A scrapper you should know!

Our featured scrapper this week...

Kari Ann Sweeney

Many of you might know already know Kari Ann through her time as a DT member with Feeling Scrappy last year. I know I find her work to be such a source of inspiration, and I'm sure many of you feel the same! She does such a beautiful job taking the simplest of elements and making them shine in dynamic and completely innovative ways. She is also one of the most genuinely thoughtful people I know, never failing to remember a birthday or anniversary or just about any date you can possibly think of. This girl is a gem!

To learn more about Kari and to see samples of her work, read on, and then be sure to check out her blog!

How and when did you first start scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking in high school but put together my first real book in 1995 after I returned from studying abroad for a year in Japan. I look at it now and realize I should re-do it because nothing in it is archival safe. The scrapbooking bug really bit when I started dating my husband and we had our kids.

What is the most important aspect to scrapbooking to you?

I really try to keep the focus on the photo and the story behind it. I'm a big stickler for journaling. Handwritten if possible. I think it's important that that piece of me is on the page for my family and children to look at when I'm gone.

What are your favorite pages to work on?

Everyday moment pages. Those little snippets of your regular life that you want to commit to paper. I always think of Ferris Bueller- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once and ahile you could miss it" I see scrapbooking as a way to 'pause' it.

What if anything do you find hard to scrap?

Holiday and event pages.

What kind of camera do you use? Do you love it or hate it?

I have a Canon Rebel XTi and I LOVE it. I love the SLR feature and it takes some amazing. I also have a Sony Cyber-Shot that I carry in my purse. It's a great little camera.

What do you enjoy most about scrapbooking?

I love the feeling I get knowing that I'm putting memories to paper. On a selfish side I get really excited when a page turns out well. It makes me feel so good inside. Scrapbooking has truly turned into an escape for me. A good escape.

Tell us a little about your family.

I've been married to Nick for 5 years. He runs his own Graphic Design/Website business from our house. This allows him to watch our youngest daughter, Scout who is 18 month old. Our oldest daughter, Bennet is 3 years old. Both my girls are just happy, crazy, go-go-go kids. I work outside the home as a Project Manager in the Office Furniture industry.

Tell us about the things outside of scrapbooking that you enjoy.

I love to travel. I have been dreaming of a 4 day weekend in NYC with DH. I also LOVE movies and TV. I'm a bit of an entertainment trivia geek.

Tell us something about yourself that your Feeling Scrappy friends do not know.
My name was supposed to be Tessa. I was a big baby, 9 lbs. 15 oz. My mom was afraid I'd grow up to be a little chubby and everyone would call me Two Ton Tessa. So they named me Kari Ann. When I asked her why they spelled it 'Kari' she couldn't remember. I guess I should just be lucky I have a name at all :)

Two of Kari's favorite pages...

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!