FEATURED DESIGNER: Ann Seleshanko

For Ann Seleshanko, loving the Canadian Rockies is part of who she is. Living close to the mountains is a bonus for this history buff and Mom of 2 boys, ages 8 and 11. Married to hubby Darren for 13 years, Ann has been a part of the Sketches: Creatively Yours Team since early 2009, and Senior Designer here since later that year. 

Ann Seleshanko
S:CY Senior Design Team Member

 A scrapbooker for 13 years and a cardmaker for 9, Ann says “I’m totally addicted.” She has also been passing her love of the craft on to others, saying ”I’ve been teaching off and on for 7 years. I have taught mini book classes, layout classes & card classes.”
She adds, “Cardmaking is where I have my real fun. I love to sit and make cards for hours. I make a lot of cards for friends and family.” Ann’s Copic markers are a fave tool. She is a Copic Certified Designer and says her cards "just don’t feel complete" without a Copic-coloured image to top them off.

"Thank You" card designed and created by
S:CY Senior DT Member Ann Seleshanko

Ann’s linear style is crisp, with a clear focus placed on her photographs. In Ann’s own words, her scrapbooking style is “very clean without a lot of clutter.” She also mentioned me that patterned paper and stamps are her scrappy weaknesses.

She told me that she is often able to include her children Ryan and Kyle in her hobby by “asking them about patterned paper choices” which she says they love to give their opinions on. “The boys are the subject of most of my layouts,” says Ann.

Ann names scrapbook celebrity Ali Edwards as having influenced her scrapbooking approach, stating “it’s not so much her scrapping style that has inspired me but her philosophy to embrace your own style and that ‘it’s ok’. I have also recently found Lain Ehmann and love her Layout a Day classes. ( http://www.layoutaday.com/ ) The classes prompt you to do so much more scrapbooking.”

When I asked her to name her favourite brand of patterned paper, Ann gave three: Echo Park, Basic Grey and Little Yellow Bicycle. Ann says that her favourite part of creating cards and SB pages is “probably picking papers. I love my patterned paper and love to sift through it to find the right paper for a project.” (Sound familiar?? LOL)
This gal has four go-to cardstock colours. All are from Bazzill. They are White bazzill (textured), Cream puff, Kraft and Java. Ann told me “I’m always using these.”

"Do I know You?" layout created byS:CY Senior Design Team Member Ann Seleshanko
(Note: This was Ann's "LOAD" Day 13 layout for
the May 2011 Layout a Day class w/ Lain Ehmann.)

In terms of products and tools, Ann likes her Copic markers, her ATG Adhesive Gun, her sewing machine, and lately- pearls have made the fave list! Stamps too-- Magnolia, Kraftin' Kimmie and CC Designs are her favourites. She confides that she "can't pick just one!" 

Ann does have a preferred size for her scrappy pages, saying “I tend to scrap in mostly 12x12 format but I am starting to branch out.” She works well-ahead of deadlines and I can testify without a doubt that she is amazing at meeting them. As she puts it “I don’t like to feel rushed.”

I asked Ann about how she feels with the idea of “being caught up” or “up to date” with layouts/pages and photos. She immediately replied “It used to bother me, it doesn’t any more. I just scrap what I want when I want. Scrapbooking is supposed to be fun- the minute it becomes a chore for me it’s time to pack it in.” Her approach must be working: Ann has been published in Canadian Scrapbooker and Cards magazine, and has served on multiple Design Teams.

As you’ve probably deduced, Ann is well-organized. She has a few methods of keeping her small scrappy items safely stashed... for example, she keeps her buttons in clear bins that she can sort through, while her brads are in little containers that she can see the contents of at a glance. Moving on to lace and ribbon, Ann told me that she sorts and stores it in clear plastic bags that she can easily hang on her ‘Clip it Up.’ Layouts are sorted by themes such as Christmas, Halloween, seasons, etc…

"Christmas at the Lake" layout created by
S:CY Senior Design Team Member Ann Seleshanko 
(Note: This was Ann's "LOAD" Day 9 layout for
the May 2011 Layout a Day class w/ Lain Ehmann.)

 Ann loves mini albums and likes to share them with others. She told me that “I store them here and there, but keep most of them in a basket in our family room so people can look through them.” In order to make her scrappin’ time really count, Ann tries to “only scrap if I’m motivated and inspired. If it’s not ‘coming’ to me I step away from my desk and come back later.”

In terms of sketches, Ann says “I love sketches as a starting point for creating. I love how one sketch can take on so many different forms.” Sketching a monthly card “idea map” for us here at S:CY has become Ann’s trademark contribution since she became Senior Designer in October 2009. It also provides a welcome break for me! ;)

 Here is one of my fave S:CY card sketches from Ann...

March 10, 2010 card sketch created by
S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

And, here's a surprise for you: One of Ann's layout sketches from her time as S:CY Guest Sketch Artist!


Nov 25, 2009  LO Sketch by
 S:CY Guest Sketch Artist Ann Seleshanko

Here's Ann's sketch interpretation, featuring her favourite season, autumn:

"Autumn Splendour" created by
S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

When I asked her about scrapbooking quirks, Ann described herself as a “neat freak” and said: “I have to clean up after every project or I just can’t get focused on the next one!”

Ann has many hobbies…like baking. Just a couple of weekends ago, she made Banana Cream and Chocolate Cream pies for a potluck that she, Darren and the kids attended with friends. I can testify that she has good recipes, too: her lasagna recipe is now an A+ fave at our place. (I'll post  it on the S:CY Facebook page for you.)

Ann  also likes to make her own jams and jellies, and if life ever slows down, a return to quilting is in the overall plan! She's begun to dabble in photography and would eventually like to take some courses. Ann volunteers at her boys’ school and among other things, has played a big role in fundraising activities for a new playground this year.

I am so happy to count Ann among my close friends (we talk pretty much every day and did Lain Ehmann's LOAD together TWICE), and I'm ever so thankful to have her alongside me as our Senior Designer here at S:CY. She helps make things MUCH more creatively fun!

Thanks for letting us have a peek into your scrappy world, Ann!  

Ann’s blog can be found HERE. Be sure to visit and enjoy!