Getting to know Sandy

Hi, fellow scrappers! Today we’re going to get to know one of Trixie’s hybrid stars a bit better.

Everyone, meet Sandy!!!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself 🙂

I’m pretty boring actually. I’ve been a military brat and spouse all my life, except the last few years. I grew up in Texas and the midwest, I still have a soft spot in my heart for Texas. After high school I (foolishly) got married and we moved to Alaska for 3 years and then kinda settled down in Las Vegas for 12 years where my boys were born, I got divorced and I met my husband. In the whirlwind of the past 5 years we married, he left the service and we moved to Minnesota…it’s as close as we could get to both our families during the job searching. It’s been an adjustment from crazy busy Las Vegas to the slower pace of Minnesota. I truly appreciate all the opportunies the change of pace has given our family.

Most of my life I’ve worked customer service jobs, (stay in school kids!) during my last few years in LV I got an fantastic opportunity to work in a ceramics shop then as an engraver and I fell in love with manipulating graphics. Now I’m a stay at home mom to two boys (7 & 11!) and they are a full time job. I’m kinda of a goofy nerd that likes to laugh, wishes I could sing in tune and enjoys playing video games like Mario Brothers 3 (yeah still have my Nintendo!) or words games like Bookworm on my DS. I’m a animal lover, we have 2 dogs, 2 cats and several tanks of fish.

2. How long have you been digi scrapping?

I’ve always loved creating on the computer, I still have a few old things I made in 8 bit PhotoShop in high school! (If that tells you how old I am!) But realistically in a scrapbooking way it was about 11 years, it started with using the clip art discs I had at my job to make ads with (shhh don’t tell anyone) and I made “stationary” to write my son letters each month during my pregnancy and record my thoughts about how excited we were to have him. Then that lead to titles and journaling and “custom” embellishments that I’d print and cut out. For a few years I worked in a shop that I learned a little in PhotoShop and began editing photos and stuff to use in Printshop type software. But I found “real” digi scrapping about a year and a half ago and have been seriously hooked since!!

3. Do you have a favorite Trixie Scraps product?

There are so many fantastic kits, its hard to pick just one, but You’re a Star is in the top three, with Sk8ter Boy and Nature Girl.

4. What is your favorite go-to element in a kit?

That’s a tough one, every kit is so different, I love papers, sometimes I think they get overlooked. I really love the theme elements of a kit, the thing that really relays the theme of the kit like the veggies in My Summer Garden.

5. What is your favorite subject to scrap about?

Of course my kids, but my secret passion is heritage photos. I love looking at the stuff in the background and especially glimpses of my grandparents (and others) as regular people – as they were when they were young, their hobbies and seeing sides of their personalities as I haven’t ever seen. As a military brat I didn’t see my grandparents or extended family much so it’s a connection to a side I never had a chance to get to know as they’ve almost all passed away now.

6. What, if anything, do you listen to while you scrap?

Always it my big Charlie dog snoring, he’s a great dane/lab/boxer mix of some kind who follows me everywhere and sleeps at my feet while I scrap/cook/eat/sleep etc. In the evening it’s some ridiculous scifi something my husband is watching on tv but usually it’s my XM radio, I’m all over the dial. And I’m in love with the Twighlight soundtrack, not the movie so much but the soundtrack is awesome! And since I got my iPhone I’ve been listening to Pandora alot and it lets me pick what I like so I don’t have to spend time flipping through the channels to avoid songs I don’t like.

7. OK, we all snack while we scrap, right? What’s your favorite munchie?

I’m a Dr Pepper addict, so always DP and if I do snack probably puff corn or cookies of some kind, I’ve learned ice cream is a bad choice because I get so into the layout I actually forget about it and end up with soup. 😉 When I’m doing the hands on hybrid stuff though {sigh} no snacks. 🙁

8. You are such an incredible hybrid scrapper. How did you get started, and where do you get your ideas?

You’re very sweet, I’m just beginner really. I just needed a more creative outlet then dragging people to my computer screen, “see what I made” and there they sit. Don’t get me wrong I make layouts still but I have a compulsion to make things I can touch and that I can use too. I guess in my mind if their are tangable that can be made with my stash of digi goodies then it balances the stacks of layouts I have tucked away on my hard drive.

My inspiration comes usually from the kits, I guess the my mind wonders “How can I show this kit as something other than the background for pictures.” I’m definitely an outside the box thinker, most times I think too much and talk myself out of making the things in my head because I think they may be too out there, or they have to marinate in my brain for a while till I can figure out how to make them happen.

9. What is your favorite song?

Wow, just one? I love so many different kinds of music, but I’ll have to go with “Think Twice” by 311.

10. What’s your favorite movie? And what is the worst movie that you’ve ever seen?

Again, hard questions, probably “The Princess Bride” is one of my absolute favs. Worst movie, oh there are sooo many first to come to mind is “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” I guess because I “watched” it recently and I don’t watch horror movies too much gore for me.

11. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Rudeness/bad manners and waste (of all kinds, money, possessions, garbage – clean up after yourselves people, reduce, reuse, recycle!)

12. Pretend I’m sending you on a vacation, anywhere in the world. Where do you want to go?

Oooh, vacation, what’s that? Probably a private hut on a hawaiian beach with a magic refrigerator that has what I want to eat whenever I open it and a freezer that has my favorite Cold Stone ice creams in it.

13. There’s more to digi, right? What are your other hobbies?

Whatchu talking ’bout Willis?!? Digi is my life I know it’s been said before, but all my friends live in my computer, and who will tend my farm if I’m not on the computer?!?

I like to (real) garden, mostly my veggie garden but being a first time home owner I’m “branching” out into flowers now (couldn’t resist that one.) And I also like to read, work with clay/ceramics/paint, quilting, yarn crafts, sewing (just about anything but clothes) and I love to cook, just hate the dishes. Student of everything, master of nothing.

14. Who is your favorite Muppet?

Oh no, that’s like picking my favorite child… I’ll go with the diplomatic answer of my top three favs, Animal, Beeker and the Swedish Chef. Okay four, Pepe the Prawn, he’s so ornery! I really love Muppets in general! I had the Muppet Show lunch box about the 3rd grade or so.

15. If you were stranded on a deserted island for a year, what 3 items would you have to take with you?

Assuming my Hubs and boys made it safely to shore with me, I’d want a solar power generator/storage thingy, a port-a-potty & my iPhone (I’m seriously addicted!) Or a magic wand (then I’d have a way to get everything I need) my iPhone and a porta potty. (How come no one ever says a boat to this question? I didn’t cause I know I’d get seasick and I could use the break.)

16. What’s your favorite color? Is that also your favorite color to scrap with?

Pink, pink, pink!!! But in a boy filled house I don’t use it much except for my childhood pix and my girl pet pix. I use a lot of brown, blue, & green. But that’s what I love about Trixie’s designs I can indulge my girlie whims and still find balance to do “masculine” layouts too.

17. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?

Looney Tunes and Pink Panther.

18. Mustard or mayo?

Mayo, unless there’s honey mustard, cuz I’m difficult that way, just call me Sally. 😉

19. Do you have a favorite family tradition?

I love when my DMIL comes to visit and we go to the Twin Cities for the day and spend most of it (and our money) at IKEA! And most Sundays you’ll find us at Culver’s having Butter Burgers and frozen custard, mmmmmm!

20. The word is out—Hollywood is making a movie about your life. Who is in the starring role? (man, I’m glad that I didn’t have to answer that question when I was interviewed!!!)

Well I guess it could happen (but it’s highly highly unlikely) either Amy Adams to portray the silly side of me or Carnie Wilson because she’d be able to get the silly down and I think she could sympathize and emote my rough patches more authentically.

Please link us up to 3 of your favorite layouts or hybrid projects.

Hybrid tic-tac-toe game created with Sk8ter Boy available at GP and SM