Joey Whittaker is the newest member of the Making Memories book design team. Since she is brand new, we thought it would be appropriate to get to know her a little better. We asked her a few questions about herself and the MM Idol contest.
Tell us a little bit about your family. I have been married to my sweet husband, Scott for 15 years. We have 4 kids; Chloe is 12, Isabel is 9, Oaken is 5, and Jilly is 2.
How long have you been scrapbooking? I have been scrapbooking since my first child was born - about 12 years ago. I was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator at the time, creating cards and projects, and scrapbooking was just starting to get really popular. I wasn't going to start it though - I didn't need to start another hobby (I tend to go a little crazy when something new interests me - buying EVERYTHING for it and going a little overboard) and I wasn't going to do it! Well, wouldn't you know that I already had everything I needed and I haven't stopped since!
What made you decide to actually enter the MM Idol contest? I have always loved MM products and entering the contest seemed pretty harmless. If I didn't make it to the top 50, nobody would know. Plus, I have been following American Idol and it seemed like fun to have this contest at the same time! I was so excited when I learned that I was one of the top 50 but I never thought it would go very far. I wanted to make it to the top 10 - I had been eyeballing those fabulous trimmers! When I made it to the top 5, I actually started to believe that maybe, I really could go all the way.
Describe your scrapbooking style. My scrapbooking style is on the clean and orderly side with an eclectic twist. I love to throw in an unexpected element here and there. I would also say I have a fun style that shows in the color combinations I choose and the hand-made things I create. I love to use color and pattern.
What are you most excited about in being the winner of the MM Idol contest? Are you kidding? I still can't believe I won! I am really excited about working with such an incredible company - creating with fabulous products and sharing some of what inspires me about this hobby, this lifestyle, with others.
What kind of support did you get from others while you were in this competition? I was consistently so impressed and thankful for the support I received. My family and friends were very supportive, always interested in the next level and what the challenge was. My oldest daughter would announce it whenever she could! It was fun sharing something I was so passionate about with them and I appreciate so much their time and efforts in my behalf. But this competition was so much bigger than that, it was open to everyone and all that interest made it so much fun. So, a big THANK YOU to everyone who participated.
What is your strength that you feel like you are bringing to the MM design team? It is still amazing to me to be considered "part of the team" and their work is so inspiring and wonderful, I can't imagine what I can bring to the table. I think my style goes great with the MM products and I love finding new and simple ways to use things. I hope to inspire people to try new things and show them how easily it can be done.
How did you handle the stress and anxiety of being in this competition? Oh, my old friends Stress and Anxiety - I know them well! I would start off by asking my husband what he thought I should do. His answer would usually require about 12 steps, most of which would be impossible to do using scrapbooking products and I would end up laughing and then getting a little perspective. A step back and a deep breath now and again would help with stress but mostly just realizing that the challenges could be broken down into smaller steps would help. I would mull things over in my brain for awhile and then play until I found the thing I wanted to do.
Describe what you learned about yourself during this contest? I learned I have a very supportive family who is proud of me no matter what I do. I have always known that whenever I create a page for my family I show love. They know how important they are to me and they feel special and self-worth. But I didn't know that same effect could be so much bigger. I have been touched by the hundreds of comments on the MM Idol blog about this contest and the projects. So many have talked about being inspired by things I created and that is HUGE to me!
Describe your creative process. My creative process for this contest would usually start with reading and re-reading the next challenge. I would break down different possibilities and then go shopping! I am a firm believer that inspiration can come from shopping. I would then start working on the project...starting with the main challenge, making sure my idea was going to work, and then finishing off the project.
If you want to submit a question to Joey, feel free to leave a comment so she can get back with you.
Welcome Joey!
