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? 😀
