Hi All! I am back with this month’s Favorite Scrapper post and I am super excited to introduce you all to Miss March, better know as misses M around digiland, Marjoleine Hest.
I first became aware of Marjoleine as a scrapper through her layouts in the SSD gallery and as a person when we were on a CT together for a brief time. The richness of her layouts, with their full clusters, deep layers and adorable photos always amaze and inspire me. I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at one of her layouts and simply said “wow.” On top of all that talent, she is a real sweetheart and a joy to know.
Lorie: Welcome to Let’s Just Scrap Marjoleine. Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Marjoleine: My name is Marjoleine and I’m 39 years old. I live in the Netherlands with my guy and 2 girls. My oldest Eveline is 13 and my youngest Mara is 3. Right now I’m a stay at home mom and obviously I love to scrap! I’m also addicted to playing adventure games, although those are a little bit on the back burner since I started to scrap. Furthermore I love to take pictures with my girls as the main subject and process them afterwards.
L: How long have you been scrapping?
M: I have been scrapping since May 2012, so almost a year now. Although I have to say everything went so quickly from my first layout to CT-ing to where I am now, that it feels much longer than a year.
L: Wow, only a year and you’re so good! Why do you scrap? Why digital scrapping in particular?
M: I scrap because it’s a huge way of relaxing for me. It’s not even about the memory keeping. I stumbled upon scrapping by accident, I had never heard of it before. I was looking for something online …can’t even remember what it was anymore …and there was a lovely picture embellished with flowers, leaves and ribbons between the images. And I thought, wow that’s awesome. So I clicked the image and learned that it was a scrap layout. Since then I wanted to know everything about scrapping, read tutorials, looked at other layouts to see how people build up their pages. I can lose myself while scrapping, it’s my own little world. I can clear my head, do something I really love and if I preserve memories at the same time, that’s good, but not my starting point.
M: I have never done any paper scrapping mostly because digital was my first discovery…and with my over exploring 3 year old I don’t think it’s wise to do any paper scrapping here. lol
L: How would you describe your scrapping style, Marjoleine?
M: I’m definitely a cluster scrapper! I love to cluster, to build layers and see where it takes me. I have done the occasional “clean and simple/white space” layout but that is totally out of my comfort zone. I have always so much respect for those who can pull that off! It seems so easy but I know that some put the same amount of work in their white space layouts as I do in my cluster pages.
L: Your clustering is amazing. Can you describe your process for building an awesome cluster?
M: I don’t think I have a process. I just begin and see where things go. I choose which elements I like best and start building. I do have to say that I’m a template scrapper, so maybe it’s easier with a template. Sometimes I scrap the layout first and pick a photo afterwards and other times I know exactly which photo to use with a kit. I also usually know right away which template I want to use with a kit. And sometimes it happens that I throw away my page because I don’t “feel” it and start over.
L: In your opinion what are three things that every good scrap page should have?
M: I think that every scrapper agrees with me that shadows are the most important part of a layout. For the rest it’s a matter of taste. It can be composition what catches my eye, or an awesome cluster, but also beautiful blending, art journaling or a wonderful whitespace layout. For me it has to have a wow factor but that can be many different things.
L: Tell me Marjoleine, what is the best kind of compliment you can receive on a layout?
M: Maybe this sounds boring but I love every comment on my layouts! (except if it’s a bad one of course ) It means people take the time to click on your layout to view it bigger and let you know what they think and actually type something. I think that’s the best compliment one can get. Or people restacking your layouts to their favorites album or scraplift album. It’s an awesome feeling when others are inspired with my layouts. And you asking me to be your “Favorite Scrapper” is a HUGE compliment…seriously!
L: Throughout this interview I have posted some of my favorite layouts of yours, but I want to know, do you have a favorite of your own?
M: My favorite layout has to be the one where Mara had painted her face with mascara. And it’s not even my favorite layout scrapping/clustering wise but more because of the picture and the moment. My oldest girl started using mascara recently and I think Mara saw her do that. So she probably thought she could do that too. When I wasn’t paying attention she sneaked out of the room and took the mascara and painted her face black. When she came back into the room I was flabbergasted but sane enough to grab my camera and take some pictures first. She looked so cute lol. It took me 30 minutes to clean her up!
L: LOL, that is so stinkin cute, Marjoleine. Every one knows you are one of my favorite scrappers, but I am curious to know, who is your favorite scrapper?
M: Oh wow that’s so difficult! I love a lot of scrappers and they all have different styles. I don’t have one particular favorite. Although I’m a cluster scrapper myself, I can really enjoy a whitespace layout or art journal layout. I don’t think it would be fair if I only mention one because I love so many.
L: On average, how long does it take you to scrap a layout?
M: It usually takes me 3 to 4 hours to scrap a layout. I’m really slow! And I think that is because I’m a perfectionist. Everything has to be the way I want it to be, I have to learn to let go.
L: Marjoleine, we know you are a fantastic cluster, but is there a part of the scrapping process that you struggle with? If so, why?
M: Oh yes! I always struggle with journaling! I don’t journal much because of that. And maybe that’s also because my first priority is not memory keeping but just to scrap. And I can’t do multiple picture templates. Two or three is the max! I’m more a one picture girl.
L: What is your favorite color palette to work with?
M: I LOVE bright and happy colors!! My favorite color is pink…for some no surprise there lol. When I buy kits I always go for the bright colored kits. They make me happy!
L: Marjoleine, what creative teams are you on? Why do you CT?
M: I create for: River Rose, Jady Day Studio, Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs, Angelclaud Artroom, Just Jaimee, Studio Rosey Posey, Etc. by Danyale, Angelle Design, Studio 68, and Blagovesta Gosheva.
I CT because I love the products my designers create. It is such an honor that designers pick me because they like my style or the layouts I create. I put my soul in every page I make, so that kind of recognition is a huge boost to my scrapping ego. And of course it’s awesome that I get to scrap with their products in exchange for something I really love to do…creating layouts!
L: Final question. What are your scrapping goals?
M: I love to learn new techniques so that is definitely one of my goals. Also, scrapping should be fun! As long as it stays fun and doesn’t start to feel like a job in which I HAVE to perform…it’s all good.
I want to thank Marjoleine for taking the time to answer my questions and share her amazing talent with us. As I said in the beginning, she is a fabulous scrapper and a fantastic person. It has been a joy sharing this small sampling of her work with you.
To see more of Marjoleine’s awesomeness, be sure to check out her DST and MSA galleries. Once you do, I am confident, Marjoleine, aka misses M, will be one of your favorite scrappers too.