Betsie Gibson is our Ms. April. Her wonderful coloring and design skills will definitely inspire you! Here's a brief interview with Betsie so you can get to know a little more about her!
1. Brief info about yourself, including your name, where you live, your family (if you want), etc.
I originally grew up in the California bay area, lived in Europe for some time, and eventually settled in Arizona. I am a teacher by trade, but currently I am a director of guest services. I also own a kennel with my husband and the kids help out with that too! We breed Golden Retrievers and work with a few organizations that specialize in therapy and mobility dogs for our veterans and children with special needs. I have been married for almost 16 years and we have three children (two boys and a girl -- ages 13, 11 and 9).
2. How long have you been stamping and/or crafting?
I started off scrapbooking 17 years ago, although I made a scrapbook back in 1992 and did not know that is what it was. I started stamping about 15 years ago and really did not get serious with it until I started making cards in 2007.
3. What are your favorite Bombshell sets and why?
I can only pick one?! I like them ALL! However, the ones I get the most out of are
Pirate's Life,
Bombshell Angel (I like to add wings to her, put her in a two piece, draw a skirt on her with fishnet stockings, or highwaisted pants, etc. The possibilities are endless!) and the
Man's Ruin set. (It's great to use with the
Holiday Accessory set! Just stamp the image according to your holiday of celebration, color it in, cut it out and pop dot it on the skull at the base of the martini glass!).
4. What kind of projects do you like to do?
I will always be partial to scrapbooking, but cards run a close second. One of my very favorite things to do is to alter the boxes and tins my craft supplies come in. The Maya Road chipboard tins make the best shadow boxes!
5. What are your favorite coloring mediums?
Copic markers are my favorite for coloring in my bombshell stamps. I use watercolor pencils to make backgrounds or to give a paint effect.
6. Describe your crafting "style".
Is "naughty" a style? ;-) For my scrapbook pages I tend to stick with clean and simple. I really do not have a style per say. I like vintage, shabby chic, and rustic.
7. Describe your crafting process. Do you start with a stamp set? A sketch? A technique you want to use?
If I am scrapbooking, I start with the pictures, decide on my colors, come up with a sketch, and go from there. When I create cards, I am always inspired by the stamp set I am using. I usually pick out my card size next, paper, color in the stamp, and add embellishment last. Lately I have been having fun with the envelopes too! I love to color those to match!
8. Do you have any other hobbies?
Yes! I have recently started baking and have started making cupcakes for weddings, parties, and special events in my community. I have published two cookbooks that were a lot of fun to make. I am currently having fun using organic food that is local to inspire meal preparation for my family. I also am an avid reader and I LOVE to travel. I enjoy going places and learning about the history, culture, and people in that area. Last week I was in Georgia and had a fantastic time exploring the River walk, Civil War Naval Museum (growing up I was part of a Civil War reenactment organization in which I participated in living history -- I would camp out like they did back in 1861 and wear period clothes.), and the National Infantry Museum. One of the coolest things I saw was actually a coffee house that had originally been a bank that dated back to the 1700 or 1800's. I drank my coffee in one of the old safes! Amazing!
9. Free for all including little facts, etc. about you
I am a girly girl in that I wear dresses and avoid pants. My favorite drinks are loose-leaf tea and mineral water with lemon. My favorite animal is a penguin (even though I breed goldens). I only watch
The Blacklist because I am not a fan of television.
Here are three of Betsie's favorite Bombshell projects!
Now that you've learned more about our Ms. April and seen some of her artwork, be sure to visit and follow
Betsie's blog!