Hi everyone! We're back with another Design Team Spotlight Series and we are featuring design team member Nicole Elliott from "Teachdanz".
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a dance teacher and fitness instructor who loves to craft! I spend my mornings teaching a variety of fitness classes - yoga, cycle, weight training, cardio and aqua; and I spend my evening hours teaching dance - ballet, tap, acro and jazz. I am married to a very supportive husband and we have been married 25 years now. I have 3 daughters, one son in law (with another one to be added to the clan come this July) and a 5 month old puppy. I live in the Pacific Northwest in the state of Oregon.
When & how did you first get into card making specifically?
I was invited to a home stamping party right before I had my first child and I was hooked!! I started collecting stamps and creating cards from that moment on!!
What is it that you enjoy about cardmaking?
I just love to try new techniques and improve on my crafting skills. I enjoy the creative process of cardmaking.
Do you give your finished cards away or do you keep them for yourself or do you sell them? If you sell them, where can we find them?
I often give my cards away or someone else from my family gives them away ;) I don't sell them intentionally although I have made a few that were requests from friends and they were kind enough to pay me for them.
What is your style of card making?
I wouldn't say that I am a clean and simple kinda card maker but I also don't tend to use a ton of embellishments either - I think I fall somewhere between the two, LOL!!
What is your favorite media to use in card making?
I love using my Copic markers!
Besides cardmaking, what other crafting do you do and enjoy?
I love to scrapbook although I haven't had as much time to do it lately. I also do some quilting and sewing from time to time and have done a bit of crochet in my past.
Aside from crafting, what other hobbies and things are of interest to you?
I love fitness and dance. I enjoy going to the ballet. My family is fairly active and we enjoy camping, skiing, running and hiking. When I want to chill, I enjoy binging on Netflix with my hubby or watching the Hallmark channel by myself ;)
How did you learn to color? Did you take classes, watch videos or are you self taught?
Shortly after purchasing my first set of alcohol markers I enrolled in a Kit and Clowder coloring class. Along with learning from that class I also watch Youtube videos and use Pinterest to help me grow in my coloring skills.
What is your favorite thing to color?
I absolutely adore the Stamp Anniething images for coloring. I am not even saying that because I am on the design team ;) First of all, the images are large enough that it makes coloring more enjoyable for me and makes it easier to work on specific coloring techniques i.e. hair or skin. I also love the fact that the images always appear happy - we need more joy in this world!!
What is your process in designing a card?
I usually start off with a rough idea of what I am going to create - i.e. card, tag, etc. . . Then if I don't have a solid enough idea I will turn to Pinterest for some creative inspiration ;) From there I work on the focal point which is usually the Stamp Anniething image and then I finish up with the background and any other embellishments I want to add to the project.
Do you have any “fail safe” tips you can share?
Less is better! First of all, don't feel like you have to keep up with the "Jones'" and own everything out there. Do your research and then make a good decision that fits your budget and needs. I am often more creative when I have less to work with LOL!! Also when it comes to finishing a project I find this motto helpful too. I find when I get too complicated and over embellish or make my card too busy I am not as happy with the outcome.
What advice would you have to someone just starting out coloring images or cardmaking?
When it comes to markers I learned the hard way - you get what you pay for. I do recommend saving and gradually building a collection of quality markers. Buy them in groups of 3-5 in a color range so that they will blend together. I love when people post the colors they use in a project as it helps me decide what colors I may want to purchase for my own marker collection. As for the actual process, if you can't take a class then utilize Youtube. There are lots of great tutorials on there. Practice!! and then practice some more. Don't allow perfectionism to hold you back from trying. It's supposed to be fun, right?!
Tell me something that I may not know about you.
I rarely make it through a day without a regular dose of Peanut Butter!! It's been my food of choice since I could eat solid food!!
Fun facts –
What is your favorite Stamp Anniething stamp and why?
It is really difficult to pick a favorite because I love them all and every time I color a new one I think it is my favorite ;) but if I had to choose one it would be "Paige - Shall We Dance?" for obvious reasons, LOL!!
What is the ONE crafting tool you find to be a MUST for your crafting arsenal?
I can't narrow it down to just one!! But definitely I need - my copic markers, ATG gun, paper cutter, Misti stamping tool, Scan N Cut, copic friendly ink and paper. Those are my must haves!!
Where can we find you?
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Teachdanz-771646162845842/?ref=settings
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/teachdanz/
On to my project for today -
My friend is performing in a ballet this weekend and instead of taking her flowers I thought I would bring her this instead ;) I created the tag to go with her gift using
"Lucille - Relax and Enjoy". This is such a fun image to color - who doesn't want to have a spa day, right?! I tried to maker her robe and towel look like terry cloth. My tag base is created with Jaded Blossom's
"Luggage Tag Die".
Thanks so much for stopping by today!!
