This week I chose Hat Tricks by Bethany. I love the selective coloring and all of the great circles and string and just everything about it.  Congratulations Bethany!  Be sure to stop by the forum and leave her some love!

Shan

And now…

This week for the Sunday Spotlight we are going change it up and  spotlight the awesome guest designers for the month of November!    This month our guest designers are Neverland Scraps and Page Frocks.  (This will be a regular spotlight the first week of each month so be sure to check here to learn about our new guests each month!)

First up is Wendy of Neverland Scraps.  We already know alot about Wendy since she is one of our very own Scrapmatters Girls! 

What is your username as well as your real name?
My username is my designer name which is Neverland Scraps however my real name is Wendy.

 2. What is your job/career?
 I am a full-time stay at home mother who home schools two children as well as is the full-time
 maid, cook, chauffer for the family. When I’m not doing the above, I design digital scrapbooking
 products.

 3. Are you married/childrens/pets?
 I am married and have been married to my Active-Duty Soldier husband of over eleven years.
 Currently we have two children, 8 and 5.

 4. PC or Mac? What program do you use?
 I am exclusive to my PC. I exclusively scrap using Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9 and exclusively design
 using Photoshop CS3

 5. Describe your designing environment:
 Usually my designing is done later in the evening, after the children have gone to bed. In the background you can hear my husband either playing his Xbox360 or sleeping as my computer is
 on our bedroom. Either way, if he’s sleeping there is no music or tv going and if he’s playing his Xbox, he’s wearing his headset so I don’t have to hear his game.

 6. When did you start designing?
 I started designing shortly after I learned how to digital scrapbook. One day I couldn’t find an
 element and decided to try making it myself. I googled for tutorials and found myself slowly
 creating my first kit! From then I was hooked into the designing aspect since I knew I could do
 it, it was just a matter of bettering myself with each and every product that I created!

 7. What is the most challenging part of designing for you?
For me, having the confidence that my products are good and something people want to use. I remember all those years ago telling the first store owner that I didn’t have what it took to be a good designer. She told me that to be the best in this field, I had to believe in myself. That believing in myself is something that I have a hard time doing—not just with my products, but in general. So that is my biggest daily struggle. I’m thankful that my best friend was interested in digital scrapbooking because there are days she is there emotionally holding my hand,encouraging me, challenging me, giving me ideas, tips, etc. She is something that I thank God for daily because He knows I struggle with the confidence in what I do daily.

 8. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?
Most of my inspiration come from my children. Lately they have been wanting to help Mama with her designing so I have been using them to create my latest products. One child might pick out the color swatch. The youngest child might help me with the paint bucket filling the page while the oldest helps me decide how to dress up the page with patterns, textures, etc. There are a few kits that the children have drawn graphics and I have extracted them incorporating them into the kit. It’s the everyday “Mama what did you make last night” comment that keep me going. They expect to see something new, either by designing or scrapping.

 9. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?
I love Fall, the colors of Fall, the richness of Fall, the beauty of Fall. I love using those warmearthy colors to create! However living in the South, not seeing the beauty of Fall, I amprotesting this Season and not creating a Fall kit this year.The other color scheme that I love to use and can use in every kit are the romantic colors likethe reds, pinks, mauves, mixed with white, cream, gray. I can design with those colors on anykit. I have to try hard not to go back to those “fall-back” colors.

10. If you only had 2 elements in a kit, what would they be?
Well I guess the first one I’d have to include would be a journaler of some sort. Dawn is always reminding me to include a journal block, tab, strips, something! So now it’s ingrained in mybrain that I have to have something to journal on included in my products! Another thing that Ihave to include in a kit is a frame of some sort to dress up that photo!

11. Favorite kit you’ve designed?I guess my favorite kit that I’ve designed would have to be Matey and Matey Add-On which bothof my children helped create. I love that it’s something out of my norm and that my children helped create the product.

Thanks Wendy!  It was great to get to know you as a designer!

And now on to Page Frocks or Lori as she is called IRL! 

1.   Your screen name? Your real name?  My screen name is PageFrocks and my real name is Lori Musser.

2.   What is your main job/career?   I just took a position outside the house as an Office Manager for a real estate developer.  I’ve worked at home for the past three years.

3.   Are you married/children/pets?  I’m a divorced mom of two boys . . . Jamie, 20 and Bradley, 14.  I do have a huge, fat, black cat named Jonah.

4.   Where is home for you?  I live just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  I grew up in nearby Hershey – yes, THAT Hershey (chocolate).

5.   What are your 3 favorite foods?  Pasta, anything seafood and salads.

6.   What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  Coffee

7.   Snacks…Salty or Sweet?  Can I combine sweet and salty?  I love broken pretzels in ice cream!

8.   Beverage of choice?  Definitely iced green tea . . . I literally drink a gallon a day!

9.   What’s your least favorite food?  Probably sweets to be honest, I’m all about the carbs.

10.  PC or Mac? What program do you use?  PC and I use CS4.

11.  How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?  I’ve been digi-scrapping for about three years now.  I started paper scrapping about 10 years ago, but never looked back once I went digi.  Although I still am holding on to all my outdated supplies!

12.  What was your 1st LO about?  Oh definitely my kids!  I think it took me about a year to scrap a layout about me, actually not until my father died and I realized how precious the “me” layouts would be to my children after I’m gone.  I’ll be honest . . . I’m soooo embarrassed to share this! 

13.  Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?  I’m serious about photography, which evolved from a desire to have better photos to scrap with . . . but quickly became a passion in itself.  I’m also serious about cooking and baking.

14. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?  Probably cooking . . . I’ve toyed with the idea of taking classes.

15.   What are your favorite movies/TV shows?  I’ve recently discovered True Blood and love it, but I tend to gravitate more toward realistic crime shows like Law and Order and Criminal Minds.  And I’m a sucker for American Idol.

16.  Describe your “designing” environment.  Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?  I have typically have an eclectic mix of music playing in my office.  I can easily miss meals when I’m really focused on designing.  My office is very chaotic and messy most of the time, but I’ve recently started sketching ideas to make it a more “pretty” space that reflects what I design.

17.  Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?  I’m seriously phobic of bees, was a criminal justice major in college, jump on the bed when no one’s looking and am in love with my computer.

18.  When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed?  I only started designing this year.  I signed up for a design challenge that promised to teach the participants how to design, figuring it was a good way to learn photoshop better.  I hadn’t used it to that point.  I was shocked when I placed fourth and was offered a designer spot in the store!  Since then, I’ve worked at developing a style.  My favorite product is usually my last kit!
 
19.  If you only had 2 elements in a kit, what would they be?  Stitching and something with vellum!
 
20.  What is the most challenging part of designing for you?  I’m a diagnosed perfectionist and this gets in the way sometimes.  It is hard for me to call it done!

21.  How would you describe your design style?  Eclectic realism maybe?  I haven’t been able to define it yet.

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?  Everywhere!  Seriously, I can look at a magazine ad, have a conversation with a friend or just daydream and something evolves from it. 

23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most?  Probably Nature’s Playground and A Walk In Autumn.  They are earthy and real but very flexible.  I find myself going back to those time and time again.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?  Probably a neutral base with a pop of one or two colors mixed in.

25.  Favorite kit you’ve designed? Probably Goodbye Summer . . . it’s an eclectic mix that offers great diversity and I love the colors! 

Thanks Lori! I loved getting to know you!

Thanks for reading today! Be sure to stop by the store this month to check out the awesome designs by Neverland Scraps and Page Frocks!

Amanda (Panders77)