Feb. 2017 Member Spotlight

Hi there! I’m Amy Scalze (@amyscalze), and I live in the woods of Wisconsin with my husband Michael, and daughters Kaylie and Olivia. I discovered scrapbooking at a business expo in 1995. My love for documenting our memories with photos, stories, and fun products, continues to be a huge passion of mine. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, cooking, traveling, painting, and our kittens Gigi and McDreamy. I can be pretty zany once you get to know me, and I love it when my “zany-ness” causes my family to laugh or smile. Dancing quite robustly to the song from the closing credits of “Step Up” the other night caused a little of that laughter.

Member Since:

I first learned about Studio Calico from Elizabeth Kartchner. I believe she was a guest designer, and she shared some products and pages on her blog. I thought both were absolutely gorgeous! My sister, @blbooth, (Brenda Booth), became a Studio Calico member and subscriber, and I am glad she inspired me to do the same later that year. I didn’t know at the time how much Studio Calico would mean to me, both creatively and in making new friends.

Why SC?

I love the kits and am thankful for and greatly inspired by both galleries. What I love most of all, though, is getting to know people from around the world who share similar passions. I think it is incredible to get to communicate with others from across America and from other countries, to share our projects, and in a small way, to share our lives. Over the years, I have had the great privilege of meeting some of Studio Calico’s members, creative team members, and staff. Most recently I was able to meet @Brandeye8, (Brandi Kincaid). I love what she creates and, after meeting her in person, I have found her to be the most inspirational person I know.

Must-Have Product:

My favorite product in the kits is the patterned paper. There may have been a month or two I adored a paper so much, that it pushed me over to adding a kit to my cart! I love that Studio Calico kits include such a variety of styles in their papers. I admire projects in the galleries that include several papers, and hope to include more on my projects.

February is a month of love! Do you have a project that showcases all the things you love?

The “Love This” layout highlighting several of my creative loves was a blast to make with stamps from three different stamp sets. I rarely create layouts of myself but, sometimes I think about how much I love photos and stories of my parents and believe my daughters feel the same way.

Highlight of your 2017 Project Bucket List:

Many years ago, a wise man suggested to my husband and I, that we set aside one day a week to do something with just us two and our daughters. We decided to set aside every Sunday afternoon, and did so for years. Right now I am focusing on my older daughter’s school albums, but in a few months I plan to work on documenting the many memories we created on those special Sunday afternoons.

Shoutout!

I would like to give a shout out to @MandieLou, (Mandie Pierce). She creates so many beautiful projects that I love, but what I enjoy even more is her kindness and wonderful personality exuded through her communications. The other day I came across a paper with a long paragraph that I had printed out. I must’ve commented on a food photo Mandie shared, or asked a question. She responded, explaining that she didn’t use a recipe, but took the time to write all the details of how she created the meal. This is just one example of the kindness I have seen from her. There have been many acts of kindness from others also, and I really appreciate this aspect of Studio Calico.