November 2011 Featured Designer: Captivated Visions

What is your favorite part or element of the kit?
I adore this kit. Anything that is illustrated on a craft texture and then lovingly distressed makes me happy, so I’ll go with the unique craft elements that I had so much fun creating!

How long have you been designing?
I’ve been dabbling in design for three or four years in total. I discovered and have been designing in the digital scrapbooking community since May 2009.

What program(s) do you use?
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CS3

What part of designing comes easiest to you (themes, colors, papers, elements)?
Its natural for me to always start my design with patterns and papers and they set the tone for the rest of the kit. I really get into my groove when making elements and that’s the most enjoyable part for me.

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

Pinterest is my new dirty pleasure! I see so much over there that is artful and creative that I can’t help but get inspired, so that’s my first point of call for adding to my inspiration folder.

What project are you working on now (or next)?
I’m a busy bee at the moment for sure! I am re-building my website and giving it a much needed make-over with an interactive home page and better overall navigation. I’m finalizing my goals and schedule for 2012 with the help of some of my fans who are involved in my feedback programme. I’m also getting ready for Digiscrapapalooza 2012 in Vegas!

How much time do you allocate to designing in a typical week?
I’d be afraid to add it up, he he! Captivated Visions is my full time business so all of my working week and often evenings are devoted to my little empire! That includes the running of the business as well though–admin duties, planning etc. I would say I spend at least three full days each week in actual design work at minimum!

What is your biggest tip for balancing design time with your personal scrapping time?
I make time for me! You have too or you’ll go crazy!
 I try to work at weekends only when it’s really necessary, so I make time for myself to have personal scrapping time at the weekends. Scrapping really helps me to wind down and lets me express my creativity with no restrictions or pressures related to my work. I’m also lucky to be a freelance layout artist for some of my close digi friends, so who can resist fun new goodies to scrap with?! I find that being part of a creative team helps to give me a little nudge to make time for myself and it helps to keep me scrapping on a regular basis. The designers I create for are very understanding of the time I have available to scrap so it’s a no-pressure gig!

What is the latest you’ve ever stayed up to finish a design or scrap?
Two or even three a.m.!

Slippers or barefoot?
Barefoot.

Where is the farthest you have been from home?

I got married in Mauritius and that was a twelve-hour flight from the UK so that’s the farthest I’ve ever been! My trip to Digiscrapapalooza in Vegas next year will be the farthest I’ll have ever been on my own, eek!

Which would you pick…more money or more time?
More time for sure! (Hmmm I could make more money if I had more time too!)

Rachel Jeffries
Captivated Visions
Store | Blog | Newsletter
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

November’s Gold Kit:
Let Today Be Enough

Want this kit?

Become a DST Gold Member to get
it and eleven more over the
next year!