Cindy Ritter Designs!

Remember my comment about updates in Tuesday’s Tutorial, that they mess things up? Well… it happened again. I couldn’t find my notes for this post. <fuming> All is not lost though. I’ve been able to recreate them. Now, let’s get to know Cindy Ritter a bit better!

Cindy and I chatted at length last week over margaritas on the patio. We got the housekeeping stuff out of the way early, so we could really dish later.

J: What do you use to create your designs?

C: I primarily use Photoshop but am trying to learn to use Illustrator and a tablet. I also use various types of paints, pens, papers and my scanner to create unique products.

J: It can be really challenging to learn new software. I’m trying to wrap my head around Cricut Design Space right now and really wishing there was a common lingo for these applications. I mean, what the heck does “weld” mean, and why didn’t they go with “merge”? I think I’ll need a glossary… Okay, now that we know HOW you work, let’s talk about WHY. What motivates and inspires you as a designer?

C: Most often I am inspired by music, my emotions and color. I absolutely have to have music when I’m working.

J: Oh, me too! I’m often inspired by song lyrics I find especially resonant. Tell me about your favourite kit in the GingerScraps store. Let me guess… it came to you in a song. 😉

C: My favorite is the Beautiful Struggle collection. It WAS inspired by the song “Beauty in the Struggle” by Brian Martin. Like many women, my life has been a series of struggles and challenges, so for me it was very personal. I collaborated with Aimee Harrison and Cheré Kaye and really enjoyed working with both of them.

J: It’s amazing! I LOVE IT!! (I linked it for our readers – just click on the title above and you’ll go right to the collection.) Honestly, who among us hasn’t struggled at one time or another? I think I might be able to guess your answer for this next nosy question: What are your most favorite and least favorite colors?

C: My favorite colors are greens, yellows and orange, I really don’t like pinks and purples.

J: Ladies, take a look at the collection… See any pink or purple? Me neither! Cindy, since you love green, do you have a green thumb? What do you grow?

C: I have a fairly green thumb and do pretty well with green and blooming plants but I don’t have much luck growing anything edible. I live in an apartment so I do container gardening and love growing anything blooming that can survive the heat of Mississippi summers. My current favorites in my garden are Hibiscus, Rock Trumpet, and Bromeliads.

J: In Mississippi you get heat AND humidity. Here, we get the heat but it’s tinder-dry, which is why there’s so much smoke in the air all the time. <sigh> Our HOA has very strict rules about planting anything that isn’t drought-tolerant and every house has drip irrigation to minimize water use. Water is one of the necessities of life for everything. Aside from necessities, what is one thing could you not go a day without?

C: My cats! All 3 are rescues who weren’t old enough to be away from the mama cat when I got them. Bowie and Ziggy have both been with us for over a year now. Our most recent rescue, Phoenix, was only 4-5 weeks old and under a pound when we got him recently. He was brought to us on July 18th by a neighbor who found him injured in her driveway. Apparently she knows I’m a crazy cat lady. Lol

J: I’m not a cat person, but I get the desire to take care of living things who can’t take care of themselves. That’s why I was a nurse for 25 years. 😉 Perfect segué… What did you want to be when you were small?

C: As a child I dreamed of being an artist. I spent most of my working years as a floral designer and also worked as a graphic designer. After I retired I taught myself scrapbook design. My childhood dream is my reality.

J: That’s fantastic! Who says dreams don’t come true? As a fellow retired person, I have so many things that fill my days. Are you a sports fan, or a gamer?

C: I love to play Cribbage. My grandmother taught me to play when I was young and now that she’s gone it brings back pleasant memories of time spent with her. I’ve taught my grandson to play and I hope that years from now playing cribbage will hold pleasant memories for him.

J: Ooh, yes!! I learned to play Cribbage when I was about 10, but I don’t play it well. My late father-in-law skunked me almost every time. When we had a family retreat for my parents’ 60th anniversary, we taught our son-in-law to play. He’s brilliant and caught on right away, now he loves it too! We also got him interested in curling. Such a Canadian thing. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

C: I’m torn between teleportation and time manipulation. Having ADHD, I get distracted very easily and am usually running behind schedule. Both of those would be helpful in getting things done and getting where I need to be on time.

J: I grew up in a military household, so if you’re only 10 minutes early for something, you’re already late. Teleportation would really be a boon for that! I’m also a serious procrastinator, which means I spend a lot of time in conflict with myself. What would you do if you won the lottery?

C: Give each of my kids a house and the money for college. Anything left I would use to help the homeless.

J: Every time I ask that question of designers, I get a variation on those answers. Which leads me to remind everybody that Cindy is providing this month’s Daily Download (and it’s a-freakin’-mazing!) and has already posted a template freebie on the GingerScraps Facebook page. If you’re on FB and haven’t seen it, LOOK FOR IT! You won’t be disappointed! Of course, Cindy is also hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month, in addition to her usual Real Moments Challenge. But if all of THAT wasn’t enough, she’s also put her entire store on sale at 40% off (with bundles and collabs excluded, naturally). But wait! There’s even MORE… Spend $12 or more and you can get an ADDITIONAL 15% off with the coupon code SD_cindy_8-23. What are you waiting for? Go shopping!!!!!!!!! (If you see me with a cartful, just look the other way, okay?)

Cindy, thanks for letting us have a peek into your world. Have a fabulous Spotlight month!!

WordPress is being snarky today… no signature line. Love JAN

Memory Mosaic (aka Joy)

How is it even possible that one third of the year is already behind us? It’s crazy! Our Spotlight Designer for May is someone we’ve already met back when I first started writing the Spotlight posts. Joy is the creative mind also known as Memory Mosaic. We had a little chat so I could catch up with her and what follows is a transcript of that visit. [Click on her designer handle to check out her store!]

O: Joy! It’s good to see you again. What’s new?

J: Well, for years I designed on my lap book, a MacBook, but in the last couple months I have started designing on a 24inch iMac…. That has been a big difference. I had to get a trackpad, because I was used to using that on my laptop, and I just couldn’t get used to using a mouse. But I have to admit that the larger screen is a huge plus. I use Photoshop in making my designs. I have also been using Procreate on my iPad, to create some new elements.

O: Ooh, nice! I’m not an Apple fan – I’ve only had problems with any of their products, but I know a lot of folks who swear by them. I hear you about the trackpad… I use a laptop pretty much exclusively, so when my husband wants me to check something out on his desk top PC, I fumble with the mouse. A LOT. Which is funny to me because when I was still working, I used a mouse to chart, all the time. But then, it’s been almost 4 years since I retired, so I should expect to be rusty, right? When you switched to a desk top system, did you also revamp your workspace?

J: I have just in the last few months turned a small bedroom into my own personal office! It has been so much fun. I created word art for the walls, I have photos of my kids, and some special artwork my daughter made me. I have an antique secretary in there and a new corner desk. Beside my desk is a white board where I try to keep track of what I need to accomplish for the current month. I have a tv, which I often use to stream music, and my essential oil diffuser which I like to use to diffuse oils that help keep me in a positive frame of mind, boost creativity and peace. Having my own space has been a game changer for me.

O: Sounds like heaven! I’m still trying to organize all my non-digital hobby stuff in the room we had purpose-built… been in the house 3 years. Guess I’m just lazy! Or not motivated enough. Probably both. What inspires you when you’re designing?

J: My family and friends are a huge inspiration to me. But also life experiences play a role. I just created a new kit in my Going Places collection, that is focused on NYC, and that was based on the years I lived in NJ while growing up and we would make trips to the City.

O: That’s great! I’ve never been to NYC. I don’t love crowds so it isn’t somewhere I ever consider when I’m planning a trip, but the history would really appeal to me. I’m curious though… what colours do you really love to work with? Which ones do you steer clear of?

J: My favorite colors are blues, with punches of yellow or red added for accents. My least favorites are oranges, although I do love fall landscapes, which are full of oranges… so maybe it is more that I don’t feel I personally look good in oranges, so I stay away from them.

O: I wore a yellow gown at work all the time and look dead in yellow, so it’s not for me. Orange looks hideous on me too. But, as you say, fall colours are so beautiful. Are you a sporty person, or do you prefer to watch others sweat and injure themselves?

J: No, not sporty, But… I love playing card or board games with my grandchildren. Right now our favorites are Ticket To Ride-Europe and Trash.

O: That sounds wonderful. I haven’t seen my grandchildren since the fall of 2018. They’re all pretty physical kids, but are also voracious readers. My granddaughter is fearless and has great potential as a junior Ninja Warrior. It’s her super power. If you could have one, what would it be?

J: Well, as a kid I always enjoyed watching Bewitched… I would love to be able to wiggle my nose and have my house clean and the laundry done! LOL! Not sure that is a “super power”, but wouldn’t it be amazing?!

O: Definitely a super power! With my luck, I’d end up more like Esmeralda than Samantha. And look like Aunt Clara… The actress who played Samantha has the same surname as my mother’s maiden name but I’m absolutely sure we’re not related. Have you ever met a famous person?

J: When we lived in Ecuador, Joni Eareckson Tada came to the school I was teaching at and I got to meet her. I don’t know if she would be considered “famous”, but it felt like it to me. 🙂

O: I’m sure she’s famous in some circles. What did you want to be when you grew up?

J: When I was little I wanted to be a teacher. I actually went to college to do that, and right out of college taught 2 years, before we started our family. Later on, when we were missionaries in Ecuador, I taught in our international school to help cover fees for my girls. Over the years I taught Pre-K4, Kindergarten5, First Grade and Third Grade. Then we adopted 3 children and our family moved to a place that didn’t have good school opportunities for our kids, so I ended up homeschooling the last 3.

O: So you made your childhood dream come true! Awesome!! Having lived in a poorer country, I’m sure you learned how to do more with less. Is there anything now that you couldn’t live without?

J: It would be hard to go without my phone. I didn’t have a “smart phone” for years, but then when we did finally get them, I wondered how we had managed without them! LOL! Some days though, I wonder what life would be like, if we just went back to everyone having landlines, at their house. (Of course that would mean going back to the time of no internet, and that wouldn’t be any fun!

O: Yeah. Dystopia! When we moved into our house, hubby was the one to supervise the service provider who set up our stuff. We have a landline. It never rings. 😉 If you could make a movie about your life, who would you want to portray you?

J: Julia Roberts. LOL! Not sure that it would be a very good fit, but I think she is amazing.

O: Oh, isn’t she?? One night when it was quiet on the unit, one of my coworkers decided we should write a script and call it PICU: The Movie. He asked each of us who we’d want to be our characters; I couldn’t think of anybody I felt was suitable. He looked at me for a long moment and then said, “I know! Judi Dench!” This was at least 15 years ago, at which time I was about 50 and Judi was… older than my mother. He thought it was a great compliment. “She’s so dignified!” Yeah, well. He redeemed himself. “Oh, wait, I was thinking of Helen Mirren.” Marginally better – she’s only 13 years older than me. James, maybe just stop digging. 🙂 Joy, thanks so much for letting our GingerScrappers get to know you better.

Ladies, before we go, I should remind you all that Joy is providing the Daily Download – found right here on the Blog – this month, as well as hosting the May Designer Spotlight Challenge. That’s in addition to her regular hosting duties for the Inspiration Challenge! She also has a coupon…

interNational Scrapbooking Day is upon us, she make sure you visit both the Forum and the Store so you don’t miss out on any of the fun.

North Meets South Studios

This month we have two designers in the spotlight, but only one was able to join me for a chat. North Meets South Studios is a collaboration between two best friends, Tracy Anderson (Trixie Scraps) – the northern half, and Connie Prince, the southern belle. Connie and I had a wee visit and this is what she shared.

J: Thanks for agreeing to let me pick your brain, Connie. Let’s get the formalities out of the way first. How long have you been designing?

C: I have been designing since 2006!

J: That’s a LONG time!! You must really love it. What made you decide to get into design?

C: There weren’t a lot of digital scrapbook options back then and I wanted specific things for our family albums. I started making things and it just spiraled from there!

J: That’s a familiar story, Connie. Can’t find what you want? Create it yourself! And here you are, crushing it! What tools do you use to create your designs?

C: I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and a program on my iPad called Procreate!

J: Ah, the usual suspects… What is your favorite kit currently in your GS store and why?

C: Currently, I’m getting tons of use out of my Happy Plans collection. I caught the planner bug this year and it’s been fun using it for that purpose, too.

J: When I think of your store, this is pretty much exactly what I see! Now, to get a touch more personal… What one word would your friends and family use to describe you?

C: Loyal.

J: What an essential and valuable trait to have! Next, I already know the answer to this question because I’ve been following you for 10 years, but maybe there are folks who haven’t caught on.
Describe your perfect vacation.

C: Anywhere with sugar white sand & gorgeous blue water is perfect for me!

J: Yep, called it!! I’m not much of a beach person. I’m more into museums and cooler climes. Okay, so this query typically gets the same response from everybody. Are you like me, or like them? Are you more likely to dance or sing in the shower?

C: Dance for sure, I dance all over the place so why not lol!

J: I actually do both, with my own personal country music playlist helping me out. Bluetooth speakers are amazing! On to food: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

C: Salad, I can never get enough of a great salad!

J: I enjoy salad, but living in Canada, in the winter salad greens aren’t easy to find and are expensive. I just signed up for an organic produce delivery service and they’re sending greens in my first order. Can’t wait! Can you play a musical instrument?

C: Yes! I played piano when I was younger and my husband gifted me with a new one last year so I’ve had a wonderful time “relearning”.

J: I took lessons when I was quite young. We didn’t have a piano so I would practice at the school after all the rest of the kids went home. When we moved I lost that opportunity and that was that. I wasn’t destined to be a concert pianist anyway, so it’s all good.
What did you want to be when you were small?

C: Honestly, I just wanted to be a mama! I had the best mom and I wanted to be just like her!

J: I’m pretty sure you met that goal. Thank you so much for helping me let our GingerScrappers get to know you better. Now, before I let you go, I just want to make sure to pass on the rest of the Important Information! Connie and Tracy (in absentia) are hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month in addition to providing the Daily Download for March, right here on the Blog. Each piece of the DD is available for 5 days, but don’t worry if you miss some because the whole kit will be available for purchase in the Shop next month. Connie is also host to the monthly #2023 Challenge, and Tracy hosts the Show Us Your Hobby Challenge. Be sure to check them out!

It’s Miss Fish!

Many of you will already know Juli, aka Miss Fish. Lately she’s moved past mainly template designing and is bringing more of her talent to entire kits. I know I’m happy to see that! She’s also been in the Designer Spotlight before, so we talked about some different things this time to keep it fresh. (Since we both have the same first initial, I’m going by “O” today.)

O: Let’s get the bread and butter out of the way. What motivates and inspires you as a designer?

J: I love designing templates that make me want to stop what I’m doing and scrap a page. I often will plus in my own photos
and some elements to make sure designs will look good for my customers.

O: Segué ahead… What one word would your friends and family use to describe you?

J: Busy! Lol…I work full time, plus I design and we like to have fun with friends and travel. I’m not one to just plop down and relax.
I go all the time!

O: It can be exhausting, right? I enjoy traveling too, so why don’t you describe your perfect vacation.

J: Anywhere in Europe close to a train station so I could go on different adventures every day.

O: So is that what you would do if you won the lottery?

J: YES! I’d quit my day job and travel full time. I’d bring along my laptop so I could design and scrap in my free time.

O: Oddball question, that I can probably guess the answer to: are you more likely to dance or sing in the shower?

J: Sing.

O: Yep, called it! Do you have a green thumb? What do you grow?

J: Yes. Currently growing Brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, peppers, arugula, and some herbs. Plus my cat’s favorite, carnations.

O: I’ve grown broccoli but never Brussels sprouts. Now I don’t have room for much but I have some flower boxes and a small bed in the front yard. Most of my blooms are purple, white or pink. What are your most favorite and least favorite colors?

J: My favorite color is blue. My least favorite color is orange.

O: Oh, I don’t like orange much either, or yellow. Hence they’re not prominent in my garden! {Except the Stella d’Oro lilies the developer planted. They can stay. What would your dream car be?

J: Something red and fast but in an SUV size, maybe a Porsche?

O: That would be amazing! My daughter had a BMW SUV, but didn’t love it so she’s driving a VW Tiguan now. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

J: I would make myself able to actually remember words and why I walked into a room.

O: I can definitely relate! Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

J: My phone. I’m embarrassed to say how attached I am to it.

O: I’m finding myself falling into that habit too, at least until my eyes start protesting. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

J: Caution: probably crabby, feed for best results.

O: Hahahahaha!! Me too! Let me get you a snack, girl!

Before we disappear with our treats, I want to remind everybody that Juli is not just the IN the Designer Spotlight, she’s hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month AND is providing the Daily Download on the Blog too. Each snippet of the Daily Download is available for 5 days; if you miss one or two and are heart-broken, don’t worry. The entire kit will be available for purchase in March. (Egad, did I really just say that?)

Memory Mosaic and Polka Dot Chicks

Now that the first-of-the-month insanity dust has settled, let’s get to know this month’s Spotlight Designers, Joy aka Memory Mosaic, and Tammy aka Polka Dot Chicks. [Editor’s note: It’s Joy‘s birthday month!] These two ladies sat down with me (and Tammy‘s 18 month-old grandson) to do a little Q&A session. What follows is a transcript… to minimize confusion, I’m taking the “O”.

O: Thanks so much for chatting with me and letting me give our readers a peek into your lives. I like to get the meat-and-potatoes out of the way first, then get to the sweets after, so I’ll throw you a softball. How long have you been designing?

J: I started designing in 2015.

T: Since 2008

O: So a good, long time! Joy, what led you to designing?

J: I will admit, when I started digital scrapbooking, I didn’t think I had the ability to do design work. In 2013, I started as a CT member for a designer. She taught me a few basic things that started to give me more confidence, to try more. In 2015 I made my first kit. I will admit, when I look at it now, it wasn’t very good. But, it was the start, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

O: Boy can I relate! I came to digital scrapbooking in about 2010, and those first layouts were so… awful! When I found my first digi home and started working through their challenges, my skills grew and so did my confidence. I never dreamed that I’d be doing what I’m doing now. What does your design space look like? [Editor’s note: Tammy is wrangling her little person ATM.]

J: This past year, I have tried a couple different places. I now have a small office that I work in a lot. It has an old tall secretary, some books shelves and a dresser with some baskets and file organizers. I still take my laptop out to the living room and work and sit on the sofa while watching TV. I hardly ever can just sit, and watch TV, most of the time, I am always doing something else at the same time.

O: I’m the same! Multitasking is like breathing for me. Where do you find your inspiration?

J: A lot of my inspiration comes from my everyday life, childhood memories/experiences, and my family.

O: I think you’re speaking for most of us. Do you have a favourite kit in the GS Shop? I know, it’s like asking you which one of your kids is your favourite. It changes from day to day!

J: One of my favorite kits right now is “Artsy Bits #6“. I love making kits with a “vintage feel” and “grunge”. I was challenged last year to come up with some “Art Journaling” kits. And I started making my Artsy Bits collection. This last one is my favorite. I love the colors and just how it came together.

O: Art journaling is a difficult thing for me. I never feel like I’ve done it well. Strong work! Oh, Tammy‘s back. Hey Tammy, Are you more likely to dance or sing in the shower?

T: Sing – even though I can’t sing! What about you, Joy?

J: Sing. I am not the most coordinated, and I would probably fall if I tried to dance in the shower. LOL!

O: I’ve asked that question a few times. And I’ve done both. Immediately followed by a trip to the hardware store and some no-slip strips for the shower pan. 🙂 Here’s another softball. What colours do you like best, and which make you shudder?

T: My favorite colors are red, pink and black/gray – well technically my favorite color is plaid but I am quirky. My least favorite colors are orange and green.

J: I love blues. I like to mix it with red/burgundy. I also really like blue and yellow together. These colors feel calm and happy. My least favorite is mustard yellow.

O: I don’t love orange or yellow. Tammy, you know plaid’s technically not a colour, right? 😉 Do you have a green thumb, even though you don’t like green?

T: I can keep indoor plants alive. I have a philodendron that I received when my grandma passed away in 1992 and it’s still alive
and now has an offshoot. Big plant is named Papa Phil and the off shoot is Phil Jr.

O: I’ve gotten pretty good at gardening, indoors and out. I bought a foot-tall fiddle leaf fig at Costco a couple of years ago and now it’s four feet tall, with branches everywhere. But I waited to long to clean up my flowerbed and got caught by a snowstorm. Too late now. Pray for me? Crazy question alert: If you could only eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

T: Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans & creme’ brûlée for dessert.

O: Yum! If you could have a super power, what would you like it to be?

T: To clone myself to be able to help out my kids/grands when they all ask at same time…lol.

O: YES!! If I had a clone, one of us could be cleaning up the yard while the other grocery-shopped. Oh well. Can you play a musical instrument?

J: I play the piano… not very well, especially considering all the money my parents spent on lessons. I started taking lessons when I was 6 and pretty much took them off and on through college. I did play in church when we were missionaries in Ecuador.

T: The radio! Nope. Not musical at all unlike all my kids.

O: I took piano lessons for a couple of years but we didn’t have a piano so I practiced at the school. Didn’t work so well. What would your dream car be?

J: Honestly we have only had older used cars for a long time, so I would say, my “dream car” would be a “new car”. You know one with all the new “bells & whistles”. But, for now I am happy to have a car that runs. 🙂

O: Been there! My current vehicle is a seven-year-old SUV with room for both people and my son’s wheelchair. I think my next one – when the day comes – will be a hybrid. I travel too many backroads with no services to feel safe going all electric. What did you want to be when you were small?

T: A nurse or a teacher.

O: Did you know that nurses are also teachers? That was my favourite part of my job, teaching parents about what was making their child sick and what we were doing to fix it. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

J: My laptop. I am on it every day. It is what I use to make my designs, and I use it for other work.

O: Me too! If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

T: Caution: Will start snort laughing when cracking up…. lol.

O: Last question, I promise! What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?

T: Any of the actors who played James Bond but Pierce Brosnan would be at the top of the list.

O: <fans herself> I can see it! Well, thanks again for giving our GingerScraps community a little glimpse of yourselves. Before we go, I’d like to remind everybody that not only are the ladies providing this month’s Daily Download (found right here on the Blog!), they’re also hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge and have some coupons for all of us! Check ’em out.

See you all again next month for the December Designer Spotlight.