Friday, June 19, 2009

Challenge 129

Boy! I feel so inspired! This week's challenge is to use one of my favorite design concepts EVER! We will be showing how to use

Negative Space

The layouts will definitely inspire you and get your mojo going...Be sure to share your layouts with us. Find out the details in our 411 page. Also don't forget to scraplift Bethany's layouts before the end of the month...details for that fun contest HERE.




Friday, June 12, 2009

Challenge 128

We are inspired this week to use a sketch which the design team has used in different ways, we love that. :) Want to join in on the fun? Get the facts on our 411 page and join our flickr group! The more the merrier.

You can also win goodies if you lift one of Bethany's layouts (more info on the 411 page).


OK, on with the good stuff....

Friday, June 5, 2009

Challenge 127

This Friday marks the start of the new design team. That equals new ideas and change. We like change but we will miss the retired DT. We hope to 'see' you from time to time.
If anyone feels inspired by our challenges, join us! :) Everyone is welcome.
Check out our new 411 link for everything you need to know to play along.

The challenge this week is to use
FELT!

And we are in for a treat this week. There is so much inspiration it's radiating off the screen! Here we go...




Keandra

Gudrun

Tania D.

Keely

Marit

Carol
Check out the link at the top right for the challenge using Bethany's favourite layouts.


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

You've met her before...

here she is for another session, Carol Yeo! We're delighted to welcome Carol back for another session on the Lotus Paperie Design Team, she brings bright colors, balance and always lots of gorgeous layers of hand cut papers (oh, and don't forget the flowers!)

She gave us some great answers to the when we first got to know her at the beginning of her last session that started in December '08



Oh, and we can't forget to show you what Carol did with the Challenge sketch that was part of the Design Team Application. Great results, don't you think?!


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

A: This September, my husband and I celebrate out 10th wedding anniversary. I’m thrilled! Where work is concerned, I’m still working 3 days a week. My days off are filled with good intentions. Top of my list is to scrap, do several mini albums, crochet, cook for the family, go to the gym, download music for my iPhone… the list goes on. This year, my 4 yr old started preschool and I thought that would give me more time to scrap. Boy, was I mistaken! Added to the long list of things I try to accomplish on each of my sadly insufficient non-working days each week is now the added complication of dropping her off and picking her from school at certain times – a schedule guaranteed to keep me on my toes and in and out of the house all day as I work her in around the insanity that includes being chauffeur to my husband and 8 yr old son.

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

A: I did my first layout in January 2007. That was clearly a beginner effort. Gosh, I was so clueless then! In my blurb for the last DT session, I spoke about how a good friend of mine gave me an album filled with pages she’d scrapped herself for my birthday in 2006 and how that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of scrapbooking. To continue that story, when I visited Walt Disney World with my husband and son in November 2006, I chanced upon a clearance store in some factory outlet selling value packs of scrapbook paper, stamps, and other assorted embellishments. My mind boggled. I did not know that scrap supplies could be had at such bargain prices! Back home, our supplies are air flown from the US suppliers and that adds to the cost. So, I bought these supplies, came back home after my vacation, and that brings us right back to January 2007, where I started this paragraph.

Q:What inspires your creativity when you are scrapbooking?

A: As I’ve developed as a scrapper, I’ve found that the one thing that works most for me is a single theme, or idea. That could be a picture, a thought, a song title, a phrase… just about anything. Once I have it, I start developing that page, and I’ve found that my page just grows organically from there.

Q:Describe your creative style

A: I can tell you what I’m definitely not. I find it hard to scrap in a graphic style, and also hard to doodle i.e. freestyle. I tend towards shabby chic, the pearls, bling, laces, ribbon, flowers etc. I like chipboard embellishments, especially those with glitter! That said, I never start out a page thinking, hmmm, I’m going to showcase a specific style here, let’s try and use those pearls, bling etc. I just let my pages grow and see what comes out. I’ve been surprised before, especially those pages that come out ultra simple, but great. One thing which I think my pages are, however, is neat. My edges, even the distressed ones, are, well, for want of a better word, tidy. I didn’t set out for them to turn out that way, though! Heh.

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

A: I’ve noticed that I invariably ink every cut, torn or printed edge in my pages. So yes, inking would definitely be right up there. Another favourite product would be the small page pebbles from Robin’s Nest – I’ve been using them in quite a number of my pages recently, I love how the diverse range of colour in these pebbles together with the almost-but-not-quite-bling effect goes together perfectly to spice up the page. The other product I’m loving quite a bit right now are Prima flowers. They almost always have a spot on my page – I admit, I have a soft spot for flowers, both real and fake, so if you want to make my day, just send me a bunch!

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

A: I have to admit, where scrapbooking is concerned, only the weekly challenges at the moment. I finally finished the ‘crop’ page I mentioned in my last blurb, at a crop earlier this year. Guess I’ll just have to start another one! I am, however, midway through a crocheted scarf which I hope to have ready for my summer trip to the States. But that’s another story altogether.

Q:Describe your perfect day

A: With the sheer amount of things I have on my plate all the time, I think my perfect day right now would be one with an elastic clock – just so that I can stretch out time and get everything I want to get done finished before it’s bedtime. More realistically, I’ve had a couple of near perfect days in the past month or 2, usually on a Sunday, where the kids, husband and I head for our neighbourhood Starbucks and spend some time together, each doing our own thing. What an oxymoron, isn’t that? But truly, that was what happened. Hubby was on the computer, son was reading his book, daughter was watching a DVD on a portable player we brought along, and I was crocheting my scarf. All this while the world went by outside and we had frosty frappuccinos to go with it. Simply decadent.

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

A: My favourites at the moment have not changed since the last time.


Monday, June 1, 2009

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)?






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