Username: scrapweaver
Member Since: April 2008
Posts: 2,195
Most Active in: Non-Scrapbook Related Forum
Alum of: Page Parts, Sense & Sensibility Symposium, Back to Class, Embellishments: Beautifully Handmade, Product Pizzazz, and Art Journaling 101.
Teaching: Oodles of Doodles
Michelle’s Blog: Scrapweaver
Hi I am Michelle Houghton or better known as “scrapweaver” on the web. I am a stay-at-home Mom who teaches aerobics and scrapbooking classes on the side. I have been married to an amazing man for 12 years and have two beautiful girls, Sara and Lori, 7 and 5. We live in Iowa now but both John and I have lived all over the country. I have lived at last count in 9 different states and 14 different communities across the US. Hopefully we have settled now for a good long while. Besides the obvious passion for everything scrappy I love the out of doors, dance, and fitness. It is all enough to keep me busy and out of trouble. I have been scrapping a little over 12 years. I started right before John and I got married.
- Mostly I scrap my family. My two girls are the stars and the rest of us are the supporting cast– but with those two beautiful faces no one seems to be too upset to take the backseat.
- I have a beautiful scrapbook room now so I am mostly busy there, but I am known to pack up my gear and hit a local crop for an evening too. Nights are my best scrapping time when my kids are in bed. I have fewer distractions then–although as they get older that is changing too!
- Describing my style is difficult. I would say a lot of times I am a copier in that I tend to take on other people’s styles that I am learning from, but the layouts you would recognize as mine, all have an artistic, hand-made element to them.
- Besides the obvious must-haves, I would have to say pens would definitely make my list. I am not sure if any of my layouts in the past few years are missing a Sharpie on them somewhere.
- There are really only two items on my wish list right now: 1) an electronic cutter, which is big money so it is on the waiting list, but I would love to be able to hook up to the computer and have endless fonts without wasting the extra letters; and 2) Can a girl have too many Copic markers? They are a current obsession of mine–and there are over 300 colors!
- I wish I had more time for art journaling. I have done some and love it but have a hard time finding more time to do that on top of scrapping and writing for GIS.
- I get a lot of inspiration on-line from blogs, and our GIS site. I love playing with product too. Just playing and pushing things into new functions with challenges, motivates me to do some of my best work.
- My favorite class here at GIS, hands down, was Page Parts. This was such a turning point for me with my scrapbooking. It allowed me to find ways to put my art back into my pages and really pushed me to start thinking before I just slapped product on the page.
- These are two of my favorite layouts from around the time I took Debbie’s Page Parts class. I love that they have a distinctly “me” look to them with my art work. They are pages that came together easily at least in terms of ideas, they excited me while I was working on them and make me smile when I come back to them today.
(Note from Debbie – I remember when Michelle, took that class and made these layouts, and how her style became stronger and more appealing than ever. That class isn’t on the books anymore — but I’ve been posting bits of it in the design area here. Also, look for a free class-by-email coming soon that will include that material reworked.)
Thanks Michelle for giving us an extra special glimpse into your life! Thanks also for all you do here at Get It Scrapped! in addition to teaching — including playing a major role in the hosting our recent birthday bash and being deeply involved with the community in our forums.
Keep a look out for Memory Maker’s 2011 Edition of “Big Book of Scrapbooking Ideas” where Michelle will have five layouts published…and look for another of her layouts in Scrapbooking.com’s e-zine! WAY TO GO!!! Also keep your eye on the homepage for more of Michelle’s wonderful articles on Copic Markers! We look forward to all of the scrappy wisdom to come from you in the future!
