Hello! Hello! I'm delighted to be a guest this month. I'm a work from home graphic designer and documenter living in the lovely city of Seattle. Since much of my work is not particularly creative, I embrace the time I have to make as many things as I can. I knit, crochet, art journal, paint, and of course, scrapbook. I also watch an unhealthy amount of reality TV. At the beginning of this year, I decided to stop Project Life style scrapbooking in favor of a more tactile approach. I now use a monthly traveler's notebook to record my everyday memories. Notebook style scrapbooking has reinvigorated my love of this hobby since it combines so many of the right things I adore like art journaling and creative writing. When I'm not playing with paper, I love walking the many trails that surround my home and just enjoying nature. I share a little red house with my husband and my loudmouth, slightly overweight beagle/blue heeler mix. My idea of a perfect day would begin with a cup of coffee outdoors and end with wine, laughter, conversation, and candlelight.
Here's a little peak into where France creates:
To get to know France a little better, we've had her do a little Q&A with us:
How long have you been scrapbooking and why did you start?
I have been scrapbooking since the late 90's. In the beginning, I was really drawn to the "stuff" of scrapbooking. It took me a while to get into the substance. When I started there was no Instagram or Pinterest, so I depended on scrapbook magazines as my primary source of inspiration. Most of the layouts depicted children and lifestyles that were pretty different from my own. I worried that I didn't have enough going on in my own life to warrant the time and money I was devoting to this hobby. Once I discovered the Internet, everything changed. I suddenly found a community of papercrafters that were scrapbooking for all kinds of reasons...for their families, as a form of therapy, and to celebrate their own lives and accomplishments. It became clear that every life is worth celebrating and documenting...including mine.
How would you describe your scrapbooking style?
Happy. Is that a style? I don't use my layouts as a place to work stuff out. I'm not terribly prolific, so I want to focus on the joy and beauty in my life. When I flip through my scrapbooks I want it to be less like a history book and more like a delightfully illustrated collection of treasured moments.
Which scrapbookers have influenced you most?
Hmmmmm. My primary influences aren't actual scrapbookers, but designers and writers. Some of my favorites are Jane Austen.....of course, Beatrix Potter, Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda as well as Tibor and Maira Kalman. I'm also heavily influences by children's book illustrators like Mary Blair, Barbar Wurszt, and John Klassen....but the list is ever changing. In terms of scrapbooking alone, I adore Ali Edwards and Kelly Purkey. Ali--for the way she has combined her design background with more artistic and hand crafted techniques like rubberstamping. She's also an excellent teacher. Kelly-because she is so modern and lovely. As a childfree woman, I love it when I discover scrapbookers recording lives that look a bit different than most. I think she is a wonderful example of the value of telling our own stories no matter what those stories look like.
What is your favorite thing about kit clubs?
Well, my first love was the "stuff" and that hasn't really changed. The joy of receiving a box packed with prettiness is just the most wonderful feeling. You can't buy happiness....unless it's a scrapbook kit and then maybe you can :). Nothing makes me want to scrapbook more than a box of colorful, well curated product. Everyone has their own motivation and that's a big part of mine.
What are your 5 favorite scrapbooking items that you can't live without?
Only one of these things is a forever favorite....the rest are subject to change without notice. White cardstock, patterned paper, sewing machine, die cuts, and rubberstamps.
How would you describe the Citrus Twist July "Driftwood" Scrapbooking Kit and what do you enjoy most about it?
The July Scrapbooking kit is a beautiful slice of summer, filled with light, bright, and fresh colors. I grew up in LA and spent a great deal of time at the pool and at the beach. The puffy stars by Freckled Fawn reminds me of the ice cream I used to get from a tiny shop on the Santa Monica Pier. I was happy to see hints of periwinkle since I don't see it very often, and I always love the versatile rubberstamps. I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the Nuyo Crystal Drops. This was an unexpected surprise and I think that's the best part of any kit. I knew very little about it and was excited to give it a try. After a bit of experimenting, I can imagine so many fun uses for these dimensional drops.
I have been scrapbooking since the late 90's. In the beginning, I was really drawn to the "stuff" of scrapbooking. It took me a while to get into the substance. When I started there was no Instagram or Pinterest, so I depended on scrapbook magazines as my primary source of inspiration. Most of the layouts depicted children and lifestyles that were pretty different from my own. I worried that I didn't have enough going on in my own life to warrant the time and money I was devoting to this hobby. Once I discovered the Internet, everything changed. I suddenly found a community of papercrafters that were scrapbooking for all kinds of reasons...for their families, as a form of therapy, and to celebrate their own lives and accomplishments. It became clear that every life is worth celebrating and documenting...including mine.
How would you describe your scrapbooking style?
Happy. Is that a style? I don't use my layouts as a place to work stuff out. I'm not terribly prolific, so I want to focus on the joy and beauty in my life. When I flip through my scrapbooks I want it to be less like a history book and more like a delightfully illustrated collection of treasured moments.
Which scrapbookers have influenced you most?
Hmmmmm. My primary influences aren't actual scrapbookers, but designers and writers. Some of my favorites are Jane Austen.....of course, Beatrix Potter, Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda as well as Tibor and Maira Kalman. I'm also heavily influences by children's book illustrators like Mary Blair, Barbar Wurszt, and John Klassen....but the list is ever changing. In terms of scrapbooking alone, I adore Ali Edwards and Kelly Purkey. Ali--for the way she has combined her design background with more artistic and hand crafted techniques like rubberstamping. She's also an excellent teacher. Kelly-because she is so modern and lovely. As a childfree woman, I love it when I discover scrapbookers recording lives that look a bit different than most. I think she is a wonderful example of the value of telling our own stories no matter what those stories look like.
What is your favorite thing about kit clubs?
Well, my first love was the "stuff" and that hasn't really changed. The joy of receiving a box packed with prettiness is just the most wonderful feeling. You can't buy happiness....unless it's a scrapbook kit and then maybe you can :). Nothing makes me want to scrapbook more than a box of colorful, well curated product. Everyone has their own motivation and that's a big part of mine.
What are your 5 favorite scrapbooking items that you can't live without?
Only one of these things is a forever favorite....the rest are subject to change without notice. White cardstock, patterned paper, sewing machine, die cuts, and rubberstamps.
How would you describe the Citrus Twist July "Driftwood" Scrapbooking Kit and what do you enjoy most about it?
The July Scrapbooking kit is a beautiful slice of summer, filled with light, bright, and fresh colors. I grew up in LA and spent a great deal of time at the pool and at the beach. The puffy stars by Freckled Fawn reminds me of the ice cream I used to get from a tiny shop on the Santa Monica Pier. I was happy to see hints of periwinkle since I don't see it very often, and I always love the versatile rubberstamps. I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the Nuyo Crystal Drops. This was an unexpected surprise and I think that's the best part of any kit. I knew very little about it and was excited to give it a try. After a bit of experimenting, I can imagine so many fun uses for these dimensional drops.
Thank you so much France for joining us here at Citrus Twist Kits for the month of July! It has been a pleasure getting to know you better and we look forward to seeing what you create with this month's kit!
For even more crafty inspiration from our Guest Designer, make sure and check out her Instagram feed @bananafishstudio and stop by her blog AND come back here a little later today to see how she takes on this week's 3 to Inspire Challenge!
For even more crafty inspiration from our Guest Designer, make sure and check out her Instagram feed @bananafishstudio and stop by her blog AND come back here a little later today to see how she takes on this week's 3 to Inspire Challenge!
**Make sure and leave a comment at the end of this post and we will be picking one lucky winner to receive one of France's favorite scrapbooking supplies! Good luck!
Welcome, France! Loved reading all about you xx
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see what you come up with using the kit!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see what you come up with using the kit!
ReplyDeleteLove your take on the story you want your albums to tell
ReplyDeleteLove your take on the story you want your albums to tell
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are here with us.... can't wait to see what you create! You are inspiring!
ReplyDeletexo
Thank you for sharing your space and time with us. I can't wait to see what you create!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you have in store this month!
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much😊
ReplyDelete