Hey everyone, Sweet Talk is back for 2024 with a slightly new format but the same awesome goal. Getting to know YOU, our amazing community members. Once a month we will indulge in some “sweet talk” and have some fun getting to know you all a little bit better.

“Getting to know a diverse group of people leads to a better understanding of yourself.” — Alexander Den Heijer

Without further ado let’s dive into this month’s Sweet Talk interview with an amazing community member: EvelynD2

Welcome to Sweet Talk, give us a short introduction of yourself/family and how you found digital scrapbooking.

Hello!  I’m Evelyn Stevenson.  My amazing husband, Tod, and I will be celebrating our 45th anniversary on June 9th.  We have three wonderful children and seven awesome grandchildren.  I am a retired lower elementary school teacher with 33 years of teaching.  I teach elementary Sunday school at our church.  We have two fur babies and love them so much we usually take them when we go camping in our retro camper, Betsy. 

I first started digital scrapbooking around 2007 using Craft Artist.  I was involved on their site “Daisy Trail”.  I retired in 2020 from teaching.  During COVID, I had time to scrap more and found out that a lot of scrappers where using Photoshop Elements. I bought PSE and soon was asked to join my first CT team.  I have been blessed to work with such amazing designers and sure love SSD!

Answer a few fun questions for us.

1. Give us [3] must haves for the layouts you create? (a) Flowers (b) Paint/Mixed Media (c) Patterned Paper
2. When is your prime scrapping time? I am retired so I scrap around my housework schedule, church and functions with family and friends. I have also been known to scrap in the car on the way to church or the grocery store! Of course, my husband was driving!  🙂
3. What is your favorite thing to snack on when scrapping? Popcorn popped in my Paris Hilton pink microwave popcorn popper!
4. Go to your gallery, what is the date and title of your very first layout here at SSD? September 17, 2021.  “Where the Path May Lead”
5. Dig in your stash and show (or tell) us a kit/product from your favorite designer here at SSD and why? “The Winding Road Bundle” by JoCee Designs and The Nifty Pixel. I love that this is a collab that was created by the first two SSD designers that welcomed me onto their CT team.  The layout made with this bundle was my first layout at the gallery at SSD.  This is what introduced me to the gallery at forum at SSD.
   
   
6. In honor of our This or That challenge system taking its bow answer a Fast Five This-or-That: (use bold or underline)

Templates or Freestyle
Patterns or Solids
Journaling or Word Strips
Minimal or Clustered
Lots of Photos or Photoless

And of course, please share with us your favorite layouts featuring the below & tell us why you chose them:

• •a cool technique
  using half of a photo and half of a sketch
  
  
• •your favorite element(s)
  I love to use flowers! This page also documents a hard part of my journey with breast cancer-losing my hair and then the challenges when it started to grow back.
  
  
• •your choice
  I am on the CT team for seven wonderful SSD designers so it’s hard to pick a favorite layout since I love all of their creations! That is one of the reasons I love the SSD collabs so much. You get amazing things from all of the wonderful SSD designers! I love this layout because of my granddaughter’s beautiful smile and this layout makes my heart happy!
  

Before you go, share with us a favorite tip you’ve learned over the years: “It’s never too late to learn new techniques and try different styles.  Learn from other artists and don’t be afraid to try something new!”

Thanks so much EvelynD2 it’s been so much fun learning more about you. Until next time, happy scrapping. xo Kiana