Designer Digitals Kits, which ones would they be?
This is definitely a tough one although I am grateful I get to have my computer as I am lost without it. I would absolutely take the Book Of Memories LT set and Vintage Journals No 3 as those are what I use most in my heritage pages. I hope I get advance notice before I am marooned because I would like to take Dragon Trainer Kit, Jolie Kit and On the Island Kit and I don’t own any of those three.
Book of Memories Layered Templates
Vintage Journals Number 04
Dragon Trainer Kit
Jolie Kit
On the Island

You’ve mentioned the supportive community here at Designer Digitls. Who else in your circle of family and friends admires and encourages you in this scrapbook hobby?
Well first there is my son. And then my sister and her two daughters.

With her talent and interest in creating heritage pages, I was not surprised when Deborah chose to highlight this lovely page from her gallery:
My Grandmother

Thank you, Deborah! We’re glad to have you as a friend in the Designer Digitals community.

Want to get to know someone better today? Let me introduce you to the very talented Donna Goar!

Donna and her DH live in Missouri. They have been married for almost 25 years and have two children in college. Donna was an elementary teacher for 12 years and then spent 12 years working as an RN in the field of OB/GYN. After almost 22 years of parenting, Donna is now a “stay-at-home daughter”, caring for her 93-year-old mom. Donna says it’s ironic that as one “senior” was heading out the front door, another “senior” was coming in the back door! Donna and her husband also have an online business that keeps her pretty busy!
I asked her to answer some questions for me - and I know you’ll enjoy reading her answers as much as I did!

1. How did you get started in digital scrapbooking and how did you find Designer
Digitals?

I had been a paper scrapper for about 12 years and it was just last year while working on a senior album for my son and I had gone through a full pack of 50 transparencies printing things off the computer and cutting and fitting them to my pages that I realized my paper methods had shifted to digital. A friend spent the weekend and gave me a mini lesson in PSE and taught me how to download and unzip my “first” DD kit. I was NEVER going to do a FULL digital page. I just wanted to add some of the fun digi elements to my paper pages. I was SO wrong about that! Since that weekend I have been a digital addict taking classes and reading tutorials and wanting to learn more about this wonderful art process. I’m a wannabe artist and digital scrapbooking allows me to create scrapbook pages I never thought I was capable of doing.

I found DD through Ali Edward’s blog and I had a “wish list” created before I even knew how to download and unzip a file. I lurked the site for a few months before I found the courage to upload my first page. I wanted to share the page, but was quite insecure to put it out there. The comments were so encouraging and supportive and made me realize there is no right or wrong way to scrap. Scrapbooking is just a joy we all share and sharing our pages is half the fun of it.

2. What’s your scrapping ‘process’? How do you begin a page?

My scrapping process varies. Sometimes I’m inspired by a page in the gallery or a photo or a new kit. I don’t scrap in order which is surprising since I’m so organized about everything else in my life. Scrapbooking is the one place I just let it be and let the ideas flow. I keep files of “To Do” pages and ideas on the computer so that when the urge strikes me I open the file and have some thoughts in place to start a new page with. Some days I will simply jot down thoughts and ideas for future pages and other days as the ideas swirl in my head I have to just sit down and start creating the page and adding the layers in order to calm my brain with some scrap therapy. Some pages come together quickly and other times I have to walk away and think about them. Nothing makes cleaning the house more enjoyable than thinking about a scrapbook page in progress!!

3. What are the three most wanted items on your DD wishlist?

-I love Cassie’s “How’d They Do That” Tutorials like this one Bending Shadows
-I am obsessed with the vintage/distressed kits like Childhood Paper Pack
-I look forward to anything NEW on Saturday that pops up in the store!!  Don’t we all??

4. Do you have any favourite galleries here at DD that really inspire you?

MANY! The gallery is just a wealth of inspiration and ideas. I think Mel (Britgirl) is amazingly talented and I wish my digi brain was wired like hers. I am inspired by the photography talents of Susie, Kathie02, and KerryMac. Love the creativity of Jana, Marnie, What Next (Phylis), Applechick (Fiona), iUma (Patricia), Anke, and many, many more!!

5. What advice would you give a newcomer just starting out to create scrapbook pages digitally?

My advice to a newcomer would be to take the time to enjoy the process of learning and don’t get overwhelmed. REAL LIFE hands us enough of that and scrapbooking should be fun. Put some ME time on your daily “To Do” list and make it a goal to learn at least one new thing about your digital program every day. Take online classes, check out Cassie’s amazing tutorials, spend some time watching Sarah’s terrific weekly tips, and don’t be afraid to ask questions here at DD. There is a wealth of people willing to share their digi knowledge and talents. It is amazing how all the little bits of knowledge and tips and tricks you learn will add up and allow you to have such fun creating digital pages.

Sounds like great advice for all our newer members!

Donna has two favourite pages and asked me to choose one of them for the blog. I LOVED both of them but chose this one because not only is it a wonderful example of Donna’s talent in design, but the journaling is just beautiful. I think this would bring a tear to the eye of any of us who have had the experience of seeing our children “all growed up”!

Thank you so much, Donna, for being such a vital part of our community here at Designer Digitals. We love your pages and appreciate your involvement in the forums and all your generous comments on our pages too.

You really must check out Donna’s gallery and grab some inspiration while you’re there! Donna Goar’s Gallery

Hello everyone!  This week I’m pleased to present Denish Gormish for the getting to know you feature!

I asked Denise to describe herself and her life and this is what she had to say:
My family consists of my husband Mike, our two daughters Jaclyn and Jennifer and our English Cocker Spaniel Arthur. My days and weekends revolve around our family activities including soccer, Girl Scouts, school and church activities. I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember and I have loved photography since 7th grade. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Journalism. As a stay-at-home mom I don’t have a full-time job but I do freelance writing for publication. I also enjoy cooking, traveling, hiking, and playing with Arthur.

Here is how Denise answered the getting to know you interview questions:
1. How did you get started in digital scrapbooking and what made you get so involved here at Designer Digitals?
I started digital scrapbooking in 2008 after 9 years of paper scrapbooking. In my paper scrapping I was doing more digital things with my journaling entries by adding images and word art to it. Then, I saw some of the amazing things being done by people like Steph. I was on vacation with a laptop and decided to play around with some products. I liked how it worked so well with my graphic style and just got totally immersed into it.

2. What are your essential scrapbooking tools and is there anything on your wish list you hope to add? (i.e. here you could list what software you use and your tech equipment like your computer, printer, scanner, camera, etc.)
I’m dreaming of a new MAC with a BIG screen. I wouldn’t mind a newer version of Photoshop since I’m still using the original CS.

3. Who in the Designer Digitals community inspires you?
There is an amazing amount of inspiration here! I am inspired by a wide variety of people and styles from GoingtotheSun to Kayleigh. So many others inspire me including kathie02, teeleedee, Steph, patriciaz, echogirl, earlofoxford, bluelemur01, katie pertiet and BrittanyLane.

4. Your travel photos are stunning! If you could go anywhere in the world that you haven’t been and photograph the scenery, where would it be and why?
I only got to see a tiny bit of Italy so I am dying to visit and photograph the rest of it. New Zealand would be gorgeous to photograph too!

5. What are some of your favorite Designer Digitals products?
I start most layouts with a template. I find myself using Cathy Zielske and Michelle Martin’s templates a lot. I am really loving all Katie Pertiet’s Classic Cardstocks and Michelle Martin’s Just Linens. I like adding a touch to a layout with Lynn Grieveson’s Natures Best Flowers, Anna Aspnes’ Magic Sparkles No. 02 BrushSet and Pattie Knox’s Brad Bonanza No. 01: Digital Fasteners.

I also asked Denise to choose her favorite layouts to showcase here today.  She had this to say about the one’s she chose.
“Scrapbooking has always been creative therapy for me. It became a personal therapy as well in May 2009 when I lost my first dog Merlin. Those pages are some of my favorites as I journeyed through my loss.”

“I love to travel so many of my favorite photos are from our travels such as this one from a trip to Yosemite.”

You can see the rest of Denise’s gallery here: Denise Gormish Gallery