Guest Scrapper 004: Sandra Gonzalez

Hello everyone! I'm so glad to be back into my regular posting schedule again! Baby Eleanor is doing great and so is Adeline. We are getting into the swing of things just fine! 

This week's guest scrapper is Sandra Gonzalez or ohsnapgonzo on YouTube. I have been watching her videos for some time now and her style of scrapbooking really inspires me. I don't know how many of her layouts I have lifted some part of! I was thrilled when she agreed to guest post here on my little blog. So, I won't keep you waiting any longer!

Hello crafters. I am so excited to be part of Amanda's blog and would like to thank her for this opportunity.  My name is Sandra Gonzalez and on YouTube I go by Ohsnapgonzo.  I am 36 years old and live in Chattanooga, TN.  I have been married to a really great husband and dad for 9 years and we have two girls.  If you have seen any of my YouTube videos you have probably seen a little hand wave across or even heard their commentary on my page or products I am showing...let's just say they're my little helpers...lol.  Isabelle is 6 years old and Gabby is 3 years old and I love to hear them talk about washi tape and making layouts or a Gabby says "mom are you booking (scrapbooking)?  My husband is very supportive and even enables me by stopping at Archivers if he is working in Atlanta and Skyping with me so I can shop.  The lady recognizes him at the store and always helps him out.  See I told you he was a really great husband. :)

Tell us a little bit behind your scrappy process and what inspires you. 

‪I find that most anything can inspire me to create a layout. Sometimes it's the moment or mood that is captured in a photograph. I can look at a collection of papers or embellishments and it will spark an interest in creating a specific layout for a specific picture I have. Lately I have noticed that I have been creating layouts on white or kraft paper and then adding pattern paper for layers or a pop of color. I love to use Thickers for titles and will use anything like brown bags from kits that I receive, packaging from a stamp or sticker and even the girls art work as embellishment on a layout. I love for my layout to have layers and a "puffyness" to them for lack of a better word. 

 When do you scrap?

 I tend to do most of my crafting towards the end of the day after dinner and when the kids have gone to bed. I just find that I get more done and have less interruptions. I have also been Skype scrapping during the night and that really has motivated me to scrap. You might be saying...what is she talking about skype scrapping? Well I have made many great friends in the YouTube community and one of them is Lisa, who is Maggiemylow on You Tube and even though she lives in Canada and I live in Tennessee we have been scrapbooking together over Skype. Gotta love technology...right? It is so much fun. We talk as we are creating layouts or working on project life and it is nice having the company of another crafter who loves it as much as you do. I would encourage anyone to get on skype and craft together, it really is so much fun. So yes I am a night owl and will stay up until midnight or 2 am if I really want to complete layouts. 

‪ What inspired you to begin scrapbooking? 

I first started scrapbooking about 11 years ago. I have always loved to take pictures...I can remember my first polaroid camera my brother gave me. It was pink and grey or even the 110 film cameras and disk cameras. I have always loved to take pictures. So one day I was shopping and I came across a crafting isle and started looking around I saw some Christmas stickers and a spiral album and thought it would be fun to put pictures in there instead of a regular album. You want to know something it was way more fun!!! I was hooked and from there I went to buying crafting magazines and finding Hobby Lobby and really going crazy for stickers, paper and paper trimmers....there was no stopping me now.

What are your favorite techniques. 

‪When I start a layout I generally have one or two pictures I want to use. I will put them down on my 12x12 white paper and start to pull pattern paper from a collection that I want to use. Sometimes I rip the paper the size I want to use or cut it with the paper trimmer. I find that I like my layers to be uneven and I will usually put distress ink around the layers to help them pop out a little...black sout and vintage brown are my favorite. I normally don't spend to much time on one layout it can take me from 20 or 30 minutes to complete a layout. I don't get to worried about the perfect placement of a sticker or any type of embellishment. I don't know many of the design rules so if I like where it is at I glue it down and move one and most of the time in the end I am very happy with my layout.

What is your goal as a scrapbooker?

‪My ultimate goal would be to have every picture on a layout, in my project life album or in a regular album all nice and neat and organized. Yeah right? Wouldn't we all love that but I know that will never happen so I will be happy with just creating as much as I can. I want my kids and even grandkids one day to be able to open up a album and feel like I am sitting right beside them telling them the story behind the picture.

‪You can find me on You Tube as Ohsnapgonzo or friend me on Facebook Oh Snap Gonzo. Thanks again Amanda for letting me share a little about myself and I hope everyone is finding a some time to craft. Have a great day:)

Sandra, thank you so much! I got a little teary eyed when I read about our kids and grandkids feeling like we are sitting right next to them as they look at our scrapbooks. Isn't that really what it's all about? Leaving behind memories for our loved ones. It's just an added bonus that we get to make things pretty at the same time! 

I hope you've enjoyed this weeks guest scrapper as much as I have! Go check Sandra out and leave her some love on her channel and Facebook page! I know she would appreciate it!