Editor’s Note: We are excited to have Jenny Theriault as our featured artist for February. Her work inspired our latest collection of sketches and templates inside of the membership. Please enjoy our interview with Jenny for our My Way series.
Hello! I’m Jenny Theriault and I am thrilled and amazed to be the featured artist here. Thank you so much Jennifer for the pleasure!
I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with my husband of 12 years, our 8 year old daughter Stella and our cat Alice. I work for a small provincial non-profit organization as Operations Coordinator. Along with scrapbooking my favourite hobbies include reading (and collecting books for my huge to-be-read pile), second hand clothing thrifting, traveling as much as possible, and spending quality time with family and friends.
What’s exciting you right now?
Right now I am most excited about all the new or recently released book/reading themed scrapbook products. My family and I just moved from a small town 45 minutes outside on Halifax into the city (over December!!!) so I have quite a few projects that are in a waiting for attention pile. In the fall I picked up the reading-themed product bundle from Ali Edwards and just a few weeks ago I purchased the reading release from Feed Your Craft. I have always loved to read, but until now I haven’t really done a lot of documenting of that hobby. I am excited to figure out a way to document it. Currently I am thinking about creating a TN for this, but I haven’t 100% decided.
What’s one story on your Bucket List?
I tell a lot of stories, as a member of Ali Edwards’ creative team. I tell stories through scrapbooking pretty regularly so I don’t know if I could identify a story I have been waiting to tell (other than reading related documenting, see above) but one thing I am slowly working on right now is finishing up my 2019 Project life album. I am done up to the end of July (monthly) and really want to get the rest finished over the next few months.
How did you start scrapbooking?
I started scrapbooking when I was 18 years old, in grade 12 of high school. I actually took an after school one day mini class offered through our high school on learning to scrapbook. I was immediately hooked. I’d always loved photos and adding the creativity was a perfect match for me.
How has your hobby changed since you began?
This hobby has changed SO much for me over the last 19 (!!!) years. It really started as a fun way to decorate and play with photos and use pretty supplies. It has definitely evolved for me over time. I think probably around the time I had my daughter 8 years ago it really became so much for about the stories. I’ll always love the creativity too, but the magic for me lies in combining the words and photos.
How would you describe your style? How did you discover your style?
My style is very simple! I like clean lines, mostly only white backgrounds and very little patterned paper. I like big photos, always telling a story and I love intentional embellishments. This took many many years to develop and for years I only scrapbooked pages that I scraplifted from others (I still scraplift – there is so much talent out there) but I have also honed in on what I like best too. While I appreciate and adore super artsy pages, they just aren’t me.
How do you stay motivated to create?
Motivation comes and goes for me. Sometimes I scrapbook every night and then sometimes I go for a week without doing anything. I enjoy watching scrapbook videos for inspiration, but I work hard not to get lost in video after video or a web of scrolling and make myself go DO something. If I have a big project to do or am playing catch up on a project I generally split my tasks up. I’ll work on photo editing and printing one night, then typing or writing my stories, then bringing it all together.
February is “Find Your Way” month at Simple Scrapper. What advice do you have for scrapbookers trying to choose a scrapbooking approach from today’s vast array of options?
My best advice for someone trying to “find their way” with all the techniques and products and sizes out there is to pick ONE thing that you are most excited about and try that first. See if you like it, did it feel like a good fit for you and your stories, if yes, keep going, if no, what else could you try?
What do you LOVE in scrapbooking right now?
- I have and will always love full size 12×12 layouts I can’t imagine ever giving these up completely. Right now I regularly make 12×12, 8 ½ x 11 and 9×12 pages that I include all together in an album. I also make 6×8 size pages (including different pocket configurations) and have a 6×8 album where I keep any layouts in that size.
- I am a ‘start with story’ girl – thanks Ali Edwards! I identify a story I want to tell, I generally type it up for longer stories then choose photos and choose the products to support the story last. One caveat to this is that as a member of Ali Edwards creative team I are tasked with making projects each month with specific products in that case I look at the products first to see if they spark any stories and then go from there.
- Right now, and last week, and last year and the one before that… 😊 I am still obsessed with chipboard and ANYTHING heart shaped. I am a sucker for embellishments of any type, but seriously if it’s heart shaped I much have it!!
How do you stay organized? Are there any solutions that you would recommend?
- For me if I don’t see it, I won’t use it. I have a big island that I use for my scrapbooking table and I keep mostly all of my embellishments and stamps and most used items out on top of my table in view so I will see and remember to use them. I keep my ‘like’ embellishments organized together and that seems to work well for me.
- I mostly use my iphone for 95% of the photos I take. I organize my photos very ‘old school’ using folders organized by year and month – it’s easy and works for me. I use a notes app on my phone to keep track of any ideas I want to use in the future and I also use Pinterest as a holding place for ideas and inspiration.
What is your biggest lesson learned from your scrapbooking experience so far?
My biggest lesson learned is that the story matters. When I look back at all my early scrapbook pages I think “where are all the words??” I wish I had cared and spent as much time on the story as I did on the decorative pieces.
Thanks again to Jennifer for inviting me to join you this month! You can find me on IG @jenny_theriault
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