Meet the SH Design Team: Michelle Neddo

Who is Michelle Neddo?

I'm a mom to 3 boys and wife to my high school sweetheart.  I have been creative for as long as I can remember: watching my mother sew and paint, learning to knit from my grandmother when I was 8, cutting up magazines to create collage posters as a teenager.  In my life prior to children, I was a teacher.  And now, well, I'm wondering what I will be when I grow up {but I hope it will be something creative}.  I blog at lifemadecreations.blogspot.com

Tell us about your early beginnings in scrapbooking?

I was actually reluctant to start scrapbooking.  My sister was having a home party and begged me to come.  I had just started quilting and already had a large collection of rubber stamps; I SO did not need another crafty hobby.  I went to support her, made my page and was totally hooked!  The next day we headed to the craft store and began our stash.

Why do you scrapbook?

This page I created a couple of years ago sums up what I love about scrapbooking.  I love that scrapbooking gives me a creative outlet to play with all sorts of materials {paper, fabric, ribbon, buttons, paint, pens} to create something that records the stories of our life--who we are and how we live--so that we can remember a moment in time that might otherwise have been forgotten.  When you really think about it, when a day is over sometimes all you have left are the memories.  Scrapbooking cements those memories into permanence.

What inspires you/motivates you to create?

My children are definitely my biggest source of motivation.  I want to record their childhoods for them so that they can remember who they are and where they came from.  My mother kept a baby book of me, but I was the youngest of 4 so it was a teense bit sparse.  In late high school and early college, I went through a bit of an obsession with AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh books (and Disney's rendition of him, too).  My mom gave me my baby book when I moved out on my own and right there on the line next to "Favorite Toy" were the words "Pooh Bear."  And with that I was able to justify my obsession.  I love that she had recorded that for me, and I'm grateful to be recording memories for my children.

Who are your scrapbooking idols?

So many scrapbook artists inspire me, and it changes as I go through different scrapbooking phases.  One of my first and most influential idols was Rebecca Sower.  She changed the way I looked at scrapbooking and inspired me to create my own embellishments and to use them to help tell my story.  My current loves include Maggie Holmes, Wilna Furstenberg, Amy Tan{gerine}, Celine Navarro, Ania Maria Wolniak, Magda Bolinska {mumkaa}, Marcy Penner.  Ok, I'll stop there.  Seriously, I could list a dozen more.

Tell us a little-known fact about yourself.

When I was about 3, I ran across my backyard with a pen in my mouth.  Yup, tripped and fell and got it lodged in the roof of my mouth.  Yikes!  That little story came in quite handy when I was a teacher; I would show my scar to whomever I saw with a pen or pencil in their mouth.

What kind of music do you enjoy?

I love music.  When I'm creating, tunes are always playing--loudly if I'm in the house alone.  Mostly my playlist includes Indie Pop/Adult Alternative artists like Lenka, Jason Mraz, Ingrid Michaelson, Katie Herzig, Jess Penner, Matt Nathanson.  Music often inspires my creations and I have a hard time creating without it.

How do you find time to scrapbook?

Umm, lots of late nights.  I never used to be a night owl until I had children.  I quickly realized if I was ever going to get anything done for myself, I would have to stay up past their bedtimes to do it.

What's the hardest thing for you to scrapbook?

Hmm, I guess I would say our wedding photos.  I just haven't been inspired to create an entire album of our wedding.  I would feel like I had to copy all the professional photos (and that's just a lot of work!).  I would feel the need to have to coordinate everything--paper, embellies, style--for the entire book and am afraid that by the end I would be so sick of  looking at and working with all the same stuff.  Guess they'll just sit in the albums they came in.

What's your go-to embellishment?

Flowers.  With three boys, I sometimes have to restrain myself from using flowers on all their pages.  I love to make my own out of paper, fabric, yarn, thread, ribbon or anything else I can possibly turn into  flower.  

What is your favorite color for scrapbooking?  Which color do you rarely use?

I am very drawn to blues and greens--soft ocean hues, bright lime and turquoise, and most every shade in between.  I love brights (though not neon), pastels, and primary tones.  I tend to stay away from the earthy, jewel tones (hunter green, burgundy, navy)--they just seem dark and depressing.  

What made you happy today?

Watching a turtle crossing the road to go lay her eggs in the yard across the street, and my oldest son following on her tail so she made it safely before a car came along.