Okay so I was supposed to post this on Monday, but both I and the Plum Pick were sooo busy we both forgot about it!  So better late than never. 

THE PLUM PICK FOR THIS WEEK IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN HERE AT VP FROM THE START AND IS A BIG INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.....MO(a.k.a Maureen, momostamper)!!!

Personally I cannot say enough great things about Mo, b/c she has been super nice to me since she "met" me on Vintage Plum.  And since that day, she continues to be a big inspiration to me and everyone else.  Without further ado, let's find out a little more about Mo:

 

I noticed not long ago you were trying to figure out your “Scrapbooking Style.”  Did you have any luck with that and if so, how would you describe your style now?

Yes!  I figured some things out thanks to you and every one else who tried to answer this question for me!  I realized I can go from simple and clean to cluttered!  But I VERY MUCH ENJOY the cluttered style!  I love working on Shabby Chic type projects!  It's sooo fun and you can implement lots of techniques on one page.  I've recently found a new appreciation for vintage things....mostly from Beth's influence!!!

 

What are your favorite colors?  Do you have a go-to color palette that you use when it comes to your layouts?

I absolutely LOVE turquoise!  I wear the color a lot as well as scrapbook with it!  I also LOVE the combination of turquoise, pink, black and white!  As far as go-to colors, that would be black and white.  When I'm working on a layout and it seems like it's missing something, I throw in some black and white elements and it seems to bring the whole thing together!  I'm hoping to redo my craft room in these colors in a shabby chic style!

I take photographs mostly of….

It would be a tie between my little monsters and layouts or cards to post on my blog or gallery.  I hope to save money for a new camera and take some classes in photography or at least learn some cool things on-line somehow.  Hopefully next summer I will be able to take some classes.

What are your absolute favorite products to use on layouts or cards? I

 love to use flowers!!!  I can’t stop!  I use felt or paper flowers that I hand-make or buy.  I also love to use lots of buttons and handmade embellies from Etsy shops! A new favorite is canvas tags!  They bring such awesome texture to a project.

Who are your favorite manufacturers and why?

 I LOVE My Mind's Eye!!!!!!  I go crazy over their stuff!  I also really like Cosmo Cricket and Sassafras.  I am also a fan of Bella Blvd and American Crafts! 

Who has inspired you the most in scrapbooking?  Why?

I think Ali Edwards is very inspiring!  I actually don't share the same scrapping style but do enjoy her work.  I think she's fascinating.  Her blog is awesome!  I don't know how she manages to juggle everything!  I also enjoy Jennifer McGuire's blog.  I'm blown away with what she can do with some ink and some white paper!  UH-MAZING!  She's got these really cool videos out right now on her blog and I love them!  But I would have to credit my artistic growth to my bloggy and on-line friends in the scrapping world!  Really!  Through all the fun challenges, encouragement, and scrap chat, I've seen lots of growth in my design and scrapbooking style...and this major improvement has been over a span of just a few months!

What is the biggest reason you scrapbook?

 I have a TERRIBLE memory!  I scrapbook to keep a visual diary of my life and my family.  I have always LOVED history and took a lot of classes in college.  I enjoy hearing stories of the past.  I’ve had conversations with people in their 90’s and have been blown away.  I wish I had my Grandparents nearby so I could hear all their stories.  Unfortunately my parent’s came from very poor families in the Phillipines and what few photos that were taken of them when they were children were either lost or burned in a fire.  I hope to pass along my stories to future generations.  As generations marry, I'm sure my family will continue to become more culturally diverse and I want them to know where they came from.  Looking at our family now, it's a fusion of American, Filipino, Cambodian, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Spanish culture!  Now do you see why I just HAVE to scrapbook?  We can't just discover our past through a genealogy website or old newspapers.  I wish I could...but my husband's family were refugees from Cambodia and a lot of his family's past died with murdered family members during the war.. burned history books....children were taught to sever from the past.  I can go on and on...but that will be for my scrapbooks!  I plan on interviewing my father in-law one day who lived through the horrors of the war.

Has scrapbooking made you more aware of other parts of your life and the world?  If so, what and why?

He he...see above!  Scrapbooking has also made myself more aware of documenting ME!  I've realized that I really need to work on more layouts featuring my childhood, hobbies, likes or dislikes, thoughts....it's easy to forget about yourself. 

Describe your perfect “crafty” day. 

 Aaaah!  That would be a day with the girls...no hubby....no kids...just talking, laughing, eating, scrapping and drinking!  I discovered a new Sangria recipe and threw a scrapping party a couple of months ago called Silly Scrapping with Sangria!  I need to throw another one!  Hmmmmmm.......that's got me thinking....I'm due for another one!

What inspires you on a daily basis?

All kinds of things, tv, movies, conversations, my kids, and blog hopping!  I love waking up and making my Poor Man's Latte (super strong coffee, Silk vanilla soy milk, and white chocolate coconut creamer.....YUM!).  I sit with my laptop and visit buddy blogs and websites!  This usually happens on a wednesday morning which is my "Saturday".  It's a popular day to post for some reason.

What is something interesting about you that most people might not know?  (I think Beth may have asked you this, but if so can you think of something else.)  

Okay, don't think I'm weird....but I can't tear my eyes away from Serial Killer profiles sometimes!  I think forensic science is crazy interesting and I watch shows where they have to solve a crime based on forensic evidence.  It's intriguing, scary, disgusting, sad, and fantastic at the same time.  Then when I'm overloaded,  I have to tune out for a bit cuz it gets disturbing when you think of all the purely evil and crazy people that are out there.  Maybe part of me finds it hard to believe that people like that exist?

Tell us how you came to know about Vintage Plum and what your favorite things are about VP.

 I found VP through a website listing DT calls.  I had never EVER participated in a forum before.  I loved the design of the website, the excellent customer service, kit contents, forum setup, and all the great people I’ve met!  I've made some great friends and I'm so thankful for that!  If VP ever hosted a scrappy weekend getaway type thing, I'd sooooooooo be there!  Hint hint...wink wink!
 

 

Okay I'm just gonna say Silly Scrappin With Sangria sounds wonderful to me, Mo.  Count me in!  And don't feel weird about watching all those forensic science shows....I do too!   I love to see the evidence and everything that goes on in them. You do have to come away from it for a while though or it will get to you.  I don't know how the people that work with it all the time ever handle it!

So on to some beautiful creations that Mo has made here at Vintage Plum:

Thanks to Mo for the interview and being such a valued member here At VP!!

Don't forget to go check out her blog if you get a chance.  It is always lovely and such fun: http://momostamper.blogspot.com!