Those who have been to Digi Night Out in the past will likely recognize June’s featured designer. We’ve had Suzy teach beginner classes at past events, and I’m so excited she agreed to be our featured designer for the next Digi Night Out! I’ve been a SuzyQ fan for years now (once upon a time I was even on her creative team) and I love everything about her! Not only does she design awesome digital kits and scrapbook goodies, she is passionate about making digital scrapbooking accessible and simple – a passion she freely shares. Let’s get to know Suzy of SuzyQ Scraps!

Tell us about yourself. I’m Suzy Iverson, aka SuzyQ Scraps. I’m a storyteller at heart with a degree in Biology, currently enjoying my journey as a graphic designer. I am wife to the love of my life (7 years!) and mother to my greatest adventures — a rambunctious 5-year-old boy who was born to move mountains (at least, mountains of dirt) and a happy 10-month-old girl who I’m still discovering. We currently reside in Provo, Utah. I love to read and design and spend time with my family. I also enjoy eating out and usually order dessert first (especially if cheesecake is on the menu).

How did you get started?
I stumbled across digital scrapbooking back in 2007 — I’d grown tired of all the mess & time spent just getting out/putting away supplies & jumped online to search for a way to use my computer. After downloading lots of freebies, I thought, “Hey, I bet I could do this.” So I started playing around, just with the intent to create my own stuff, and not too long after that I opened up shop. I’ve really enjoyed both the creative side of designing & the marketing side of running a business. If you’d told me in high school I’d be a successful graphic designer, I’d have laughed and said, “But I’m not an artist.” Gotta love life’s twists & turns!

What programs do you use?
I design heavily in Illustrator, and add the finishing touches (like textures) for Photoshop. I also use InDesign on occasion, and I love the Eye Candy filter for Photoshop.

Can you share a favorite layout of your own?
Oh, it’s so hard to pick a favorite … but if I have to, I think this one will do.

What is your favorite product?
My favorite product of all time is Raindrops & Rainbows, a collection I created in 2011. I just love the color palette — so much so that I created an add-on bundle to it this year.

What is your most popular product?
My most popular product right now is really a line of products — Memories & Moments. The Life Cards are probably the most popular sets in the series.

But my most popular product of all time is Mad Scientist — hats off to my mom, who gave me the idea for the kit. I just released a set of add-ons to coordinate with it.

Do you spend more time designing or scrapping?
Definitely designing — or at least, some aspect of designing. I spend 15 to 20 hours each work “designing” — but most of that is marketing or administrative details, not creating kits & journal cards & freebies. I probably only scrapbook about 2 hours each week. But I spend hours & hours & hours making memories, so I think that balances everything out.

What are some of your inspirations when creating digital scrapbook supplies?
I find inspiration everywhere — in nature, in magazines, in my kids … even in words on a page. Inspiration is everywhere if you’re looking for it.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Ireland. Hands down. And since I’d already be in the area, the rest of the UK. But definitely Ireland.

Picture your perfect day, what would it include?
My perfect day … the early peaceful hours to myself … shared breakfast with my family … playing with the kids … lots of laughter … eating lunch out with my hubby … quiet time in the afternoon so I can enjoy a good book … more laughter … time together as a family outside in the cool evening … early bedtime for the kids & a relaxing evening with the hubby playing computer games or watching a movie.

If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
You know, if you’d asked me that question a few weeks ago, I probably would’ve said something boring-ish, like helping other people with their marketing. But I’ve recently acquired a new hobby — researching & planting lots of pretty flowers — so I think working at a nursery might be fun.

Where can we find you and your products?
You can find me at http://suzyqscraps.com. I post simple scrapbooking tips & tricks 3-4 times each week on the blog. I love to connect with my fans & customers, so you can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest — & once a week in your inbox through my weekly updates. I sell exclusively at Scrap Orchard.

Blog     Facebook    Twitter    Pinterest    Weekly Updates    Scrap Orchard

Suzy’s also offering this coupon for all Digi Night Out fans.  Use the code below to receive 30% off your entire order in her Scrap Orchard store!

Thank you Suzy – it’s always fun to read these interviews and get to know our amazing featured designers better.

How would you like to get an exclusive kit made by Suzy for FREE?? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll get at Digi Night Out June! Suzy will be joining us and we’ll all get to scrap with an awesome never-before-seen kit. Go grab a ticket and join us on Saturday, June 1!

Digi Night Out June is exactly ONE MONTH away – and you’re invited!

I am so thrilled to announce we will be gettin’ our scrap on at Persnickety Prints in Orem, Utah. I’m a HUGE fan of Persnickety and have been so impressed with the quality of my layouts I’ve had printed – I don’t go anywhere else! Chari, the owner of Persnickety Prints, will be opening the store up after hours just for us. And…. there will be some extra perks that come with it, so stay tuned for more information!

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough… we have SuzyQ Scraps as our featured designer! Not only does she design awesome digital products, she has a true passion for helping others capture their memories and always had tons of inspiration to share via her personal site. Go check her out, and mark those calendars! SAVE THE DATE for June 1, 2013!

We came… we saw… we scrapped! I can’t tell you how much fun it is for me to be in room with so many of you who share my passion for this incredible hobby. I just want to say a big fat squishy THANK YOU to all of you who attended DNO this past weekend (and to all of you who have come to past events). It has been kind of scary to start this and with each coming event I wonder – will anyone come? So, thank you so much for COMING, and for sharing your love of digital scrapping. It means a lot to me!

Now that we’ve got the mushy stuff out of the way… pictures! Sadly I didn’t get pics of everyone, but here are a few of us lovely ladies:

One of the highlights of the night was getting to know Cheri of Dream Big Designs, and getting to download and scrap with the kit she designed just for Digi Night Out, Chalk Art. This awesome kit is now available at her Scrap Orchard store.

Check out these layouts created by some of us here at Digi NIght Out:

Alright, you know the drill. Tickets  for the next Digi Night Out, coming up on June 1, 2013, will be available for purchase starting Friday, April 26.  Can’t wait! I hope you will join us!

Each month at Digi Night Out we have a different Layout Design Workshop taught by the fabulous Sarah Hemmert.  If you were at Digi Night Out February,  you’ll recognize this lesson on Balance.  April’s workshop will focus on Emphasis and Focus as it applies to layout design. I hope you’ll join us!

We’re just one week away from Digi Night Out, and you know what that means… time for a sneak peek!  Cheri of Dream Big Designs has created a super fun and CUTE kit for April’s Digi Night Out.  Remember, everyone at Digi Night Out will receive this exclusive kit absolutely FREE! What are you waiting for? Get your tickets today!

It’s coming! It’s almost here! And I’m so excited to announce a brand new offering from Digi Night Out: personal, one on one tutoring for beginners!

There is no better way to learn how to scrapbook digitally than to have your own personal guide. You’ll be able to move at your own pace, ask questions, and learn by doing! So whether you’re brand new and have never opened Photoshop, or you’ve started but need some extra help, we’ve got you covered.  And if you’re not a beginner – maybe you know someone who is? Spread the word and let all your friends know about this great opportunity! As stated above, please note that tutoring is offered for the first two hours of Digi Night Out (5-7pm), and is included in your ticket price.  (Awesome!) Just be sure to send me an email after purchasing your ticket so I can assign a tutor to you, and let me know what program you have.

The lineup for the rest of the night is the same as past events:  our featured designer spotlight (with your FREE kit!), speed scrap, layout design workshop, and of course, plenty of time for scrapping and chatting!

I’m so excited to introduce April’s featured designer Cheri of Dream Big Designs! I’ve been lucky enough to meet Cheri in person, in fact I just saw her last weekend at the Scrapbook USA Expo! (You may have seen the picture of Cheri and I on the facebook page.) I love Cheri’s designs. She makes incredible themed kids that are creative, colorful, and playful. Let’s get to know her just a little bit better.

Tell us about yourself. Hi! (Waves excitedly) I am Cheri Robinson, the designer behind the name Dream Big Designs. I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But left when I was pretty young and was really raised in Portland, Oregon. I love the green and salty smell of the Ocean. I moved to Utah after I married my college sweetheart.
I have been married for 11 years and am a stay at home mother of 3 kids (7,5, and 2). I also am a professional cake decorator (of 10 years) and create cakes out of my home.
I love to read Young Adult Fiction, run on trails, ride horses, water ski, 4 wheel, and play with my family.

How did you get started?  After I had my second child in 2007 I needed a creative way to journal and scrap the photos of my two kids. I was never very interested in paper scrapping. It always seemed to messy, expensive, and time consuming for me. So, I took a free digital scrapbooking class at my church and fell in love. About 6 months after I started making layouts, I began to design. I never looked back, I LOVED it!

What programs do you use? I started out using Elements, then switched to CS5 after I began designing. I am now learning Adobe Illustrator and I love it for making patterns.

Can you share a favorite layout of your own? Here is one of my favorite layouts from a while ago. I don’t scrap for myself as often as I used to so I am a little rusty.

What is your favorite product? My favorite product is Defiant. I love the bold colors and edge it has.

What is your most popular product? My most popular product is Discover Space or Splash Zone.

Do you spend more time designing or scrapping? I spend way more time designing than scrapping. I enjoy it so much more than scrapping. But every once in a while I will get the itch to create a couple pages.

What are some of your inspirations when creating digital scrapbook supplies? My family is my biggest inspiration. Then I would say, the outdoors. I LOVE to be outdoors breathing, ingesting, and consuming nature. I have always had a tie to nature and animals. I grew up with horses and I have never been able to get that out of my blood.
The second thing that inspires me to create is colors. I can look at a pallet and almost immediately have an idea or feeling about what those colors represent to me. A lot of times I will be laying in bed and a pallet will jump into my mind. I will get a theme from that, then the ideas just flow into my mind. I always keep a pen and paper by me to write ideas down. I have so many ideas and pallets I want to create, I wish most days I didn’t have to sleep, or clean, or shower. Haha! I just LOVE to create all the time.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?  I would love to visit Tahiti (Bora Bora). I love the clear water and warm weather.

Picture your perfect day, what would it include? My perfect day would be a warm day with a run in the morning, then playing with my kids at the park with a good book, then lunch out with my hubby, and ended with a walk with my kids. – simple, I know. But I enjoy the basics of life.

If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?  Wow, this question stumped me. Because I am doing exactly what I want. But if I had to choose, it would be a horse trainer.

Where can we find you and your products? I currently sell at Scrap Orchard and LOVE being there. I really feel it is my digital home and hope to never leave. You can find so many helpful scrappers there. There is a tutorial section that can get you started if you have never tried Digital Scrapbooking before. Or, if you are a seasoned scrapper, you can find so many challenges and games in the forum.

Store — Website — Facebook — Gallery

Cheri has also generously offered a coupon to her store just for Digi Night Out fans. It’s good for 35% off your purchase… so go fill up that cart!

Thank you Cheri! We can’t wait to meet you and see the cuteness you have in store for us at Digi Night Out on Saturday, April 20!  Go grab a ticket if you haven’t yet!

 … comment #6 Ashley C!! Congrats Ashley! We can’t wait to see you at the next Digi Night Out on April 20.

Please contact Lynnette@DigiNightOut.com to claim your prize.

Digi Night Out February has come and gone… and what a fabulous event it was! It was so much fun to see the “regulars”, and a lot of new faces too! I didn’t get pictures of everyone, but here are a few of us digi ladies:

My most heartfelt thanks to Angie of Down This Road Designs, our awesome featured designer this month.  She contributed a beautiful new kit AND a template pack for everyone at Digi Night Out.  Here’s a look at the kit, Luv U 2 Pieces, which is now available in her ScrapMatters store:

She also created these fun templates, which are not available in her Brownie Scraps store yet, but I’m betting they will be soon.

Here’s a look at some of the layouts created with Angie’s kit and templates:

THANKS to all who came and supported Digi Night Out! We can’t wait to do it all again in April. Tickets are already on sale… stay tuned for more details coming soon!