10 Questions with Hillary Heidelberg, Author of Scrap Simple

I recently picked up the book Scrap Simple by Hillary Heidelberg, a 2007 Memory Maker's Master, and was pleasantly impressed with the straightforward instructions, tips and tricks she provides. I interviewed her to find out a little more about the artist behind the great ideas.

1. Many may recognize your name from the 2007 Memory Makers Master's lineup. Tell me more about your scrapbooking industry experience.
   
   The summer I won Memory Maker's Master was a big one for me! I had only begun submitting about three months prior, and had just heard that I had won KI Memories Color Theory Album contest, so when I got the call from Memory Makers, I was stunned and overwhelmed. In addition to creating layouts for Memory Makers, I also have had the opportunity to write articles for them, and to teach at the Great American Scrapbooking Convention. I have had work published in Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks, Etc, Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook Trends, and began an online class site last year at nycscraps.com.
   
   
2. Your scrapbook pages are inundated with elements we often see in professional advertisements and magazine layouts. Do you have any formal design or graphic arts training, or are you self-taught?
   
   I don't have any formal training in graphic design. For the longest time, I was trying to figure out my "style." I was told that I should simply browse the magazines and whenever I came across a layout that stopped me in my tracks, I should look for elements that appealed to me and try and incorporate them into my own work. But I found something wonderful in just about every layout I saw, so my pages began to look like....a mess. Some embossing, some sewing, some stamping, some handwritten journaling....it wasn't pretty. I got tired of trying every trick in the book, and one day created a fast, simple, easy, non-technique-y layout...and I loved it. I started reading graphic design books, and graphic design magazines like HOW, and the more I read, the easier it became to incorporate these looks into my layouts. I stopped feeling like I "had" to use all the fancy new stuff that came out every day. I realized it was okay to be simple.
   
   
3. How did the opportunity arise for you to write Scrap Simple?
   
   I emailed an editor at Memory Makers Books with an idea for the book soon after I became a Master. They liked the idea, and within a few short weeks, the book idea was approved. I was off and running! It definitely involved A LOT of long nights, but in the end, I am so pleased with the result.
   
   
4. How has your scrapbooking style evolved since you began scrapbooking?
   
   Well, I definitely use a lot less product. And this is a good thing, seeing as I live in a small NYC apartment and don't have a lot of space for storage (I tried taking over the kitchen cabinets for scrap stuff, but my husband just wasn't thrilled when he pulled out glue dots instead of Grape-Nuts...) I have come to the realization that it REALLY DOESN'T MATTER how you scrap. What matters is the story you have to tell, and conveying the memories for the future. It's been said before, but nobody is going to ask in 25 years why you didn't choose the cool Making Memories notebook paper instead of the floral BasicGrey paper on the layout about their Disney trip. As long as you're having fun using the product and it's not overwhelming you, great. But that's the key: to have fun. Don't stress that your pages don't look "quite right." Just glue it down, and enjoy the process.
   
   
5. In your book, you use cardstock as the base for most of your layouts. Do you buy cardstock in bulk packages or do you prefer to purchase colors by the sheet?
   
   I buy white, black and kraft in bulk for sure. I go through them like nobody's business. For the other colors, I buy by the sheet. I tend not to use a lot of yellow, but as for the rest (blues, oranges and greens in particular) I buy different hues. I actually don't obsess too much about the colors--if I grab a piece of cardstock off the shelf and it's "close enough" to what I want, I use it.
   
   
6. The use of white space is so prevalent and powerful in your layouts. What tips do you recommend to scrapbookers (like me) who have a tendency to fill all the space, but want to try the airy look that white space allows?
   
   I think white space is so useful to draw the viewers' attention to the important elements of the layout, namely the photos and the journaling. Using white space effectively can also be quite dramatic. I think it's important to realize that white space isn't "wasted space" and actually plays an important part in the overall design of a page. Whenever I am working on a layout that doesn't feel quite right, I tend to take off an element rather than add more on. Not only does this usually solve my dilemma, but it's very cost effective!
   
   
7. Multi-photo two-page layouts are often neglected in other idea books, but you devote an entire chapter. I know you have numerous fabulous ideas for those pages, but can you share your favorite tip for multi-photo two-page layouts?
   
   My numero uno most important tip is to see the 12x24 inch canvas as ONE page. Ignore the gap. Many scrapbookers hate the idea of "crossing the crack" and either cutting a photo or placing a large title across the gap. But really, GO FOR IT. It helps create a more cohesive and uniform look, and it's actually easier to create what appears to be one large layout (12x24) than two 12x12 layouts side by side.
   
   
8. Journaling and title design is essential to the simple style you champion throughout the book. What tips do you have for telling a great story through your journaling?
   
   Be very personal. When you write, write as though you're telling your story to a best friend. Sometimes it can help to even tape-record your journaling, using all your "um"s and "like, you know"s in all their glory and actually including them in your journaling. Which would you rather read, after all, and which tells the more effective story?
   
   "This was Luca's second birthday party. He was a little sick but still had fun. All his little friends came and really enjoyed the chocolate cake and party favors. What fun!"
   
   OR
   
   "Well, the morning of the party was totally not what I expected. Luca woke up vomiting and all I could think was "please, not today!" Ugh, not good. Luckily, he started to feel a little better by the time his friends arrived, but still, I felt so bad for him. In any case, his friend Sara brought the cutest fire truck for him, and he couldn't stop playing with it the whole party, so he couldn't have been that sick, right? By the time I brought out the chocolate cake (yes, I made it from scratch! Go me!) he was starving and ate 3 pieces. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best idea in light of his, um..stomach issues, but it made him happy. His friends had a blast, and it was nice to get together with all the other moms too. But next year, he better not be sick!"
   
   Which tells the "true" story? Which story would Luca rather read when he's 12 years old, or 20 years old? Be honest, tell it all, the good and the bad.
   
   
9. Typography and fonts are another important design element that I noticed repeated often in Scrap Simple. What is your favorite font source?
   
   I love so many font sites, but my favorite is probably fontfreak.com.
   
   
10. Finally, what's next on the horizon for you? Can we look forward to additional books in the future?
    
    Maybe! I would definitely need longer to work on the next book though--homeschooling is hard work!!! I hope to keep teaching classes online at nycscraps.com, and I hope to continue enjoying scrapbooking, attending crops and conventions, and meeting and connecting with all the wonderful women who scrapbook.
    
    

Hillary Heidelberg started scrapbooking five years ago with the birth of her first child. One year ago she started NYC Scraps , an online scrapbook class site. She is a trained acupuncturist and herbal medicine practitioner, and is currently home schooling her two boys.

Visit Hillary's blog: Life and all the rest of it...