January Designer in the Spotlight – Kim Watson

January 11, 2016 by Gia Lau 8 Comments

Hello everyone!  I am so excited to bring you our January Designer in the Spotlight Kim Watson!  We were so excited when we saw her collection with Fancy Pants Designs called Happy Place we just had to feature the collection in our January Kit!

We are very thankful that Kim took some time out of her day to answer our Q&A and be our January Designer in the Spotlight!  Please say hello to Kim Watson.

1. Tell us a little bit about your creative process- As a rule, ideas never come when I need them to haha. They tend to happen when I’m running around or doing dishes or trying to fall asleep late at night.  I must be honest, when sitting down to scrap, a page design doesn’t usually come to me in a light bulb moment, I mull. I give the projects head space when I am going about daily stuff & in the end the story usually dictates where I end up design wise. I love challenging myself with hidden meanings or symbolism by the motifs I use or design elements included in the project. I think these subliminal elements are what make a page personal & help tell the story. Once I have a direction, I tend to push paper around until I have a design that speaks to me, then the fun part starts. 

 

2. Where and when are you most creative? I love my scrap area…unlike those insanely Pinned crafty spaces on Pinterest, it is not glamorous or fancy in any way, actually you couldn’t swing a cat in there without losing an eye but I find being surrounded by all the tools of the trade, pretty papers, magazines, art supplies really inspire me to want to craft. I also love that my scrap space is in the hub of our life…I am surrounded by the things I hold most dear, my family. I do find that I prefer crafting in the quiet so whether day or night, you’ll find me grabbing a crafty moment as & when those moments come. 

 

3. What are some of your must have supplies? 

• If we are talking about tools, my number one is my Mac, which I couldn’t do without.  
• Xacto knife & magnetic cutting mat from We R Memory keepers 
• Tombow mono glue
• Sewing machine
• Cameo cutting machine

4. Who are some of your influences? Ok…I admit I am a Google fanatic. Having the Internet is like having the largest library at your fingertips, making an array of influences available in a blink. Art, Graphic Design, Magazine layouts, Packaging, Interiors & home decor, Book covers & old posters, textiles…actually I find gorgeous inspiration just about anywhere.

 

5. 3 things people probably do not know about you. 

• I am a vocalist in a local band. I think if I didn’t end up as a Fashion & Graphic Designer, I would love to have sung professionally. 
• I really love what I do. I couldn’t live without Adobe Creative Suite being part of my daily life. I find the process of learning new tricks everyday stimulating especially if the result is pretty crafty products. So yes…I am a ‘Watch Youtube for the tutorial’ kinda gal.
  
• Working for Creating Keepsakes magazine for so many years developed in me a love for writing about all things crafty. I love the process of massaging words, & turning other peoples wonderful art into a creative process others can be inspired by. 

6. Can you share what helps you break out of a creative slump? Coffee…lots of coffee & an adult coloring book. I find 30 minutes with crayons, caffeine & an intricate design…really helps get the creative juices flowing again. In saying that, I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth…a long walk on Long Beach (5 minutes from my home), really helps me out of any funk. 

 

7. We are loving the Happy Place collection! Can you tell us what inspired you when creating this collection?. It was the Origami birds…I had been paper folding with my son one afternoon & loved the sweet little birds so much that I hung them with thread on a twig in my living room. They sat on my mantel for weeks all happy & free. One day I got the urge to create an origami repeat pattern…that is when the fun started & the result was Happy Place.  

8. Have you always had a love for design and can you share where we can find your work: My creative journey started later in life. Actually I was a Science major who dabbled in Fashion design. My love for Fashion & textiles ignited my love for design, which influenced where I find myself today. You can find my work on social media here: Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook |Gallery | Blog 

 

9. What are your predictions for the new trends to hit in 2016? You will still see the influence of hand created patterns & motifs with minimalist, clean overtures. Fonts from classic slab serifs, to loose hand inked fonts excite me as does modern nostalgia with a lick of water color. Textures from natural to modernistic will make emerging collections fun & tactile in unexpected ways. 2016 is going to be a year of creative fusion.

 

10. How did you get started in the scrapbooking industry? Quite by chance actually. As an extreme newbie to scrapbooking, I entered an online contest in the Creating Keepsakes magazine member forum in 2005. I surprised myself by winning which lead to my page being published. That first published page gave me the confidence to submit my work regularly which resulted successes with many magazines as well as manufacturers design teams. One of my fondest highlights was designing for Creating Keepsakes magazine on their Dream Team for 5 years. I think the experienced gained from working with such an amazing team of creative professionals, definitely prepared me for designing my own collections. Everyday I am grateful for the opportunity given me by the sweet Jodi Sanford & Fancy Pants Designs, who helped my dream come true. 

 

Thank you so much Kim for sharing a little bit about yourself with us today!  You can follow Kim on her blog HERE and check her out on Facebook and Instagram!