August Guest Designer Emily Spahn & a Giveaway

 Hi! I’m Emily Spahn. I am a wife, a mother, a music teacher, and of course, a scrapbooker. After a decade of living and teaching in the Chicagoland area, my husband and I moved our family back to our home state of Wisconsin. We live in our “new” 90 year home just outside of Madison, WI. I’m currently taking a short break from teaching to stay home with my three crazy kids Mirielle (5), Henry (3) and Oliver (almost 1), it’s been an enjoyable change. In addition to srcrapbooking and spending time with my family, I enjoy photography (though I seem to find myself using my iPhone much more than my big camera nowadays), reading, music, thrifting (I’m a little addicted to the antiques board on Craigslist), and being outdoors.

Thank you to Citrus Twist for inviting me to be the guest designer this month! It’s been a blast! For more of my work or to just learn more about me, feel free to stop by my blog: http://justem.typepad.com/scrapbookery/

1. How long have you been scrapbooking and why did you start? I began scrapbooking in 5th grade, which was a very, very long time ago! ;) I saw a girl do a presentation on scrapbooking at a Forensics tournament and decided it was something I might like to try. My first scrapbook was made using white typing paper, Scotch tape, and some very fantastic title and journaling blocks that I drew myself with crayon! A few years later I discovered patterned paper and was changed forever! I have been scrapbooking on and of since then, but 10 years ago after I was out of college and married I started scrapbooking more seriously. About seven years ago I got into the world of online scrapbooking, publishing, and design teams, and I’ve never looked back!

2. How would you describe your scrapbooking style? I think my style is simple, colorful, and fun. I don’t necessarily think that I have a style that is immediately recognizable, but I’m okay with that! I scrap 8.5x11 about 99% of the time. It’s funny – 12x12 is very hard for me…it’s much to big. And cards are also not my favorite…they are much too small! ;)

3. What scrapbookers have influenced you most? My “original” favorites from my scrapbooking origins would definitely have to be Shelley Lamming and Kelli Crowe. I was obsessed with them back when I started scrapbooking more seriously, and they definitely influenced my style. Presently I have too many favorites to mention. My “favorite” scrapbookers definitely rotate!

4. What is your favorite thing about kit clubs? I am NOT a matchy scrapper. I love mixing and matching elements from various manufacturers. I love a good mix of patterns and color. Kit clubs take the work out of it all for me by providing a great selection of product that goes together, but doesn’t all come from the same manufacturer or the same line!

5. What are your 5 favorite scrapbooking items you can't live without? • my Cannon Selphy printer • patterned paper (and lots of it!) • label stickers • die cut file tabs (I know, that’s really specific, but I LOVE them. They are my favorite) • enamel dots

6. How would you describe the Citrus Twist August scrapbook kit? I’m having such a great time creating with the August kit! I love the color scheme and the little bits of black and gold that are thrown into the mix. If I had to describe it I would say it’s like the beach at night. ;) It’s not super bright and summery, but it’s got just enough shimmer and shine to make it calm and magical.

Here is a sneak peek at what I have created with the August Kit.

**About my scraproom: As I mentioned, we moved into a new house (well, it’s actually a very OLD house, about 90 years old) right before Thanksgiving. We’ve slowly been working to decorate and update it. One of its best features is the renovated attic, which is where my scrap space is located. Unfortunately this space is at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to fixing up the house, so not much has been done with it! This is a pretty sad iPhone photo that I took when it happened to be clean one day! I can’t wait to finish unpacking everything (yes I still have boxes of scrapbooking stuff to unpack) and getting it all organized!

**You can win one of Emily's favorite things by leaving her a comment/question below in comments.**