Hi there! My name is Kelly Klapstein, and I’m excited and honoured to be Creative Scrapbooker’s Guest Designer! I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and aside from living and working for about 5 years in Ontario, I’ve always called Edmonton home. The big blue sky and prairie landscape are an inspiration to me each and every day, although I could do without the frigid long winters!

I guess you could say I am the daughter of a scrapbooker. Ever since I could hold glue and scissors in my little girl hands, my mother encouraged me to keep photos and memorabilia from my life in scrapbooks. I also have my mother’s precious albums from her youth, which I am so thankful for and am using her photos to create heritage pages now.

My scrapbook style is quite “eclectic”…I enjoy creating fun, playful cute layouts as much as I do the shabby chic, vintage ones using lots of techniques. I’ve even done digi layouts but prefer crafting with my hands. This past year, however, I’ve experienced a creative urgency and have started to explore the artistry of this craft with multi-media. This has led me to design some unique layouts that are very personal and close to my heart.

I truly enjoy sharing what I’ve learned about designing pages and currently teach classes at my local scrapbook store in Edmonton. I’m also a freelance writer and Education consultant. Teaching is one of my passions, and I used to teach high school English until I had children. I have three children…Matthew (16), Serena (14) and Mila (11). My husband and I have been in love since we were 18 and have been married for 22 years. It might sound cliché, but he is my best friend!

One thing I love about the world of scrapbooking is connecting with others and sharing our art…either in person or online. I have learned so much and met so many wonderfully talented scrapbookers online. It’s an amazing global community where crafters from every country can exchange ideas and encourage each other on their artful journeys.

To get to know me better, feel free to visit my blog www.kellycreates.blogspot.com where you will find some funny family stories and take a peek into my life as a scrapbooker!