Chick of the Month

Karen SchroederWe have chosen Karen Schroeder for our April Chick...here is her bio for more info!

I have a wonderful family of 7 and counting. My husband, Paul & I have 5 children, Alison (21), John (17), Leah (17), Ashly (12) and Sam (10). We also have 3 dogs, Jilly, Asia and Runor; we are awaiting the arrival of our daughter Alison's first baby due in September. Paul co-owns and operates a barbershop in Redwood Falls; I am a stay at home mom and love it! We live in the Minnesota River Valley by Morton, which is 3 hours west of Rochester.

I have been scrapbooking for about 10 years when my friend and fellow scrapmate, Amy, first introduced me to the creative world of keeping memories alive through colorful albums. I spend most of my scrapping time on my childrens' books and on family lake albums.

My style is always changing with the new scrap trends and therefore I cannot say I have any one particular style.

My favorite tools? My Making Memories paper piercer, everything Basic Gray and, of course, my best bud, Amy.
"Tooth Fairy" by Karen Schroeder
A snack I can't scrap without is... GOOD STRONG COFFEE and cake!

A tip I'd like to share is... mix your brads together in a large see-through container. Yes, this may sound CRAZY but you'll save space and you'd be so surprised at the creativity that comes with suddenly pairing brads that you wouldn't normally put together if you didn't see them next to each other. It is truly liberating and the possibilities are endless!

My favorite thing about VIP? The VIP retreats! I look forward to getting away for some girl time, scrapping my families' memories, shopping at VIP and relaxing with a glass of wine while scrapping into the wee hours of the morn.

Why do I scrapbook? I never thought of myself as a creative person until I started scrapbooking. I have learned a lot since I first started and truly enjoy the creative process. Now I am able to share this wonderful hobby (and some supplies) with my 3 daughters and see their creative side. Mostly, I like to sit back and watch my family & friends repeatedly page through the many albums I have created while they laugh & share the stories of their memories. Thanks for choosing me as the April Chick of the Month 2008!

Kathy AhoFor our March Chick of the Month we'd like to introduce you to Kathy. She's a scrapbooker who is trendy and creates 3-D masterpieces to document her family history. What a treat to celebrate her talent and heart this month!

A little from Terri..."Kathy Aho was selected as VIP’s Chick of the Month because in the City of Rochester, she is one of the original Scrapbook Pioneers. When I first opened the store (September 1, 2001), she was one of the very first customers. Her passion for scrapbooking remains as strong today as it was when she completed her first album. She has a website where she encourages scrappers from all walks of life called Scrapper’s Challenge (www.scrapperschallenge.com).

Last I heard she was completing 1000 pages a year! She has written articles for several scrapbook “how-to” books and on-line scrapbook sites. Kathy is very fortunate to be able to do what she loves everyday and she loves to share her passion. You can find her @ VIP scrapping on Mondays and Thursdays."

And now...More about Kathy, in her own words.

I have a wonderful husband, Mike, and two children. John, age 22, is heading for med school and Jenny, age 18, is attending the U of M in Biology. I work from home in Rochester as a write and scrapbook tutor.

I have been scrapbooking for about 15 years. I have seen the hobby change from stickers and paper to chipboard and acrylics!

I love making mixed media pages of paper, fiber, metal, acrylics, rub-ons and my stash! I usually mix patterns and solids in a monochromatic scheme but it’s very 3-D!

My Fiskars 12 inch trimmer, small Fiskars scissors, easy stick adhesive, rub-ons, ribbon and metal are my very favorite scrapbook tools. For my essential snacks, I like to have Andes mints, licorice and regular Coke!

Believe in yourself and your artistic/creative decisions. Don’t fret. JUST DO IT! Tell your story. Enjoy the friendships. Enjoy the hobby.

I like VIP's inventory and the people there are fun. The workspace is great and if I need to get something to finish a page, it’s right there.

I scrapbook because I love genealogy. And as a life-long crafter and quilter, I have always enjoyed the creative hobbies. Scrapbooking allows me to combine telling my family stories, with working with crafty supplies and pretty papers. As an on-line teacher, scrapbook writer and organizational person, I can help others get going in the hobby, too. Preserve your memories your own way. I scrapbook for lots of reasons but the primary reason always boils down to the fact I love my family and want to tell our story.
"Why I Scrapbook" Side A"Why I Scrapbook" Side B

Jan & JerryIn honor of Valentine's month at VIP, we're excited to share with you our February Chick and Rooster of the month - Jan and Jerry! As you can tell by their photo, they're a treat to know and have as part of our VIP family.

Here's what Terri (VIP Head-Chick) has to say about Jan and Jerry:

Jan and Jerry have been coming to VIP since we first opened. I remember a few of my first discussions with them and was amazed to learn that Jerry scrapped with Jan. How cool is that? In our first year or two the "fancy scissors" were all the rage. Jerry would bring in examples of his handy work and he was and is the only person who could use those things with the expertise that made his work look like it was punched out!

Jan and Jerry are the envy of Jan's scrapbooking buddies, because he not only drives her to the store he helps with paper selection and heads on home to complete their pages.
As you can tell by looking at their picture, they are still in love with each other after all these years.

Jan and Jerry thanks for making VIP a part of your family!

Now let's hear from Jan.

We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in June 2000 and our three sons and their wives hosted a party for us at Somerby in Byron. Jerry is a retired schoolteacher and I worked in pre-school education. We live in Rochester and have been scrapbooking for 12 years.

When it comes to our scrapbooking style Jer likes to have everything very exact so I have to urge him to do something more creative.

Because of his need for things to be exact, he has to have a quilting ruler and mat.

For snacking on, Jerry has to have a cup of coffee nearby and a few of the Peanut Blossom cookies I make.

Our scrapbooking tip that we'd like to share? Live near the VIP store! And keep things organized and ready to go!

Our favorite thing about VIP is the people there. They are so helpful and friendly.

We scrapbook because we have fifty years of pictures that are so much more enjoyable when they are in books. Our kids and grandkids enjoy looking at them and remembering our family times together.
Bike Lesson - Side ABike Lesson - Side B

Terry and Matt
Terry has been a regular at VIP since we opened. One of my favorite memories was right before Christmas one year Terry was in shopping when she just happened to glance out the window to see her son and husband driving into the parking lot. She was so cute, she had to hide so they wouldn't see her because she didn't want to ruin their surprise for her. Terry and Matt will be leaving the area when they retire to the Atlanta area. A new house is in the works and they are planning on a dedicated scrap space. I love the way Matt comes in with Terry and has gotten involved in her passion.

The VIP Family is sad to see one of our own chicks-Ginger, fly away to California. Her organization and follow-up has been a gift around the store. This month we honor and thank Ginger for her dedication by making her our December Chick of the Month. She will be missed.

Here's more about what makes up Ginger.

Gene and I have been married 9 years. My daughter, Susan (27) is married to a great guy (Dusty) and expecting their first baby in April. We are thrilled to be grandparents! We are empty-nesters as far as animals, too…Buddy & Dakota (our horses) have found a new home; so as we are sad to see them go – we know that they are being loved and well cared for.

Jody BowerDuring this month of thanksgiving, we at VIP give thanks for our November Chick of the Month, Jody Bower.

Jody has been a part of the VIP family since we opened. She has faced life challenges including cancer with a smile. She has always been first in line to support worthwhile causes including Ronald McDonald House and volunteering at school just to name a few. Jody has been an inspiration to everyone she has met at VIP.

She is a ray of sunshine when she walks through the door - we will always be thankful to call Jody an extraordinary friend to VIP.

Let's learn more about what makes this Chick special below.

Eva KathmannEva was chosen as our October Chick of the Month because of her passion for scrapbooking, overcoming her challenge in seeing colors. During the past six years that she's been scrappin' at VIP, we've been fortunate to get to know Eva, her addiction to Gymboree, and her witty sense of humor.

She never lets her color blindnesses keep her from creating beautiful, multi dimensional works of love. Eva is an inspiration to many here at VIP. So if you don't think you're creative, good with patterns, or talented at matching colors, we hope Eva will inspire you to give scrapbooking a try!

Mary BethMary Beth Swallisch first started scrappin’ at VIP’s first location.

I remember at one crop she had a newborn at home with the other 4 kids. When it was time to nurse the baby, her husband would call the store and she would fly home to feed the baby and hurry back.

Why Mary Beth this month?

Mary Beth sustained a life altering car accident in April that has left her with severe complications. She has taught me to ALWAYS wear my seatbelt.

I know…I know…I should have been wearing it for years! Now when I get in my car, an image of Mary Beth flashes in my windshield and on goes the seatbelt.

Pam WobigI am married and have 2 sons; Scott and Adam. Scott is married with one child, Sklyar (8), who is the light of my life. She also loves VIP and scrapbooking. Adam is in sales and is getting married in September.

I was born and raised in Rochester.

I have been scrapbooking for 8 years…when I started there was only 8½ x 11 paper and stickers!

My scrapbook style...I am not sure if I really have a particular style. I love embellishments but just tend to go with the flow.

My favorite scrapbooking tool is my VIP portfolio. My biggest issue is to come up with a page idea, so I look through my VIP class pages and pull a little from several pages.