June 2011 Wallpaper

My name is Shen Guthrie and am the creator behind the name creashens at CatScrap. I live by the ocean in Orange County, California where the air is fresh and grass is green. I live a pretty laid-back lifestyle. I don’t care for material things but I have to have my modern technologies, so I think one would describe me as a modern bohemian. I could live in my Levis and flip flops all day. I seem to have a pair of magic Levis, kinda like the pair in The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants… That even though I gain or lose a few pounds, they still fit!

I’ve been a graphic designer for over 15 years now, and the path to designing digital scrapbook products just felt natural. In my creating process, I make my products stand out, unique, appealing, and get as creative as I can be. I like to make sure that when I say my kit is coordinated, that all the elements and papers match and are related. I like to implement the elements into papers and also make sure every element has a purpose, not just things thrown together for fillers. I’ve been told my designs are easy-to-use and refreshingly unique. It’s nice to hear that, to hear and know that people ‘get’ me.

I draw inspiration first of all from colors. I just love colors, that’s why I don’t have a favorite color. As much as I love black and white photography, I always feel compelled to keep photos in color, like I would feel bad to remove colors and mess with nature. Secondly, I draw inspiration from my three-year old daughter, Kalea. She inspires me in every aspect of life, and it’s only natural she inspires my designs as well.

I work a full-time job as a corporate graphic designer. From the moment I get home til Kalea is asleep, that is family time. The weekend is family time. So that leaves me with 2-4 hours a night to design, and my online friends can literally see me up at all hours of the night and often times getting about 4-5 hours of sleep, which I desperately need more of. When I’m going through times like that where things are unbalanced, I step back and take mini breaks to the happiest place on earth, Disneyland. There is no other place that can make me forget all troubles like Disneyland can. And it just makes Kalea so happy to be there as well. Disneyland is my method back to balance, back to happiness. And then she knocks out completely for the night, and the rest of the night is MINE to design, scrap, and design!