An Interview With Teresa Collins

In the latest of our hard nosed reporting we caught up with the fabulous Teresa Collins.

A great scrapbooker and designer. The Teresa Collins Designs ranges are always popular amongst scrapbookers and card makers alike. The innovative Teresa Collins Stampmaker product that has recently been launched at CHA has already become one of the most desirable products amongst stampers.
So sit back and have a read of what Teresa has to say.
 
How long have you been scrapbooking and what got you started?
At the end of 2002, I started to scrapbook when my mother died unexpectantly. I knew it was TIME to start documenting life.

What do you see as your biggest scrapbooking achievement?
Wow, I honestly don't know. I have had so many great experiences and achievements. I think the fact that I can travel the world and share 
what I love is humbling. I now see my products in countries throughout the world and this is something that makes me amazed and grateful.

What is your favourite scrapbooking product?
I love my pop up dots, ATG gun, corner rounder and BLINGAGE on everything... 

What is the most you've ever spent on a purpose made scrapbooking item?
NO idea... really best left unknown. wink!

Was it worth it? 
Of course!!!!!


If you could give every scrapbooker in the world one piece of advice what would it be?
Enjoy the process and create from your heart...style is subjective and really should be about YOU telling your story. 


Which scrapbooking product do you use the most and why?
Glossy Accents and Pop Dots... essentials to me for my gems and dimension.


What is your favourite design technique?
Stamping incorporated in my projects to personalize and customize.


If you could have any scrapbooking product or tool right now that you do not already own what would it be?
Let's see..... I think I own them all. I love tools!!!!!!


What camera or cameras do you use to take your pictures and do you have a favourite?
Canon Mark II


Do you use a particular type of pen for journaling?
I have a few... and honestly have no idea who makes any of them!

If you could use only products from ONE manufacturer for the rest of your scrapping days, who's products would you choose?
Well, you know... it would have to be my collections. 

Do you have a favourite layout you've created, and could we see it please? Why is it your favourite?
I do not have any favorites because everytime I do something new it is then my "new" favorite. 


As Teresa has said that her favourite work is always her last work I thought I'd share with you all a recent project that Teresa has on her blog over at teresacollins.typepad.com . Now how beautiful is this!

A huge thank you to Teresa for taking part in this little fun interview. We love to hear about all of the scrapbookers that so many people look up to. Especially those like Teresa who also produce such lovely looking products for us all to use.

Becky Higgins Interview and Review

Happy Sunday everyone. A bit of a special one today as we have an interview with the fantastic Becky Higgins and then the next review, will be her Project Life scrapbook kit. This is all part of our kit club month. Technically Project Life is not a kit club as such but as you will see it is a commitment.

So here we go with the interview.

How long have you been scrapbooking and what got you started?
In some form or another, I’ve been doing personal history and family history type projects from the time I was a child. But it was at age 17 that I really discovered the hobby in the format that we’re so familiar with now. That was in 1994. I had just graduated from high school and traveled to Utah where scrapbooking stores existed. It was like a whole new world was opened to me and everything snowballed from there.

What do you see as your biggest scrapbooking achievement?
Personally, taking a picture every single day to represent our family’s life in 2008 and 2009. I’m doing it again this year and hope to not burn out anytime soon. Professionally, I am so grateful for the opportunity to start a company with my husband nearly a year ago. We’re having a lot of fun and learning a lot. It’s been really terrific branching out and spreading my wings this way.

What is your favourite scrapbooking product?
Divided photo pocket pages. Instant places to stick my pictures. I offer these in my Project Life kit and have a line-up of more designs that will be available early 2011. There is so much I want to do with these and they save SO much time.

What is the most you've ever spent on a purpose made scrapbooking item? Was it worth it?
The We R Memory Keepers albums that house all of our family books and my kids’ books. Yep, totally worth it. They’re beautiful and impeccable quality.

If you could give every scrapbooker in the world one piece of advice what would it be?
Approach this hobby however it feels comfortable and enriching to you. If you spend hours and hours trying to keep up with the latest & greatest but end up feeling drained and unproductive, it’s time to re-think how much time you’re investing. This is a wonderful hobby. Embrace it at your own pace and don’t sacrifice valuable family time for cutting and pasting family pictures.

Which scrapbooking product do you use the most and why?
I know you’re expecting that I’ll say this paper or that embellishment or this tool or that cardstock. Honestly, since simplifying my approach to scrapbooking, I really stick with my camera, my computer, my Project Life, and that’s about it.

What is your favourite design technique?
I still enjoy mild inking around the edges of things when I’m doing some creative paper-based card, page, or project.

If you could have any scrapbooking product or tool right now that you do not already own what would it be?
I’ve been so out of the loop on the latest & greatest, that I honestly don’t know what’s out there and what I “should” be wanting. I’m enjoying my little place of simplicity and staying focused on pictures and stories.


What camera or cameras do you use to take your pictures and do you have a favourite?
My dSLR is the Nikon D90 and my point and shoot that stays in my on-the-go bag or purse at all times, is the Canon PowerShot SD1300. They’ve both served me well.

Do you use a particular type of pen for journaling?
I like the American Crafts Precision Pens.

If you could use only products from ONE manufacturer for the rest of your scrapping days, who's products would you choose?
You’re making me choose? There are so many fantastic product designers out there. Since I’m a sucker for patterned paper, I’ll just put it out there that I’ve loved KI Memories’ stuff for years. Such happy, fun, clean designs.

Do you have a favourite layout you've created, and could we see it please? Why is it your favourite?
Again -- quite the impossible task to nail down just one layout. So I’ll share one that comes to mind as *one* of my all-time favorites. This picture of me and my daughter reminded me of one of me as a baby with my mom. And then we were able to find a picture of my mom with her mom and then the next generation back too. I love making connections like this. It’s so much what scrapbooking is about.

If you want to learn more about Becky then just go check out her fab webpage BeckyHiggins.com.

Stay tuned to find out a little more about her Project Life kit when Amanda will be along with her review of this project.

At this point we must just thank Becky for not only answering our questions but also getting her product sent out to us.

Kit club September

Throughout the whole of September we will be running reviews on a number of Scrapbook Kit Clubs, both from the UK and America. We have reviews coming up for Scrapagogo, Cleo Crafts, Studio Calico, Tid Bitz in Time, Swirlydoo, and Becky Higgins' special Kit Project life.

We also have a couple of interviews with 2 top internationally known scrapbookers. All this along with further spotlight posts and other reviews that keep rolling in now, you really shouldn't miss it!

We may also be doing a giveaway or 2. All I can say is make sure you link to us from your blogs, it'll help!

First up is one of our new girls Rebekah with her review of Scrapagogo. That'll be up tomorrow afternoon, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

New site for Ali Edwards

Just a quick post to let you all know that if you are a fan of Ali Edwards, and why wouldn't you be, she now has a brand new swanky website.
A great new look, with loads of inspiration and links to Ali's blog, and shopping sites. Definitely worth checking out.