Sunday Spotlight - azrood - Trixie Scraps Designs

It’s time again for one of my favorite features here on the Trixie Scraps Blog – the Sunday Spotlight! We love getting out in the community and learning a little more about YOU!

This month I thought it would be fun to feature someone from Tracy’s new PickleberryPop store – azrood – because I saw some of her gorgeous pages in the gallery. I fell in love with this one because of the unique photo layout:

31 Days Has December – Trixie Scraps Store * Picklebarrelpop * Scrapbook Bytes * Gotta Pixel

I also really liked 8-mile Ride for that big picture and the creative title work!

Riding With Boys – Trixie Scraps Store * Picklebarrelpop * Scrapbook Bytes * Gotta Pixel

So, I tracked down azrood for a little interview.

Let’s start with telling us a little about yourself.

First and foremost, I am “mom” to three kiddos. My son will be 7 in April and my girls are 8 and 9. As you can imagine, having three kids keeps me on my toes. My husband and I will celebrate our 11th anniversary this summer, although we’ve known each other since I was 13. We also have a *couple* of fur-babies: 4 dogs (2 labs, a rat terrier and a beagle), 2 cats, a rescue guinea pig, a rabbit and a rat. There are a couple of fish in the mix as well. During the day, I work in research administration then in the evenings I help my husband with his business and at night I get to enjoy my hobbies which include scrapbooking (of course!) and crafting for my Etsy shop.

Wow! You must stay busy! So, how did you get into digi?

I stumbled into digi back around 2006ish when I was a dedicated paper scrapper, and by that I mean I was really good at buying lots and lots of supplies for all those pages I was going to make “eventually.” I spent much more time buying supplies and organizing them than actually scrapbooking, although I did squeeze out a page or two every once in a while. Then I found out about printable scrapbook supplies, where you could purchase papers and clustered elements, print them out and glue them to your pages. As I was looking through the printables, it dawned on me that it would be even better if you could put the photos with the printables BEFORE printing them out and I knew just how to do it – using PowerPoint of course! LOL! I was really proud of myself for coming up with such an ingenious idea! Well, until I realized there was a whole online world dedicated to this concept and that it even had a name – digital scrapbooking.

I can definitely identify with the collecting of paper supplies! But, being so busy, when do you scrap?

Whenever I can! Most of the time I scrap in stages, working on a page a little bit at a time until I get it finished. In five minutes, I can pull the photos and add journaling onto a blank page in Photoshop. Then, the next time I have a couple of minutes, I’ll add the papers and elements I think I’ll want to use. Now I’ve got a working layout that I can come back to and work on rearranging as I have time.

It’s amazing what you can get done with a minute here and a minute there, isn’t it? So, what do you listen to while you scrap?

At the moment, I’ve got one of two things playing, either my Zune scrolling through my collection or belting out Adele or I’ve got Hulu open and I’m watching episodes of Perfect Couples (my latest tv addiction).

I love Adele! Such a powerful voice! I have to know though, what is the one scrapping tool you couldn’t do without?

Right now it is Picasa because I am working on tagging the 15,000 photos I have so that when I want to scrap some of Em’s ballet pictures or that photo I know I have somewhere of Jason making burgers on the grill, I can actually find it. There is nothing more frustrating than having an idea for a layout and not being able to find the photo you’re looking for! It also lets me know what photos I’ve already scrapped so I don’t end up making duplicate layouts – which is always a plus.

Oh yes, both the positive and negative of digital photography – taking and organizing thousands of photos – I think most of us are familiar with that!

So, I noticed in your gallery that you have used several Trixie Scraps kits. Do you have a favorite?

I wish I could narrow it down to just one, but honestly I have so many favorites. I genuinely love her style and “oooh” and “ahhh” each time she releases another one.

I know the feeling! On a more personal not, can you tell us something fun or unique about yourself?

I have a really off sense of humor that is especially apparent if someone hurts themselves because I cannot not laugh. So be forewarned, if we are walking down the street and you trip and fall, I will laugh.

Thanks for the warning! I think I am pretty guilty of that as well. On the Trixie Scraps team we love to read – and we’re always looking for great books. Can you share some of your favorites?

Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan was the most recent book I read. It was ok. I’m a total sucker for sappy animal stories, but prefer those that are based on true stories. My all-time-favorite is Marley & Me. I have never read a book that made me laugh and cry so much. I also highly recommend From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava, Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, and if you really want to do yourself in – Pawprints from Katrina (I couldn’t make it past the first chapter).

I love animal stories too, so I will definitely be checking these out!

Okay, last question, if you could have dinner with anyone, famous or not, living or dead, real or fiction, who would it be and why?

My Gramma Hoose who passed away a few years back because lately I’ve really been missing her and would love to have a couple of hours to sit and chat with her. She was a big part of my childhood and such a special and unique person.

She must have been a very special lady. I am so sorry for your loss.

Thank you for sharing with us today on the Trixie Scraps Blog, azrood.