Scrapbook Your Way

This week we’re revisiting episode number 115 with Shimelle Laine, A Work in Progress. Member Terri writes: “Shimelle’s episode where she talks about putting the book back in scrapbooking was a real aha moment for me and the reason I don’t want to downsize my 12x12 albums.” As you listen to this episode, try to identify one strategy from Shimelle’s toolbox that you might want to implement with you...

This week we’re revisiting episode number 134 with May Flaum, How to Care for a Creative Heart. This is my personal pick to kick off our series of ten Scrapbook Your Way replays. The episode features an excellent conversation about how we cope, realign, and truly care for ourselves when the world feels like too much. As you listen to this episode, think about one small step you could take to impro...

In this episode, I'm going solo to answer a listener question about how to reignite your scrapbooking passion after a hiatus. I share my experience with a recent layout, offer steps to ease back into the hobby, and talk about the importance of mindset and consistency. I'm also announcing a brief pause in podcast episodes for some behind-the-scenes updates and the upcoming celebration of...

In this season of life Dawn Cervo is focused on rediscovering herself with vision planning and a suite of creative practices, including scrapbooking. This episode includes her journey into retirement and spiritual renaissance. She shares insights into her blended family, her adventures in genealogy, her creative projects, and her deep-seated belief in finding the sacred in everyday life. Links Men...

Terri Torrez is one of our most active community members, often sharing links, initiating new conversations, and volunteering to help. But this past year has been a doozy for her. As she navigated divorce and a cross-country move, I'm grateful she could lean on her Simple Scrapper support system and feel safe to share layouts with her thoughts and feelings. In this episode Terri shares how he...

Elif Sahin, the owner of Hey Scrapper, is seeking to disrupt the digital scrapbooking industry with a new model that she believes is more fair to designers. To scrapbookers, it is a new shop with digital and hybrid-friendly products along with a fresh take on a creative community. In this episode you'll hear Elif discuss her background as a designer, her vision for Hey Scrapper, and what we c...

The precise, layered look found on Tarrah McLean’s pages inspired our new collection of sketches and templates for Simple Scrapper members . Her use of larger titles creates a focal point in many of her designs, adding to her eye-catching style. In this episode we're taking a peek behind the scenes of Tarrah's inspirations and process. Our conversation features the importance of fellow s...

Denine Zielinksi starts every layout by opening Photoshop, but you might not know that when looking at her scrapbooks. In this episode I'm chatting with Denine about how she brings meaningful storytelling to smaller scale hybrid spreads. You'll hear how she adapts projects to different sizes, introduces creative variety, and why she doesn't plan to scrapbook in 12x12 again. Links Me...

What happens when you go to school for fashion, but fall in love with graphic design? In this episode you'll hear Cecily Moore's story of finding her way as an artist and maker. We discuss her roots in memory keeping, the highlights and hard parts of building The Paper Curator, and why she's diversifying into new markets. This is a fascinating conversation that peels back the curtai...

Cheryl Ashcraft has been a fixture of the digital scrapbooking community for well more than a decade. Known for her layered and maximalist style as both a scrapbooker and digital designer, Cheryl’s style is easily recognized by peers. In this episode you'll learn more about her creative journey and process. Links Mentioned Cheryl's favorite recent layout: The Blues & Classical - Swee...

I'd been wanting to share some of my perspectives on structuring life in support of productivity and creativity, but it's been a January. (Are we officially saying that now?) And now that it's February, I can happily say I've found a bit of a groove. In this episode I share my 2025 goals, routines, planning approach, and thoughts on how we (both I and you) can get things done....

Kicking off another year of our Featured Artist series, this month we’ve been celebrating the work of Nikki Basque. A selection of her layouts inspired our new collection of sketches and templates, but Nikki’s creative interests run wide. Creating in many sizes and formats, including planners, she loves all things of the sweet and floral variety. We’re excited for you to meet Nikki and take a peek...

Do you ever look at a layout and wonder how they fit so much on a single page? Tracey Fox is known for filling her scrapbook layouts edge to edge with multiple photos and abundant embellishments, all while keeping the story in focus.  In this episode Tracey breaks down the strategies and process she uses to create in her signature style. Her secret for managing photos and documentation is a linchp...

Make your creative hopes a reality as you prepare for 2025 with this final episode of 2024. I'm sharing ideas for transforming scrapbooking aspirations into concrete plans, addressing common challenges scrapbookers face. From establishing regular workflows to tackling photo management and workspace organization, this short and sweet episode is packed with tips to help you find more satisfacti...

What if a 6-minute video could capture an entire year of memories? In this episode you'll hear Natalie Strand explain her process for compiling video clips into an annual project. We discuss the role of video within the context of her memory keeping along with the challenges and benefits of working with this format. Our conversation also highlights how creating in different ways satisfies dif...

"In the end we just want our children to be happy, healthy, and see a positive future ahead of them."  Scrapbooking our tweens, teens, and young adult children often comes with challenges as they explore how they want to show up in the world, not to mention our photos of them. So when Beatrice Semo's child (who prefers he/him or they/them pronouns today) came out as gay and transgen...

When you have a passion, sharing it comes naturally. Rebeca Ruiz is a paper scrapbooker with a traditional style who loves the process of creating and teaching others along the way. You’ll find her leaning on bright white backgrounds, added texture, and lots of layers to celebrate the products she works with. In this episode Rebeca shares her origins in scrapbooking as well as all the things she l...

Is your scrapbooking deeply satisfying? Let's figure it out and make a plan for 2025. This episode offers an introduction to the eighth year of the Planning Party and serves as a companion guide to the Planning Workbook. The workbook and associated events are free, but do require registration at the link below. ✨ Register for the Planning Party at simplescrapper.com/plan25 ✨ Get free access...

In this episode I’m chatting with my accountability partner (and returning guest) Alissa Williams about the evolution of our planning needs. We share personal experiences with different planning tools and discuss areas for improvement in goal setting, documentation, and weekly planning. Our conversation highlights contrasts our approaches and includes the role of systems in Alissa’s planning proce...

Helen DeRam returns to wrap up our series on creating in alignment with the seasons, following episodes no. 250 and no. 267 . Our conversation continues to highlight our unique approaches to Aligned as a creative project as well as our insights on the ongoing experience. With Fall as the final season, we also reflect on what we will carry forward into 2025 and beyond. Links Mentioned Pretty Little...

I love how these conversations, with creator after creator, illustrate the breadth of what brings us joy. CJ Flynn is our October 2024 featured artist, inspiring our latest member challenge with her clean and simple scrapbooking style. You'll find CJ combining minimalist hybrid pages with her favorite products, typically on a smaller scale. Our conversation highlights her journey to clarity a...

When I asked Jo Guihot to join me on the podcast, I wanted to highlight her genuine desire to welcome shy newcomers to Simple Scrapper as well as some of the challenges she faces as an Aussie scrapbooker in a very US-centric industry.  What unfolded was a sincere conversation about the snowballing value of actively contributing to the health of a community. Jo shares how she has created more than...

Last year I chatted with Holly DeVore for one of our My Way episodes, celebrating her as our featured artist for the month. Today Holly is a Simple Scrapper member applying our strategies to refine and add more intention to her hobby. In this episode you'll hear how Holly's effort to index her layouts and albums shifted her focus in scrapbooking. Our conversation is full of thoughtful in...

Inessa Persekian hopes to create an album documenting her childhood in Ukraine with photos she thought were lost forever. Inessa is the September 2024 Simple Scrapper Featured and in this episode she shares how her passion for this hobby developed. We discuss how she carves out time in her busy days and organizational strategies for the bright and colorful products she loves. Our conversation also...

Everything we do at Simple Scrapper is about helping you find ways to scrapbook that feel good and are sustainable. That looks like troubleshooting your storytelling sticking-points and laying out the options when you're craving consistency. In this third and final episode of our special Q&A series I'm answering more submitted questions, including some that were specifically about me...