sassafras: hello birgit ........ (sassafras pal spotlight)

hello friends! i know it's been a quiet week here at the sassafras blog... i've missed chatting with all of you. i spent a few days in Moab, Utah on a sassafras managers retreat. it was a great time of planning and i'm feeling very reinvigorated and inspired for the future!

while i was away my in box filled up with spectacular new projects. the sassafras design team and many of you have been busy crafters! can't wait to show you what i have been feasting my eyes on...... which i will do tomorrow..... because today i have the pleasure of introducing you to a sassafras pal, who has oodles of inspiration to share.

nice to meet you Birgit Koopsen....

would you start by telling us a little about yourself? where do you live, work, play.....

"I live in Winsum, a little village in the north of the Netherlands. I'm married to Erik, who still makes me happy after being together for 23 years! We have 3 beautiful children, Anne (15), Lennart (14) and Marlijn (7). When my oldest child was born I became a SAHM. The last couple of years scrapbooking has become my "job". I teach (in my own studio or in/for scrapbook stores or at events), work for magazines and do demonstrations. Besides scrapbooking I love to read, there's always a book on my night table, watch tv (NCIS, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Grey's Anatomy) and go on vacation with my family. My favorite countries to go are France and Italy."

so birgit.....what drew you to paper crafting? was it an instant hit, or did it take awhile to warm up and find your own style?

"I learned about scrapbooking in 2003. I'd always been scrapbooking in my own way. Collecting cards, notes, drawings and tickets and put them in albums together with pictures and journaling. Then my BIL got a new girlfriend, she's lived in the US for a year and when she saw my photo albums she told me about scrapbooking. That same evening I was browsing the internet and I knew instantly "this is what I want to do!" The next day I went to the nearest craft store to get supplies and made my first page. I never stopped! It took me some time to get my own style. I saw a lot of different styles and liked it all, tried it all. My LO's where very diverse. But after a while I saw certain elements returning in my LO's and I realized I was developing my own style. I call my style graphical with a freestyle touch."

i'm wondering.....do you have friends or family you wish shared in your passion, and what would you tell them to convince them it's a must?

"Unfortunately none of my family members scrapbook. I don't think they really understand that scrapbooking is much more then just a hobby. That it's a way of living. They like what I do and think it's a nice way to preserve my children's history but that's not as important to them. I don't think I could say anything that would make them scrap, except for 1 of my SIL's who has done it in the past. Point is that most of them just aren't creative. As for my friends. The friends I have that do scrap I have BECAUSE I scrap. That's what connected us in the first place. None of my "old" friends has started scrapbooking. It sometimes makes me a little sad that they have no idea what I'm talking about but I'm happy I found some new friends through scrapbooking that understand what it is all about!!"

would you mind sharing with us something special that has recently inspired you?

"The book is called "De kinderkamer" which means "a child's room". In here you can find all kinds of DIY decorations, toys and other fun stuff for a child's room. But it is so versatile and usable not only in a child's room but in the whole house and even in your scrapbook! Simply a wonderful book!"

speaking of around the house, i love these projects that birgit created.

what a beautiful piece worthy of hanging in any room.

and an adorable little key house using new cherry delicious patterns...

do you have a paper crafting tip that you would love to share with the world of sassafras fans?

"I have a trick to get letter stickers on exactly the right spot on my LO. To see if the words aren't too long or too short, if the color looks nice in a specific spot a.s.o. I put the letter stickers on the edge of a transparent ruler. Then I put the ruler on top of my LO and move it around until I found the right spot for my text."

brilliant! i love this tip....... thank you birgit!

i asked birgit her favorite band right now....... her answer is much more precious than a top 50's pick....

"I don't really have a favorite band. I like a lot of music. But I have a favorite singer, who happens to be my oldest daughter Anne. Like in ABBA's song "thank you for the music" she was a singer before she could talk. She's having singing lesson for a year now and she sings all day and when she is up in her room singing with the music I often sit down at the bottom of the stairs to listen to her."

thank you birgit for sharing with us your passion for paper crafting, and using sassafras products! we love to spotlight pals like birgit....... and you could be next! do you have a whole collection of sassafras projects? let me know!

hope you are all having a great week! check back tomorrow to see more clever creativity.

rebecca =)

Comments

Thank you so much Rebecca, for having me here! I just love Sassafras products!!
BTW, if anyone would like to come and visit my blog... you're more then welcome :)
www.birgitkoopsen.com

Posted by: Birgit Koopsen | 04 March 2010 at 02:38 AM

I am totally OCD about lettering and now I have the answer. Thanks so much for the tip and all the gorgeous inspiration.

Posted by: Beth W | 04 March 2010 at 03:07 AM

I will visit your blog. You're my kind of person! I love the story that you listen to your daughter sing and enjoy that so much. I totally believe the same things you do about the importance of scrapbooking!

Posted by: AnnaMarie | 04 March 2010 at 05:45 AM

And Birgit's blog is actually http://birgitkoopsen.typepad.com/

Posted by: AnnaMarie | 04 March 2010 at 05:48 AM

Beautiful projects!! I really love your style, Brigit! Congrats on the spotlight!

Posted by: lucy edson | 04 March 2010 at 06:09 AM