Designer Q&A ~ and a Giveaway!

Our January Guest Designer has already shared her talents with us through her fabulous free download earlier this month. Today she shares a bit more of herself through a Q&A-style interview. Read on to learn all about Julie Klaus of Julie Marie Designs … and be sure to enter our giveaway contest for a chance to win the full version of her amazing new kit!

January Guest Designer Julie Klaus of Julie Marie Designs

Name: Julie Klaus
Username: juliemarie
Location: Idaho

Retail Outlets:

• Elemental Scraps
• Gotta Pixel
• Also a guest at The Digi Chick in January.

My Blog: http://juliemariedesigns.com

Please tell us a little about yourself … your family, your background, pets, hobbies, etc… I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. With two daughters – a teenager and a preschooler  – there is never a dull moment in my home! Even the dog is exhausted!

Are you a digital, paper or hybrid scrapper/designer? What do you like most about this method? I will always be a digital scrapper, it is really my main addiction. I have also paper scrapped in the past, and I have done some hybrid as well. Digital scrapping fits my lifestyle much better at the moment because it’s so easy to work on a layout for a few minutes at a time.

How long have you been a designer & how did you first get started? When I discovered digital scrapbooking in 2006, I had just became a stay-at-home mom. My former job was working with Photoshop, so I knew that I could create the products as well as scrapbook, but it took me awhile to get serious about designing! I began taking designing seriously a little over a year ago.

Is scrapbook product design your full-time job? If not, what else do you do? I also sell Scentsy products. I don’t actually do that for a “job,” rather I became a representative for them because I love their products so much and there wasn’t anyone locally! If you aren’t familiar with Scentsy scent warmers, they are a safe way to have fragrance in your home without the dangers of candles.

What software & platform do you use in your design work? Do you use any other special tools? I’m a Windows girl. I use Adobe Photoshop CS4 & Illustrator. I also love using ACDSee for organizing. I have a Bamboo Fun tablet that I don’t like as much as I think I should

Has your design style changed over time? What has influenced this? Yes, I look back at older stuff and cringe because my stuff now is so much better. I have taken a couple classes on using Adobe products, plus I am always on the lookout for Photoshop or Illustrator tips & tutorials.

What is your biggest challenge as a scrapbook product designer? For me personally, it’s finding the time. Like most, I wish there were more hours in the day!

What has been the biggest reward or most fulfilling aspect of being a scrapbook product designer? Thank you letters I have received from customers. It’s nice to get a blog comment thank you for a freebie, but getting an email thank you is really touching!

Where do you get your product ideas? Who & what inspires you? Almost anything & everywhere! TV shows, magazines, catalogs, newspaper ads, clothing, bedding patterns, & my own photos.

How long does it typically take you to design a full kit from concept to delivery? What is your process? I almost always start with the papers first. It really just depends on my creativity & any deadline I have nearing (unfortunately I work better under pressure). A kit can take anywhere from one really, really long evening to a few weeks.

What has been your most popular product? Giving Thanks

What is your favorite kit and why? The Good Life – it reminds me of Olive Garden, one of my favorite restaurants!

How do you incorporate “real life” scrapbooking into your personal & professional scrapbooking & design work? Looking back at the layouts I did when I first began digital scrapbooking, I realize too many of them are just a photo with a bunch of elements. Of course I think they are beautiful, but 20 years from now looking back at them wouldn’t be much different than looking at just the photos. I now realize scrapbooking is about much more than a pretty layout focusing on a photo. Journaling is incredibly important. I often ask myself  “what doesn’t the photo tell?” and that is how I come up with more meaningful journaling.

What fills your time when you are NOT scrapbooking? First & foremost, my family. I also love photography, cooking, blog reading & watching tv.

What advice do you have for fellow scrapbookers interested in pursuing the scrapbook product design field? You need to be designing because you love it, not for the money. In the beginning it will take months of hard work with little pay. I think a lot of new designers end up stopping before they get successful.

Product Samples:

"Snow Berry"

Country Christmas

Planes, Trains & Cars

So Very Basic Paper Pack

And of course, the brand new release you’ve all been waiting for … the full version of Color of Music created especially for Log Your Memory!

Color of Music

This brand new kit is available for purchase from Julie’s store, but one lucky Log Your Memory blog reader will win the entire kit for FREE in today’s Guest Designer Giveaway. To enter, simply leave a comment below either asking Julie a question of your own (to be answered later this month) or sharing one way in which music has enriched your life. One random winner will be drawn from all comments received here on the blog as of midnight (MTN) tonight, January 18, 2010. Our winner will be announced in tomorrow’s post. Good luck!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…