Designer Spotlight: Jenni Hufford

Hello everyone!! My name is Jenni Hufford and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana (Go Colts!) . I have lived in Indy all of my life, except for when I attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. I graduated from Purdue in May of 2001 with a BA in Communications with an Art and Design and English minors. My husband Todd also went to Purdue however, we did not meet until two days after 9-11 at a prayer meeting at our church. It was so ironic to meet my future husband during such a difficult time for our country. We were engaged only six months later, and then married in November of 2002.

After I graduated from college, I worked in the marketing department of my family’s insurance agency and oversaw the Christian Foundation of IN, a non-profit foundation that aides the acute financial needs of Christian School teachers. It was very rewarding to invest my time in developing this foundation, as I attended a Christian school from Kindergarten until 12th Grade.

Todd and I have two children, Jonah James who just turned four in January, and Jordan Nicole who will turn two in late February. I now stay home with Jonah and Jordan, and find that life is just as busy (if not more!:) being a stay at home mommy.

Some of my hobbies include photography, cooking with my husband, traveling, spending time with friends, and of course, scrapbooking.

What is your favorite color combo?
As a child I could never decide on my favorite color, it was always changing. But right now I am really enjoying greens and yellow combos and orange and turquoise combos. However, that may change tomorrow!

What is your favorite scrapbooking supply?
I have a patterned paper FETISH. I am seriously obsessed and my scrapbook stash can attest to this 🙂 Aside from my love of patterned paper, I ALWAYS use Tim Holtz’s Distressing Inks on my layouts and projects, and punches are a close second. It’s amazing how these two items can make such a difference in a design!

Why do you scrapbook and how did you get started?
My mom scrapbooked while I was in school. As a high school graduation gift, she surprised me and gave me three scrapbooks that documented my life up until that point. I will always remember looking through those books for the first time and devouring every page. I had always enjoyed making my own memory books and collages growing up, but it wasn’t until my son was born that I began officially scrapbooking. When he was born, he spent an unexpected 2 weeks in the NICU. Thankfully, everything turned out fine, and he went home a completely healthy boy, but it was such an emotional experience and “grew up” so much during those two weeks. Recording my thoughts became very therapeutic for me. And of course I wanted to start recording his life for HIM just as my mom did for me. Ever since then, I was hooked.

Do you record every moment or just special ones?
When Jonah was an infant I scrapbooked every moment. Scrapbooking soon became more of a chore than something I enjoyed. I am now more interested in telling stories, and recording the moments I want to remember, and preserving the moments I want my children to remember. So it pretty much ends up being a mixture of every day moments and the special milestone moments that I record.
Who inspires you?
There are so many incredible designers who inspire me. I LOVE visiting blogs and galleries for inspiration. There are so many I visit and I truly find inspiration at each and every one, but if I had to narrow it down, I would say that I have three favorite designers. One of the first designers who inspired me when I first started scrapbooking, and still today, is Ali Edwards. Her thought process and focus on the story is truly inspirational. I am also inspired by the amazing designs of Christine Middlecamp; her attention to detail is phenomenal. I am just in awe of every layout and project she designs, she is crazy talented. And finally, I just adore the vintage -y , classic style of Stephanie Howell. Her photography, designs, and journaling are breathtaking.

What is your favorite thing about scrapbooking?
Oh wow- my favorite thing about scrapbooking? Well, let’s just say it’s so much more than just a “hobby” to me. My favorite thing about scrapbooking would be that I am able to record the stories and memories that mean the most to me. I love the design aspect of scrapbooking and the excitement of creating something new. I love all the fun products out there. I love that scrapbooking has inspired me to learn and develop my skills in photography and journaling. I love the scrapbooking community and all the fun and interesting people I have met through this amazing industry.

Thank you so much, Jenni, for sharing your story, scrap room and beautiful layouts with us today! It was so fun getting to learn more about you and your family. We truly feel so lucky to have you apart of our design team!

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