Digi Pick 10/20/06

Kit of the Day
Wow, I am really behind today.  It's a rainy autumn day and Gracie and I managed to blissfully oversleep as the cool rain fell outside.  In case you haven't gotten the hint yet, I love autumn.  I rejoice each year as the calendar turns to October!  It seems Retrodiva shares my love of the season and she is celebrating with Oktoberfest.  I love the bright rich colors in this kit.  They remind me of cloudless autumn afternoons playing in the park under the changing trees. The thing about this kit that made it totally irresistible is the corrugated cardboard elements.  I LOVE this alpha! The frames, tags and leaves are just to die for also.  I'm also digging the felt flower...I can use that over and over!  Yet another great fall kit.  Keep them coming ladies!!!!

Layout of the Day
DNA13 has a great two pager in the galleries this morning.  I love two page layouts.  Having come from the world of paper scrapping, I still tend to think in two pagers and I love to see them digitally.  Watch Me Slide Pt1 and Part 2 are just so fun!  Having a little guy this cute to scrap can't hurt, LOL.  I love the bright colors that help to convey the excitement and action.  My favorite thing about these two pages is that they tell the whole story.  On page one we see him climbing up with mom watching over him as he navigates the ladder and then on page two we see the actual slide.  I love the way the photos on page two are skewed to give us the feeling of movement.  Such a great layout and way to go to Coban!!!!

The Friday Interview - Robin Cabana

The Friday Interview series is back and today you'll be getting to know someone I already know and love.  Robin Cabana has been around digital scrapbooking for quite some time and many of you already know her through her work as an Admin at RAKScraps.  I decided you should all get to know Robin the designer a bit better.  I know you'll love her just as much as I do ;-)

DP:  I know you have been a part of the digital community since the "Pioneer Days", were you one of the founding members of the amazing RAKScraps community? What led you to become a part of the digi community phenomena?  Did you ever expect RAK to grow to its current size?  I believe you now have over 15,000 members!

RC:  Actually, I'm not a founder! I'm just there so much - and have been since the site launched almost two years ago now - that people may think I am! I didn't even make the creative team on my first try. But two years ago, as someone just getting into digiscrapping, I was completely drawn in by the idea of a site dedicated to helping people learn, as well as the challenges and the chatty forums. And I guess I stuck around enough that I eventually became a challenge host, then a team member and then an admin.  I am amazed at how the number of members at RAKScraps grows almost daily - and I just hope we can keep it fun and friendly for everyone who stops by, whether they have questions about their program or if they're looking for the latest mega kit. We have such a great team - from the creative team to moderators to the admins. It's really like a family. We're planning our second anniversary for November and it's going to be a blast!

DP:  How did you first get into digital scrapbooking?  Is it an outgrowth of your day job or were you a crafty person beforehand? 

RC:  I got into digiscrapping because I wanted to learn more about Photoshop. I am a designer and editor for a daily newspaper. I had been asking for training for ages and I finally decided to look up some tutorials on my own. I had also just been in a wedding and was thinking of scrapping the photos. One of my co-workers, who's a designer at Scrapgirls and had digitally scrapped her own wedding, sent me some links to digi sites and I was hooked!

My mom is the real creative one in the family. She has always had a big box of craft supplies in the closet  and she's pretty good at drawing. I never paper scrapped and hadn't done anything crafty since Girl Scouts, but since discovering digital, I now have a box full of paper supplies and have done some altered projects, too.

DP:  Your papers have such a span of color schemes and patterns.  Particularly in your Colorfully You series.  Where do you get your inspiration and ideas for papers and colors?

RC:  I am inspired by lots of things - magazines, catalogs, clothes, billboard ads, music, buildings, museums. Every time I see a pattern somewhere, I think about how that would like nice as a paper. I am a TV addict so a few of my kits are inspired by my favorite shows - Flair was from an outfit worn by Carrie Brashaw on Sex and the City, The Chase was inspired by Entourage, and Seriously was inspired by the doctors scrubs on Grey's Anatomy. Loca was inspired by looking at album covers for one of my favorite singers, Celia Cruz. For Colorfully You, I was feeling uninspired - so I had nine friends send me color swatches! I was amazed at the color combinations they picked. It was just the kick I needed!

DP:  Unlike many designers I know, including myself, you actually manage to scrap on a quite regular basis.  What is your secret?  How do you inspire yourself to scrap?

RC: I was just telling someone that I don't think I scrap en ough! I consider myself a scrapper first - so if I don't get pages done, I don't really see a point. There are days when I will put aside designing or whatever else is on my giant to do list and make myself get a few pages done. I've been doing the Chick's Life workshop at Digi Chick all year and that has gotten me to do a lot of pages that are just for me! I try to do challenges when I need inspiration. I also do a lot of pages and minialbums as gifts for my family, so that keeps me motivated, too. And it doesn't hurt that I have two super cute nieces and a doggie nephew to take lots of photos of. Scrapping has helped me learn so much about myself and it really helps me feel better when I'm down or too stressed out. And well, cleaning comes way after scrapping on that list of things to do!

DP:  What new trends in digi do you find creeping into your scrapping and designing repertoire?  Do you have any new favorites that you have seen but have yet to try?

RC:  If I see something I like or want to try out, I am more likely to buy it rather than to try it out myself! Why do the work if someone else already has!  I do try to learn new things whenever I create a kit, but I mostly design things that I think I would use.

DP:  What programs do you use to design and scrap?  Any advice for people trying to pick cool new software?

RC: I use Photoshop CS2 and I'm learning a bit about Illustrator. I always tell people not to jump into the most advance program, but download trial versions of programs first and then find something that suits your computer skills and patience.

DP:  Are you a scrapbooking magazine junkie like I am?  What are you faves? Are you as bummed as I am about Scrapbook Answers folding?

RC:  I read CK cover-to-cover almost as soon as it arrives in the mail. That's my favorite. I do pick up some of the others if I see an article that interests me, and of course I'm really looking forward to Simple Scrapbooks' new digital magazine. I am  bummed about Scrapbook Answers. They were so inclusive of digital scrapbooking from the start and a great cheerleader for what we love to do!

DP:  So you are on my deserted island.  You have internet, awesome computer hardware, printers, cameras, television and music. What else do you need to have to be in designing and scrapping heaven?

RC:  I'd need my two external drives so that I'd have all my kits and photos with me. I'd also like to have some CKs and my Cathy Zielske books for ideas. I would probably scrap the whole time! Actually, sounds like a good idea for the Christmas gifts I need to get done.

DP: Okay, fluff time…favorite food, tv, music, movie and book.

RC:  My favorite food is Mexican. TV show is Grey's Anatomy. Music is classic rock, especially the Beatles and Springsteen. My favorite movie - so hard to pick one! - is The Princess Bride. And my favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

DP:  Finally leave us with a favorite quote. 

RC:  Melissa, as someone who has sat next to me, you may appreciate my favorite quote. It's by Alice Roosevelt Longworth.
"If you can't say something good about someone, sit right here by me."

Well, now that you've gotten to know Robin a bit better why don't you head on over to her store at Scrapbook-Bytes and check out some of her designs!  Robin has a 35% off coupon for all of you Digi Pick Readers.  Just use code rcdigipick at checkout!  Thanks Robin!!!

Comments

[tracy]

Thank you for picking my kit Melissa! Whoo hoo! :)

[lcbannon]

Could not find a way to email you so here is a link to a really funny and cool Lo i saw at DST.

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33730&limit=last1

[slkone]

Great interview, Melissa! And what a pleasure it was to read your answers, Robin! :)

[AmyK]

Thanks for featuring Robin today! I have "known" her for a long time, and she is one of my favorite people ever! She makes fantastic papers too. Yay for Robin!

[Kathryn]

I didn't know you work for a daily newspaper, Robin! So do I! Great interview.

[Michele Angelo]

I now know Robin and I like her. I also loved the quote by Alice, so true.