Meet Bethany!

What do you mean it's June already? Where the heck did May go? I'm sure it was just here...but now POOF! It's gone. Doncha love how when were were kids time seemed to move so slow (like molasses in January) and now it's more like, "What do you mean it's Christmas in a week? Didn't we just do Christmas?!" Anyone out there relate?? LOL

So we're in the midst of all kinds of change around here! We're working with a new team of designers and had to say goodbye to the last group, additionally we're welcoming our newest Monthly Guest Designer, Bethany Kartchner! We're thrilled to have her on board for June and can't wait to show you her wicked style!

And we know how much you love free stuff so be sure to check out her 3 fave layouts of all time (shown below) and upload the link to your scraplift in the comments section. Who knows, YOUR layout could win!

This is the winning scraplift of Amy's layouts. April Yap is the lucky winner! Congrats! Be sure to email us at (info at lotuspaperie dot com) with your mailing info so we can ship out your exclusive, Limited Edition Couture Collection!


Q:Tell us a bit about you and your family.

A: I’m a domestic engineer: mother, wife, nurse, nutritionist, non-professional organizer, maid, interior decorator, fashion consultant, chef, landscaper, do-it-yourself-er, seamstress, taxi-driver, secretary, teacher, personal shopper, hair stylist, mixed-media artist, scrapper, did I miss anything? to a very busy family of 5 sweet children, 2 highly-shedding dogs and a great husband of 10 years. My oldest daughter will be 8 in July and my youngest son is 7 months old. (And no, I’m not done yet!)

Q: How long have you been scrapbooking and where did you get your start in this craft?

A: I’ve been scrapbooking for over 13 years! Long before it got popular. (I’m no fair-weather fan, people.) I got started after a summer internship in Belgium. I really wanted to preserve every single moment of that experience. I didn’t get really serious about it until a little over a year ago when I discovered the big world of designing and online forums. Wow, that changed my life forever.

Q:What inspires your creativity when you are scrapbooking?

A: I find inspiration in almost everything: children’s books, candy colors, fashion, technique books, other artists, challenge blogs, you name it, I like it!

Q: Describe your creative style

A: I’d say I’m whimsical freestyle. I bounce around a lot, but I love layouts with some doodling, some cuteness and bright happy colors.

Q: What are your three favorite products/techniques right now?

A: Hmmmm. This is tough.
Products:
1. Chipboard (I love the dimension and versatility),
2. Stamps (an old stand-by that never lets me down),
3. Colored Pencils (I love these for adding color to my doodles!) Can I add just one more thing? My charcoal pencil. I love the soft edge it adds.

Techniques:
1. Painting: I’m totally into paint right now. I used to be afraid of it, but I decided that I wanted to get better so I’ve been practicing…a lot.
2. Doodling: LOVE it! And YES, you can do it! I’m certainly no MC Escher!
3. Distressing. It is so fun to make something new and shiny look worn and tired. Hehehe

Q: What project(s) are you currently working on?

A: Gosh, I’ve always got many many projects in the works. Right now, I’m working on a few skirts for myself, an art journal page and a few layouts. No wonder I feel stretched sometimes!

Q: Describe your perfect day

A: As a stay-at-home mother, I’m living the life I always wanted so my perfect day would be a regular day just with 10 extra hours added on. Oh, and I’d have magic powers. I would wiggle my nose and my floors would be clean, all the windows would be fingerprint free, the fridge would be sanitary, and the toys would be organized and tidy so I’d have time to play more. On my magical-extra-extended-perfect-day, I would definitely scrap a lot and I’d eat dessert all day long and never gain a pound. Can the magic thing extend to more than just one day please?

Q: What are your three favorite layouts of all time that you’ve created (published or not)?