Getting Scrappy With... Katie!

click here to view this on Katie's Scrapbook.com gallery

I currently have six wonderful scrapbookers lined up for the Getting Scrappy With... series. That's six months of this feature, with hopefully more to come after that! I'm so grateful for these ladies agreeing to participate but the tremendous amount of talent makes it hard to choose who to feature next! I decided to go with (drum roll, please) Katie or MissKatie as she's known on Scrapbook.com. Katie posted something really cool on her blog, Telerobotic, a few months ago and I just have to share with you all what it was—but you'll have to wait on that because you won't get to see it until Wednesday. But it's worth the wait, trust me!

In the meantime, let's take a look at Katie's work. To the right is the first page of Katie's that I saw on Scrapbook.com and it inspired me to create the cover page of my first Book of Me. I just love the speech bubble coming out of her head and the collage of her fave things.

So much of her work is completely unexpected and I love how each page really throws you for a loop. Using a twig on a scrapbook page (see below)? Why not? Katie's unique scrapbook vision has garnered her design team spots with Crazy Daisy Kit Co. and Better Living Through Scrapbooking.

Let's get to know Katie a bit more, shall we?

When did you start scrapping?

The first scrapbook layout I ever completed was when I was 13 or 14 (using shaped, matted photos and lots of decorative-edged scissors, of course!), but I put scrapping aside after that to concentrate on drawing and painting, which is pretty much all I did throughout high school, until about 2006, when I picked scrapping up again in my spare time. From 2008 on it's been pretty much nonstop!

How have your other creative pursuits, such as drawing and painting, influenced the evolution of your style?

I started out pretty simple compared to what I do now. I've always been into collaging by taping/gluing things down, but recently I've picked up embroidery and painting, so a lot of my newer pages incorporate those techniques on top of collage, which I have never strayed from! I'd definitely describe my style as "progressive" though. I'm not big on labels and I am a geek when it comes to researching new techniques and learning new methods of making things, so I'm constantly growing and evolving.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?

Literally everywhere. I'm constantly listening to music and/or watching TV or movies while I create, so color schemes, themes, and even journaling style are influenced by those things. I also spend a huge amount of time looking at artwork, from the classics (Matisse, Magritte, Caillebotte) to contemporary work (Jacqui Oakley, Dolan Geiman, Dana Robson). Then there's always various scrap portfolios and gallery sites.

Do you have a favorite technique that you use on layouts or something that you think of as your signature?

I would say the collage vibe is my signature. I hardly ever go with geometric or very linear layouts. I like mixing things up and am very free form as a result.

Why do you scrap?

First and foremost, it's fun. I'm a graphic design major and am obsessed with design, layouts, and color palettes, as well as just making things look good, so it's kind of a no brainer for me. I'm also a very nostalgic person, though, and I've found that scrapping helps me to both relive my favorite (and not so favorite, but equally important) memories and relax. It's certainly a therapeutic hobby. I'm also interested in the idea of leaving something behind for others to see, even though I'm not a strictly archival kind of scrapper.

Does that mean you often scrap about yourself?

Quite often. I know some scrappers don't, either because they focus on other family members/friends, or because they have a bit of a phobia, but to be honest, I am who I know best. Scrapping has always been a creative, therapeutic art form for me, but it's also about leaving a mark, so I say, scrap yourself—people will be curious to know what you were like at the time you made a particular page.

click here to view Katie's Scrapbook.com gallery

Where is your favorite place to scrap?

My favorite place to scrap is in my room. I still live at home and have converted my room into my own personal studio space. Lots of hours are spent creating there! I can really create pretty much anywhere, though, as long as I have the supplies I love on hand! I prefer to scrap in the afternoon and late at night. I'm a night owl for sure and just function all around better when it's dark outside. I can stay up super late (or early, depending on who you ask) if I'm focused on what I'm doing.

And what does your scrap area look like?

Chaos! Haha. I try to keep it all put together the best I can, but the truth is that everything kind of goes where it wants to. It is an organized mess, if that makes sense. I know exactly where everything is. So it's organized to me, but probably not to anyone who walks in here.

I've found keeping things separate helps a lot. The piles actually decrease in size once you separate letter stickers from the rest of the embellishments, cardstock from other patterned paper, and so on.

For my readers who might be near your area (Indiana), are there any local scrapbook stores you'd recommend?

Definitely! Sharon's Crop Studio is actually very close to me and totally awesome. Sharon is the nicest lady ever, and her team of teachers is extremely knowledgeable. Plus, their crop space includes the comfiest chairs you'll ever find. Seriously.

And because Christmas is just days away, what scrap products are on your Christmas list for this year?

This year, my wish list contains some practical tools, like the Scotch ATG Gun, as well as some awesome DIY tools, including the QuicKutz Epic 6 Tool/Letterpress and the Teresa Collins Stampmaker Machine. As far as collections go, apparently I'm really into "cute" right now! I love Creative Imaginations' Lullaby Boy Collection—even though I don't have a boy, the vintage nursery rhyme illustrations are too adorable to resist, and the die-cut papers are really innovative. Doodlebug Design's Welcome Home Collection reminds me of Japanese stationery—I really love it! And then there's American Crafts' Dear Lizzy: Enchanted Collection. Because I can never get enough Lizzy.

And we can never get enough of your super creative scrapbook pages! Thanks for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week, Katie!

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Don't forget to check out Katie's blog and her Scrapbook.com gallery for more! And come back on Wednesday to see some cool techniques that you can use on your scrapbook pages!