When did you begin scrapbooking?
I started scrapbooking when I was a teenager. I was introduced to scrapbooking in Student Council and have never looked back!
What got you hooked?
I think for me it was the combination of a love for my photos and the thrill of creating something. It was something that I could financially manage, since–compared to other hobbies–the cost was relatively inexpensive enough for a teen to keep up with. Also, I was already taking and printing pictures and I needed something to do with them (this was back in the age of “film”!).
How did you feel about your very first Scrapbooking Layout?
The very first layout I did was for a Student Council project, so I don’t have it anymore, but I do have my own personal layouts from that time in my life–a time period that was all about cutting the pictures, adding stickers, and plenty of cardstock. I pretty much used what I could find around the house, or purchase on my teenager’s budget. The pages are what they are, and I am ok with that, but I do wish that I’d never cut my pictures the way I did! I really feel they get lost on the pages. Live and Learn!

Before Kiwi Lane
Tell me a little about your “Before Kiwi” Scrapbooking style
I was always testing different combinations of patterned paper–once I started to have a little more of a budget to work with…but back then i was still a young mom, so the budget was still tight. To help keep the cost down, I tried hard to incorporate the patterns, colors and design elements from the paper itself, instead of buying the expensive embellishments and hardware that were all the rage at the time. I did use eyelets, stamping and even won a cricut cutting machine at one point, but all of those things overwhelmed me a little bit…it took too much work to pull everything out, and track down ideas of what to do with them. I hated that I had to spend what little time I had (between kid’s naps or after finally getting the kids to bed) looking for inspiration, instead of actually finishing a layout. This was one of my biggest frustrations.



How did discovering Designer Templates and the Play-To-Create System change your scrapbooking or card-making experience?
The Play-To-Create System in general allowed me to Play with my design. Using the Designer Templates to test out different layout designs allowed me to tap into my own creativity in a way that was soooo fulfilling! It also incorporated what i already believed in firmly by then–that you can use the beautiful patterns from your paper to embellish your layout for you, making it less expensive to create beautiful, professional looking layouts. I also loved that my pictures felt complete…that the pages I created complimented my pictures, providing a beautiful setting that allowed my photos to shine!
Because of Kiwi Lane
Here are photographs of a few of my Favorite Kiwi Lane Scrapbooking Layouts.




I hope that you enjoyed reading and seeing a little bit about my Scrapbooking Style and how it’s changed over the years for the better because of our Play To Create System.

Susan Budge
CEO & Co-Founder