Interview with a scrapbooker and cardmaker continued.

Made with the Dream Catcher Card Kit

What are your favourite materials?
My favourite materials are definitely stamps, patterned paper, ribbon, buttons, chipboard, fabric and bling.

What has been the most difficult aspect of your craft for you to learn?
To be honest the most difficult aspect would have to be planning a project. Being an aries my nature is impulsive and quick, most of my projects just come togther. This is mostly okay for cards because they are small and have more of a turnaround, but with scrapbooking I am tempted to do the same but really have to take a bit of time and plan the page before I stick it together and place it down, adjust things, leave it and then come back to it, until it looks right. So this has been hard because sometimes those impulsive pages don’t come out the way you plan but if they are already stuck down then its hard to move them around. So I do try to plan a little, not much, as it doesn’t really come naturally.

What do you find most rewarding about papercraft?
The most rewarding thing about papercrafting is that I get my creativity fix, but just making something beautfiul from a bunch of materials that on there own aren’t much. It’s a bonus when someone makes a nice comment about it. Its always great to get positive feedback, I think every artist can never have enough of that.

What is most important to you when you start designing a new kit?
The most important things about designing a new kit is to have items and colours that co-ordinate together on a finished page. Also to have a balance of different items to be able to use, papers, embellishments, rubs ons or stickers, an alphabet set etc. A bit of everything so you have what you need to put your pages or cards together.

Why would you suggest papercrafts to someone looking for a new hobby?
I would certainly recommend papercrafts to someone thinking about a new hobby, because everyone can do it at whatever level they feel comfortable. I have had customers come to me and say they are not creative yet at the end of a class they are amazed at the fact that with just a few little instructions and techniques their project is amazing. When you break down the process it makes every step easier. It’s a great hobby because you are creating a keepsake for your children, something they can read in years to come, about their lives. I would have loved to have had that now from my mum, snippets of what I was like as a kid as well as her thoughts and feelings at the time.

Made with the Candy Coated Garden kit

Have you got any advice for people that are considering it?
Advice for beginners would be to begin with a class so that you get the basics down pat, you will learn about tools and supplies, what you require etc and just even where to begin with setting up a page. Magazines are also good. Inspiration comes from everywhere.

I read on your website about a variety of other crafts you have done before, do any of them influence the work you do now?
Yes all the crafts I have done to date all influence my projects. I love to use paint here and there and love to use fabric. That’s the great thing about papercrafting you can use any skills on a page, even sewing embroidering, painting it all comes together in this one craft. Its great to have different talents, that’s how you create your style.

Can you describe your workspace?
My workspace is a spare room that doubles up as a computer room and crafting room. I have lots of storage space and a big desk. I store on my desk all the essentials that generally get used for every project, like inkpads, double sided tape, markers, paper cutter etc. Then in my draws and shelves everything is divided down, ie ribbons are together in a basket, stamps are together on a shelf, papers are inpaper holders, in brands etc. The only way to keep order is to group things together.

If you could change it, what would you do?
If I could change my workspace I would have a room with more sunlight as it doesn’t get the sunilight so it would be nice to have a brighter room and I would have more storage included in the room, you can never have enough storage I say.

Papercraft interview continued on next page
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