FRIDAY FEATURE

Today we are featuring the super talented Shaunery (rhymes with ornery) Wharton.  Shaunery is a stay at home mom of three children:  Taylor, a COLLEGE freshman, Erin, an eighth grader, and Sarah, a fourth grader.  She and David have been married for almost 15 years.  Shaunery was introduced to "Scrapbooking" in March of 1994, and the rest is history!

I asked Shaunery to share some information about her design team work with CSI:  Color, Stories, and Inspiration.

In January I became a Design Team member for the first time.  Creating and designing for the challenge site; CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration has been so much fun.  Every week I get to come up with a layout, along with my fellow DT members, to share with our members.  Our goal is to provide weekly challenges based on  a Case File theme.  We provide product/embellishment prompts (Evidence),  color schemes--we have a new five color combination every week, and journaling themes  (testimony).  As a DT Member, we share "Gallery Love" praising our members' layouts and encouraging them.  My favorite is watching what I call "Newbies" develop and grow as scrappers. Why?  Because we ALL have been a "Newbie" at one point, and from our friends and crops, we have learned and developed our style!   We share ideas, 'how to's", have random online chats and showcase our craft.  Over at CSI we "interrogate" our Guest Designers with five questions:  I thought I'd use those here to give you a little insight to how I "create".

What is your favorite color(s) to work with?  I'm regularly drawn to earthy greens & browns.  I love muted tones and things to look aged and distressed.  Thus Tim Holtz is an ALL TIME FAVORITE brand name to work with (Cat took this photo for Shaunery).

 What would you say is your "fingerprint" on your scrapbook pages? (i.e., what do most of your pages have that make it your signature style?)
Muted tones, some form of distressing either from ink, mists, or different art mediums.  Lately I'm digging crackle finishes and gesso.  My intent is to make my layout look like something old and vintage.  It may not turn out that way, but it's always the intent. 

An example of Shaunery's vintage style.

What do you find most challenging when working on a layout?  Layering.  I often feel like I stop short of the "perfect" amount of layering  or I don't have enough embellies on a page.  So I'm still learning how to balance that and to push myself to dress my layouts better. 

Why do you scrapbook?  Initially it was to create a baby album for each of my kids. But then you learn it's not just limited to babies and children.  There are weddings, plays, school events, genealogy, holidays, vacations that all can be scrapped.  And it's not just K-12 , it's everything before, in between and after.  When I decided to mix my scrapping with genealogy, well it was like mixing peanut-butter and chocolate!  Happiness!!   It's developed into a creative outlet, a means to showcase my children, highlight events and preserve a moment in time for family and loved ones.
Confession time. Okay, fess up! What secret do you not want to admit but are willing to confess here?  I use to be a "Layout Snob".. There were always at least 4 photo's to a page.  I looked down my nose at folks who'd only put one picture on a layout and go embellishment crazy.  Now, I'm doing one photo layouts!!! 

Here is one of her beautiful one photo layouts!

 And there's a second secret.. I LOVE taking classes when life permits... but I never finish any of the projects.  I have a cabinet full of mini-albums I've started here at Cat's...and ALL incomplete.  BUT I love learning the techniques!!

I so enjoy my time out a Cat's and the women that scrap there.  It's awesome to sit down, let your hair down, spread out your supplies and be yourself.  There are so many ladies I admire and enjoy crossing paths with.  I find is amazing that you can sit a group of veteran scrappers together and we'll still be able to find or learn something new from each other. 

If you would like to learn to use some of the mixed medias like Shaunery uses on some of her layouts, remember to call Cat and reserve a spot in Paint It, Stain It, Color It this Saturday.  You will learn how to use Copics, Tim Holtz distress inks, stains, markers, Faber Castell stamper's big brush pens, gelatos, and pencils.  And, when you decide you can't live without some of these products, Cat is giving a discount on all of the products that you learn to use in the class.  Don't miss out!