By Way of Introduction...

Hello. I'm Kitty, (a name taken as homage to my favorite character, Hello Kitty) the "other" KC Cropper. In the next few days, Shell and I will upload some pictures of layouts we have completed (sadly, my camera just died this weekend, so I may be a bit slower on the upload). Who am I, and what is my philosophy of scrapping?

I'm a new-old school scrapbooker of sorts. I had a standard "old school" scrapbook when I was in Jr. High in the late 80's- A Supershades by Mead with pink construction paper pages (Ahh- those were the days!). I kind of fell away from scrapbooking as I grew up, but was introduced to new-style scrapbooking about five years ago when Shell all but dragged me to a local class. I liked this "new" scrapbooking a lot- it felt so artsy and creative compared to what I had been doing as a kid- but I must say I was a bit intimidated, too. The layouts were beautiful, but so complicated. There were so many techniques and tools, so many brands of papers and embelishments. The whole thing was overwhelming for both me and my pocketbook. I slowly eased my way into the scrapbooking world, and five years later, I feel like I have really begun to hit my stride.

Recently, I have fallen in love with all of the great websites and blogs that showcase the fab ideas and step-by-step instructions of other archival artists out there in the scrap-o-sphere. In my own small way, I hope to contribute to that vibrant community by posting layouts and reviews from an "everywoman" point of view.

So, what is my scrapping style? I think I have an eye for kawaii and retro. I like to scrap ephemera with my pictures (that's the old school part of me), so I'm always looking for fun design ideas that include ephemera. I am putting the "scrap" back in scrapbooking with both my use of ephemera and my commitment to not wasting any little bits, pieces, or leftovers. I'm frugal by nature, and a lot of my designs feature elements I found on sale, or repurposed for my layouts. My inherent "cheapness" forces me to be creative, and that is one of the great joys of scrapbooking.

Right now, I like the Colorbok "Friendly Forest" line, Cosmo Cricket's "Early Bird", "Mr. Campy", and "Girl Friday" lines, and most everything by Sassafras Lass and October Afternoon, to name but a few of my faves. I'm always on the lookout for intriguing new papers and embellishments.

So, that's a little about me. I'm looking forward to sharing the fun, and I hope anyone who reads this blog shares right back with us!