Mel Goodsel on Nic:
When I visualise Nic's layouts, there are three things that come straight to mind - a love of Cosmo Cricket products, stunning hand embroidery and this beautiful homely feel to her pages that makes me want to snuggle down with a warm blanket and a cup of tea to soak up all the goodness. As part of her handstitching, I've noticed that Nic embroiders quite a few french knots and cross-stitches, so I added a few of these to give a nice finishing touch to the page. Nic also uses quite a lot of scrummy flowers on her girly pages, but I chose to add the fairy wand to this page as something a little different - I probably should have went with the flowers since this was supposed to be scraplifting Nic's style :)
I really enjoyed creating the layout and having a play with some Cosmo Cricket papers, but then who wouldn't enjoy scrapbooking that gorgeous little fairy in the photo.
Suz Doyle on Nic:
For me, Nic's style can't be characterised by a particular repeated design, element or photography style, it's more a feeling. Her layouts are often very different to each other, eclectic and refuse to be pigeon holed. What is always repeated though is a genuine-ness, a genuine desire to record the real meaningfully, along with a warm homely feel. It's like granny on a page! In my layout I've represented her love of handstitching, of the 'drearier' more muted colours, and crocheted wooly laces and pins. I'm not sure I nailed her completely, but i loved trying!
Nic on Nic's style
"I've always felt like my 'style' if any, is sentimental and motherly. While I like to try different things from time to time, I tend to fall back on the same techniques and types of products over and over again. My style reflects myself, my home, and the way I live I guess. I tend not to be attracted to the latest and greatest, more elements that I feel are timeless - pins, buttons, lace, stitching and classic patterns abnd colours.
I usually distress my page in some way as I feel it tones down the background and helps tie every piece together. I distress, sand, scallop, ink or pink edges to soften them. I tend to fall back on my design training for element placement but this some times restricts me. I often wish I was a bit more experimental. I rarely use solid colour or cardstock and am usually always attracted to anything with strong colours but muted, washed out or textured in some way. I love to use anything with a fabric look or haberdashery influence as it makes my layouts look warm, sentimental and homely. My journalling is usually the most important part of a layout for me a I feel my scrapbooks are the stories of our existence, and I love to use treasures that I've either found, or relate to my subject in some way. My grandmother's hand tatted flowers are a favourite embellishment of mine as is crocheted lace, cute pins and 'granny' buttons!"
Nic on Mel and Suz:
I was SO impressed with Suz's rendition of my style - most of all those gorgeous stitched daisies and swirls. She even picked colours that I would use and layered crocheted lace horizontally which is something I do a lot! I also tend to use blocks of patterned papers under my photos, and put part of my title in small letters with the main word or words in larger chipboard. I'm very impressed with the stamped date block as I always date my layouts somewhere and have been using stamps a LOT lately! Thanks Suz, it's beautiful and Madeleine loved it!
Mels' layout was spooky in that we placed the photos in the same places and even used the same photo corner in the same spot! I love how Mel mixed Basic Grey with Cosmo Cricket as well as they are my two most used brands of paper. I adore the quote on Mel's page and even commented that I wish I'd thought to use that quote as I have a huge collection of quotes by Picasso just waiting to be scrapped! I love the row of French knots and the way Mel layered the papers. Most of all Maddy was tickled pink with the little fairy wand that Mel made - gorgeous!
Thanks girls, I think you both picked me well!
