Is there anything in your background that helped you?  

My uncle was a huge influence on me. He not only valued preserving our family history, but took action and had documented and saved everything he could about our family, present and past. Not until he passed away did I realize the magnitude of his efforts and of the vastness of his collection. Unfortunately, he didn't know about the importance of keeping things archivally safe and many of the things had already started to yellow or become damaged in their albums that he lovingly created. I decided to take his passion a step further and scan it all into the computer before it aged more. I then worked to make chronological and meaningful sense from the jumbled collection left to me.

Do you use tutorials or do you just go by instinct?

Sometimes I will start to use a tutorial, but I seem to have problems following directions and usually end up doing things my own way and coming out with something that is totally different than the tutorial intended! Just another way to personalize my layouts! Or sometimes I will look at the tutorial sample and just replicate it in my own way without even reading it. So, I tend to use tutorials for idea sparks!

What's the most meaningful layout you've ever created?

The most meaningful layout I made was about my uncle in his Army days. When I grew up, he was always just my uncle who was so much fun, and yet, as any kid thinks, I never thought that he had a past and a life. Not until after he passed away did I realize that he was in the Army. I felt like I was just learning all about him by looking through his memorabilia. Reading his letters he sent home when he was in the service just brought tears to my eyes. I decided to make a layout using all of his items, as well as his letters. Not only did this layout have meaning, but it also won me Honorable Mention in the Hope in the Memories Contest here at CottageArts.net!

  

What do you most hope to share with others through your scrapbooking?

I believe the most important aspect of scrapbooking is the journaling. I have to admit that when I create a page, the journaling is often the last thing I do. It can tend to be short-changed because I want to finish it up at that point. But, I believe that unless we explain the photos, the meaning of the photo, its meaning to us, it's just a small step from the shoeboxes of the basement. To me, that is the point of scrapbooking, to give meaning and a deeper understanding to our lives through our photos. I hope to share our history not just by pictures, but also by thoughts, attitudes, and a piece of ourselves through my layouts. This is one reason that I believe in not only scrapbooking our family photos (although that is the main subject!), but to scrap our thoughts, even pieces of our everyday lives that we take for granted: our town, our home -- we do change over the years and it's important to record this!

Where do you get inspiration?

I love to look to nature for inspiration. God has made the ultimate layout to scraplift! The textures and the colors that can be found all around us everyday are the most inspirational and ultimate guide there is. If you just look at any scene and pick the colors you see, you have a perfect color palette with just the hues that coordinate beautifully! If you look at the softness of a cloud against the raw edges of a tree you have perfect contrasting textures.

On a more practical and tangible side, I also love to look at advertising ads, clothing patterns and believe it or not... tissue boxes! They can be so beautiful sometimes! And, of course, the best inspiration, the gallery here at CottageArts.net which showcases layouts from super artists!

What is your favorite aspect of scrapbooking?

One of my favorites things about scrapbooking is quite selfish... the time alone to reflect on my life, my priorities and to remind myself of the wonder in everyday things that can be easily forgotten in the hectic schedule of three children. Without my "alone" time on the computer to just be creative and do my own thing, I don't know how I would be able to face the rigors of everyday craziness.

Do you prefer to do single layouts or groups (albums)?

I must say that I can only focus on one photo or grouping of photos of the same thing at one time, so I only do single layouts normally. I have recently started experimenting with making the layouts flow better into each other for the start of an album. Or, sometimes I like to scrap the photos of the same event but break it up and use the same kit so that it all coordinates. For example, a photo of my baby in the hospital being born, and then another page of my baby meeting her sisters with the same kit, but as separate layouts.

First the picture or the layout?

Depends on my mood! Sometimes I will pick a kit and then find a matching photo to make a layout, and other times I will have a photo and will browse through all the kits and mix and match until I am able to create a certain mood for the photo.

Do you take film or digital photos or both? 

Digital! I love my digital camera and always have it with me! I love how its inexpensive and therefore you can take many more photos than if you were paying for each shot. I love that you have instant viewing of the photos so that you can make changes and improve the images as you are taking them. And, I love that the photos are on my computer and can be burned to a CD easily for superior archival safety and an organized way to store them (instead of my old shoe boxes in the basement!).

What is your favorite photography tip? 

Try different flash settings and different lighting angles. Light is what shows your subject, so let it show it with style! Move the subject around, have them look at the light, away from the light, in front of the light, just try everything! This is especially easier with a digital camera when you don't have to pay for each shot.

What do you most want to improve about your photography?

Learn more about my camera! I know it's equipped with so many settings and gadgets, but I just haven't taken the time to learn it all. I also want to learn more about using the flash and creative use of light. Right now, I take a picture with every setting, with the flash on and off, with the light on and off, and eventually I end up with a picture I love and cherish.

Do you print your layouts? What size? What printer (if applicable)?

Normally I don't print my layouts, I view them on the computer and as a TV slide-show. But, just recently I won an 8x8 album, and decided to print out a few layouts to put in it, and I have to admit, I love having the book in my hands! I like the 8x8 size because my kids can hold it easily without it being too big and bulky for them.

 Do your kids scrap too?

Yes, my 7 year old daughter just made her first layout! I wouldn't say she is hooked, but she does see why I enjoy it so much.

How long does it take you to make a layout?

Well, that's a loaded question for me. I love to design elements and papers as well as make a layout. But if the elements and papers are already created, I usually spend about 3 hours on a layout. Although I usually am thinking about it the whole day before, planning it out in my head. Sometimes they can come quickly, in 1 hour, and sometimes I just keep adding more or changing it till it's just right -- and even then I might go back to it a week later and tinker with it some more! That's what I love about digital: you can get it back out and work on it again and again without having to drag out drawers and piles of stuff, and can save the before and after if it just doesn't look right when you are finished!

How does your family feel about your digital scrapbooking?

They are totally supportive! That is until I am stalking them with the camera! My husband is wonderful at keeping the computer in tip-top working order for me, he even labels my pictures for me! My daughters love seeing themselves in the layouts and love watching them go by on the TV (we show them as a slide-show).

A sampling of Doris's Gallery.
See her complete gallery here.

Layouts: