January 2012 Featured Designer: Pink Reptile Designs

What inspired me was the fact that lately I really need to write down stuff to make sure I don’t forget: a dentist appointment, birthdays, little errands, you know…things like that. It put my focus on how important I think it is to be able to write. Of course as scrappers, we know how meaningful it is to be able to preserve memories for later generations by writing them down and making a gorgeous page of it, illustrate the story with photos and emphasize the mood with elements. However, just being able to write down an appointment on a calendar so you don’t forget is truly awesome when you stop and think about it!

What is your favorite part or element of the kit?

I really, really love the way the kit turned out and am quite smitten with the overall look and feel of it. So if you twist my arm for an answer, I think I would say the fresh, yet warm, color palette.

How long have you been designing?

I have always been very creative, even as a child I would make crochet cup and saucers for my barbie dolls (something my grandmother taught me), I drew, painted, knitted, etc. I started paper scrapping in 2004 whilst trying to come to terms with the death of our first dog Kenzo and fell head over heels in love with this hobby because it gave me the opportunity to put all my creative quirks into it. I’ve put handmade knitted items on layouts, I’ve machine stitched, hand stitched and painted on layouts, you name it and I have probably done it.

In March 2009 I officially turned digital and I loved having this whole new field of techniques and styles to learn and experiment with! Then, in October of that same year the Zig Zag Scrap team gave me the opportunity to even further broaden my creative horizon, this time as a designer. I was over the moon!

Although I still need to feel paper and/or fabric from time to time I have to say that I couldn’t be happier with this clutter-free hobby! Besides a creative outlet, it brought me a whole world of digital friendships, too! Friends that I cherish just as much as the ones I have in real life.

What program(s) do you use?

I mostly use Photoshop CS5 (64bit) and Illustrator CS5. On rare occasions, I also use my WACOM Graphire Bluetooth tablet.

What inspires you?

Well, actually I get inspired by the world around me. Anything can trigger my creative juices: a song I hear on the radio, a pattern on a napkin or skirt, a topic in a magazine or a magazine cover, a conversation I hear, you name it. Pinterest is a favorite source of inspiration at the moment. [I have] tons of inspirational pictures at my disposal with just a click of the mouse. So, I guess I should say that ‘everyday life’ is my biggest inspiration. On top of that I get brilliant suggestions on kit themes by my fabulous [creative-team] members!<

If you’re running low on design mojo, where do you go to kick-start your creativity?

If I am low on mojo the first thing I do is check my journal. This is where I write down themes and ideas for future kits. Plus, I will always check my ideas folder that is stacked with inspirational images found on the Internet. If all this doesn’t help, I will ask CT members, my best friend and my sister if they have any ideas.

How much time do you allocate to designing in a typical week?

I answer and write e-mails, chat, Facebook and let’s not forget browse Pinterest while I am designing or making a layout. I need to multi-task. Don’t ask me why because I truly don’t know but it’s what I do and what works best for me. It makes it kind of hard to say what time I spend on designing. I can tell you this, when I get home from work I start with a little bit of homework, make dinner, eat it, do the dishes and after that I turn on the computer and that’s where I’ll be for most of my evenings and actually also the weekends. DH works in a theatre and that means lots of Saturdays and Sundays. That’s how I get away with it!

What’s your favorite snack to have handy while you design?

That would be chocolate.

What book are you reading right now?

The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. I read the books last year and recently lend them to my sister so she could read them. I just got them back and I am reading them again because they are awesome!

What magazines do you subscribe to (scrap and non-scrap related)?

I have a subscription to a lifestyle magazine because, besides scrapbooking, I love to cozy up our home.

Slippers or barefoot?

Flip flops! I wear them all summer and in winter I wear boots. No regular shoes for me apart from special occasions. One of my many quirks I guess.

Favorite T.V. show?

[My] favorite T.V. shows are House, Stargate Atlantis, Will and Grace and Bones.

Where is the farthest you have been from home?

That would be my vacation to the Dominican Republic. My first and only jet lag when we got back.

What is your favorite quote?

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

I would love to be able to beam myself from one place to another. No more driving cars for hours, taking a plane, train or boat. I [could] just cross my arms, wiggle my nose and I am there where I want to be in seconds, safe and sound. Wouldn’t that be awesome! I could pay a visit to my digi-friends at the other end of the world and be back home in time for dinner! If only I could……

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