Audrey Larsen No Bare Pages Design Team Member

I’ve always loved taking pictures, but sadly, some of my photos have been ruined over the years from being in non-archival albums. When my son was born, I was determined to preserve his photos, as well as all the memories behind them. It was now time to plunge into the world of scrapbooking – something I’d been trying to avoid for years, because I’d had a feeling that if I ever got into it, it would totally take a hold of me. I was right!

In high school, I was the kid who was constantly drawing (cartoons mostly), but I tried to abandon my love of art to follow a “serious” educational and career path. In my 20’s I worked hard, and even earned an M.S. degree from U.C. Davis. But then, at 30, the wake-up call came and I decided to throw caution to the wind, chuck my career path, and pursue a lifelong love of animation. Thanks to my very supportive husband, I had the freedom to do so. From that point, while living in San Francisco, I studied and worked in the field of art and animation. When we later moved to Santa Cruz, in 1999, my career took a positive turn and I branched out into graphic design.

I had known all along that ultimately I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, so when my son was born, everything changed. This change was all for the better, of course, and my wonderful son, Barrett, is my delight and my inspiration. Naturally, I scrapbook for Barrett, but I also do it for me because it provides the creative outlet I have always needed in order to feel my happiest. I am definitely a passionate scrapbooker, and I love being a part of this amazing community of fellow scrapbookers. And finally, I scrapbook because there’s nothing like the fun of shopping for gorgeous new papers and embellishments, or of opening an envelope of pictures, fresh from the developer. Then, I sit down with all that wonderful possibility spread before me, and create art.

Kelli Johnson No Bare Pages Design Team Member

Let’s just say I’ve been beyond-blessed in my life. I am a wife to the most amazing and supportive husband, Matthew, and we’ve been married for seven years. We have two children, one boy and one girl. Now what more could I ask for?!  I stay at home full-time, which for me is busy enough, but I spend my free time taking pictures of my family and scrapbooking the moments.

I started scrapbooking in ’98 after coming home from a trip to Egypt.  I had always cut up stuff and saved it into albums, but officially my scrapbooking began then, and I’ve never looked back.  I love all my layouts, from the first to the most recent, and it is so great to see where I’ve developed my own style, and how it has changed over the years. Besides scrapbooking, I love to exercise, read a good book, watch dance movies, and cook new recipes.

When it comes to scrapbooking my motto is to “let go and be free.” I find inspiration in everything from TV shows, to magazines, to fabric and art. To me, scrapbooking is about the freedom to create something that one day will be looked at by your extended family. I think we in the industry sometimes get so caught up with what’s right, or “what’s going to get me published,” when really it isn’t about that.  It’s about stories, and the lives of our family members.

As a DT member of No Bare Pages, I am excited to take on this adventure, and I hope that I can inspire others to create new and exciting layouts that they wouldn’t normally do unprompted.  Also, I hope to be inspired by others, so that I too will be constantly thinking outside my own box. 

Jodi Ethington No Bare Pages Design Team Member

I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona and I continue to make my home in the desert southwest. I love my home, though truth-be-told, I really don’t love the long hot summers. I am happily married to a wonderful man, and we have four “big” kids. Our three sons and one daughter range in age from eighteen years to twenty-six years. All my kids bring me great joy, and without a doubt I have years of photos from when they all were little.

Admittedly, I am one of those “over forty” scrappers, and I have been scrapping for years. At this time in my life, however, I don’t have little ones to scrap for, but I LOVE to travel, and I LOVE to scrap about where I’ve been and what I’ve seen. As my scrapbooking has progressed over the years, I have come to find that I really enjoy creating altered items. I am crazy about embellishments, which include but are not limited to chipboard, brads, stamps and metal.

This is my first design team experience, and I want No Bare Pages to know that I truly appreciate this fun and exciting opportunity. I very much look forward to making new friends, and to continue visiting with the great friends I’ve already made.

Valerie Kershner No Bare Pages Co-owner

I love it here in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon where the change of seasons is absolutely beautiful . While I have only lived in Southern Oregon for 4 years, the West Coast has been home to me for 40 something years whether I have been in Los Angeles or Tacoma, Washington. I share my home with my daughter, and our yellow lab “Gabe” (also known as Mr. Happy).

I've been known to say that “there isn't really enough time in the day to do all the things you want to…so you have to make the things you do count.” Most important to me is the time I spend with my beautiful and talented teenage daughter, Lindsay. I am proud of Lindsay's involvement in the Rogue Valley Children's Chorus, and when Lindsay was little, it was a fun and fulfilling time for me to be involved in Children's Ministries. Though we find ourselves on-the-go a lot, Lindsay and I like to spend any extra time we have on the Oregon Dunes where we enjoy spinning the sand with our quads.

I come from a long line of graphic artists/printers (3 rd generation), and paper has always been a large part of my fun time . Forever, it seems, I've been a very “crafty” person, but strangely, I avoided scrapbooking (hard to imagine!) even though many of my friends had been at it for a long time. It wasn't until I met Carma, through our mutual membership and volunteer work for the Motorcycle Riders Association, that I truly got inspired . I can honestly say that I experienced a taste of heaven when I finally discovered the huge world of texture and color that is available to scrapbookers. When it comes to scrapbooking style and techniques, there really isn't anything I won't try.

All in all, I enjoy serving others , and it's important to me to support the local schools and my church in anyway that I can. My motto for many years has been to “Take Time to Love Life.” It's my hope that my love for life can be shared with others and that the things I do can be much enjoyed by my daughter, and by those who come after.

Carma Lexow No Bare Pages Co-owner

I am a native Southern Oregonian and have lived here in this beautiful region all of my life. To me, Southern Oregon is truly “home” and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. I grew up in a very supportive, creative, and entrepreneur-minded home and I was raised to believe that “I can do anything I set my mind to.” When I told my family that I was going to open a scrapbook store, my mom's words to me were “If anyone can do it, you can.” So I took those words to heart , and together with my wonderful business partner, Valerie, I now have the opportunity to release all of those great ideas that have been bottled up in my head . And even after the daily challenges of balancing time for work and family, I still cannot think of a more fulfilling or creative outlet than Paper Crafting and Scrapbooking.

I am the proud-n-happy mom to two wonderfully busy boys. And to boot, I have a best friend for my husband. Naturally there are always loved ones, and memorable events , around which to create projects….and “Oh what a feeling” I have when I finish a project! I scrapbook because it's important to me …and though 11 years of playing in paper crafts have passed, I still feel a great sense of satisfaction when I've completed a piece of work that captures the people I love and the good times we've shared. My boys love to look at the books about them, and have even been known to say, “Mommy, you make such beautiful things .” Now if that doesn't warm my heart and inspire my creativity, what would?!