Contributor Center Stage: Ginny Hughes

This February, we're thrilled to dedicate the Contributor Center Stage to Creative Team Contributor Ginny Hughes (Ginny)! Ginny is an active part of the Studio Calico community, sharing her beautiful layouts and spreads. Be sure to check out her projects in the Gallery this month! Take a few minutes to learn a little more about Ginny — her crafting history, organization techniques and more! We're so thankful for our talented team that helps to spread the joy of memory-keeping all over the world.

How long have you been crafting?

I started scrapbooking back in 2006 and scrapped on and off (mostly off;) until around 2010. After my youngest was born, I really got into it seriously and I found myself quite addicted. I love knowing that I am keeping our family memories, but I yearn for that creative escape. If I haven’t been able to get into my scrap room for a few days I can feel it, I need that escape.

What’s your go-to technique?

I guess I would have to say stitching. I don’t feel like anything is every really done until it has at least a few lines of machine sewing on it. I like the texture and dimension that it adds. Sadly I am usually too lazy to change the color of my thread ;) Almost always white or natural.

Would you mind sharing some photos of how one such project came together/some text describing the stages?

This year I switch to a 6x8 Handbook, specifically the Goldie black & white heart Handbook, and I love it! I am having so much fun mixing the sizes and page protectors or even forgoing the page protector all together. I am also starting to use more of my handwriting and mixing that with the typewritten journaling. These 2 spreads came together very quickly, I kept the embellishing to a minimum and focused on the words & photos.

How do you stay organized?

I don’t! Seriously though I go through phases of being organized & then not. I can only stand a mess for so long before I feel the need to clean out & purge. Too many things start to weigh me down, physically & emotionally, I need space to breathe. I think after many years of scrapping I have started to finally find the perfect storage and workspace for me. I like to keep things out & accessible, in little jars and containers. I keep my patterned paper & journaling cards to a minimum, if I have too much I can’t ever find what I am looking for. I also like to have pretty things in my craft room, it inspires me to organize and keep it clean.

I recently got my own little craft room and I love it! My husband built it for me in the garage, I gladly gave up my parking spot in there for a craft room ;) I knew I wanted my desk to be as big as possible, so that was a priority and everything else needed to fit in around that.

Since I use my sewing machine so much, that needed to be out and accessible. I also really love these bookcases from Ikea, they hold so much! Do you see the 3 stacks of paper? That is all I have, seriously. The top rack is cardstock & grid paper, the middle patterned paper & the bottom is specialty paper such as vellum. I keep all of my alpha sticker in a basket to the left, so I can pull the whole basket out when needed.

On the opposite side of the room I have a set of lockers that I found on Craigslist. I keep all of my paint, stamps, Cuttlebug & Craft Dies, photo paper, and other miscellaneous items in there. The brown thing at the bottom of the photo? Yep, that’s the dog, Mr. Myers, he is never far away from me :)

I have only been in here a few months, so it is still a work in progress, I have been collecting stuff from thrift stores for years in hopes that I would finally have a space of my own to use them.

What is the crafting tool you can’t live without?

A good pair of scissors will take you far. Over the years I have skimped on scissors and then they have to be replaced after not too long. I finally bought a quality pair of scissors and what a difference! It is so nice to know that when I need them they are sharp & ready!

Where do you go to get ideas?

The usual places Pinterest, Instagram & the SC Gallery. I still love magazines for inspiration, although there aren’t too many of those around these days.

Anything else we should know about you and/or your style?

These past few months I had really gotten bored with what I was doing, I needed to change it up and make it fun & new again. I love to explore different styles, but still keep it “me”. I think I need to keep my fundamentals the same-white with pops of color, alphabet stamps, big photos and machine stitching will always call to me. Some things won’t change.