Our Latest Guest Designer....

...is Ines Cooper from Florida!

For those of you who scrap double pagers...BOY, do we have a TREAT for you! Ines has a fabulous two-pager style that is absolutely stunning! Let's jump right in and get to know Ines...and see her beautiful layouts!

1. When did you start scrapbooking and how did you get started?  I was introduce to CM in 2003 at the public library, a year later I signed up as a consultant, I had to have one of each of all the product they made, I taught lots of border classes and had fun with it; but it wasn't until 2006 that I got out of CM and found my LSS "Dee Scrapbook Store". It was there where I truly started scrapbooking, learned about all the supplies, embellishments and techniques that people used. I became a designer for the store a few months later and I have been hooked since. I tend to collect supplies more than I scrapbook but I have to have them just in case. It gets a little scary when you get quizzed on the papers used on a particular layout of a magazine and you can tell not only the brand but the line of the paper as well. Yep that is me, thanks to Dee. But I love scrapbooking. For me it is a stress reliever...entering my own little world, the excitement of picking your pictures, the papers, the embellishments, creating your design and seeing the finish product, I enjoy every moment of it.

2. From where do you draw inspiration? My family is my biggest inspiration, my husband of 12 years and my girls, the moments we spend together and the everyday things; they are the main reason to document my life. I draw ideas from everywhere. I love to search different websites to find new things to try and do, got to have some magazines and some books too. 

3. Describe your style for us. Lets see.....I think I am most of a linear scrapbooker, but I tend to go shabby chic too. I was reading an article once, (I think it was part of Scrapbooking for Dummies), I think I do a little of each one of the different styles they described, so we'll say my style varies depending on the pictures, the papers and what I want to express on my layouts. But one thing that I have not been able to break out off yet is that I have to do a double page layout.

4. How do you go about designing a page? I usually start with the paper, believe it or not when I buy it, I am already thinking "what pictures can I use with this papers, how I am going to work the layout?" sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I tend to use products from the same line for most of the layout. I browse a couple of websites, or a magazine to find a starting point, and it all goes from there, I will cut papers and set them up around without adhesive until I find the way I like it, I end up pulling flowers, ribbons, brads and any other embellies from my stash and voila... 

5. In general, how long does it take you to do a page? Too long... like my daughter will say, it usually takes me about 3 to 4 hrs, but my excuse is, I am doing a double-page layout, so it should take me double the time (wink). 

6. What is your favorite Prima product? Do I have to pick only one? Wow..... Dee will agree with me, I will have to say the flowers. I am known to have flowers in all my layouts. But I love the ribbons, crystals, pearls, the voila edges, oh everything! Each CHA release is better than the one before.

 

7. What are 3 other products that you can't live without? Bling, flowers and border punches.... they make all the layouts come to life. Since I have two girls I cant go wrong with any of them.

 

8. What is/was one of your favorite scrapbook trends/fads? I will have to say the border punches and the die cut papers, they add so much to the layouts. I find my self using them in almost every LO, I think it will be hard to break out of that.

 

9. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?  Scrapbooking for me is just not a hobby, is a way to leave a legacy to my family, my kids and maybe grand kids. It's a way to document our lives and to show them how much I love them, to appreciate every little moment.  Scrapbooking has also brought to my life great friends and the piece of mind that I am not the only crazy lady loving paper, glue and scissors.

Thank you, Sharon, for the great opportunity to be a Guest Designer for Prima. Thank you, Dee, for all that you've showed me (and kept pushing me); and thank you to my family for their patience, especially on the last two weeks. If you want to see more of my work, visit me at   http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/userprofile.asp?user_id=358450 or http://infinitememoriesplus.blogspot.com/.

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Isn't this page FUN? Ines used a mixture of Signs of Spring/Life in Colors/Mommy & Me papers that are PERFECT for framing kiddie pics! Adding a brightly-colored Fiesta flower and a sprinkling of Caboodles just finishes the page off perfectly.

 

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Ines totally rocks this layout with a cool backdrop of white (stamped with one of our very FUN collage stamps) and a swatch of green Voila running the length of the design. To make the Voila go further, Ines cut it in half length-wise, which makes for a perfect fit for two pages! 

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Ines turns to a romantic style with this gorgeous layout! Using Whisper papers to set a soft background, Ines then adds four wonderful photos to this two-page layout. Adding Voila felt, Petit Fleur vines, Say It In Pearls and a Fluttering Butterfly only add to the romance!

See how Ines used part of the Petit Fleur vine and tied it up as a gorgeous bouquet? (And pearls-aren't they absolutely perfect on a wedding layout?)

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Pure Love is simply exquisite! Ines started with a Stitched Mulberry Paper on the left side...then added the opposite side in black for lots of boldness! Flirty Rub-ons add a whimsical touch to the title, while Say It In Crystals add lots of sparkle and shine!

 

We love how Ines used the Flirty rub-ons on black cardstock to create this amazing corner collage!

 

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Thank you so much, Ines, for guest designing for us today! You are such an inspiration to all "double page scrappers" out there with your beautiful style!