Member Spotlight -- April Ordonez!

April Ordonez (aprilor) has been a member of AC Bailey since February 2007. We love her great attitude and fun spirit! And this girlie is talented to boot! She does a little of everything from cards to digi scrapping! So, let's get to know her a little better!

I know some of us know you pretty well, but for the new members out there, tell us a little about yourself!
Ok, well, I’m April a wife, mommy, scrapper, and diet coke addict! My DH and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in September, we have two little guys: Cassius (aka Cash) who is just over three years old and Kayden (aka Bubba) who is just over a year and a half. I’ve been card making and altering art since August 2006, scrapping since January 2007, and just recently started digi scrapping and am completely hooked. That’s really me in a nutshell, I’m a simple girl who is a simple scrapper!

When we first met you really caught my attention. You are the master card maker! I loved seeing all your cards. How did you get into card making?
Well I “was” the master card maker, but boy now that I don’t do it much I struggle at it, I suppose it’s like anything else that you put down for a while. I first got into card making through a friend of mine who is a CTMH consultant, she showed me the card kits where you basically get a bunch of pre-folded cards and stickers and you design them using a guide sheet (basically a make-and-take in a box). I thought it was fun and decided to buy a few stamps and papers and that was basically the beginning of my addiction

You are also known to be a stamp queen. What is / are your favorite stamping techniques?
LOL stamp queen – I’m really not! But the stamp technique that I love the most is stamping an image and coloring it in using odorless mineral oil and blending stumps. Not only is it fun but it really creates a beautiful colored image that has highlights with little effort. My favorite inks are stazon for stamping when you want to color an image in and well the chalk inks just ROCK when you have an image that doesn’t need coloring in. Every stamper/scrapper should have those in their stash!!

You are a great traditional scrapper, but lately you have taken up digi scrapping. And, you are quite fast at it too! What was it about digi scrapping that really appealed to you?
I have always love Photoshop and have dabbled in it years ago for my job so using that program with scrapping is just something that “clicked” with me more than traditional scrapping. I love the clean and crispness that digi scrapping gives and the fact that you can use the elements over and over again without feeling like I’m hoarding supplies. But also I really love being able to manipulate my pictures, papers, and elements and still if I decide to design my page differently none of the elements are ruined. Not to mention you can alter all the elements to fit your pictures or theme. Also, I guess a reason why I scrap fast is that I don’t like to let myself over think a layout because when I do those are the layouts I like the least in the end.

I have also noticed that you are SO FAST when it comes to completing a challenge. What process do you use to get things done in such an efficient and quick manner?
LOL that’s my OCD shinning through. Really I’m probably not your “average” scrapper because I have things all sorted/planned before I even sit down to scrap. I have all my photos I want to scrap copied into a separate folder on my computer, and also have the papers/elements that I want to use for those photos planned out (mostly). So come time to scrap a page I have everything in a personal-made “kit” so I grab it and get busy J When it comes to a challenge I just sort through the pictures/planned pages and use the ones that correspond to the challenge and alter it to fit the needs of the requirements. I know that it’s not normal to scrap like this but for me being super organized is what makes me a happy scrapper LOL

If I had to guess, your scrap space is pretty organized. What does it look like when you are in the middle of some creative goodness?
Well my scrap space is my dining room table so come scrap time I lug all my supplies out from my scrap closet for the particular layout I’m working on and pretty much make piles of alphas, paper, elements, etc. I have to clean up as I go along as well, it bothers me to have chaos around me while scrapping so I keep my trash bag handy and put items back right away after I’m done with them.

Are you a scrapper or an artist?
I am definitely a scrapper – I am no where near being an artist. Although like an artist, I enjoy the process of creating and probably scrap more for own creative outlet vs. creating memories (which I’m doing in the process anyway). So while I’d love for my boys and their families to enjoy my albums years down the road, if they never do look at them twice I’m fine with it because I had a blast creating them, and that’s what matters to me most at the moment.

If you couldn’t scrap, what would your hobby be?
Oh boy, I don’t ever want to think of that LOL. I suppose if I couldn’t ever scrap again I would get into sewing. I’ve always been intrigued by it and have dabbled in it a bit. I would love to learn how to make those cut little fabric dolls and toys.

Finish this sentence:
I feel happiest when I capture new photos that are just so cute and fun that I am itching to scrap.