Hi everybody! I’m Lisa Spiegel and I’m thrilled to the Guest Designer for My Mind’s Eye this month! I don’t know if anyone knew, but it’s my birthday month, too, so this is the GREATEST gift ever!! (And truth be told, my birthday wish from last year came true!) I have always been a huge fan of My Mind’s Eye and have hoarded their products since the very beginnings of the scrapbook industry…I still have more than a few little Frame Up people and Quotes and the obsession with MME’s products hasn’t ever gone away! It is such an honor and a pleasure to be here!
A little more about me…I have been an artsy craftsy kind of girl my whole life. My mother was quite the hobbyist, painting, decorating and flower arranging were some of her specialties, so I’ve been exposed to creativity my whole life. I joined Girl Scouts when I was 8 and got bit by the crafty bug and, well, I’ve never been able to shake it. I stayed in Girl Scouts, mainly for the crafts and the camping, and even though I left it in High School, I continued to volunteer with children so I had an excuse to color and get messy. In college, I thought originally I wanted to be a preschool teacher, but in the end, I became a Recreational Therapist, with a specialty in Art Therapy, and was lucky enough to find a way to make money doing arts and crafts all day!
I began scrapbooking when I was pregnant with our oldest daughter, about 17 years ago. I couldn’t find a baby book that I liked so I started keeping a photo journal and the rest is history. I’ve evolved from Mrs. Grossman’s stickers and origami paper to the scrapping we know and love today. I slowly became more and more obsessed with the hobby and I began teaching classes at my LSS back in early 2005. Since then, my little hobby grew from a small rolling cart I stored in a closet to the huge loft above my family room I use today. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching and doing Design Team work for so many wonderful companies. I’ve been published in many magazines both online and in print. I absolutely love sharing my passion with paper and stickers and glitter and all things crafty and fun with others that share the same passion. You can find me on several message boards, on my blog at Just a Slice, and on Pinterest (follow me!!)…oh Pinterest…lol. (Don’t you just love it?)
Now, I live in the “valley” of Los Angeles, about 20 minutes from the coast, with my hubby of almost 20 years and our three daughters, Madison (16), Jillian (14) and (Camryn) 10. When I’m not scrapping, I am a Lamaze Childbirth Educator and Newborn Hearing Screener as well as a Girl Scout Leader for the 10th year running. My girls keep me busy shuttling between their many activities like concert band, many dance classes, scouts and cheerleading. Thankfully, they love to have photos taken of them so I have lots of opportunities to capture their lives. Keeping those memories is what drives me to scrapbook. My parents did put photos of me in albums but there are no stories and for me, the story is what I want to remember. It makes me proud to know that my girls will have the stories of their lives bound in albums for them to look upon fondly as they grow.
I mainly create layouts, but dabble in cards, sewing and home décor. It’s so fun to be able to create something custom for my family and loved ones. I’m always surprised where my pages take me…I don’t often have a plan before I sit down. I am either inspired by pretty paper or pretty pictures and the bonus is, at the end, they become a unified story that I am proud to share.
I’m super happy to be the Guest Designer for My Mind’s Eye this month and am looking forward to a month of crafty fun!!
Let’s give Lisa a warm My Mind’s Eye welcome! Leave a comment on this blog post for Lisa by Sunday, February 12 and we will give one lucky commenter “Lisa’s Favorite Things”!
