Happy Mother's Day everyone!! I wish I had a card or something to share but I haven't had much time to stamp over the past couple of days, so instead I thought I'd get to some more questions....
Do you get lots of free stuff for being on a design team??
LOL I get asked this one a lot - and to be honest I can't give away too many details. Most DT's have contracts and whatnot in place to KEEP ppl like me from spilling the beans *wink*. However yes I do get free stuff to design with, some companies also offer discounts to DT members on their purchases etc etc. Really every DT is different and all are run in different ways and I LIKE that. I always need variety!!
The next 3 questions were all the same - WHERE/HOW do I get inspired??
I literally pick up inspiration from EVERYWHERE. When I *first* started stamping tho I had a really hard time visualizing things. I remember going to a Stampin' Up! regional and one of the presenters showed off her inspiration book, and inside she had all kinds of magazine ads, articles etc etc etc glued in the pages. She then showed some of the projects she made that were inspired by those ads and articles. To be totally honest - I just sat there and didn't get it at ALL. I just couldn't comprehend HOW a person could come up with a project from an ad in a magazine.
As time went on tho I started to learn how to do this. When I saw something I liked I would pay attention to the colors, and the layout (if there was one), the patterns etc etc etc. THEN the wheels would start turning in my head. I would come up with colors I have in my card stock, inks, embellies etc etc that would "mimic" my inspiration piece. Sometimes I would come up with the stamps first if I had a stamp or set that was similar. Then it was just a matter of sitting down and "fiddling" till I got the finished product.
I picked up a couple of magazines the other day - one was Real Simple - (I think this one is available in both the US and Canada?) and the other was called Chocolate - a Canadian magazine. Both have a lot great ads and articles that one could get a LOT of inspiration from. I plan on making a few cards BASED on some parts of these magazines and I will post both of them so you can see just WHAT it is that inspired me.
How do you do it ALL??? Crafting and family time??
Another question that I get asked quite often LOL. I just MAKE time (and I've said before I am a big multi-tasker!!). With warm weather having finally arrived I have quite a bit LESS crafting time then before as the girls LOVE being outside and I have plants to water and whatnot now (which is where I multi-task LOL - I take the girls out right before supper and water all the flowers while they run around on the grass and play for an hour or so.) Plus we like to go for walks after supper too.
I now either try to get my crafting time in when Josie is napping in the early afternoon (and Veronica either sits with me or plays and/or watches a movie) or in the evening after they go to bed. On good days when they're behaving and playing together I try to get some things made then. I just do it whenever I can!!
What tool do you use to get such perfectly straight layers?
I answered a similar question in this post (6th question down). I actually just use my Fiskars paper cutter the one in the Stampin' Up! catty) and eyeball it. MOST of the time I get them right on :o).
Do you have to set aside time for Design Team stuff, and do you ever get to just stamp for fun?
No I don't set aside specific time for DT stuff - b/c I consider that to be fun!! If it wasn't I wouldn't be doing it. I am VERY blessed to be on teams where I can put my own spin on things and just have a lot of fun with the images, so it doesn't feel like "work" at all. I DO take time to make cards/items for personal use, and of course they're all mixed in here with the DT stuff and everything else in one 'ole happy mess!!
My husband hopes you get well paid by the companies of the stuff you use!
LOL that's funny - my hubby feels the same way!! Actually I don't get compensated at ALL for "promoting" the products I use on my blog. I just do it because I love what I do and love what I use!! And I KNOW how frustrating it can be to see something I like and then try to find it online or elsewhere so I always try to put in links to as many things as I can to make it all easier on the readers. And I usually link to the online stores that *I* personally frequent (and again I don't get compensated for doing so) b/c they give me great service and a fabulous shopping experience AND b/c that's where I get almost everything I use in the first place LOL!
Did you ever get to stamp with Flower Factory? I've been keeping my eye out for cards using it...made by you!
*hangs head in shame* - You know what, I think I used that set ONCE!! I made a couple of cards not long after I bought it from you (FYI Flower Factory was a SU! set in one of the Mini's (I *think* it was the winter one?) a couple of years ago and it never made it into the big catty) and used it for the background and that was it! It's all Lauren's fault tho - I wanted that set so bad after seeing all the fabulous cards SHE made with it (I got her back tho - she ended up buying the Hip Hip Hooray set b/c of some things I made and has hardly (if ever) used it - so now we're even!!) ROFL!!
I was just going through all my sets last night and weeding out the ones I want to sell and came across the Flower Factory set again. I set it aside tho and just *might* try to make some things with it!!
