CarolW Designs

CarolW has been a GingerBread Lady for s few years already, but this is her FIRST Designer Spotlight! She wanted to make up for lost time, so our conversation went on for a while… We touched on a LOT of stuff, so maybe you should grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in. What I’m going to share with you is fascinating.

J: Carol, I’m so happy to see you in the Spotlight this month! I think you’ve been a bit of a mystery lady to most of us, so this is your chance to tell us what you’d like us to know. How about we start with what brought you to digital designing.

C: In 2009, while browsing the web by chance, I came across a scrapbook that I found quite magical. Since then, I have been crazy about it, and this is what I have persisted in for the longest time. I like making templates. Later, my mother told me that maybe I could try making templates and let more people use them. So I began my career in design.

J: [Please excuse the formatting snafus. WordPress isn’t playing nice today.] Oh, so you and I were cutting our teeth on digital scrapbooking around the same time! Where do you find your inspiration?

C: I usually think about which theme a color is more suitable for based on the color palette.

J: I think along the same lines, mentally sorting through my photos and kits to decide the basis for a layout. Do you have a favourite palette?

C: I like yellow, purple and bright color schemes.

J: I’ve never loved yellow, sorry… but I can definitely go along with the brights. What do you do when you’re in a creative rut? Do you have a place where inspiration just appears?

C: In parks or forests, I enjoy looking at any plants and flowers in nature and breathing fresh air. This way, my inspiration will come.

J: Who doesn’t feel better after being outside in nature? It’s a proven antidepressant! Is that why many of your collections have natural themes?

C: Yes, I prefer the themes of the nature series. I think nature can adapt to any occasion.

J: That’s so true. Is there a season or occasion you like to design for more than any other?

C: I like autumn designs. I think the colors of autumn are the most beautiful.

J: Hallowe’en is about my favourite time of year, so I agree with you. Do you like designing papers, or elements, or some other digital item most?

C: I love to design elements. For each one, I want to do it better. I keep comparing how to make it the most suitable and the most attractive.

J: That attention to detail is pretty obvious! Your designs are instantly recognizable and are always flawless. Is there a style or trend you’d like to try but haven’t found the courage to yet?

C: Graffiti style, collage style. I’ve always wanted to try, but I feel that I just can’t do them well no matter what.

J: I understand that better than you know. Grunge is hard to get right. I don’t think I can envision anything so gritty with your name attached to it. Can I ask how you came to your design brand?

C: It comes from my English name. My name only has a Chinese version. My surname is WEN. My English name, Carol, comes from my English teacher. She gave it to me when I was in primary school. I have been using this for so many years. The suffix “W” indicates that this is my surname: WEN.

J: Ah, that makes sense! I had a friend in nursing school who came to Canada from Beijing after the events at Tiananmen Square. She adopted an anglicized version of her name too, in order to fit in. I often wonder where she ended up. I hope she’s had a soft landing. How do you manage all the things you have to fit into your day, between designing, other commitments and personal stuff?

C: Every morning when I rest, I usually go to buy some things for my mother that she needs. After lunch, I started designing. Around four o’clock in the afternoon, I stop because I can’t sit in front of the computer for too long, or my head hurts. After dinner, I will go
shopping with my mother, or go with friends, or go to the movies.

J: That sounds like a nicely balanced routine you have. Do you have any advice to give someone who is new to digital design, or who is thinking about jumping in?

C: Perseverance and passion are gifts. Stay fresh forever!

J: Boy, does that last sentence ever resonate with me. So, enough about “work”. Like you, it makes my head hurt. Let’s talk about something fun! How do you unwind after a busy day?

C: I play games or watch my favorite TV series. I watched it with my father. Lying on the sofa, I poured a glass of ice water and discussed the plot and characters of the TV drama with my father. That feeling was extremely comfortable!

J: That sounds so cozy! I like being completely alone when I’m feeling stressed, and because I’m almost never completely alone, it’s a real treat. I’m going to put a sign on my studio door that says, “DO NOT DISTURB the CRAFTER. She may decide to hurt you.” My husband always seems to know when I’m trying a new technique or medium for the first time and throws me right off. Is there a hobby you’d like to try but haven’t yet?

C: Surfing, I’ve always wanted to try surfing once. I live in an inland area far from the sea, with no ocean around. When I travel, I always choose places with the sea, but I get seasick. So I have never gone surfing even once. So I really want to give it a try.

J: I think riding a surfboard is different from being in a boat. I don’t know that it would cause seasickness – your brain would be too involved in trying to stay on the board! Any surfers reading this want to weigh in? Let’s backtrack for a second. You mentioned a favourite TV show… what is it?

C: Criminal Minds. I really love this TV drama so much.

J: Oh, I LOVE it too! One of our daughters does a similar job for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but she says it’s not glamourous and they don’t have a private plane to fly around in. She’s also never arrested anyone and doesn’t carry a weapon. She always watched shows like Criminal Minds when she was growing up, and now that she’s living it, she prefers John Hughes movies instead. She watches Home Alone EVERY year at Christmas. Do you have a movie you could watch over and over and not be bored?

C: The Jurassic series. I like Jurassic Park and I also like Jurassic World!

J: My son loves those! Let’s play What If… If you could have any pet, real or imaginary, what would it be?

C: Dinosaurs!! I am very fond of paleontology and history. When I was in college, I really wanted to study archaeology, but that was rejected by my parents. I live in Japan and I really enjoy watching programs on paleontology and history. I also like visiting museums. I think dinosaurs are very magical animals! They are wonderful.

J: I should have seen that coming. 😀 If you could teleport to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

C: Egypt, I like Egypt very much, although I have never been there once. I want to see the pyramids. I want to see the mummies. I think that’s a very magical place. But because it was so far away from me, my plan never succeeded.

J: Coulda predicted that answer too. 😉 Don’t give up on your dreams! You never know when opportunity will knock. If you could live in a fictional universe, which one would you choose?

C: I want to go to Pandora. Yes, that’s because I watched the movie Avatar. I think Pandora would be extremely beautiful!

J: I think it would be too. I’ve never actually seen the movie; don’t the inhabitants of Pandora have um… special skills that you’d have to learn? Is there an Earth-bound skill you’d like to learn?

C: Driving. In fact, because of the car accident in 2015, I have never learned to drive. Even though I have fully recovered now, I still haven’t learned. I’m worried that when I’m studying, I might use the accelerator instead of the brake… This is really terrifying.

J: Yeah. It’s always a possibility, but it usually happens to elderly people. I do a lot of driving and I think soon I’ll be doing ALL of it. Hubby’s heading for the “elderly” realm. 😉 He’s kinda scary… Let’s flip this around. What flavour of ice cream would you be?

C: Vanilla. It has a fresh scent and is very gentle.

J: It’s uncomplicated. I’d want to be tiger tail… licorice and orange. It was my favourite as a child, and I haven’t had it in a LONG time. I have three tubs of ice cream in the freezer and none of them is exciting, just delicious. Do you have a favourite comfort food?

C: Noodles. Here, many people think that noodles can nourish our bodies and our spirits. Noodles are a very warm and nourishing food, so I think noodles can comfort me at any time.

J: Noodles are universal, aren’t they? Most cultures have them in some form. Now I’m hungry… Maybe we should wrap up. I’ll fill our readers in on the Spotlight particulars and link ’em up with the goodies. Thanks so much for your patience! Have a wonderful August.

Have you seen the sneak peek for Carol‘s Daily Download? Check this out!

Go figure… yellow and nature! Everything in Carol‘s Store is 40% off this month AND she has a coupon.

Of course, Carol is also hosting one of this month’s Designer Spotlight Challenges, in addition to her usual Daily Download Challenge. Between Carol and Neia, you could get in a quarter of the Challenges needed to earn the GingerBread Ladies‘ MEGA Seaside Serenity.

What are you waiting for? 😀

Neia Scraps

For our first Spotlight this month, I chatted with Neia, or Neia Scraps as she’s known in the GingerScraps Store. She’s sharing the Spotlight with CarolW, and I’ll share our (very lengthy) chat with you tomorrow.

I think we’ve all caught glimpses of Neia‘s sense of humour before, but this time she didn’t hold back. 🙂 You’ll see what I mean…

J: Neia, it’s been awhile since our last visit In that time you’ve been VERY productive!! Last time we talked I told you how much I love the way your design style has evolved, and I followed that up with buying something like a dozen complete collections. I’ll tell you, the Daily Download has me drooling. But now I’m wondering, how do you make it all work? Designing, commitments, family and personal time… how do you make it fit?

N: With coffee, good playlists, and a lot of controlled chaos. Sometimes I design while waiting for the pasta to boil. Multitasking queen.

J: I used to be really good at that, but since I retired, I’ve started to slip. 90% of the time it doesn’t matter, though. What do you most enjoy about how GingerScrappers (and others) use your designs to create their layouts?

N: It’s like watching someone decorate with things you love — but even better!

J: Remind me again, how did get into digital scrapbook designing in the first place?

N: Accidentally. One download turned into a hobby, then a passion… then 5,000 layers later, here we are!

J: Uh… I’m pretty sure it’s WAY more than 5,000. You don’t skimp on your kits by any definition! Let’s play “what if” for a few minutes. What would you choose if you could learn any new skill instantly?

N: Sword fighting. Not useful at all in real life, but imagine how cool I’d feel.

J: OMG!! I have this mental picture of you dressed like one of the Musketeers now! I’m probably always going to see that image when I think of you. My son-in-law teaches fencing, but I didn’t see you in the white jumpsuit. Nope, the knee-high boots, full-sleeved white shirt, vest and scabbard. And you look MAHVELOUS! To sort of stick with the fantasy theme, if you could be any age for a week, how old would you be?

N: Maybe 25 — young enough to eat pizza at midnight, old enough to know that was a terrible idea.

J: Hmm. when I was 25, I already had three kids. I wasn’t even seeing midnight. Ever. And the one time I ate pizza while nursing my son, he screamed the entire next day. Definitely a terrible idea! 😀 In a similar vein, if you could time travel, which way would you go? (I, of course, would go back and skip the pizza.)

N: I’d go to the future just far enough to see if someone finally invented self-cleaning laundry. Priorities.

J: Hahahahaha! That would be amazing! I have four loads waiting for me to get it into the machine. Maybe tomorrow. 😉 I’ll have to get the dog to move though. She’s sleeping in the doorway. If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose?

N: A spoiled house cat. Naps, snacks, and dramatic staring? Sounds like my kind of schedule.

J: Oh, my… yes! Bonus for me is hubby is allergic to cats, so he’d let me scrap in peace. He’s already bugging me about what’s for supper. I don’t know. It’s pretty hot so I won’t be grilling. Maybe it’s a mac-and-cheese day. What’s your favourite comfort food?

N: A warm bowl of homemade soup with bread. Bonus if I didn’t have to make it.

J: I make really good soup, but usually only do it in the fall. I won’t ever let hubby eat soup in a restaurant. The slurping would be embarrassing. I mean… it’s so LOUD! What was your most embarrassing moment?

N: I waved back at someone who wasn’t waving at me. Then tried to play it off by fixing my hair. Oscar-worthy recovery.

J: Too funny! I’ve done that, but instead of trying for the Oscar, I just put my head down and changed direction. You’re braver than me! So now I’m gonna talk about business. I won’t mind if you wander away.

Business? Well, I already mentioned the Daily Download. There’s only a Sneak Peek on the Blog, but I have an image of the full kit, and it’s FABULOUS!

There’s a coordinating mini-kit and some messy edges in the Shop. Of course, I have to have it all. If you’re in a rush and can’t wait for the DD, the entire collection is in the Shop. Half price, too!

This month, everything in her shop is 45% off—or even more on bundles!
And here’s a little bonus: spend $20 or more and get an extra 10% off at checkout. Use the coupon: NEIA-SL202510

Neia is hosting one of the August Designer Spotlight Challenges. Click on the underlined text to see what she’s up to. (ANY text that’s in bold and underlined in my Blog posts will be hyperlinked.) This is in addition to her regular, monthly My Memories Challenge. She’s so busy…………………………

Be sure to check out the Summer Scrap-a-Thon that started yesterday. The mega-kit reward for 20 Challenges is going to make you so thirsty! Check back tomorrow to meet CarolW.

Aimee Harrison

This month we again have TWO Designers in the Spotlight. Many of you already know Aimee, or have used her amazing designs, and she’s been in the Spotlight before, so our little chat took a bit of a meandering path. How so? You’ll see!

J: Aimee! It’s good to chat with you again. I apologize in advance if you hear my son cacking in the background. Things are still not back to normal here and he’s spending all his time with Mom. I’ve got a movie on for him and he’s nothing if not easily amused. Last time we visited, we talked about all the meat-and-potatoes stuff related to your designing, so this time, let’s do something a bit more informal. You okay with that? Oh wait… there are a couple of design-related things I wanted to ask about… Do you have a favourite theme or occasion that you always turn to when you’re designing?

A: I love to design flower types, I never run out.

J: Your flowers are always so gorgeous! You’ve clearly had lots of practice creating them. Do you have a favourite season or holiday that you MUST design for?

A: Spring because I love the colors and new growth.

J: I love all the seasons for different reasons, but spring is special, isn’t it? There’s so many ways you can portray spring and spring-like subjects, and still have it be relevant and coherent. You mentioned flowers and colour… do you have any design routines or rituals you follow when you start designing a new collection?

A: I am very methodical in my designing. I design the packs first in a certain order, then I design the kit and each portion is designed in order as well. Makes sure I have a well rounded kit and collection.

J: It makes sense to have a formula of sorts, to make sure you don’t forget an important aspect of the collection. Do you think you have a signature element or technique that makes people know instantly that YOU designed something?

A: I think it’s my titles both in the kit and as a standalone pack. Also probably my Alphas.

J: I know your titles are a great feature, especially for the new-to-digi Scrapper who might not be ready to design their own. And I LOVE a nice, matching Alpha!! The literal alpha, although there are some very fine Alpha men out there. 😉 Especially in those superhero movies I’ve been watching with Adam. If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would you choose?

A: Harry Potter, I would love how convenient magic is.

J: As long as you could control it completely, it sure would be convenient. Do you have a TV or movie guilty pleasure?

A: I do. It’s Outlander.

J: Mmmmhmmmm. Speaking of Alpha males! Although Brianna holds her own. Strong genes. She and Clare have had to adapt to such huge shifts in technology but they make it look easy. If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would you want it to be?

A: How to paint. I would love to be able to do watercolors especially.

J: Watercolour painting is fascinating. The way the colour moves with the water on the paper, and how it can be turned into something beautiful with just a few strokes… I could watch watercolour videos all day! Oh, and alcohol inks, They’re really interesting too. Lately I’ve been watching some how-to videos on my tablet while I get myself into the bedtime zone. I find I can turn off all the intrusive thoughts by concentrating on the processes. How do you unwind?

A: I like to read.

J: That would be my idea of a perfect day, to stay in bed and read.

A: I would live in pajamas if I could. For sure!

J: One thing I can’t do near bedtime though is listen to music. I find myself singing the lyrics in my head, over and over and sleep goes out the window. The other night I sang the entire eight minutes and forty-two seconds of American Pie. In my head. I think that would be my go-to if I ever did another karaoke night. Do you have one of those?

A: Jolene, by Dolly Parton, I believe. I don’t sing karaoke very often because I’m terrible lol.

J: I didn’t say I was good, just that I know all the lyrics. 😀 Karaoke is Adam’s favourite part of his day program. He makes up for his lack of talent with great enthusiasm. Speaking of Adam, I think his movie is over. I should check on him, I suppose. But before we end this little conversation, I want to remind our readers that Aimee will be hosting one arm of the June Designer Spotlight Challenge in addition to her regular, long-running Color Challenge. And she’s also giving us a stunning Daily Download! Don’t forget to check out her June Buffet collection Jardinière.

Aimee has a coupon!

Check back on the 4th for Part Two of this month’s Designer Spotlight, Twin Mom Scraps!

Cindy Ritter

Welcome to Part One of this month’s Designer Spotlight! [Excuse my pyjamas, I had a lousy sleep last night and haven’t yet ruled out a nap…] Cindy Ritter and I recently had a nice chat over slushy margaritas where she shared some insights into her creative process and maybe one or two personal details, too. Let’s get into it!

J: Cindy! Nice to chat with you again!! It’s been a minute. I’ve noticed lately that you’ve brought us some absolutely fabulous new collections. Tell me, where does your inspiration come from?

C: Usually music, I am very in tune with music emotionally and that often fuels my creative process. My recent “Reflections” collection is a great example. Inspired by the song My Distorted Reflection which is a song about self-acceptance. I’m also really inspired by colors, emotions and occasionally by random cool words.

J: Music has the ability to cut through all the distractions in life, doesn’t it? I hadn’t heard that song until you mentioned it. Tracked it down on YouTube and WOW! You really nailed it with this collection. [Insert enthusiastic applause here.] I feel like this collection is a bit different from many of your previous kits. Has your style evolved?

C: My style has gotten quite a bit more artsy. If I had to describe it in three words, they would be artsy, grungy and emotional. Since learning to use AI I find I am doing a lot more unique papers and elements and using less purchased CU. I’m also creating more hand-painted and hand drawn art than I used to. I prefer to create something unique that isn’t available anywhere else.

J: You’re certainly doing that! It must be so satisfying. Now, there’s no mystery as to your design “brand”. But IS there a story there?

C: There is no secret in the name, but there is a zebra hidden in my logo. A zebra is the mascot for people with rare diseases and health issues. I have several. In spite of them I have a very good life full of joy and people who love me.

J: AH! I wondered what the zebra meant. Over the 24 years of my pediatric nursing career, I cared for quite a few kids with rare conditions, and my son is a zebra too. Maybe you should create a “resilience” kit. That’s something ALL of the zebra folks have in spades. Your designs are already inspiring, but is there something specific that excites you  about how others use your work?

C: I love how creative they are! It’s also really cool to see my creations used in ways I wouldn’t have thought of, often the layouts are so much more beautiful than I even imagined!

J: There’s no limit to the creativity of our GingerScrapping community; the ingenuity of some of them is quite intimidating… but also aspirational! While we’re talking about aspirations, if you could live in any of the fictional universes, which one would you choose?

C: The Forgotten Realms, yep, I’m a D&D nerd!

J: Ha! My husband has always lived in a fantasy world, but I’m never sure which one he’s inhabiting this week. Lately he’s been talking about Tolkien a lot, so I guess he’s a Hobbit… What’s a movie you can watch over and over and never tire of?

C: Burlesque, I love the soundtrack!

J: And we’re back to music… What’s your theme song?

C: Beauty in the Struggle by Bryan Martin.

J: I haven’t heard that one, but I relate to the title. What’s your favourite way of unwinding after a day on the struggle bus?

C: Snuggling up with my cats, a cold beverage and a good book.

J: I’m not a cat person, and my dog Maeve isn’t a cuddler, although she’s good company. My mother has been terrified of cats since she was a small child, and so cats weren’t part of our world growing up. I always saw my mom as incredibly strong and fearless until I brought a kitten in the house and she broke a toe trying to get away from it. That’s also when I knew she didn’t really have eyes in the back of her head…

C: I believed my mom had special “mommy magic” that allowed her to always know what I did wrong. As a result, I was a pretty good kid, lol.

J: I relate to that too! Whenever I asked her how she knew I’d misbehaved, she’d say, “My spies are everywhere.” And I had no reason to doubt her! This has been fun! Before our audience departs though, I want to make sure they’re completely filled in…

Cindy is hosting a Designer Spotlight Challenge in addition to her regular monthly Word Art Challenge. You can find details in the Forum – just click on the hyperlink (bold, coloured, underlined) text! Don’t forget to check out her Store!!

And of course, Cindy has a special and entirely free Daily Download kit for us for the month. If you’re new to all this, the Daily Download is just what it says… the kit is broken up into smaller chunks and the bits are available for download for a limited time and the links are found here on the Blog.

As I mentioned awhile back, we now have TWO Designer Spotlights per month (most months… more about that in a minute), and this month our second Designer is Dani of JB Studios. I haven’t heard from her yet, so perhaps she doesn’t have time for a chat… which is A-OK! It’s always voluntary. As of now, we only have one Designer scheduled for May and for November. If you’re on a Creative Team for a Designer who ISN’T on the list, maybe nudge them. I’ll make it worth their while. 😉