Featured Babe 9/17 – Stephanie Czosnek
Hey again Sweet Shoppers! September is more than halfway done and once again the September Portfolio Thread is full to bursting with fabulous layouts by all of you! This week we have another one of our fabulous Sugar Babes as our Featured Staffer – Stephanie!! (sczos911) I’ve known Steph around digi-land for a long time and I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know her better as a fellow Babe. She is super sweet and super creative! Her gallery is full of gorgeous bright colors and great design..not to mention her 2 adorable little girls.
Here’s a little more about Stephanie:
I have been scrapping since 2001. I started off paper scrapping and being inspired by my photos from a trip to Colorado. I created an entire album with these photos, but it was very frustrating because the glue never held for me and I had lack of space in my small one room apartment. I was introduced to digi scrapping by a friend on a mommy board when Jillian (my oldest) was a newborn. This move was so natural to me since I am a graphic designer and use PhotoShop on a daily basis. After one page – I was hooked!
I just celebrated my 9 year anniversary with my hubby – Andy. We were high school sweethearts (others say this – we started dating just after graduation) and we have been together for 16 years. We have 2 daughters – Jillian, 5, and Evelyn, 3. My family and my relationship to them all is my inspiration for creating my pages.
Do you have any other hobbies beside digi-scrapping?
Does being a baseball fan count as a hobby? As a family, we love the game. We have a ticket package to the Milwaukee Brewers & I have not missed an opening day in 9 years (hubby has not missed in over 16 and even went in high school)! 2 years, opening day has landed on my birthday which was a total blast. MLB network is on at the house all the time and I am slightly sad that the season is coming to an end in less than a month, but we’ll be watching post season baseball no matter the teams. It gives me great joy to have something that we do as a family. Who’s 5 year old asks – “Who’s pitching tonight?” and then follows it up with “Well, who’s catching?” Not to mention that if we try to leave a game early – my youngest starts crying and saying, “But there’s more baseball to watch!” It makes my heart happy. I did pick up crochet for a while last year and liked it, but nothing really is as rewarding as digi scrapping for me. I am also an avid reader and can tear through a book like no other. For mother’s day I received the best present ever – a nook. I love still being able to support my local library by downloading my books now.
Where do you get inspiration when you start a layout?
I get my inspiration from a kit or photos. It really depends on my mood. Sometimes the photo speaks to me, other times it is the kit. I usually start by creating a template of sorts for my layouts. I can “see” the layout better in black and white.
Are you a kit scrapper or more of a hodge podge scrapper?
I would say a bit of both. I normally stick to one kit, but will add a few pieces from other kits. I usually know EXACTLY what I am looking for or need to make that layout, what I’ll do is search on my computer for what I am looking for and the items will pull up. I love Vista for it’s searching capabilities.
If you could only use 2 elements on a layout what would they be?
Hmmm. This is a tough question. I love flowers – so definitely flowers, but for my second element – I would say ribbons.
I also asked Stephanie to share a few of her own favorite layouts and tell us what she loves about them:
I just loved these photos. They really do tell the story of the bond my youngest and I have. We always have held a special kind of relationship – it started as a newborn. The kid has put me though an emotional rollercoaster (with the PPD and sleepless nights and just her quirks) but I have accepted her as she is. She truly does march to the beat of her own drummer.
This photo was taken by Jillian & I just love the way the entire page turned out. It is bright and fun and the colors and patterns just speak to me. Fall is my favorite time of year and this photo marked our 8 year anniversary.
This was such a bittersweet moment for me. My oldest started school this day and my youngest had to go to daycare with out her older sister. My girls are not only close in age, but really good friends. This was such a turning point in their lives and was such a milestone. Snapping this photo, and looking at it later really made my heart swell with joy and break with an ache that my two girls are growing up and becoming their own persons. And the journaling. This is what I try to capture in these moments. The point of view and the story.
Featured Scrapper Challenge (Bonus #3) for your September 2010 Scrapper’s Portfolio
Your challenge today is a traditional Sweet Shoppe Cookie-Decorating Challenge. Download the cookie, decorate it with your own goodies and then upload it to the SSD Gallery. (don’t forget to edit your Portfolio with your layout)
**please note this challenge is worth 1 point and cannot be combined with other portfolio prompts except for NR bonus point for a total of 2 points.**
and some fabulous examples from our Sugar Babes:
by Erin
Credits: With or Without You by MandaBean & Traci Reed
by Jenny
Credits: Make Lemonade by Traci Reed
by Nikki
Credits: Down in the Meadow by Misty Cato
Don’t forget to edit your Portfolio with your page for this challenge!
NOTE: These Bonus Challenges are EXTRA on top of the Posted Portfolio Challenges. They CANNOT be combined with any other challenge and stand alone (except New Release bonus pt). Please feel free to PM me with any questions – nikkiARNGwife. Thanks!
