Donna on Steph
Replicating Steph’s style is not one of the least daunting tasks I’ve been set. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Steph’s style is so intricate and detailed with layer upon layer of perfectly chosen product. I’ve always loved the femininity and fluency of Steph’s designs – a technique very few have mastered, least of all…me!
The easiest part of this challenge was choosing my base products. I knew I would need plenty of Tinkering Ink, colourful, textured embellishments and flourishes of some kind. While these components are common on Steph’s pages, her use of space, composition and colour are continually changing. I began by layering my papers then my flourishes and rub-ons. While the result is theoretically similar to Steph’s, I’m not sure I could re-create that sense of flair and whimsy that she has become so admired for!
Suz on Steph
I've been an admirer of Steph as both an artist and a person for so long that the thought of creating a layout that did her and her two beautiful daughters justice was just downright scary, so for the most part I stuck to what I knew to be the basics of her style. Her photos regularly 'melt' into her pages, hard edges covered so that you often can't tell where the photo edge and the patterned papers begin. Roses feature regularly, favourite products such as Hambly and Tinkering Ink, and lots of sparkle are no-brainers!
What I don't think I quite captured though is the fluidity, the organic quality of Steph's style. Colours and patterns swirl in her layouts as she plays with the subtleties of light and shade, and it's this mastery that makes Steph's talent so unique.
Steph on Steph
When Suz asked me to to comment on my style, I spose I have always known that I swing from a high chroma funkiness to a soft whimsical shabby chic at the flick of a button. I guess my scrapping style has a very definite signature on it through my use of repetition of certain brands, like Hambly and Tinkering Ink, and because of my passion for the paper arts, I use many papers in a juxtaposition of patterns and colours.
I always tweak my photos in Photoshop, using a Colour Pop Action and the Curves facility to let as much light filter the image.
I love using B&W somewhere on an layout just to throw some drama into the mix. I love flow through titles, the way it can take the eye on a journey and very rarely will I ever do a layout without rub-ons or some form of texture.
Steph on Suz and Donna
I emailed Suz as soon as she sent the layouts for me to have a look at, and I commented that my jaw literally dropped to the floor. Wow.
I was so proud of Donna, our styles and composition elements are so opposite each other she really did a brilliant job. She has layered as much as she could without taking her personal signature away from the layout. I adore the bird, definitely one of my favourite papers and the addition of the bling and die cut papers which are also a personal love of mine.
Suz has captured my style beautifully, the title of this layout, the positioning and flow is such a perfect representation of where I would have placed it. The beautiful big rose, splash of B&W, bling and whimsical femininity mirror my work perfectly. I think that the scans of these layouts does not do them justice, all the different textures, layers and design work is absolutely divine.
Thanks guys, you have both blown me away. It was really lovely to think this is how you see my layouts. xo
