Design Divas

Hello there! Well in case you didn't know - Heartland Paper Company now has a Design Team. We have been officially dubbed the Design Divas and we are ready to roll! We have been busy creating some new and exciting projects that will most certainly inspire and get those creative juices flowing.

My name is Tya Smith and I am the Design Team Coordinator and I am so happy to be able to introduce myself and the other amazingly talented ladies that make up our team. So here goes!

Tya Smith

How long have you been scrapbooking:  I have been scrapbooking since 1998 with the birth of my oldest daughter Ashlyn. We were regulars at Heartland because they had a kid toy section that she could play in while I shopped! I started teaching at Heartland shortly after that. I was so sad when I heard that they were closing – Heartland has been like a second home to me, so of course when the store was bought I had to ask to stay on board! I am so glad I did!

Style: My style tends to lean towards the simple side. I love clean lines, and bold bright colors. I love to find clever catchy titles to incorporate into my designs and I try to add a little bit of “me” onto the page with a heart or a smiley face somewhere on the page.

Favorite products: my Silhouette cutting machine, buttons, ribbon and brown or black ink are my go- to products. My favorite companies are My Mind’s Eye, Echo Park, Bo Bunny, Pebbles Inc. Doodlebug and Imaginisce. I’m not really picky J. I LOVE to use sketches also.

Favorite technique: Inking and making my own handmade embellishments using punches or die cuts.

Favorite color scheme: It changes all the time but right now it is teal, red and buttery yellow. Oh – and purple- see-I told you it changes J

Why do you scrapbook: Every one of us has a story to tell – I just wanted my story told with pictures and bright happy papers. I want my kids to know that I was involved in the details of their lives. I also love the creative outlet. I have tried to “cut back” a few times, or try a different hobby – didn’t work so I thought why am I fighting it? I love creating things too much.

What do you love most about scrapping?  Apart from the actual awesome stuff we get to play with…the process. Holding the paper, cutting, stamping, pasting, scrunching, tearing…no amount of drugs can heal like that! Also it's totally my ME time...a time I can just relax and be creative and not think so much!! And...Since I scrap my family 99.9% of the time...it's a guilt free hobby. J

Kelly Wayment

How long have you been scrapbooking:  Since 1999.  As a newlywed, my husband wanted me to have a hobby.  I tried karate for a while, then quit that and started scrapbooking, which was much more to my liking.

Describe your Style:  My cards and pages tend to be generally clean and balanced, but I also enjoy including details like distressing, stamping, hand stitching, embellishments, and interactive sections.

Favorite products:  Rhinestones, glitter, fuzzy vinyl, and cardstock.  I lean toward bold and bright pattern papers, no matter which manufacturer makes them.

Favorite technique:  Using the Silhouette machine to add details or to make the entire project!

Favorite color scheme:  Pink and dark brown

Why do you scrapbook:  I need a creative outlet, my children love to see themselves displayed, and I enjoy reliving the memories as I work with the photographs.

What do you love most about this hobby?  Being creative and stretching myself to try new things (both techniques and supplies).

Melanie Posell

How long have you been scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking when I was 12 (18 years ago!!) I remember getting stuff to start for that birthday.  It was back when everything was 8.5x11 and there wasn’t that much to choose from!

Describe your Style: My style totally depends on the project.  If I’m making a home decor project, it most likely is some kind of shabby chic.  If I am scrapbooking, it could be anything.  I am however not a messy scrapbooker.  I have tried to get into the mists and paint splatters and I’ve tried but I don’t love them.  I also like to fill up my page with elements or photos.  You won’t find a mostly empty page with one tiny picture in any of my albums!

Favorite products: My favorite product is definitely patterned paper!  If I could buy it all I would.  There is so much to choose from and it, for the most part, is all beautiful!  My favorite manufacturer is My Minds Eye.  I love all their lines and i find myself really liking the diecuts and stamps that they have that coordinate with each line.  Second to paper is stamps.  Love them.  I used to mostly stamp on cards, but I have started using them on layouts more and I am having a lot of fun!

Favorite techniques: The techniques I use most often are inking and distressing.  I often ink around every element on my page.  Sometimes it is the perfect thing to make a layout come together.  I have found that it is a way to bring pieces together that aren’t from the same collection and make them look like they belong.  I also distress lots of things.  I rough up the edges of my paper elements with my scissors, I crumple up paper and then flatten it back out.  I haven’t torn anything in a while, but there is lots of that in my albums too.  

Favorite color scheme: I find myself using lots of distressed jewel tones in my albums.  I have lots of variety, but I am drawn to turquoise, ruby red, deep blue and the like.  However, my favorite color is orange, so you can bet there is lots of that to be found as well.  

Why do you scrapbook: I scrapbook because I enjoy it.  I love sitting down with paper and adhesive and creating something that is special to me and my family.  Even if it’s just finishing one layout, I feel like I have accomplished something of worth.  I love to look back at the finished product and love that one day my daughters will look at them and enjoy them as well!

What do you love most about scrapping?  Other than preserving memories, I love the social aspect of scrapping.  I most often scrapbook with my mom, sister, and aunts.  We get together (not often enough) and spend the weekend together.  We get to visit and enjoy each others company as well as share our scrapbook passion and talent with each other.  I absolutely love that part of scrapbooking!

Kim Holley

How long have you been scrapbooking? 17 Years

Describe your style: Depends on my mood.

Favorite products? EVERYTHING but I love punches and Dies.

Favorite technique?: Ones that look complicated  but are really easy to do.

Favorite color scheme? : It depends on the day, and my inspiration for the project I am working on.

Why do you scrapbook?: It is my “Golfing” (that’s what I tell my husband)

What do you love most about scrapping?: Creating new things

Tiffany Hood

 

How long have you been scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking about 16 years ago when my mom brought my sister and I to a scrapbook store where we would die cut all day long, and then bring home all the shapes and cut up photos and make scrapbook pages.  I still have some of those die cuts in a box!

Describe your style:

My style varies drastically with the product I’m using.  If I’m using bright happy products with saturated colors, my style is more clean, if I’m using shabby or vintage products I’m more eclectic and “messy.”  I do a little of everything.

Favorite products:

I love chipboard embellishments, pearls and rhinestones, ribbon, lace, twine, buttons, embossing folders, anything that has texture.  I also love inks and mists and my electronic cutting machines.

Favorite techniques:

I love sewing on my projects, and I love dimension.  I use a lot of dimensional adhesive.

Favorite color scheme:

Aqua, pink and grey.  Aqua is my favorite color, and since having a girl I love pink, and I don’t know where the grey came from, but those three together are awesome and somewhat sophisticated.  I also love grey and yellow together.

Why do you scrapbook?

Mostly to use the right side of my brain.  I’ve always loved anything to do with art and being creative, and that combined with the ability to document my family’s memories makes it the perfect hobby for me.  I’m a nurse by profession, so that uses the left side of my brain and keeps me balanced 

What do you love most about scrapbooking?

I love that I get to create something that can be cherished by my family, and hopefully as they get older, they’ll want to look back through all of our albums and appreciate all the fun we had.  It’s a way to show how much I love and appreciate my family.

Catherine Bolinder

How long have you been scrapbooking?  I have been scrapbooking since I was in elementary school.  I started when construction paper and glue sticks were about the only thing available!  So I guess I have been scrapbooking about 26 years.

Describe your Style:  I like the photos to be the focal point.  I believe you are creating scrapbooks to share your photos.  I don’t like design elements to overshadow what the page is really about.  I like some shabby stuff, but I generally have clean lines.

Favorite products:  I love ribbon.  I love, love, my silhouette machine I recently purchased.  My Mind’s Eye and Authentique are my favorite paper lines because of the quality of the paper.  I also have to have my scotch ATG gun for adhesive.

Favorite techniques:  I love to emboss, ink, stamp, etc.   I don’t know that I have a favorite.

Favorite color scheme:  My color scheme depends on my mood, but also what I am scrapping or the kinds of cards/craft I am creating. 

Why do you scrapbook:  I want my children to have visual reminders of their childhood – things they might not remember when their older, but can read about in their scrapbooks.  It is also a creative outlet for me.  It is my stress release and my MOM time.

What do you love most about scrapping?  I love all the products.  I love to touch and cut and feel the textures and embellishments.  I have done some digital scrapbooking, but I prefer to have my hands in the actual products.

We look forward to seeing all the new and awesome projects  from these new girl! Welcome to the team!