Designer in the Spotlight: Kaitlin Sheaffer

Clique Kits is so excited to share a new blog feature column which we hope to make a regular highlight of each month. It's called, Designer in the Spotlight  because we want to get to know the women behind our favorite paper crafting product collections. Today, we are very fortunate to have a Q & A with the designer who created the collection Wildflower for Carta Bella that we are all excited to show off in tomorrow's Blog Share; Kaitlin Sheaffer. 


Q: Give us a brief insight on your creative process. What inspired you to create the Wildflower line? 

A: When I first started this collection I didn’t really have a particular direction I was headed with it. I was feeling a bit stuck on it actually. I live in Northern Colorado, about a fifteen minute drive to the mountains so our family heads up there quite often for quick day trips to go hiking and just get outside. I had taken photos from a recent trip to the mountains and was envisioning using them as a small stack of polaroids. I drew up the polaroid element on the sticker sheet and then it just kinda clicked that I could use it with this collection in a sort of modern adventuring, outdoor theme. I love how it turned out because it is really different than any collection I have seen and it still can be used for many types of layouts. 

Q: In your day to day life, what inspires you? 


A: I am a stay at home/ work from home mom so most of the time my day is very repetitive and I work around kids schedules. I think we can find inspiration in many of these moments though because more often than not these are the moments we are documenting. Many times I will be reading a book with my kids or out running errands with them and see color schemes, words or a theme that is inspiring. Other times I might be scrapbooking and think of a paper or element that would work well with it and so I am inspired by more of a need. 

Q:  What time of day do you usually feel the creative bug?  


A: I think this varies for me. It used to be I only felt creative at night but because I have to utilize any free time I have, I am productive when I need to be. What works best for me is when I have a spark of creativity I use my sketchbook to take notes/ draw it out and then when I have free time I use it to work out what is in my sketchbook. 

Q: Who are some of your influences? 


A:  I think the pages that really drew me in and caught my eye when I first started scrapbooking were both Rebecca Sowers' and Ali Edwards. I love how their pages are clean but they always seem to have an artsy twist. It’s definitely something that appeals to both sides of me. 

Q: What do you consider your greatest artistic accomplishment? 


A: This is unrelated to scrapbooking, but I’ve always thought of myself as a person with a small attention span when it comes to projects. I tend to stay away from projects that are long term or don’t have an immediate result. In college we were assigned to copy a famous painting with watercolor pencils and I chose a Degas painting for my daughter who was in ballet. It was a huge canvas and took several weeks to complete. I was sure I was going to lose interest and it was going to come out horrible. In the end I had a lot of fun working on it and came away with something I was very proud of. I learned that doing long term projects can be fun and enjoyable. 

Q: What supplies are always on your desk/must haves in your own work?


A:   I love my Silhouette Cameo, my sewing machine is used on almost every page and lately I seem to always put a few wood veneers on my pages. I also love my Epson Charm, (a new toy!) for printing photos and I also use my Mac a lot for printing journaling or digital elements on a page. 

Q: In three words, how would you describe your style? 


A: clean (with a) artsy twist (hopefully!) 

Q: Right now: What are you…


A: 
Reading: I hate to say this…but I don’t read often (gasp!) 
Listening to:  I love listening to podcasts or talk radio
Loving to Eat: Mexican food. I am always in the mood for Mexican food…I think my family gets tired of me making it or suggesting it when we eat out but I don’t really care! 
Loving to Wear: Lately I have been living in my black leggings. I have a few pairs and I just love them so much! Super comfy and I love that I can play on the floor with the kids or head out to the grocery store in them.

We are super grateful that Kaitlin was willing to play along and loved learning more about her!
We hope to see you tomorrow for the blog share starting right here on the Clique Kits Blog. You bet there will be a prize for a lucky hopper who comments on each blog! We also have a surprise in store for everyone who visits the blog tomorrow. See you then! 

-The Clique Kits Gals