Scrapper Showcase Jeanette Collins

Alice Boll
Alice Boll

SH Scrapper ShowcaseIt’s time for another Scrapper Showcase!

This month we are going to get to know Jeanette Collins. If Jeanette seems pretty familiar that could be because Jeanette was our go-to gal for reunion planning for the Sweet Tea and Tiaras reunion in Grapevine, Texas this year. She’s also a very active member at our live events and a chatty gal in our group. Here’s our ScrapHappy sister, Jeanette!

Jeanette Collins profile

Tell about yourself:

I am a mother, a wife and a teacher.  I love art, music, and country music, especially George Strait.  I’m not much for cooking or gardening and use to love dancing and water-skiing in my younger days.  I grew up in the small town of Gonzales, Texas where I was the middle child of 7 kids. Yes, I have a real crown and real trophy from the Miss America affiliated pageants I participated in when I was 17.  I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and live with a few regrets. Overall, I’m a happy person trying to slow this life down a little.

Where are you from?

I live in the great state of Texas just north of Dallas and Fort Worth- Denton, Texas.  I’ve only been in North Texas since 2008 when my husband moved us from the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas to the DFW area.  I’m basically a small town girl living in the big city although I have lived in the big cities of Houston and Austin.

Bio:

I am married to my sweetheart, Scott, of 26 years this August.  We have an only son, John, who is 19 and will be starting his second year of college this fall.  It’s been different being empty nesters, but good for us, too. It certainly gives me more quiet time which my soul loves.  I was a public school teacher for nearly 20 years teaching elementary through 8th graders throughout my career.  I received my college degree in 1983 from the University of Houston with a double major of education and music education.  I’ve taught everything from regular self-contained elementary classes, to general music classes to theater arts classes.  I never stayed in one classroom for more than 4 years which definitely says I like CHANGE.  I like the challenge of something new and it translates in my scrapbooking today. After I quit the public school system, I also taught Kindermusik for 6 years, running a healthy business in the Corpus Christi area.  There I worked with 6 different pre-schools and also held my private “mommy and me” classes with infants to 7 year olds.  I was recognized as a ‘Maestro’ level teacher and held awards for having one of the largest music programs in the world.  I loved everything about running a small business, but I mostly loved having a relationship with so many families.  Now I substitute teach in our local junior high and high schools. I am happy that I don’t have to work full time since we moved up to the DFW area.  I’m active in Catholic studies/evangelization with my church.

Jeanette Collins fall layout

How long have you been a ScrapHappy member?

I have been a member of ScrapHappy since October 2013. I paid for the 213 LOAD as a one-time event and enjoyed it so much that I joined so I could be in the October LOAD as a member.

How did you first hear about it?

I was on the ‘Two Peas in a Bucket’ message boards when a lady from Texas chimed in asking where in Texas I was from?  We became chatty about all things scrappy and she asked if I knew about LOAD.  My fellow Texan and SH member that turned me on to LOAD was Debra Williams in Victoria, Texas.  We met a few months later when she flew to Dallas for a scrappy event.  I saw her again at the 2014 reunion in Phoenix.  So fun!

Jeanette Collins art layout

 

What do you LOVE about ScrapHappy?

There are just so many things I love about SH.  Here are my top 5!

#5. I love the LIVE online time with my girls

#4. I love seeing the layouts from the sketches on the FB page

#3. I love that I have friends across America and beyond!

#2. I love Alice and her wonderfully organized presentations during the LIVE events and her promo-videos!

#1. I love the relationships/friendships I am building through this amazing group.

The Biggest #1 of all… I love the REUNIONS!!!!!!!!  The most important building block of the SH group is the connection in person.  If you ever get a chance to make a SH family reunion, do so.  You won’t regret it.  I can’t imagine NOT being a part of SH after participating in the last 3 years of the SH Reunions.  It has sealed the deal with me.

When did you start scrapbooking and how did you get hooked?

This is an easy one.  In 2011 I told my friend, Maria, who has been scrapbooking forever that I wanted to see her scrap space.  When I was there I started asking a lot of questions.  She gave me a tour of her room and her stuff.  I was so intrigued.  Scrapbooking as I knew it was my one-time experience with Creative Memories at someone’s home party in the 90’s.  Yes, I loved it and I bought the WHOLE ENCHILADA! But, because my life was soooooo busy with teaching, I never really did much with it.  I had the stuff, but didn’t create but a few pages.  Twenty some odd years later I met my friend Maria who loved scrapbooking.  When I saw her pages I saw ART.  I saw photos that told a story.  I saw her love for documenting her family’s lives in album after album.  The next time I went to her house I brought a few photos so she could help me get started.  I hit every block you can imagine trying to get started.  I was even AFRAID to cut the paper. Honestly, she had to show me how to use the trimmer.  LOL.  I shopped and shopped and shopped until I felt I had enough to get started.  After that I started watching scrapbooking videos, especially Shimelle, and was hooked.  Then in 2012 I found Two Peas in a Bucket and then met Debra Williams on line which led me to LOAD and now it’s all HISTORY.

Jeanette Collins creative memories

What was your style then and how has it evolved?

Since I’ve only been scrapbooking since 2012 I don’t think I’ve developed a true style.  My layouts tend to be photo and story focused, with simple lines and a few embellishments.  I’ve jumped around so much in different art mediums since I started this journey that I don’t feel like a true scrap booker yet.  I love the mixed media stuff especially painting on canvases.  I dabbled with the documented faith bible journaling and bullet journaling.  There’s just so much out there I get pulled away from just scrapbooking altogether.  Thanks to True Scrap, I even took Katrina Kennedy’s Capture Your Life photography classes from time to time so that I could have better photos to scrap. The only true scrapbooking I have been doing is with LOAD, and many of my son’s recent adventures.

Jeanette Collins first buck layout

Do you have a scrapbooking space?

Yes, because I have been jumping in and out of so many types of mediums my small area I originally used to create in was feeling smaller and overwhelmed with stuff. I knew I needed stations in my space so that I could continue to piddle in all the areas I’m interested in.  I turned a spare bedroom into my scrappy happy place where I can scrap, paint, and work on my various journals.  I love it because it’s the only space that truly reflects the girly girl in me.  I’ve got two raspberry pink walls and two glitter painted cream walls.  I’m still working on getting my stations streamlined for every craft I do. It’s a work in progress for sure.

Jeanette Collins scrap room

Check out Jeanette’s happy dies drawer! The bottom is lined with magnet so the dies stay in place… so smart!

Jeanette Collins die drawer

Do you have a blog?

No, I don’t YET.  I’m still too new to think about that.

Any other thoughts?

I was just thinking what a wonderful ride it’s been so far these past 4 years.  The wealth of information about scrapbooking and other crafty ideas is enormous out there in the internet world.  I’ve been experiencing so many new things and now even have my very own crafty space!  I have dropped some crafty things I’ve tried but I know for sure I will continue scrapbooking.  And the one place I keep coming back to is ScrapHappy. I love being part of this group.

I would like to show you, in photos, all I have dabbled in.  I know, I’m cray cray!

Jeanette Collins blue dog art

Jeanette Collins art

 

Jeanette Collins art journal 2

Jeanette Collins art journal 3

Jeanette Collins art journal

Jeanette Collins tags

Thank you Jeanette for sharing your creative endeavours with us, for being such an active member of our happy family and for being such a great friend!

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