Sandi Genovese is an experienced scrapbooker with a passion for helping others learn to preserve their memories. She was the host of DIY Scrapbooking, which aired on DIY and HGTV channels for several years and a former spokesperson for Kodak's line of digital photography products. Sandi Genovese is known to scrapbookers of all ages for her lively personality and impeccable sense of style!
Interview with Sandi Genovese
Recently, Sandi took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for the readers of LoveToKnow Crafts.
How did you first become interested in scrapbooking?
I still have a scrapbook I made more than 20 years ago of a family trip to Hawaii where I hand-cut flowers to match my floral shift and the title "Hawaii or bust!" I guess this was my first scrapbook as we have come to know them today.
I wrote my first book on scrapbooking, Memories in Minutes, years ago. Like everyone else, I am motivated to showcase and save my photos in scrapbooks and other unique projects that let me enjoy them daily.
How would you describe your personal scrapbooking style?
Going digital with my camera and Kodak portable printer makes it easy for me to print as many copies of each print as I want. This allows me to be a little bit playful with some of my scrapbook projects. I made a photo clock for my kitchen, photo candles sit in my studio, and a photo bookmark saves my place in the book I'm reading. I also have several smaller themed albums for all different occasions like a surprise birthday party thrown for me a few years back and my media appearances.
What is your favorite scrapbooking technique?
I enjoy devising different ways to bind my handmade albums. I've used bamboo skewers, a hair band and wooden spoon, fat rubber bands and fabric twist ties to name a few. And, sometimes the binding is just a unique way of folding paper to make the pages open up to become a 3-D photo centerpiece.
What are some of your most memorable moments as the host of DIY Scrapbooking?
Hosting Scrapbooking on the DIY network was great. One guest who was really unique was Kelly Earnhardt, daughter of race car driver Dale Earnhardt. She owns a scrapbook store and had created a terrific album of her Dad and brother's racing photos at what she called the "Daletona 500". So many guests were great fun and many have become my friends, but my strongest memory was the second day of taping the very first season. I had been a guest on lots of other shows, but this was my first time as host and I was trying to learn it all in a few days. The day was 9.11.01 and once the planes hit the twin towers in New York, we stopped taping and everything was really put in perspective. Several days later when we resumed taping, I was better able to relax and enjoy the entire process.
Many people who would like to begin scrapbooking think the hobby is too expensive. What cost-cutting tips have you learned from your work on DIY Scrapbooking?
One thing I discovered is the cost savings of printing my photos at home. Because my printer has a large screen, I can edit them before printing and delete the ones that would never make it into one of my projects. I also discovered how easy it is to try out the more expensive tools at a scrapbook store or scrapbook events like midnight cropping parties before making a purchase.
What advice would you give to a scrapbooker who is having trouble staying organized?
For me, the best organizing tool is a storage cart on wheels that can fit in a closet and come out to the kitchen table when you have some time to scrapbook. I keep all of my photos in photo safe boxes that aren't in the cart, which leaves the cart free for my scrapbook supplies. I do much of my creating at my studio, but keep a scaled down version at my home for those late night scrap sessions!
I also need to periodically go through my supplies and get rid of paper or other materials that I don't think I'll use. You can donate them to a school, the Boys and Girls club, senior citizen center, or basically any place where there is a whole lot of crafting going on!
What are some of your current favorite scrapbooking products? Are there any soon-to-be released items at the top of your personal wish list?
My favorites change all the time, but lately I find myself using my Kodak home printer and my new collection of stickers, ribbon, and metal embellishments. The combination of textured paper and embossing really appeals to me. I have also been using Mambi's rhinestone embellishments and find a need for white rub-on words on the dark papers of nearly all my projects. I keep a file of magazine pages or notes from events where I have taught and came across products that intrigued me and I'd like to try, which include:
- Clear stamp alphabet from Technique Tuesday
- Basic Grey's magnetic snaps
- A game set called Photo-opoly
- Round monogram stamper from Millennium Marketing Co.
Additional Information
You can catch Sandi online at her website. For more great scrapbooking ideas from Sandi Genovese be sure to pick up a copy of one of her many books.
