A Day In The Life Of A Polly

It’s always interesting to learn more about our fellow scrappers. We know we share a common bond with our love of scrapbooking but sometimes there are other things we have in common that we weren’t aware of. Sometimes, it’s a common geographical area or a style of scrapping, or maybe it’s a TV show you both love. Whatever it may be, it bonds us even closer. One of the amazing things about The Lilypad is the sense of family, the closeness we feel towards each other and, while most of us have never met or ever will, we feel a connection to each other.

When I became a Polly last year, I developed a sense of comradery with the other Polly’s chosen along with myself. Kayla aka keepscrappin, is one of those Polly’s I feel a little bit exta kinship to. We both love cheesy Hallmark movies and Worst Cooks In America. We also love a lot of the same network TV shows too i.e. NCIS, the action shows like Shield, Legends Of Tomorrow and my fave  HGTV show, Fixer-Upper (which I just heard is not coming back this season….bummer). So, let’s have her answer a few questions and get to know her a little better.

Thank you Kayla for participating in this interview. So, tell us more about yourself.

What area do you live in and can you tell us a bit about yourself?
 I live in Northern Utah, just north of Salt Lake City.  We are in a great community that isn’t too big, but not too small either, so that we hae access to all the good things in life – shopping, ski resorts, lakes, national parks, monuments and forests, etc. We have a paved walking path on the edge of our neighborhood that connects our city to others nearby.  It’s fun to go for a little walk or bike ride on it with my family when the weather is nice.  Right now I can hear the “sound of freedom” overhead. That’s what I call the noise when the fighter jets bank and turn above our neighborhood during their practice maneuvers.
Hi, my name is Kayla and I’m known around the digi scrappin world as keepscrappin.  As you can tell from my username, I’m addicted to scrappin and want to keep scrappin til the day I die. I’m a work at home mom. I say work at home because what mom doesn’t WORK, whether she gets a paycheque or not, she definitely works! I used to work as a computer tech, but only had to do that for a few years after graduating with a BS in Information Systems and Technology. For the last 18 years I’ve been blessed to get to stay home and raise our 3 wonderful redheads and scrap, scrap, scrap!
I’m so grateful that I have a wonderful husband who works hard and has been able to provide for our family. We have a son and 2 daughters. They are the best kids anyone could ask for. Sure we have our moments when they drive me nuts, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything… well, most days… hehe No really, they are great kids and really try to do their best. I’m a mom who doesn’t take any guff, but I also make sure to show love too and teach by example. I’ve spent many days working along side our kids to teach them how to keep their rooms clean, do their homework, cook meals, mow the grass, etc. Now that they’re older, they can do it themselves, but there are still times when mom has to supervise and direct a chore here and there. I’ve always taught them to work first and play later. We like to get up and get the chores done, so we can spend the rest of the day playing. We love watching shows, playing board games, going swimming and doing crafts.
I started my kids early on crafts – even my son. I used to give my 2 oldest kids paper scraps and punches and scissors when they were just little. My oldest DD is a pro with scissors. I have photos of her scrappin with me at age 1, using the punches and scissors. Who needs a cutting machine, if I need anything cut I just hand it to her and it’s cut perfectly in nothing flat… she’s amazing! My youngest DD is 6 years younger than the older kids, so she isn’t as good with scissors because when she came around I was doing digi. But she’s a pro with the computer and phone apps. She loves to help me do digi layouts and wants to make some of her own this summer now that she has taken over her brother’s old laptop. She also loves crafts and has pinned several crafts for us to work on during summer vacation. 
Our family’s claim to fame is that the normally recessive red hair gene is dominant at our house! All 3 of our kids have the most gorgeous red hair, but my hubby and I don’t. We have brown hair. I do however color my grays red, so now that I’m getting older I have reddish brown hair. 
Here are a few of Kayla’s fave layouts that she has created as a Polly.
 
What got you interested in scrapbooking and when did you start?
I’ve been scrappin forever. I started paper scrappin back in 1995 right after I got married. I did paper until my youngest was born in 2006. My friend introduced me to digi right after my baby was born and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love all the creative freedom I have with digi. I can do so much more with less expense and mess with digi than I ever could when paper scrappin.
What are your favorite scrap themes or topics to scrap about?
I scrap to keep my sanity. Scrappin is very therapeutic and much cheaper and way more fun than therapy… hehe. I love being creative and knew I needed a creative outlet so I could be a happy wife and mom. Scrappin lets me be creative while I’m documenting our family’s lives. I don’t feel guilty about scrappin because I know I’m making something that they will love for the rest of their lives. Their interest in the other crafts I’ve done has come and gone, but they always love looking at my scrapbooks. 
My kids are the stars of my scrapbooks! I love documenting their lives and looking at their cute lil faces. I know I’ve driven them nuts over the years always taking photos and telling them to smile so I could get a photo for a kit that I wanted to work with. They don’t always love it, but my kids know that you’d better just smile and let mom get the photo she wants or she’ll use the one where you gave her a crusty look instead. Or one she snapped of you picking your nose, that you’d be mortified if your friends saw it… hehe. Either way, Mom’s gonna scrap it, so you might as well oblige her and look good for the photo. 
Can you describe your scrapping area?
I have a home office at the front of our house where I can see out the front window and watch the birds land on the house across the street or the trees in our front yard. I can see the comings and going of everyone on our street and watch the kids play in the summer. I have a pc laptop and use PSE 14 and am slowly using PS CC more. I also have a craft room downstairs, but rarely use it now that I’ve gone digi. It’s filled with all kinds of scrapbook paper, punches, die cut machines, embellishments, etc. My girls use it more than I do for their school projects and posters. I’ll make an occasional hybrid card that I’ll need to go downstairs to the craft room to get some ribbon or a button or brad to add to it. Otherwise, I don’t use it much. I’m sure will use it more this summer to when we work on the crafts that my 5th grader has pinned for us.
 
When do you like to scrap, do you snack and have a fave drink?
I usually scrap during the day when everyone is at work or school. I don’t usually eat or drink while I scrap. I don’t like liquids and food around my computer. I get really antsy about that, as I don’t want to ruin my computer. I take breaks often and go get a drink of water and maybe grab a piece of caramel or a handful of chips before I come back to the computer.  Sometimes, I’ll take my laptop out to the family room and turn on a show while I scrap, but most of the time it’s just me and my photos and PSE enjoying the peace and quiet while everyone is gone.
Who or what inspires you in scrapbooking? 
Cheryl of Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs has really inspired me lately. She is an amazing scrapper and so fast too. She is always encouraging us to just go with the creative flow and get it on there and scrapped. There have been times when I’ve felt paralyzed in my scrappin, not knowing which paper to use or going back and forth forever trying to decide. But the last couple of weeks, I’ve been taking Cheryl’s advice and I’ve just been going with my first instinct. Or just 2 or 3 possiblities and then calling it good. I’ve been thrilled with the layouts I’ve made and it’s been so liberating to not stress about the little things so much. It doesn’t really matter which paper I use for the background as long as the page is scrapped and I like it! 
 
Is there a new techinque or tip you’ve learned recently?
Warping/customizing shadows has become my favorite technique lately. Once again I’ve been taught by Cheryl. I love the Watch Cheryl Scrap chats and have learned so much from her. One of my fears 11 years ago when I went from paper scrappin to digi scrappin was losing the realistic feel, but warping shadows has given my layouts more realism than I ever thought possible. I don’t warp every shadow, but I do warp a few key ones as I have time and have loved the look. 
 
Has your style changed along the way, and if so, how?
I do think my style has changed some over the years. When I first started digi scrappin, I wanted my layouts to look like they were paper scrapped, but the products and my skills weren’t that realistic. I laugh when I look back at some of my first digi layouts. Times have changed and digi products are amazing now and my photoshop skills are better too. I would call my style mixed traditional, the paper look with the fun of mixed media paints and scatters. I also vary in that I do clean and simple layouts and then I go total cluster crazy and pile it all on. Either way, I still tend to want to have things look paper scrapped. For example, I wouldn’t have my type going over a flower or something that it couldn’t in real life. I love digi because I can easily do so many things that I couldn’t when I was a paper scrapper. Things like having all the messy paints and scatters on my layouts. Sure I could do that irl, but I would ruin many pages before I’d get it right. With digi I just hit ctrl z and try again. I can reuse my paints, elements and papers over and over. Before digi I had to go buy more. With digi I can use BIG photos or change to b&w on the fly. I love BIG photos, but rarely did that when paper scrappin because of the cost and time involved to do it. I love having tons of clustering, but if I did that on a paper scrapped layout, it would be 6 inches thick! I was never able to blend photos or papers before digi, but do it all the time now. Digi has really been freeing and is so much fun. Come to think about it back when I was a paper scrapper, I was really a hybrid scrapper because I would make text boxes and print my journaling on my page and then I’d attach my photos and scrapbook embellishments. I guess I was just destined for digi and I’m so glad that my friend introduced me to it 11 years ago.  THANKS AMY! I digi because of you, my friend!
Is there a fave product/tool that you often use?
Yes, there is a fave product I use all the time. It’s called Shadows {dressed up} by Fiddle-Dee-Dee.

I love using Cheryl’s shadows.They’re so easy to use and even if I don’t have time to warp/customize a few, I can still have a great layout done lick-ity split with these shadow styles.
 
 
If you could pass on an idea or tip to a new scrapbooker, what would it be?
My tip to new scrapbookers would be to INVEST in digi scrappin. You’ll want to have the tools and skills you need to scrap how you want to scrap. 
First, invest in good software. Get Adobe PSE 14 or Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud also known as CC. The reason I say this is because you WILL have questions and you’ll want to be using software that others know so they can easily help you. Sure there are other scrappin programs available, but most scrappers use PSE or PS CC, so you’ll be able to get the most help if you’re using an Adobe product. There are also free product trials available on Adobe.com, so try the programs and see what you like best. 
Second, invest in a good digi scrappin class or two. I would have given up on digi scrappin if it wasn’t for my friend who knew digi and the fact that I took a beginning digi scrappin class when I first started. I’ve since taken more advance classes and use the things I’ve learned every day in my scrappin. There are some free classes that I recommend you start with, but I also recommend taking a paid class too. You’ll be so glad you did. My favorite free and paid digi scrappin classes can be found at scrapaneers.com, digitalscrapper.com andjessicasprague.com.
Third, invest in good digi products. Buy quality products. Get a few basics and go to products. Things like shadow styles, some textured whites and cardstocks. Take advantage of the digi sales. The 50% off SOSN Wednesdays and 20% Froggy Friday Weekends are great ways to pick up fabulous digi products at a great price. 
Last, just keep scrappin. Invest in yourself. Schedule time for your scrappin. Schedule time for your learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The forum at TLP is one of the friendliest around. We are always helping each other learn new things. Don’t give up. Play with your program. Scraplift others layouts. Use templates, they make scrappin fun because you just play with your photos and digi kits. But, most importantly HAVE FUN! 
Hope you have enjoyed Kayla’s interview as much as I did! Again, thank you Kayla for agreeing to be interviewed for The Lilypad.

I’m a creative who pulls inspiration from all corners of life—both the joyful highs and the real-life moments that punch you in the gut. Honestly, I don’t think I can pin down a single scrapbooking style for myself, so let’s just go with eclectic. My layouts really depend on my mindset. If I’m in a deep, cerebral mood, you’ll likely see something chaotic and messy. If I’m more relaxed, it tends to come out clean, simple, and structured.

My brain is usually running on several channels at once, so it’s completely normal for me to be working on a digital layout, dabbling in a hybrid project, and getting messy with art journaling or mixed media—all at the same time.

Here are a few of my go-to tools: Digital: Adobe Photoshop CC + my MacBook; Photos: Canon Rebel or iPhone; Hybrid: Cricut Joy + sewing machine; Art Journaling: watercolors, stencils, and artsticks

And when it comes to embellishments—digital or physical—I’m always reaching for messy threads, ribbons, and Polaroids. Always the Polaroids.

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