November Guest Designer Spotlight

This month's Guest Designer is Michelle McDaniel.

1.  When did you get started in stamping?

I was invited to a stamping party in 2002 and was instantly hooked! I've been stamping ever since.

2.  All Stylists have a go to accessory or tool... what's yours?

I seem to always use my trimmer and Scor-buddy on all my projects so those are two tools I can't live without! As far as accessories go I'd say that I always seem to use ribbon and pattern paper...seems those two items are always on my creations. Looking at my room you'd probably notice all the paper and ribbon I have. Seeing all the different styles, colors and patterns just makes me happy!!

3.  Where do you find inspiration?

 I'm a huge sketch fan! Can't get enough and I  print off sketches weekly and add them to a sketch notebook I keep right on my desk. I love that sketches give me a place to start without limits. I also enjoy looking at magazines and blogs for placement of embellishments, coloring of images and color combos.

4.  What drew you to PMS?

I'm a big Fairy fan...PMS has some of the BEST fairies. Plus the quotes just speak to my heart. They are so uplifting!

5.  What is your favorite color palette?

Not sure I have just one color palette I use but pink and brown would probably be at the top. I have to admit that green, pink and turquoise is very close though!

6.  When you aren't stamping, what do you like to do?

Spending time with my family, helping out at my daughter's school and leading her Girl Scout troop, reading and watching crime dramas.

7.  Tell us something, not stamping related, about you...

I am an Accountant turned Preschool Teacher. I'm also a Demonstrator for The Angel Company where I was honored to be named Angel of the Year this past July. I have one daughter but dream of a larger family. Not sure my husband feels the same though, lol! 

Michelle has great coloring skills which are just perfect for PMS images!  Here are a few of our favs...

Celest

Sprout

Katie Fairy

Thanks Michelle for being our Guest!!

September Guest Designer Spotlight

This month's Guest Designer is Alex Lundgren.

Alex has been coming to the PMS Release Parties for as long as I can remember and she absolutely cracks me up!  Not only does she add to the atmosphere of the party but she's just chatty with everyone!

1.  When did you get started in stamping?
I first started when friend invited me to a D.O.T.S. home party.  Yes, I am THAT old, LOL.  I got away from it for a bit while I was very focused on scrapbooking, then realized they could work together!  What a thought!


2.  All Stylists have a go to accessory or tool... what's yours?
My mini cutter.  I know that doesn't sound very exciting or inspiring, but I find it impossible to cut smaller pieces or trim close to images with my regular 12 in. trimmer.  I use my mini cutter on EVERYTHING I make.


3.  Where do you find inspiration?
I love to look at people's blogs and just see what everyone is making.  I have a card gallery as my home page so every time I get on the computer I see something amazing and inspiring.


4.  What drew you to PMS?
THE FAIRIES!  I fell in love with the fairies when PMS first opened their doors.  Now I am hooked, completely and just adore the Moodies too.


5.  What is your favorite color palette?
I am not sure I have a favorite color to work with, but my favorite color is purple.  It doesn't often work for decorating my home or scrapbook pages since I am the mom of two boys.  However, I can work it into a lot of cards.  My second favorite would be BLING!


6.  When you aren't stamping, what do you like to do?
Not stamping?  When am I not stamping?  I enjoy watching TV and movies.  I grew up with my parents owning a video rental store and went on to work in a couple of others.  I am a movie buff.  I don't have much time to watch them anymore, but still love a good one.


7.  Tell us something, not stamping related, about you... 
I have a box a friend made for me that can't be gotten into without totally destroying it.  I drop money in it whenever I can, even a quarter at a time, to save for a trip to the Greek Isles.  That is my dream trip and one day I WILL be there! 


Alex has such a clean style about her cards that it really puts the focus on the image (which she styles beautifully everytime!).  I hope you've enjoyed Alex's creations this month as much as we have.  Make sure you head over to her blog Paper and String to see more of Alex's creations and leave her some love while you are there.  Before you go, we'd like to share a few of Alex's PMS cards with you...

August Guest Designer Spotlight

This month's Guest Designer is the amazingly talented and uber sweet Simonne Clay (semsee). 

I had a chance to chat with Simone more than I normally get to chat with some of our guests, and I have to say she is the bubbliest, sweetest person ever!!  We got to ask Simone a few questions, and here are her answers.  Be sure to scroll down to see some of her stunning work.

1. When did you get started in stamping?

I started dabbling in cross-stitch when my brother was expecting his first child almost 14 years ago, but apart from that I'd never crafted before.  For no reason at all, in December 2008 I decided to make my mum a birthday card and so took to the web to gather a few ideas.  I stumbled across a card maker's blog, got very excited, decided to order a few supplies including some stamps, and as they say the rest is history, LOL!  So I've been stamping for about 20 months now!

2. All Stylists have a go to accessory or tool... what's yours?

Hmmm, that's a toughie!  I love all my tools, but I think the two that I just couldn't be without are my SU paper snips and my paper trimmer.  One of my all-time fave techniques is paper piecing, and my paper snips are just the BEST scissors I've ever used for this!  And being the frugal crafter that I am (I keep every single piece of scrap paper and card ... even the smallest bits - well, you can punch out a tiny flower or leaf from them, right?), I use my paper trimmer to cut out the middles from all the card I use for matting and layering!!  Yes it's time consuming, but I can usually get away with using just one piece of coloured card for each card I make - better for my wallet and much better for the environment!

3. Where do you find inspiration?

Definitely from other crafters.  I buy the occasional craft magazine, but you can't beat surfing the web to visit old and new friends' blogs for inspiration.  I'm a bit of a paper addict, and if I see some new paper that someone has used I just have to hunt it down and have it!  Same with any new crafty supply really.  I also LOVE following sketches and taking inspiration from what others have done with them. 

4. What drew you to PMS?

I was first introduced to PMS whilst browsing for word art stamps!  I adore the unique style and wonderful mix of stamps that make up PMS.  From the instantly recognizable Beautiful Day Fairies and Moody Girls, to the amazing stamp sets, and of course the fabulous sentiment stamps!  There's something for everyone at PMS, with stamps that your can while away the time colouring, to those stamps that don't need colouring but can be used with a variety of wonderful techniques.  It may be a bit 'boring' to say this, but the stamps are fabulous quality deep-etched red rubber, an absolute joy to stamp, and really inexpensive!!!!  And of course there's the amazing Katie Cotton and the rest of the fabby PMS team - need I say more? LOL!

5. What is your favorite color palette?

I adore all colors really, but the crafty color palette that really draws me in time and time again is green and blue.  Don't know why, but I just love the look of them together, sometimes with a pop of brown!  I also absolutely adore the color orange.  I can't wear orange myself, but really love the color (...our bathroom and lounge both have rusty orange accessories!).   Ooo, and purple is just so scrumptious too!

  

6. When you aren't stamping, what do you like to do?

Easy answer - spend time with my wonderful hubby and our amazing 9 year old daughter!  I also LOVE reading books (can't go one day without reading a chapter or two!), listening to all types of music and playing the piano!

  

7. Tell us something, not stamping related, about you... 

I have been playing the piano for 31 years, since starting lessons when I was 5 years old.  I took this passion right through to University, graduating with an honors degree in music in 1996, and am now over-the-moon to be teaching our daughter to play.  At one point I was going to go down the concert pianist route, but knew deep-down that type of solitary and intense life was not really suited to my personality!  Favourite composers?  Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Bartok, Debussy, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn...I could go on and on and on, hee hee!

I love Simonne's coloring and she seems to use "chocolate" about as much as I do (no wonder I just love her! lol). I hope you've enjoyed Simonne's PMS goodies as much as I have, make sure you pop on over to her blog SemSee's Sparkly Scribblings to see some more amazing eye candy and leave her some love while you are there ;)

  

Meet this moths Guest Artist...

Jane Wetzel (anything but Plain Jane).  I absolutely LOVE Jane's style and her coloring is phenominal!  See for yourself...

Look at the "sponging" around Caliope with a Flower.

Here she uses Dandy Wishes...love this tag!

This is a very sweet card using Oo La La!

We had a few questions for Jane,

How and when did you get started in Stamping?

I have always loved art and started stamping a very long time ago, on and off.  Then I went to an SU party and took off.

All Stylists have a "go to" accessory or tool... what's yours?

My "go to" tool or accessory is probably one of my border punches... I LOVE PUNCHES

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration looking at all of the amazing blogs online and really just art everywhere you look in life.

What drew you to PMS?

I saw PMS online and thought the images were so darn cute!  Then I found Katie Cotton was going to sponsor a Copic Creations challenge (where I am on the DT) and I was so excited!  She is one very talented lady.

What is your favorite color palette?

My favorite color palette?  tough - I guess I love all shades of tans, oranges, dark blue and violet.

When you aren't stamping, what do you like to do?

When I am not stamping I am a mother of 4 grown children and 2 dogs...a pug and a rottweiler. 

Tell us something, not stamping related, about you...

    I love to walk and ride my bike and  I am also attending the Cleveland Institute of Art - a suprize gift from my wonderful dh last year!  I work at my parish church as the religious ed. coordinator for the children (love them!) and I LOVE hanging out with my 2 adult daughters (my best friends) :)  I am also looking forward to my oldest son's wedding this October!

 Thanks Jane for being our Guest Artist for July... your creations are so inspiring!

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