Let’s Meet a Gingerscraps CT Member, Rachel!

This week we are meeing Rachel, CT member and designer for Gingerscraps.

What’s your name and digiscrap blog address?I’m Rachel a.k.a. Harmonystar My scrapping blog: https://thoughtspotbyrachel.blogspot.com/My Family Blog: https://ryanandrachelyancey.blogspot.com/My Scrap for hire Site: https://treasureyourmemories.blogspot.com/

Tell us a little about your family. My hubby Ryan and I met in High School. He seemed to know at 17 that we were meant to be together. I didn’t share his confidence and went on to date other fella’s soon concluding that he was meant for me all along. He served a 2 year mission for the LDS church in Calgary Canada. While he was doing this I had a blast at college and served and internship at Walt Disney World. He got home in August, came to visit me with my mom during my last week in Florida and we all flew back home. He proposed in September and we were married in December in the Idaho Falls Temple. It’s been an amazing 4 years so far! He’s an electrician and qualified computer geek. September2007 Jaden came along and made our lives a whole lot better. He’s a high energy little hurricane but always has something up his sleeve to make us laugh (even when he’s getting in trouble.)

Do you work outside the home & if so what do you do? Not any more. I used to be a Title 1 Aid. I loved it, but when Jaden came along it was more important to stay with him.

What other hobbies do you have besides scrapping and designing? I’m a ballroom dance teacher. I love dancing so much! I’m teaching private lessons to a teenage girl right now. I also really enjoy reading and playing computer games.(I’m quite a computer geek myself)

When did you start Digi-scrapping and who taught you? I taught myself digi-scrapping in 2002 though there wasn’t even a term for it then. I always did all my projects using the computer so it was natural that when we had a great group date I would make a layout on the computer and then print a copy out for everyone. They weren’t even remotely as fancy as today. Mostly just a white background with some clipart. When I first got married I got into it a little more, then around April of last year I found the digi-scrapping world I never knew existed! My I’ve had fun since!

When did you start designing and how did you learn? When I brought speed scraps to my cafemom group I thought it would be fun to have a participation prize so I started scanning things in and extracting them. I was into photo editing and graphic design before I got into digital scrapbooking so the transition to making my own stuff seemed pretty natural. Most of what I make is still for participation prizes.

How did you pick your companies name? Harmonystar has been my screen name since I was 12. I’ll give one of my products away for free to the first person to pm me with where the name Harmonystar came from! I usually keep it a secret, but someone may know.

Who are your favorite three designers?Just 3? That’s a toughy! Lets see, in no particular orderGinger ScrapsLily DesignsPetit Moineaux

What are your favorite parts of a kit to design? The elements. I love finding stuff around the house to scan in. Sometimes I think “I have no idea what could be done with this, but maybe someone else will!”

What’s your favorite kit that you’ve designed? I’m currently working on a kit called Garden Grunge. I think it may end up being my fav. I really love my leaf collection also.

What’s your least favorite? My first official “kit” was Vector Floral. It’s not real great.

How do you get started on a kit? Palette first? Rough idea on what you want your papers or elements to look like?I try to to think of a theme first. Then I usually do palette, elements, then paper.How long does it typically take you to make a kit? That’s hard to say. A Participation prize will usually take me about 3 to 4 hours and that’s after I’ve been thinking forever about what I want to do. Kits have taken me anywhere from a month to 5 hours.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I’d be skinny like I was in college. Something about getting married really adds the pounds.

What is the one word that best describes you? Fun. I think people have fun when they’re with me. I usually have a lot of positive energy and love to pass it around.

Who is the most important person in your life? The most important would have to be my father in heaven. He’s given me all that I have and I feel very blessed.

What is something that not many people know about you? Anyone who has seen me knows, but in the digital world perhaps not, but I am really really short. I am 4 foot 10.5 inches. I auditioned for Mickey Mouse in Florida (they love short people) made it too. Was suppose to go back the next summer, but got married instead and Ryan didn’t want to live in Florida *shrug*

If you could travel anywhere where would you go? Hawaii would be nice. Or a great tour of England would be fun too!

When you were little what did you dream of being when you grew up? You know those dolphin trainers at sea world? Yup! That’s what I wanted to be… Huh I kinda still do! It’s just so cool!

What is your favorite food? Chicken Cordon Bleu

What do you like doing with your family? Going and playing at a park & taking pictures.

Where is your favorite place to be? Sadly right here in front of my computer. LOL!

What are three things that are important to you? My family My friends My computer

Is there anything you would change about your life? My life is really quite great! I don’t think I’d change a thing!

What are you afraid of? My husband dying young. I depend on him so much. I’m not sure I’d survive without him.

Do you collect anything?scrap kits. LOL I currently have 86 gig worth. Yeah, you could say I’m a bit out of control!

Here is one of Rachel’s recent Layouts with the Gingerscraps kit, First Day of Spring