SYW337 – My Way with Marci Villanueva

Marci Villanueva: [00:00:00] I'm in a phase and have been for a couple years where I am just really into the products, like the pretty products. I won't make a page that doesn't have some story on it. But maybe I would make a six by eight or even a 12 by 12 page with a small story. Just because I got a new collection of paper and it's so pretty and I just want to use it.

Jennifer: Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way, the show that explores the breadth of ways to be a memory keeper today. I'm your host, Jennifer Wilson, owner of Simple Scrapper, and author of The New Rules of Scrapbooking. This is episode 337. In this episode, I'm interviewing Marcy Villanueva for the My Way series. My Way is all about celebrating the unique ways memory keepers get things done.

We're excited to have Marcy as the June featured artist at Simple Scrapper

Hey Marci welcome to Scrapbook Your Way.

Marci Villanueva: Hello. Thank you for having me.

Jennifer: I am so [00:01:00] thrilled to chat with you today. Can you start by sharing a little bit about yourself?

Marci Villanueva: Sure. Um, my name's Marci Villanueva. I live in Edmonds, Washington, which is just north of Seattle. Um, I've lived in the northwest most of my life, and I live here with my husband, Rapheus. And I have two kids. One is in college, so she sort of lives here, but sort of doesn't. She's in her first year at college.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: And then I have a 16-year-old who is obviously living at home. And then we also have a dog, Pepper and we have a 40-year-old Russian tortoise.

Jennifer: Oh, exciting. So tell me about, uh, your daughter going to college and how that transition has been. Because I'm just very curious and I'm gonna start asking everybody this.

Marci Villanueva: Yes.

Jennifer: She's, mine's only a freshman, but I'm like, oh God, it's coming so soon.

Marci Villanueva: Yes, it does come so soon. Um, those high school years, people say it goes quick and it really does. Um, our transition has actually been great. [00:02:00] She's going to Washington State University, which is where I went. And I think it helps that I know the campus really well. When she says she went to a certain building, I know exactly where that is. So it feels very familiar.

Jennifer: Yeah, that's cool.

Marci Villanueva: But she's done really well. She's made friends, she's doing good in school. Um, she actually, um, is coming back home, um, in about three weeks for the summer. And I think that is gonna be an interesting transition. It'll be so exciting to have her back, but it'll also be a different dynamic. 'Cause she's, you know, kind of a pseudo adult now and,

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: But living under parents' roof, so it'll be, it'll be fun and exciting.

Jennifer: It's so funny to think about how when I was in high school, I felt like those years were so long, like I felt like I was in high school forever.

Marci Villanueva: Yes.

Jennifer: And now looking back, you realize it's just two seconds. So.

Marci Villanueva: Exactly.

Jennifer: So I always like to ask our guests a couple icebreaker questions. Do you have a favorite recent layout or project?

Marci Villanueva: [00:03:00] I would say, um, my favorite project right now is I'm working on a scrappy spiral notebook.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Heba Alsibai puts those out and makes those. And I'm using that as like my Project Life type documentation. So I do, um, approximately two spreads and they're roughly about six by eight. So two, six by eight type pages.

I actually think it's seven by nine is the notebook size. um, I do two spreads per month. And it, those are just really small stories. It could be one snapshot of a big event, and I'll just document that I did that event, but I might do a bigger spread somewhere else. But then I might document my coffee or might walk with my dog or just fun things like that.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm. And have you done like Project Life in other formats before this?

Marci Villanueva: Yes. I started Project Life in the [00:04:00] traditional sense that we know it in 2013. And I finished that album in 2014. And then going forward, there are different albums in different stages of completion.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Mostly pockets. Um, and then a few years ago I started doing notebooks. 'Cause I wanted 'em to be a little bit smaller.

I was starting to get too many albums and I thought I'd try the notebook style. And I do like it. I think it's, um, it feels like less pressure. The pictures are smaller. The, I feel I can use my stash.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Not everything has to be so matchy matchy. And so I'm liking that 'cause I'm really into using my stash right now. So I can use scraps and orphan embellishments and things like that.

Jennifer: Do you think having the, the foundation that has boxes, places for your stories, does that help you more than say like a blank [00:05:00] page, like just a traveler's notebook?

Marci Villanueva: I definitely do. Um, I, when I was into the pocket pages, the 12 by 12 pocket pages, I really enjoyed those. And then I tend to get bored kind of easily. So I moved into the notebooks and I do like the blocks. Um, 'cause when I'm not feeling very creative or in a design mode, I can just fill in the boxes.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Sometimes if I want a picture really large, I can print it so it covers say, four boxes. Um, and I can do my own thing if I want to, but I have that choice, so I like that.

Jennifer: Oh, I love that. Yeah. So of course I also like to ask our guests about something new they're excited to do, use, or try, and it could be inside of your hobby or in your everyday life.

Marci Villanueva: Well, I already mentioned, but I'm really excited for my daughter to come home from school.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: We just went to parents' weekend, uh, last weekend. And for us it's a, a five and a half, [00:06:00] six hour drive. So we went over, we did a ton of activities, we had so much fun. And then we go back in three weeks to pick her up, move her out, and then bring her home. And I do think it'll be, um, a very interesting transition. Trying to her some independence when she needs it, but also be there when she also needs parenting. Or, yeah. So it'll be, it'll be fun and definitely a change.

Jennifer: And how will your younger kiddo, like how has, how has she dealt with that transition as well?

Marci Villanueva: So my younger kid, so my oldest is a girl, and my younger one's a boy.

Jennifer: Oh, sorry. I goofed that.

Marci Villanueva: No, that's okay. And um. He actually, um, he came with us to parents weekend and they get along really great now that they're teenagers. When they were younger they did.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Not, they fought all the time. So it's now, now they have a really great dynamic and I love that.

Jennifer: That's awesome.

Marci Villanueva: It's gonna be interesting because he [00:07:00] still has six weeks more of school and she's gonna be out.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: I've already, I've already had to tell him just 'cause I know him so well. Just because she is outta school does not mean you are outta school. You still have to go.

Jennifer: Yes.

Marci Villanueva: So that's gonna be interesting. But hopefully she, she's looking for work and hopefully if she has a job that'll give her some, um, reasons to be outta the house.

And then it's not gonna feel like she's totally on vacation and he has to go to school.

Jennifer: Yeah, I can see that. But yeah, I hope, I hope it all. She has a great summer.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah.

Jennifer: So this is our My Way episode because you are our featured artist for June. Um, what would you say to a non scrapbooker about why you love this hobby?

Marci Villanueva: You know, I love, um, documenting, like small memories and stories. I had a situation recently where I, I needed to go look at an old album. I can't remember exactly why. But I pulled out one from several years ago and I was [00:08:00] looking for the specific story that I wanted to reference. But I saw all these pictures of my kids when they were little, um, that I had kind of forgotten about. And I had documented maybe little things they had said or things they had done. And I had totally forgotten about those things. Had I not had it written down or in some type of book that I could go back and reference. So I think it's so fun to be able to record all those memories. 'Cause I think a lot of them would get lost if I didn't have 'em written down. And then I also just love pretty paper and pretty stickers. Um.

Jennifer: That helps doesn't it?

Marci Villanueva: It, yeah, I think most scrapbookers probably when we were kids, I know I had the sticker book with all the scratch and sniff stickers.

Jennifer: Oh yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah. And now I get to just play with stickers and paper and I just love it.

Jennifer: I am curious. When you're working in your spiral notebook and [00:09:00] you're also interested in using your stash, are there certain parts of your stash that you're gravitating towards?

Marci Villanueva: I tend to pick a collections that kind of inspire me for that particular year. Right now I'm trying to use a lot of.

Jennifer: Okay.

Marci Villanueva: My older, like Pink Fresh Studio and older Citrus Twist. I feel like they kinda have the same look a little bit.

Jennifer: They do. Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: It's a good way to pull out those products that I haven't looked at in a long time.

Jennifer: That reminds me of some, um, six by eight and six by six, uh, papers that I have in the closet that need to see the light of day, so.

Marci Villanueva: And those are papers I don't use very often for 12 by twelves.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: And so they're perfect for smaller projects. Like little boxes.

Jennifer: Yes.

Marci Villanueva: That I wanna cut up a little piece of paper for or something.

Jennifer: Ah, so fun. So let's, let's go back a little bit. Tell us how you got started scrapbooking and, and why that came about.

Marci Villanueva: Well, I [00:10:00] have always been into pictures, which, um, even in elementary school, my parents did not take a lot of pictures. But the pictures we did have, I loved and I kind of hoarded them. And they were just, um, would collect their pictures in a shoebox. But whether it was family pictures, like grandparents, or of me. I just loved looking through 'em all. Then when we were, when I was in middle school, we lived in South Carolina for two years. 'Cause of my dad's job. And I knew that I'd be leaving and I would never see these people again. And you know, as a kid, your friends are everything. And so I made my first scrapbook. Um, it's not in the traditional sense that we think of scrapbooking today, but it was one of those magnetic page protector type things.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: And I used construction paper to cut out titles 'cause that's all we had back then. Um, and I still have that scrapbook. I mean, the construction paper is totally faded, but it's like my first real attempt at [00:11:00] it. And so I've kept it. Um, the funny thing, when I do look back at that, I have pictures of all my friends and I did not write anybody's name next to their picture.

Jennifer: Oh gosh.

Marci Villanueva: I just, you know, they were the, my life.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Like I thought I would always remember who they are. Um, and sure enough, I don't know, 40 years later, I have no idea what their names were. So that is one, um, reminder that to, at least write down some basic information next to your pictures.

Jennifer: Yeah, I'm thinking like I definitely didn't do that and I think I would remember most people, but I haven't also tried. Then again, I can never remember like, names of things that I used to know the name of. So I'm not sure I wanna try that. But it's a, it's a very important point, so that's why we should at least be doing that now if we didn't in the past.

So we know you create in your [00:12:00] Project Life style in the notebook, but what other sizes or formats are you typically creating in.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah, I tend to do most sizes. Um, I mean I started in 12 by 12. And actually going back a little bit after that, um, more uh, construction paper type scrapbooking, I got into after college, I got into Creative Memories. 'Cause someone invited to a party and that's when I got into the more traditional. That got me into 12 by 12 scrapbooking. So I've done mostly 12 by 12 and I have a lot of 12 by 12 albums. And then when life was really busy when I had little kids, I got into the pocket page 12 by 12. 'Cause that seemed like an easier thing to do. And I was busy and I could just put or cards into a pocket. And now that I have more time, 'cause my kids are older, I've been jumping around. And I kind of feel like every say couple years, I get bored of a certain size and I kind of move to a different [00:13:00] size. And right now I'm doing a lot of smaller format six by eight. Um, maybe even like a five by eight and a Life Crafted size. And that's what I'm doing mostly. But I often go back to 12 by 12. Maybe if a lot of classes are 12 by 12 size or sketches. So I do always return to 12 by 12. But right now I'm really enjoying the six by eight or the journal size, which is about seven by nine.

Jennifer: So for someone who maybe has always created in 12 by 12 or larger formats, um, what do you enjoy about the smaller ones?

Marci Villanueva: I think, um, sometimes the, the 12 by 12 blank page can be really intimidating and overwhelming.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: That's why sketches can be great 'cause it's a jumping off point. And for some reason the six by eight or something with, um, pre-designed blocks, is kind of taken the first step. [00:14:00] Away from my brain having to process what to do.

And then I also for some reason feel like I can be a little bit more playful or try new things in a smaller size. And I don't know why that is, but I am more likely to dabble in mixed media on a smaller size than I am a bigger size. I think that's just me. And I don't know why my brain thinks that way, but um, for me, I am, I feel a little bit more free to try different techniques or styles when it's smaller.

Jennifer: I can see that it just, it feels less risky. Um, you know, it doesn't feel as hard that maybe you might want to discard a smaller piece of paper versus a full 12 by 12 sheet.

Marci Villanueva: Right.

Jennifer: If you, if you were to, to mess up or really just strongly dislike what you created. Um, yeah, I can see that.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah.

Jennifer: Are there any other projects or activities that you're focused on this year? Or are you really just kind of telling the stories that you wanna tell and, and, [00:15:00] and don't have a particular plan around it?

Marci Villanueva: Um, my scrapbooking, I don't have a specific plan. Right now I am just in the mood to play and have fun. That's sort of my goal.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Um. I wanna play with my products. I'm on obvious two design teams, so I'm on obviously Simple Scrapper and then I'm on

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Elle Studio. Um, so I get to play with their products every month, and that is super fun. I'm also, right now really busy. Because I decided to go back to school. And I'm working on a master's program right now. So I am actually doing a lot of creative work through that. And I'm not getting as much scrapbooking time this year. And so I think that's why I'm just really focused on having fun, playing, and whatever comes of that.

I, I have no, uh, objective of how many pages or how many projects at this point.

Jennifer: Yeah, it sounds like a great, a great balance for where [00:16:00] you're at in your life. What are you going back to school for?

Marci Villanueva: Going back for graphic design. I'm enrolled.

Jennifer: Oh, excellent.

Marci Villanueva: In a Master of Fine Arts program.

Jennifer: I can see that taking a lot of your creativity, yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Yes, it does. Um, sometimes I just need to like take a break. My brain needs a creative break for a little bit.

Jennifer: Has doing that work, has that started to inform like more of your scrapbooking? Or are they very separate for you?

Marci Villanueva: At this point in time, they're separate.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: The projects I'm doing are not, um, related in any way. And, but they're still, my brain has to think of design or think of colors or, um, so there is some crossover in that way. Which is why I am only scrapbooking a few hours on the weekend right now, when I have time. And then I have to do my schoolwork during the weekday and then do my other adult responsibilities.

Jennifer: Those darn adult [00:17:00] responsibilities.

Marci Villanueva: I know they get in the way of everything.

Jennifer: So how would you describe your style?

Marci Villanueva: Oh, I always find this to be a hard question. I always want other people to tell me what they think. 'Cause I'm like, I don't know. I just do what I do. But, um, I'd say in general, I think my style is, um, simple, straight line. I like things very symmetrical rather than just some people can throw things on a page and it just randomly looks good. And I'm that kind of person that if I, I want that random scattered look. I spend, um, hours trying to like, no, that, that sequin should just be over, just a little bit over here. Um, to make it look like I just threw it haphazardly on the page.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah. Yeah. Um, but then I also think that, um, I like to be playful. I love embellishments. I like to probably over embellish my pages because then I can use more die cut, stickers, all [00:18:00] that kind of thing. So I would say it's a combination of, um, simple, but then also playful. Because I'm trying to use a lot of fun stuff.

Jennifer: Do you think that your, kind of, your, your why behind scrapbooking has shifted over time? Because you've mentioned the playfulness a lot, but then you also mentioned like wanting to have the memories. And obviously we're doing both of those, but, but how has that evolved as you've been a scrapbooker?

Marci Villanueva: Yes. I think it changes lot depending on what I'm doing that particular year or phase of life. Um, for example, when the kids were young and I was doing the pocket pages, I was documenting a lot of like things they would say or maybe the cute outfit I put them in or the activity at school.

So those were kind of small stories. Um, and more factual type based stories. And then as they got [00:19:00] older, um, and I was using more like Ali Edwards style products where there are a lot of prompt based. I was writing more stories. Longer journaling, which is really not something that I consider myself a big journaler.

I've never like had a diary as a kid. Never really liked writing papers at school. But, um, I got more into longer journaling when I was doing prompt based, using prompt based products.

Jennifer: Oh, for sure. It, I mean, it helps immensely.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. And then now I think I'm in a phase and have been for a couple years where I am just really into the products, like the pretty products. I won't make a page that doesn't have some story on it. But maybe I would make a six by eight or even a 12 by 12 page with a small story. Just because I got a new collection of paper and it's so pretty and I just want to use it.

Jennifer: So what are some of those products or even tools and [00:20:00] techniques we're gonna see most often on your pages?

Marci Villanueva: I would say, uh, again, I like to use a lot of embellishments, love puffy stickers. Um, I'm always trying to do like visual triangles. I'm always trying to balance the color. If I have a pop of yellow over here, I wanna make sure I have a pop of yellow over there, those type of things. So I think balance, um, and I like to be rather colorful.

I like, again, like the, the big collections and picking out the different papers and using several so I can get all the colors to match and blend with the embellishments and such.

Jennifer: Are there any particular trends that are standing out to you or influencing what you're picking up from your stash or, or purchasing new?

Marci Villanueva: You know, I'm sort of on a spending freeze right now. Um, and that's why I think I'm so into using my stash. Last [00:21:00] couple years and maybe starting in the pandemic, I started just, you know, buying a lot of stuff. 'Cause we were home and we were scrapbooking a lot. Um, and then I started accumulating too much. And like about this year or within the last year, I was like, I have so much stuff. I'm getting a little overwhelmed and.

Jennifer: Sure.

Marci Villanueva: I have too much stuff, it's harder to, um, actually be creative. Which everyone says, but it sounds sort of backwards that way, but it totally is.

And so I am just trying to pull out something older and go, Hey, I haven't used this in a while. Let's, let's pull this out and see what we can do with it.

Jennifer: Fun. I think. Yeah, when you, especially when you make it a fun challenge, you gamify a little bit and just know why you're doing it. You wanna use your stash and, and just make it more exciting than you can make it just as exciting as the new thing that's gonna come in the mail. So.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. Yes. And a lot of the stuff I'm like, oh, I didn't know I purchased this. I didn't know I owned this.

Jennifer: I know.

Marci Villanueva: Like new.[00:22:00]

Jennifer: Yes, I've been looking at the Ali Edwards sale and I'm like. I don't know a hundred percent which of these things I already have. So I'm not gonna buy anything. 'cause I don't wanna have to go through and and figure it out.

Marci Villanueva: That is a big problem for me. Yep.

Jennifer: Especially with like, with like alphabet stamps, I'm like, I, I don't have a, personally have a stamp index.

I don't find that, that's not something that I wanna have. A lot of our members do like having that. But I'm gonna flip through regardless to look at all the stamps. The, the names of them or whatever isn't gonna help me. Um, even a visual index, I'm gonna wanna see like the size and the scale and whether or not it has texture and, and all that.

But I'm like, I don't know which alphabet sets I have, so, um, I should just not buy any.

Marci Villanueva: I agree. I'm in the same boat. I have way too many stamps. Um, several refrigerator bins full of them. And I need to just pull them out and make sure I'm using them regularly.

Jennifer: So is there something through all of your [00:23:00] journeys that you found that really just does not work for you in scrapbooking?

Marci Villanueva: The one thing I haven't been able to get into is the, like, memory planning, documenting. I see other people on say Instagram. And I, their pages are beautiful and I'm like, oh, maybe I should try that. Kind of get fomo. I wanna do everything. But I just cannot keep up with, um. Whether it's a picture a day or filling out the whole week calendar, um, and journaling that much.

It's just, it's too much and I can't keep up with that. So def that's something I'm not gonna get into and buy stuff for 'cause I just know I can't keep up with it.

Jennifer: Well, and your, your notebook does provide a lot of that experience without the barriers of, of times in terms of having like days or weeks that are constraining things.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. And I think for me the flexibility with [00:24:00] the journal is better for me. Um, because then if one particular week I don't have anything going on, but next week is really busy and I wanna do two spreads of just that busy week, then it works fine.

Jennifer: Oh, I love that. I like, yeah, I like that freedom. That really appeals to me as well.

Marci Villanueva: Yes, so.

Jennifer: As you mentioned, you're on our creative team. What is your favorite team assignment and why?

Marci Villanueva: I really love the new sketches that come out.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Every two months. Um, for the design team, we get, we get to see all of them as you know. And we get to pick one that we wanna work with. But I think they're all so great and right now I'm actually having a lot of fun taking them and shrinking them down. So they're usually 12 by 12 or or a square shape, I should say.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: That you can make any size you want. But I've been using components on the sketch and making a six by eight or even maybe a traveler's notebook [00:25:00] spread. And that has been really fun. Again, it gives you the sketches, give you the jumping off point and.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: They do the first step for me and then the rest I can play and, and do it the way I like.

Jennifer: Yeah, I love just having someone tell me how to, uh, orient the photos in relation to each other and maybe whether or not the papers are like under them or elsewhere on the page. And then I can go from there, but I just want somebody to make those initial decisions for me.

Marci Villanueva: I agree. And I tend to layer papers more, when I have a sketch. Because I'm like, oh, I didn't think I could put three layers of paper in that way. Um, but now I get to use all three different patterns. That's so fun.

Jennifer: Yes. Yes. And what about your least favorite? Assignment what's one's more challenging?

Marci Villanueva: You know, I would say the, um, the streamlined storytelling with the digital templates. I think those.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: [00:26:00] Are great. 'Cause they're, they've got the prompts and they're easy to tell stories. But I like touching paper and stickers. Um, if, and so what, a lot of times what I'll do is I will do the digital layout. And then I'll print it off and then I will add things, physical things to the spread once it's done. So it makes it more hybrid.

Jennifer: Yeah, I love that approach.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah. So I get the best of both worlds. I can do the prompt and then I can also use some of my stash.

Jennifer: Perfect. Yeah. Yeah. So kind of thinking more about the, the lifestyle of scrapbooking, where and when can we typically find you scrapbooking? You mentioned right now it sounds like it's concentrated on the weekend.

Marci Villanueva: It is. So I tend to allow myself either Saturday or Sunday, depending what's going on, um, at least a half day. And I do have a scrappy friend that she used to live near me, but she moved to a different state and [00:27:00] we will Zoom, or FaceTime. We kind of crop at least a couple weekends a month together. And that's fun. I can, it's a good way to keep in touch. And in fact, we actually joke, we scrap up together more now that she's moved to another state than we actually did when she was here.

Jennifer: Oh, you know, I think that happens a lot. So especially when you have that desire to stay connected.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. so I'll, we'll do that. Um, at least one day during the weekend.

Maybe both if I can swing it. I do take care of my mom a little bit. She lives on her own, but I do go see her on the weekend, the opposite day that I'm not scrapbooking.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: And help her with stuff. um. So that's about all the time that I get right now, which is kind of a bummer. But, um, I'll take what I can get.

Jennifer: Oh, for sure. And, and has this evolved over time? Like what were you doing, you know, five or 10 years ago?

Marci Villanueva: Well, so I was working part-time when the kids were [00:28:00] really little. And so I would at the time, 'cause I didn't have a scrapbook room, it was sort of, um, in a closet, so to speak. And I would put things out on the dining room table. Um, and I would lay out my book and then I might just put in a picture throughout the day or throughout the week.

I would just do little things here and there whenever I had five minutes or 10 minutes. Now I have my own room. Um, and so I can have all my stuff out. I can have it ready to go. I can have the project on the table. Um. But it helps me to have more concentrated time now. Now I don't really like the five or 10 minute breaks. I wanna have like a couple hours to really immerse myself from start to finish on a project.

Jennifer: Well, and I think understanding those preferences is important. Because maybe you keep trying, someone keeps trying to do the 15 minutes and it's just not working. Maybe [00:29:00] you do want to really make sure you get that mental, mental, uh, investment and flow of it, and you need to try to work things out a different way.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. And actually I'm also remembering, I think when my kids were, say like elementary school-ish. I would always try to scrap out of the house. Like I would go to scrapbook crops if I could, um, whether it was like Scrapbook Expo would come to town, I'd go there or there. There was a place, um, where someone rented like a library room, and I would pack up my stuff and I would go to that crop. But then now, and I think maybe it was the pandemic that did it. Now I don't like to leave my house when I'm scrapbooking. I wanna be in my room with all my stuff. I don't wanna pack it up. I don't wanna carry my stuff anywhere.

And so that has changed quite a bit too. I think it's a combination of just, phase of life, and [00:30:00] also my kids are older and I think that changes a lot of what I can and can't do.

Jennifer: Oh, certainly. Well, and technology also supports, as you said, cropping from home when you, when you can connect with others.

Marci Villanueva: Yes.

Jennifer: So let's talk a little bit about organization. Are you a super tidy person or are you a chaos All the time kind of person.

Marci Villanueva: Oh, I, I'm kind of a little bit of both. Um, it's funny, I am obsessed with organizing and decluttering podcasts. I listen to 'em constantly. I'm always trying to declutter my house. Not a minimalist in any way. But just the less clutter I have, the less I have to put away or clean or dust or all that kind of stuff.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: However, in my craft room, that's a bit of a different story. I do not like to purge when it comes to my craft supplies. I, I, I don't know why. Every time I see something, I either remember the [00:31:00] project I bought it for, or I bought it 'cause it was pretty, and it's still pretty.

So I wanna keep it. I do try to keep my desk pretty tidy. If it's kind of chaos, then I don't feel mentally ready to start on the next project. So.

Jennifer: I agree with that. Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: Yeah, I like to clean up my desk between projects. Even if I'm using say the same collection. I will just.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Tidy things up. And make piles and be like, okay, now I'm ready to start. I also love my, um, project cart. And I believe it has six trays. And I will put future projects on each tray. Or if I'm working on, uh, a certain project, but I need to put it away because maybe I have a design team project that I need to do more urgently. And I can keep things organized that way. However, I also have piles on my floor that I need to deal with.

Jennifer: I understand that as well. I'm curious, with the project cart, do you find, are you able [00:32:00] to kind of keep it, keep it moving, or does it become another flat surface?

Marci Villanueva: Both. For both.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: I would love to be able to just start at the top tray and work my way down. But, um, what I find is I will set up the trays. With that intention, like, okay, these are the next six projects I'm gonna do. But then something will happen. Um, maybe, yeah, like I have a design team project that's due this week and I wanna do that first.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: Um, maybe I'm taking a class and I didn't have time to finish those six projects and now the class is starting, so I wanna work on that. Um, so I think what I'm trying to do is not fill up all six trays right now. I'm trying to limit it to like two or three. 'Cause I don't really think I can get through all six, um, before something will come in and, and take my attention away.

Jennifer: [00:33:00] Well, that makes sense. That's a great course correction. Um, still allowing you to have something in the wings that's ready for you and also to know that it, you probably won't get through a list of six.

Marci Villanueva: Yes.

Jennifer: Plus also, there's so many. If, if you're not getting through the list, something else is going to become more interesting to play with as well.

Um, that's been one of my struggles is I love that, that prep. But then if I prep, if I over prep, I won't ever get to the bottom of the pile because something else, even if it's not an obligation, something else will catch my interest. Um, before that.

Marci Villanueva: That is absolutely true. I find that all the time. Yes.

Jennifer: Any other organization strategies that have worked particularly well for you or have we, we captured them all.

Marci Villanueva: I think, you know, I've got my paper really well organized on my Kalax shelf.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: I've got these, kind of plastic 12 by 12 paper, I'm gonna call 'em in a bin. I don't know if that's really the right word. But I got 'em from scrapbook.com and they hold collections. And I've got all my [00:34:00] collections alphabetized by designer or by theme. So like, as an example, I have a lot of coffee themed, um, scrapbook pages. So in the Cs I'll have coffee. So everything will be by designer, but I'll have a coffee. And then I have a dog section. Um, but everything is pretty organized, so I know exactly where to go when I want

um. a certain collection or designer. The only downside to that is when I have everything together, if there is like, um, a random sticker or die cut that I could use on a different project like mix and match, I might not know exactly where that is. Like I might not remember that there was a lemon die cut in a certain collection and I'm doing a page about lemonade or something like that. A random example.

Jennifer: Yeah, I mean, but I, but I get it, and it's hard. I think no matter what, [00:35:00] what strategy you choose, it's always gonna be harder to find something. Um, like I don't, I organize my embellishments primarily by like, shape type. So flags, banners, circles, you know, leaves.

Marci Villanueva: Mm-hmm.

Jennifer: But then if I'm actually looking for, I want a bunch of yellow things, it's gonna take me quite a while to find all the yellow things.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. I do joke sometimes that it's like I organize this way, but I need to cross reference it

Jennifer: Yes.

Marci Villanueva: By color and then cross reference by shape and then cross reference by, yeah.

Jennifer: And I think that's why sometimes we tend to go more towards, like, I always wanna work with this collection. It all goes together and I don't need to look for other things.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. That is something I'm debating a lot with right now.

Jennifer: Mm-hmm.

Marci Villanueva: I do use collections primarily. Because everything goes together. Um, but then if I want to break things up, I don't go to the broken up stuff as [00:36:00] much.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: And so I'm kind of in this like gray area of what do I keep together, what should I break up? How am I gonna find it best? But for right now, I think, um, I've got a good system for me.

Jennifer: That's wonderful. One of the things that I've been thinking about was, uh, my Vicki Boutin stash and my Paige Evans stash. Those are very like, like, uh, visually distinct. Um, I'm, I'm liking to keep all of that stuff together rather than separated. Because I'm, I'm more likely to use it together even across collections. Because there's gonna be similar colors and motifs and, and just overall style.

Um. So I'm kind of experimenting with that to see is this gonna help me use more of it by keeping it together versus. Splitting it up into here's all my Vicki Boutin papers, but then putting my embellishments with everything else. Um, to never be found again. You know.

Marci Villanueva: Right?

Jennifer: Because they'd be no longer distinguished as a particular designer. So. [00:37:00] I don't know if there's one perfect strategy, but I think if we do a combination of things like you mentioned even doing, you know, manufacturers and themes, um, that can help.

Marci Villanueva: Yes, and it's reminding me maybe a year or so ago when you mentioned Paige Evans and Vicki Boutin I had them all by designer, had those designers together. But then when I needed a travel collection, I had kind of forgotten that I, both of them have done travel collections, and.

Jennifer: Yes.

Marci Villanueva: I then made a travel section and labeled it. And I pulled out the Paige Evans and the Vicki Boutin travel, and I put those in travel. So I think every couple years, sometimes my brain just starts thinking of things differently, and I sort of readjust. And maybe looking for those in travel will help now, or maybe in a couple years I'll move them back. Who knows?

Jennifer: No, that's a good point. Particularly if there's things that are like very, very thematic and you probably wouldn't be able to use them on something that's [00:38:00] not travel.

Marci Villanueva: Right.

Jennifer: Just like I, yeah, like all of my Christmas stuff is totally separate. So, um, once in a while I'll dig in there for something silver or gold, but but it's, it's does pretty well by itself.

Marci Villanueva: Yes. Yes. I do have Christmas in two Iris bins of Christmas. It's a little crazy.

Jennifer: Nice. So our last two questions are a little bit broader, broader, big picture. Where would you like your scrapbooking to be in another decade?

Marci Villanueva: Well, I definitely think I'll be scrapbooking for sure since I've been doing it for so long. I just can't imagine life without it. Um. I also, since I'm going to school for graphic design, I kind of would like to design some products. Um, I would really love to do that eventually. Um, I can't say anything right now, but I am, am in talks with one company and I might be having something come out sooner than later, but I don't wanna jinx anything.

Jennifer: Fun.

Marci Villanueva: So.

Jennifer: That's exciting.[00:39:00]

Marci Villanueva: Yes, that will be very exciting if I, it would be my first designed product and I will be ecstatic if it all comes to fruition.

Jennifer: Yeah, definitely keep us updated on that.

And then what has being a scrapbooker taught you?

Marci Villanueva: I have definitely learned to appreciate the small things. And I do think that my general like mood or personality is something that would not have done that if I didn't have scrapbooking. Um, for example, just appreciating my cup of coffee. I mean, I don't need to scrapbook my coffee all the time. But knowing that I had a peaceful moment on the patio with my cup of coffee when the sun was shining. That is something to be grateful for because not, that's not something that we can always do. And so.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Marci Villanueva: If I do a fun scrapbook page about that, um, maybe [00:40:00] I won't keep it 10 or 20 years from now. But maybe I'll look back and go, oh yeah, I forgot I used to do that. And that was a really busy time in life, and that was a really great moment that I was able to just sit for a little bit and enjoy the, the birds and the sun and something like that.

Jennifer: Yeah, those are the photos that I take that I'm like, I this feel, I feel something with this. And I need to have a home for it. And it sounds like you have a lot of home for that in your scrappy notebook. And maybe that's something I need to think about. Not that I need to think about anything. But um, but those are the ones that I'm like, yeah, like I really wanna document this.

And sometimes I do end up being a full page, even if it's something that seems really small. I just wanna play and express myself and to freeze that feeling, I guess.

Marci Villanueva: Yes.

Jennifer: Well, Marci, can you share where our listeners can find you online and anything else that you might share about what could be new or coming up?

Marci Villanueva: Well, you can find me on Instagram. I'm coffee_scrap_travel. [00:41:00] I came up with that, um, name when I was, um, just starting to post things and I was kind of embarrassed if people would like my scrapbooking, so I wouldn't put my real name on it. And now they won't let me change it.

Jennifer: Aw.

Marci Villanueva: I know. Um, and then I have a very small YouTube channel. I'm trying to get that going. And that's just my name, Marci Villanueva. And then with my schooling um, and design work, I actually have an Etsy shop where I have some scrapbook, um, cut files. And, uh, 3D cards and things like that. And that's just at Marci Villanueva Shop on Etsy.

Jennifer: Oh, wonderful. We'll definitely include all those links in the show notes to the episode.

Marci Villanueva: Great.

Jennifer: Thanks so much for spending time with me. This has been delightful.

Marci Villanueva: Thank you for having me. This, um, is my first podcast and so I'm super excited, um, and grateful that you invited me.[00:42:00]

Jennifer: We are welcome back anytime. For sure.

Marci Villanueva: Thank you.

Jennifer: And to all of our listeners, please remember that you have permission to Scrapbook Your Way.