All About Sharon

I'm Sharon Mozer and this is my second term on the Scrapbooks-Plus Design Team. I've been scrapping since 1998 when most of my layouts looked like my second grader did them with die cuts made from construction paper and Mrs. Grossman stickers. I'm so glad I discovered Basic Grey and Ink!!

From a personal perspective, I own a professional services company that I started over 17 years ago (and we just hired our 100th employee!!). I am married and have four children (all boys), two dogs (all girls), and a cat. I love my gardens, the outdoors, and my camera. Without those, I'd be lost.

As for my scrapbooking style, I have this love of patterned paper, so the more of it I can use in a design, the better! About the only time I use card stock is to mat something. I like torn edges, inked edges, glittered edges, and tons of layers. I start each layout with two or three pieces of patterned paper that I want to use. Then I'll sketch out on graph paper how I want to use them. My pages must have balance. I like a focal point with proper weighting of the elements on the page. To me, a page just isn't quite "right" without a focal point, a title and journalling. And for all my layering, believe it or not, I'm a measurer (it comes from my engineering training).

I love bold papers with contrasting color. (My son Luke says I'm eclectic when it comes to color). Reds paired with gray and gold - like the layout above that I made for my "All About Me" album; oranges with blues and greens; and chocolate brown and charcoal gray- they go with about anything and are on almost every project I make. You'll also find that I incorporate circles in a lot of my designs (circles of brads, bling, rings of cardstock or textured paper, etc.). And anyone who has taken my classes at Scrapbooks-Plus knows, I love to make hand-cut embellishments from patterned paper...I have never met a patterned paper that I didn't want to cut up and make it into something.

Favorite scrapbook item? Small scissors and my Fiskars shape cutter. I'm also a big fan of Quick Quotes Powder Puff chalk inks and now Martha Stewart Glitter. I use both nearly all the time anymore. As for adhesive, I'm a ZipDry girl. No ATG for me!

Favorite thing to make? Two page layouts. Then single page layouts.

Biggest challenge? Cards. I'm getting better at mini books and projects, but I still find cards boring and struggle with them.

My palette? I'm fond of the autumn colors in scrapbooking - browns, reds, oranges, etc. The Basic Grey Ambrosia line sums it up in terms of my favorite scrapbooking colors.

Favorite manufacturer? Basic Grey tops my list, but I'm also fond of other lines like Little Yellow Bicycle, Anna Griffin and SEI (love those iron-ons!). Bo Bunny and Scenic Route are fun too.

Scrapbooking is the greatest release of anxiety and stress that I know. (And trust me, I know stress!!) It also allows us to create a window for others into our lives and the lives of the ones we love. What a wonderful craft! Welcome back returning DT members and new comers. What a great year of fun we'll have!