SYW253 – My Way with Sophie Delorme

[00:01:11] Jennifer Wilson: Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way, the show that explores the breadth of ways to be a memory keeper today. I’m your host, Jennifer Wilson, owner of Simple Scrapper and author of The New Rules of Scrapbooking. This is episode 253. In this episode I'm interviewing Sophie Delorme for the My Way series. My Way is all about celebrating the unique ways memory keepers get things done. We're excited to have Sophie as the March featured artist at Simple Scrapper.

[00:01:43] Jennifer Wilson: Hey Sophie. Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way.

[00:01:45] Sophie Delorme: Oh, thank you so much for the invitation. Very excited to be here.

[00:01:48] Jennifer Wilson: I am looking forward to getting to know you better as well, but can you start by sharing a little bit about yourself with our audience?

[00:01:55] Sophie Delorme: Sure. Um, my name is Sophie Delorme I am a little French Canadian girl. I live in Laval that's just next to Montreal, a big city in the province of Quebec that's in Canada. So. Very cold down here. Um, I'm a mother of two children, Sabrina, who's 16. And Gabriel, my son who's 20. I also have two beautiful dogs, they are Labradors retrievers. Um, I have Fiona, which is a brown lab, and Farin, uh, who's blonde. And they are a huge part of my life also. And I live with my hubby um, for the last 25 years.

[00:02:39] Jennifer Wilson: Wow.

[00:02:39] Sophie Delorme: I am an endocrinologist, which is a doctor. Um, yeah. Well, yeah, that's, that's making me too busy. Um, an endocrinologist is a doctor specialized in hormones, so, um, I treat, you know, diabetes and thyroid problems, thyroid cancer, pituitary problems, any kind of hormone related disease. And I work full-time in a very busy hospital in Montreal.

[00:03:07] Jennifer Wilson: I love to hear how, um, busy women like yourself can find time for their hobbies, so I'm sure we're gonna get more into that. So one of the things that I love to ask our guests is what is exciting them right now? So, can you share one non scrapbooking thing as well as one scrapbooking thing?

[00:03:26] Sophie Delorme: Yes, sure. Um, there's a lot of things going on. I'd say outside of this scrapbooking. We just bought a cottage, uh, by the lake a few months ago, and I get to have a brand new craft space with lots of windows. And a beautiful view, which is very new to me because at my house, I, I do my crafting in the basement.

[00:03:49] Sophie Delorme: So I have a beautiful view on the forest and, uh, deers coming up to say hi. So it's very, very inspiring and I, I'm very happy at the moment to have that space. I also started knitting um, knitting again. You know knitting, I, I hope I'm pronouncing it well. Um, I just, I just started back a few weeks ago after a long break. And, uh, I forgot how I love this hobby. So Yeah.

[00:04:18] Jennifer Wilson: I am curious about your cottage. Will this be your full-time residence?

[00:04:22] Sophie Delorme: No, we go there on the weekends. Because it's two hours away from, you know, the hospital where we work. 'Cause my hubby is a doctor too. So we, you know, we, we run away in here. Uh, on the weekends when we have a break and when we're not on call. So, yeah. So once in a while we, we get there.

[00:04:42] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, it sounds delightful though.

[00:04:44] Sophie Delorme: It is. I love nature, so yes, very happy for that.

[00:04:48] Jennifer Wilson: And what types of things do you like to knit?

[00:04:50] Sophie Delorme: I usually knit sweaters for me. Um, I, I really love everything about knitting. It's, it's very, very relaxing for me. And you can knit like everywhere in the car, ev everywhere in the house, so that's very convenient for me. Mostly sweaters, I'd say. And of course, you know, scarfs and, uh, socks, but I, I prefer sweater from, from the rest.

[00:05:16] Jennifer Wilson: And then what about your scrapbooking thing?

[00:05:17] Sophie Delorme: Yeah. So, um, there are two events coming up that really, really excite me. One is, um, probably that everybody knows about it 'cause it's very popular. It's the Crop and Create, um, scrapbooking weekend from Scrapbook And Cards Today. It's a Canadian company. They used to have, you know, um, uh, in-person events.

[00:05:39] Sophie Delorme: And I, I went to, you know, Cornwall and Toronto for a few years. And I just, completely fell in love with them. And now they do, you know, since the pandemic online, uh, online events. And there's one for scrapbooking by the end of April. And I always, you know, get together with four of my precious friends that are from Quebec City. And we get together for the whole weekend. And we, we create, we have fun, and there's a lot of production of many, many layouts. So that's, that's, that's just a, a terrific weekend for me. There's another event, uh, in scrapbooking that is coming from Pinkfresh Studios, and it's called Create and Connect. There's the card event and there's this scrapbooking event.

[00:06:23] Sophie Delorme: And, um, that's by the end of March. So coming up pretty, pretty soon and for the very first time in my life I will be an, an instructor for this. Um, online, uh, weekend. So it's a two hour class. I'm looking forward to it with excitement, but also I am very, very nervous about it. But I'm sure it's gonna be great.

[00:06:45] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, I'm sure it will be. Congratulations.

[00:06:48] Sophie Delorme: Oh, thank you. Well, yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it goes. Something new in scrapbooking actually, that I discovered, um, not a long time ago, uh, is the Better Press System from Spell Binders. I don't know if you had the chance to experiment with it.

[00:07:04] Jennifer Wilson: No, not that one.

[00:07:05] Sophie Delorme: I really, really love the effect. It's a stamping with a little subtle embossing to it. And it really gives beautiful results and it's very, very easy to to manage. Which is good for me.

[00:07:17] Jennifer Wilson: That sounds so fun. We'll definitely include links to all of those. I have done a number of the Crop and Create events, but I've never done one of the Pinkfresh ones. And so I'm keeping my eye on all the options. There's so many good things to participate in these days.

[00:07:31] Sophie Delorme: Yes, there are for sure.

[00:07:33] Jennifer Wilson: So I also like to ask our guests about their memory keeping bucket lists. So this is a list of stories that you feel it's really important to capture and document, uh, for yourself, for your family. Do you have one that you know of on your list that you, for some reason haven't documented yet?

[00:07:50] Sophie Delorme: Hmm, that's a good question. I usually don't really have a bucket list. Uh, I just, you know, go with the flow. Um, but there are maybe two things that I, that I did not document yet, but I, I love to. The first one is of course, the story of this cottage that we just bought. Uh, the changes we made in here and my craft space and all the feelings attached to it. I maybe, I thought about doing a, like a six by eight album about it. Because there's so many photos and, and little stories to document that goes with it. Another thing that I did not, um, scrapbook yet is, uh, a misadventure that we had last summer with Fiona. My, my brown lab. Uh, she ate a toxic mushroom at our cottage in the woods, and it was actually a very, very little, uh, mushroom.

[00:08:43] Sophie Delorme: So we had to rush to the vet clinic and she was, you know, hospitalized in the ICU for a few days. And it was, she had a very, very, uh, risky procedure. And we did not think that she was going to make it at a point. So, and, and Sabrina, my daughter, took a photo of me, you know, on the floor crying and holding my dog for maybe the last time, uh, to say goodbye.

[00:09:10] Sophie Delorme: Uh, of course, you know, everything went well and she survived without any complications. So that's a very happy ending story, but it was so very emotional. I don't know if you're a, a dog, mom, or, but you know, dogs are very, very, very important in my life. And they contribute to, uh, a lot of happiness in here.

[00:09:32] Sophie Delorme: So it was a very emotional moment. And, you know, although everything is good now, I, I just don't feel ready yet to document it. If I do, because I, I think I will. It probably will be like a two page spread, because I only have one photo. But there will be for sure lots of journaling that goes with it.

[00:09:53] Jennifer Wilson: Well, I am so glad that she's okay. Um, and I can see there's sometimes there are stories that you just. You have to wait till the right time, um, to feel ready and you'll know when that happens. We have two cats. I've had cats pretty much my whole life. Um, other than when I moved here, my husband had a dog and I was curious but apprehensive. Um, but by the time she passed I was like, oh, you know what, uh, dogs are not so bad. And now we have lots of friends who have dogs. And so I think at some point I would like to also add.

[00:10:26] Sophie Delorme: Okay.

[00:10:26] Jennifer Wilson: A puppy to our family. Um, but right now we just have two totally crazy cats.

[00:10:30] Sophie Delorme: Oh. Well, I I wish it to you. They have just such beautiful souls. They, they, they can read my eyes. I mean, they're amazing. Yeah.

[00:10:40] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I can, I can see that, I can tell some of that difference. Um, cats have some of that, but not to the same degree. They're very self-centered and sometimes a little dumb.

[00:10:54] Sophie Delorme: Yeah.

[00:10:54] Jennifer Wilson: So this is a My Way episode because you are our featured artist for March. And the first thing I'd like to do is to highlight our current theme. So for March and April, we're talking all about organization. We call this our creative journey. Um, this provides a lens for our podcast episodes and most importantly for our member community. Um, and we use this so we can make sure that we're kind of touching all different topics and scrapbooking throughout the year. So I'm curious, what are one or two of your favorite organizing tips or solutions?

[00:11:29] Sophie Delorme: You know what? To be very honest. My craft room is a complete chaos. Um, it's, it's a whole mess. So I'm not the best one for that, but I'll, I'll, I'll try to find a few tips. Um, you know what? At work I'm so very organized and very rarely late for my patients, and I, I'm on schedule and it's very, very important to me.

[00:11:53] Sophie Delorme: So, I don't know. I feel like when it's time, to create, I just let go of everything. So it's not, It's like if I had two personalities. Um, but maybe let me share with you, you know, how my craft space is organized. That might help a few scrappers. Most of my collections are in fabric boxes that goes in the, um, probably, you know, that the IKEA Kallax shelf units.

[00:12:21] Jennifer Wilson: Yes.

[00:12:22] Sophie Delorme: They have like fabric boxes that go in them. So I put all my collections by brands and by seasons in all those different fabric boxes. So they're and so depending on, you know, the season that I'm creating it, they're, uh, easy to, to reach. Um, I also have IKEA uh, Alex drawers on each sides of my table. Where I put my inks and my punch, my border punches, all the scraps of papers that are by color.

[00:12:54] Sophie Delorme: They have a different drawer. I have a stash of tape runners in there. Uh, so they're really just next to me when I create. I also have a few drawers that are for all my Pinkfresh Studios stamps, stencils, and dies. So they're, they're easy to reach as well. On my desk, all I have is a, like a big desk organizer where I can put the collection that I'm actually working with.

[00:13:19] Sophie Delorme: So it's right in front of me, and it prevents it to be like all over the place. I, I, I stick it in my desk organizer so it's easier. I also have a, um, a carousel tray. I think it's the word, you know, a little thing that is spinning around. Where I put my pens and my rulers and the foam dots and the scissors and my bone folder and my tape.

[00:13:43] Sophie Delorme: Um, so everything is right next to me. And finally behind me, I, I do have a rolling cart as well, so like it's a 360 degree organizing, uh, situation here. Uh, so I have a rolling cart what I, where I put my, my twine and my thread, some of my stamps, the Crop-a-dile, my paint brushes, my textured paste. So maybe more of a mixed media kind of, uh, cart.

[00:14:12] Jennifer Wilson: You know, it sounds wonderful. And actually it sounds really, really similar to how I have things organized. So we must kind of maybe think in similar ways down to the, Kallax the, uh, Alex drawers, the cart. And maybe that's just what a lot of scrap bookers have these days. But maybe you're more organized than you think you are.

[00:14:33] Sophie Delorme: Maybe, but if you'd enter here, you would not say that.

[00:14:36] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Uh, probably the same for my space as well.

[00:14:39] Sophie Delorme: But I know, I know where everything is though.

[00:14:43] Sophie Delorme: Yeah, I never got lost. Uh, I know where everything is, but yes, it's chaos.

[00:14:49] Jennifer Wilson: Could you talk more about how you got started scrapbooking? You said you've been doing it for 25 years. Um, I'm sure your hobby has evolved in that time, so can you talk a little bit about that journey?

[00:15:00] Sophie Delorme: Yeah. It started in a, in a weird way, uh, actually in a touching way. I was pregnant with Gabriel and I was, um, in my residency for medicine and one of my colleague residents, um, just gave birth to her son. And, you know, seven weeks later she had a car accident and her son died in the car accident. And a few months later we went together for a dinner at a restaurant with a few friends and she brought her scrapbook album with her.

[00:15:34] Sophie Delorme: And so and so in that album, she put all her heart, everything that was related to her, um, son. All the memories, uh, a little, um, you know, a, a little piece of hair, a little piece of her, his pajamas and, you know, everything was in there. And there were a lot of, you know, Jolee's embellishment at the time and all the photos.

[00:16:03] Sophie Delorme: And so it was so very, very emotional and touching. And I had no idea what scrapbooking was. I mean, no clue. So I was very, very impressed by all the details and all the journaling and the stories and you know, all the energy that she put in there. And she said that, you know, it was, she had to do it. She had to, you know, take care of what was left from him and to honor his, his memory.

[00:16:35] Sophie Delorme: And you know what, from that time it was, and it still is today, my purpose, when I document anything, I always have in the back of my mind, what if. What if it's over? What if you know, there is, that's all we have left. So I don't, I don't want to say that in a dramatic way. I, I, I feel it in a very beautiful way.

[00:16:57] Sophie Delorme: It's just a way for me to, um, see how precious and how important those little memories are because we never know. And so a few months later, I went to a craft store, had absolutely no clue to what to buy and where to start. And so I, I bought an album, a few papers that I liked and a few embellishments. It was mostly Jolee's at the time.

[00:17:23] Sophie Delorme: And there you go. I just started. I created my first page. It was, it was horror, but it was okay at that time. And the most important thing was to document anyways. Um, it really changed though over time, for sure. Um, on the very first pages that I did, I used, uh, and you're gonna laugh the A sides and the B sides as well, just to make sure that I didn't miss anything of my favorite papers.

[00:17:53] Sophie Delorme: So I had a scrapbook layout on the A side and then another one on, on the back of it. Um, and I used a lot of ribbons and, and Jolee's and mostly I went to the Dollar Store to, you know, get my, my products. And everything was just fit in one box that I put on my dining table when I was feeding the, and I had the time to scrap.

[00:18:20] Sophie Delorme: So that was before. Something that I still do, in, at the end of each of my albums. I started that on the first one, and I'm still doing this today. At the end of each album, my last page is not a photo page, it's like a summary page. So I decorate it, but there's like mostly journaling from my thoughts about this period of time. So if it's an album for my daughter and it's from the summer, you know, 2010, for instance. Well, I document, you know, what we did for the this summer and what are her milestones and my thoughts about where she is now and my expectations or my hopes for her or anyways. I don't know if I'm clear enough, but it's just the last page of each album that summarizes the whole, you know, the whole album.

[00:19:14] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, I love that idea. I think that's a, a beautiful strategy and one, I think more of us, um, should try. Particularly since within an album, we tend to have some pages that maybe have more journaling, some that have a lot less. And so if you can just give more context to whatever's in that album, whether it's kind of a more complete story or if it's just this is the time period of life. I think adding one more thing really, uh, puts a nice cap on it.

[00:19:44] Sophie Delorme: I see it as a tribute to the love that I have for my kids. I, I see it this way because most of my layouts are from my kids and my dogs. I, so, yeah. So I, I see that like a, a tribute to honor them.

[00:20:01] Jennifer Wilson: Hmm. That's a beautiful thought.

[00:20:02] Sophie Delorme: And of course, you know, that's 20 years back. So things really changed when I discovered social media. Because I had no idea, you know, I'm, I, I'm just a doctor in the hospital. So I, I never had a Facebook, uh, account or, or whatever. So a few years ago, maybe six or seven years ago, my best friend Melissa made me discover Instagram.

[00:20:27] Sophie Delorme: This was life changing. I mean, I could see all, you know, the beautiful inspiring layouts and the, the products and the companies and the scrapbookers, and I could not believe this whole community existed. So, yeah, so this really made me change my way of scrapping because I saw the, you know, the trends and all the products out there.

[00:20:51] Sophie Delorme: And so it made me more aware of, of, you know, everything available from the industry. And so I started, you know, posting my layouts for the first time at that time. And I had maybe, I don't know, just a, a hundred or 200 followers. And Kimberly Hutchinson from Hip Kit Club reached out and asked me if I wanted to be on the design team.

[00:21:16] Sophie Delorme: And, you know, I didn't even have a Facebook, uh, account at that time. And I, I have no idea what, you know, what's the job of a design team member? What, what's, what's to do? Uh, but I said yes. And, you know, she trusted me. Although I, I just had only a few followers, and that's, that's six years ago. It's gonna be, it's my sixth year with Hip Kit Club. So it made, it, it, it really helped me to need to find the, the time to get crafty. The time to make sure that I do my assignments. And by doing my assignments well, it, it permits me to, to document, um, what's going on. Uh, and I need now to find the time to do that. And that's perfect for me.

[00:22:05] Jennifer Wilson: So when do you typically find the time and energy, um, with your busy schedule?

[00:22:09] Sophie Delorme: When I can. Which, well, which is mostly on the weekends, I'd say. Um, on the weekends I usually, uh, FaceTime with my best friend again. And she's as passionate as I am. And so we get along, although she is three hours away from me with. With, uh, FaceTime and we craft for a few hours every weekend. Um, at, during the weekdays.

[00:22:38] Sophie Delorme: It really depends on the work that I have in the hospital. If I do have some time at night, uh, I will sneak in, uh, in my craft room and, and do my layouts. But I'd say like 90% of the time it's on the weekends.

[00:22:54] Jennifer Wilson: Do you think you found more or less time as your kids have gotten older?

[00:23:00] Sophie Delorme: Oh, more. More, definitely more. Um, it's, you know, what? Now it's, it's a need for me. So when there's a need, you find the time.

[00:23:11] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, yes.

[00:23:12] Sophie Delorme: Uh, it's not always realistic. It's not every week. But it really contributes to my, my sanity to be honest. Uh, it's like if I need to work on my, the right side of my brain. Uh, somehow, you know, in the hospital it's only the, the scientific pro process and it's very evidence-based and it's very rational, and so it's completely different.

[00:23:40] Jennifer Wilson: Yes.

[00:23:41] Sophie Delorme: I, :for me, creativity is a need. So yes, , there will be time for that. I remember 16 years ago, I just gave birth to Sabrina and I still had time. Not as much as today for sure. But I made time for that. And I was a happier person and it was so fulfilling. So yeah, , there's always time. You just need to maybe be organized and make it your priority. Make yourself your priority, I'd say.

[00:24:08] Jennifer Wilson: For sure, for sure. Can you talk more about the sizes and formats you like to create in these days?

[00:24:14] Sophie Delorme: Yes. Um, I'm a very traditional scrapbooker, my, my formats are almost always 12 by 12 pages. Rarely double pages. Most of them are single pages. I do, uh, every year a December Daily album though. And it's a six by eight format and I love it for that. And since a few years, I started doing eight and a half by 11 pages.

[00:24:44] Sophie Delorme: These are in like a separate albums, and usually I do that when I, uh, I'm working on a collection and I have some scrap papers left. And I just create, you know, more maybe a simple layouts that are smaller. That are not posted. It's like I, I called it my brain break. It's, you know, where whatever is left. I, I put that on a page and I put my photo and journaling, and that's like the easier, um, little pages, but they are still meaningful. So I, they're not, you know, as detailed and, and you know, um, how do I say that?

[00:25:30] Jennifer Wilson: Hmm. Intricate.

[00:25:31] Sophie Delorme: Detailed and performance as I say. Uh, for Yeah, right. You know, it's, they, they will, they would not do any design team. Uh, they, they would not meet these criteria, but still they are, they are my life. So I have a few albums of that size too.

[00:25:50] Jennifer Wilson: I think it's a, an important reminder that not every page is going to be a masterpiece. But that doesn't mean it's any less valuable than the pages that are. Um, and that eight and a half by 11 size, as you said, is very approachable.

[00:26:05] Sophie Delorme: Yeah.

[00:26:06] Jennifer Wilson: So you are on a number of design teams. Um, whose products are you completely obsessed with, um, that you would otherwise buy, be buying on your own?

[00:26:16] Sophie Delorme: I would say very honestly, anything Pinkfresh. Pinkfresh Studios is, is a, a, a beautiful, not that huge company, but I love everything they create. They have a very high quality, you know, standards. And, um, what I love about this company is that they are producing a lot of card products. And my challenge that I love to do is to use those, those card products on pages.

[00:26:48] Sophie Delorme: Um, so, so, you know, the stamping and the embossing and the hot foil and everything that is meant to be more like framed for cards. Uh, I, I love, um, including them in layout. So yes, anything Pinkfresh. Of course, Hip Kit Club is my go-to as well. Um, they started a few years ago to create exclusive products every single month. I have no idea how they do it, but it have like a whole new collection every month with stamps and dies and stencils and, you know cardstock stickers and foam. You name it, they have it every month. So of course it's very, very inspiring and I will n never be bored with with them. Aside of that, of course, I love Fancy Pants Design and Cocoa Vanilla, which are my two other, um, design, teams. Cocoa Vanilla is very precious for me. It's an Australian company and they are very, very unique.

[00:27:54] Sophie Delorme: They have a very unique style, more, um, watercolor style I'd say. And it's from, the owner is Zoe Pearn. She designs everything herself. She's amazing. Um, and so I love to create pages with them. I love Simple Stories too. I'm not on the design team, but you know what, what I buy for myself, a lot of Simple Stories.

[00:28:19] Sophie Delorme: I, I, I really love them. For the products. I, I love frames as embellishments. I love floral die cuts, alpha dies. I'm not complicated. I love almost everything.

[00:28:33] Jennifer Wilson: I definitely notice a floral trend in, in the products that you like though

[00:28:37] Sophie Delorme: Oh yes, you bet. Yes. You know what? That's why my Labrador, my dogs are females. Because it helps with, with the floral embellishments. Oh, it's terrible to say that. But I chose female dogs.

[00:28:55] Jennifer Wilson: That's so interesting because I've always thought that I wanted a female too, and maybe it's just because I also have a daughter and so that I can use all the same favorite products.

[00:29:05] Sophie Delorme: Yeah. Yes.

[00:29:08] Jennifer Wilson: That's so funny. So is there a technique that you tend to do on most of your pages? Um, or just a, just something that's, that's really unique to you?

[00:29:19] Sophie Delorme: Usually, I have a white background. Um, I admire, you know, designers that use a lot of pattern papers on their pages. Jana Eubank is, is a master chef of that. Um, and everything is so gorgeous, but it, just not for me. I always go to a white background. I usually use one big photo on my pages, often black and white as well. Because I don't have to worry about the color matching.

[00:29:51] Sophie Delorme: The photo is usually the very focal point of my pages. I use tissue paper behind each of my photos and foam dots that as well. I'd say on most of my pages, you will find some stitching, either machine stitching or hand stitching. I, I love the texture that it adds. Um, but I'd say that my signature, if I may, is probably my floral clusters.

[00:30:19] Sophie Delorme: I love, love florals. I love layering them and putting them in huge, you know, clusters around my photos with leaves. That's really my, what I love to do. I always, uh, well most of the time also handwrite my journaling directly on my background. I find that, handwriting something is more personal, maybe more touching for my kids if ever one day they read anything about it. So yes, I usually end my pages by a little handwritten journaling, to document the story.

[00:30:55] Jennifer Wilson: So two follow up points. One is when we're done recording here, I will send you the, um, the sketches and templates that our designer made, um, inspired by your layouts. And they definitely showcase your style and your love of floral clusters. So I can't wait for, um, for you to see those and for our members to grab onto those in March when they're released. It's always just like, so, it's so wonderful to, um, see the inspiration that you share translated to, you know, uh, kinda a, a blank canvas starting point format. So it's really neat.

[00:31:35] Sophie Delorme: Yeah. Can't wait. Oh, that's awesome.

[00:31:38] Jennifer Wilson: And then, um, I'm also curious, you said tissue paper behind your photos. Can you talk more about what you mean there?

[00:31:44] Sophie Delorme: Tissue photo, a tissue paper that's, you know, the wrapping paper tissue, like blank, white. I don't ask me why, that's what I do. It's, it's just a way of, you know, adding texture without adding color, I guess. Um. Yeah. You know what, Missy Whidden which is, you know, a star in scrapbooking, um, does that also. I probably very honestly started doing that when I saw her YouTube videos. And I, I, I never stopped.

[00:32:19] Sophie Delorme: I think it adds just a little something, a little layer, not overpowering everything else. And yeah, I, that's my go-to, I do that on every pages.

[00:32:30] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, I can't wait to look at your layouts again and like with an eye for that particular, um, piece. 'Cause I don't think I noticed that before. That's really cool.

[00:32:38] Sophie Delorme: You'll see them.

[00:32:40] Jennifer Wilson: So, uh, the flip side of this question is that, are there things in scrapbooking that you've realized, like a supply, technique, a size, a format, that is just not for you at all?

[00:32:50] Sophie Delorme: I think, um, I think planners are not for me. Although, you know,

[00:32:57] Sophie Delorme: I, I really love what I see on online with planners. I think they're amazing. It's, I'd, you know what, I already have so much to do for work. That incorporating any kind of planning for my scrapbooking is like too much for me. I, I, I wanna go with the flow and not overthink things, um, in, in my creative journey.

[00:33:24] Sophie Delorme: So planners not, not attracted to that. I'm not attracted to, you know, very vintage products or collections. That's, you know, that's not what I, I like more the fresh. Um, very white, very pastel style. So very, very vintage collections, or shabby chic, or, that's not really what I prefer. One thing that is not for me also is cards.

[00:33:57] Sophie Delorme: Um, card makers are my heroes. They create, you know, amazing cards. There are so many products out there for that. I don't know. I'm not a card maker. Probably because, uh, in a very selfish way. I don't have a photo or a story to share or document with cards. So I feel like it's, i's like if it's less fulfilling for me. My very first, uh, goal for scrapbooking is to cherish, honor, the memories. So probably that's why I figured cards are not really my thing.

[00:34:38] Jennifer Wilson: That makes sense for sure. I also think sometimes it feels so, uh, constrained. It's certainly creative, but the techniques that you need to use to get a good results require a lot of precision. Like messiness, imperfection is not as much part of that.

[00:34:58] Sophie Delorme: Absolutely. You're right. Absolutely. Yes.

[00:35:03] Jennifer Wilson: I'm curious, um, if you've ever tried Project Life.

[00:35:06] Sophie Delorme: Not really.

[00:35:08] Sophie Delorme: That's the honest, truth. I do a little bit for my December Daily because I use pockets. But I, no. Although I, I, I would have so many photos that would be probably useful, but I never do insert pockets in my albums. My albums, my albums are always, you know, a whole page 12 by 12 page. And no, not, not there. Well, maybe, maybe one day.

[00:35:41] Jennifer Wilson: Well, and I, yeah, I wasn't saying that you should have.

[00:35:43] Sophie Delorme: You're, you're right. But, uh, but maybe I should actually. Because so many photos.

[00:35:49] Jennifer Wilson: Well, I, I want to highlight how much you seem to understand your oh, time limitations and the way you, the ways you like to create. And how you want to be inspired, um, in a more organic way. Um, rather than, oh, I need to do this particular week. You wanna find the photo that you love, tell the story that's, that's bubbling up and, and means something to you in the moment. And that's what keeps you going. Um, so to me, you're on, you're on a, a beautiful track and I wouldn't wanna see you change unless you were feeling excited about something else.

[00:36:24] Sophie Delorme: Yeah, you're right. We'll see.

[00:36:28] Jennifer Wilson: So on that note, where would you like your scrapbooking to be in 10 years?

[00:36:31] Sophie Delorme: This is a terrible question. I, I mean, I never really thought about it.

[00:36:38] Sophie Delorme: I know for sure that my, you know, my first purpose or my, my first goal in scrapbooking will stay the same. That, that's for sure. I wish I will have more time in 10 years. Um, I wish that I will continue to be on design teams because, you know, assignments allow me to make sure that I will take time to create.

[00:37:03] Sophie Delorme: So, so I really love doing that. Maybe have a YouTube channel that's, you know, that's just a big maybe. Uh because, to be honest, I would like to have one. But the, you know, editing and, and voice over thing. Especially because English is not my first language and I, and it's, you know, I have to work harder for sure to, to find the right, um, description and, and meaning of everything.

[00:37:31] Sophie Delorme: So, but I really love the community. And I be able to share, you know, my work. And have feedback and, and be inspired and inspire others as well. And I, I have that with Instagram. But, um, I, it, it would be probably different and maybe a little bit deeper with YouTube, I guess. Uh, so, so that's a big, maybe once I retire.

[00:38:00] Sophie Delorme: Yes. Hope. Yeah. You know what, the last 10 years, everything changed so much in the scrapbooking world. That for the next 10 months, I, I really am wondering, and I'm excited to see what will be the changes. I hope that the industry will be, um, still very, very active. Um, but yeah, I'm looking forward to see, it's, it's exciting to, to try to project what's gonna happen in, in 10 years from now in scrapbooking.

[00:38:33] Jennifer Wilson: Well, when you think about how long people have been doing this before, long before there was a scrapbooking industry. Like this was a, this is a kind of a human compulsion to tell our stories and, and capture our lives. And so I think it will always be here in some form what it looks like, you know, that will definitely be interesting.

[00:38:53] Sophie Delorme: I hope, I hope that there will be more, uh, in-person. Yes. Mm-Hmm.

[00:38:58] Sophie Delorme: I'm missing that from, you know, the pandemic. Because it's to, to see, you know, people that you don't know that are as crazy as you about this hobby and, and bring their whole stash and oh my goodness, it's amazing. I, it really changed a lot of things for me to, to know that everybody is as passionate as I am. And, and to see, you know, the different styles and, uh, I, I really love that.

[00:39:23] Sophie Delorme: Yeah. So hopefully more events and maybe on my side organize many more scrapbooking weekends with my precious, precious friends from Quebec City yeah. Let's hope that.

[00:39:36] Jennifer Wilson: Love that. I love that so much. You have shared so much in this episode about your, your heart and the meaning and the value of, of this hobby. Um, if you had to wrap that up, what has being a scrapbooker taught you?

[00:39:49] Sophie Delorme: Oh my goodness. Scrapbooking has taught me that it's okay to take some time to be creative and you know, not just perform a hundred percent at work and be scientific and, and save every patient. You know, it's, it's okay to have time for something else. And it has made me realize that, you know, for me it's a necessity and it contributes to my balance and my, my sanity as I told you earlier.

[00:40:21] Sophie Delorme: Uh, so yes, it has taught me that. It has taught me that memories are precious and they deserve to be highlighted and cherished. Because what if. Maybe because I'm a doctor, I know that it's a possibility that everything can change in a second. And it's a way for me to appreciate what I have now and to just don't take anything for granted. In a more general way, aside of all that, it has shown me that there's , a very great, very kind and passionate community that I discovered. And we are lucky to have that. We're lucky to have that hobby and to, you know, to share that with the community and I would not change anything from it.

[00:41:02] Jennifer Wilson: Very well said. Um, I totally agree on all of those points, and I've loved talking to you today.

[00:41:10] Sophie Delorme: Thank you.

[00:41:11] Jennifer Wilson: Can you share where we can find you online and anything you might have new or coming up, um, let's say mid-March or later in 2024.

[00:41:19] Sophie Delorme: Yeah, sure. Um, my Instagram account is so scrappy, so_scrappy. Uh, that's, that's the only, uh, place where you can find all my work. I am on the Pinkfresh Studio design team, so I am in their Facebook group. Same thing for Hip Kit Club. I'm on the design team. I write blogs for them and I'm on their Facebook group as well.

[00:41:46] Sophie Delorme: I do write blogs and I am on the Facebook group of Cocoa Vanilla, and I'm also a designer for, um Fancy Pants Designs.

[00:41:52] Sophie Delorme: In the coming year, I'll be instructor for the Pink Fresh Studio, Create and Connect Scrapbook event by the end of March. As I told you earlier, nerve wracking, we'll see how it goes. I am not really techno, so um, filming will be challenging, but probably very, uh, very funny as well. Um, and so I'm just looking forward to many new adventures in the scrapbooking world.

[00:42:20] Jennifer Wilson: Well we will include your links in the show notes as well as everything else that you mentioned. And I can't wait to see what you create and how things go for you.

[00:42:28] Sophie Delorme: Thank you so much for having me. It was really a pleasure chatting with you today.

[00:42:32] Jennifer Wilson: And to all of our listeners, please remember that you have permission to Scrapbook Your Way.