Each week at Swirlydoos, our design team searches the Swirlydoos gallery for a layout to feature. This is no easy task, because we have a talented bunch of ladies! Each month, the design team votes on all of the layouts that have been chosen as layout of the week, and we then have a layout of the month, and we vote on these for layout of the year.

For 2013, this is the Layout of the Year:

Swirlydoos: Kathi, How long have you been scrapbooking?

Kathi: I friend got me interested in something I said I'd NEVER get into, scrapbooking, all those stickers, decorative scissors and shaped photos....ugh! Well, 11 years later later I now own enough scrappy stuff to open my own store..

Swirlydoos: Where do you get your inspiration from? Do any other scrapbookers inspire you, and if so who?

Kathi: At first my inspiration came from the local scrapbook store and magazines; then I discovered SB.C and started to look through their gallery. So much talent and diverse styles I started following Robinzberdz and several other ladies and that lead me to Swirlydoos. Now I find inspiration not only from Swirlydoos but from Facebook, and Pinterest.There is so much talent out there that is hard to name everyone i follow. I know my style has change drastically since I found Swirlydoos.

Swirlydoos: On average, how long does it take you to create a layout from start to finish? Do you ever have more than one project you work on at the same time?

Kathi: I am not a consistent scrapper. I don't spend hours at a time in my studio, so it takes me, on the average, a week to complete a layout. I rarely have 2 projects going at the same time I have enough trouble concentrating on one.

Swirlydoos: Looking through all of your pages, we can see that you use many different colors. Is there any color that you don't like? What is your favorite color to use?

Kathi: I love soft muted colors, not necessarily pastels, just muted. Some colors I find hard to work with, red and yellow for example. Unless the photo really screams for these colors I very rarely use them. Blues, greens, browns and sometimes lavender seem to be my go to colors.


Swirlydoos:What is your favorite paper line of all time?

Kathi: Favorite paper line, now that is difficult. All my old stand-bys have started to look like one another and their designs just leave me cold. I'm leaning more and more to the European paper manufactures, Maja, Pion and Fabscraps.

Swirlydoos: Your pages typically have lots of layers- how do you come up with your designs in regard to the sizes and colors/patterns of layers?

Kathi: I love layers and co-ordinating papers. I have made some size templates that help me visualize how i want to utilize the patterns. I just play with the patterns until they look right to me. The templates also help when I am using an around the page punch to get the dimensions correct.

Swirlydoos:What is your secret for creating those gorgeous flower clusters?

Kathi: Flower clusters, I really don't have a secret. I use various sizes and styles of flowers...I love the tiny buds from I Am Roses they are great filler flowers. I just start tucking and shifting. pop some flowers up with pop dots, add leaves and embellies until it looks the way I want it to.

Swirlydoos: Can you share your favorite layout that you have ever made? Why is it your favorite?

Kathi: Oh goodness, you want me to name a favorite layout. I don't really have a single . Demure, Yesterday, Portrait in Pink, Dream, Girl with Daisies and Garden Chair are some of my favorites.


Thank you, Kathi, for allowing us to pick your brain about your techniques, style, and process of scrapping!

Please join us in congratulating Kathi! She will also receive a gift certificate to the Swirlydoos Boutique which is expanding with MANY MOOST-HAVES from the the Winter CHA Trade Show!

And, thank you to everyone who posts their projects in our gallery! We LOVE to see what you make. Keep posting, and maybe iYOU will be the winner in 2014!!!!!