May's Featured Stamper

We're in the middle of enjoying our super-sunny extra Bank Holidays and realised it's May already!!! A new month means a new featured stamper here on the blog so it's time for an introduction....

...but just before the introduction, I'm sure you'll join us in thanking Claire for being our featured stamper for April. We've loved having you on board, Claire and thank you for creating some fabulous projects for us!

So now onto May's Featured Stamper....we'd like to introduce to you:

Jen Carter!

Yup - if you don't already know Jen, then we'd like to point out that we're widening the field when it comes to featured stampers. Although our blog is primarily aimed at uniting PTI fans across Europe, inspiration is worldwide to us :)

Time to grab a cuppa and learn a little bit more about Jen:

1)How did you get into papercrafting?
I first started papercrafting in Junior High. I wanted to keep mementos from school and save some of my favorite pictures of me with my friends so I began scrapbooking. During college I didn’t have as much time to work on scrapbooking, but after I got married we had a spare bedroom so we turned that into an office/scrapbook room and I put together several scrapbooks for my Grandparent’s 50^th wedding anniversary. Several years later we had our son and I scrapbooked about everything…for the first 2 years of his life and then I got burnt out. I longed to use pinks and purples and flowers and everything girly! But, how do you do that when you are scrapbooking about all things boy!? That is when I found and fell in love with stamping!

2)How long have you been stamping for?
My mom bought me my first set of stamps when I was in High School. I used stamps off and on in my scrapbooks but didn’t have a large collection at all. It was about 6 years ago that I really got serious about stamping. I was so happy to be able to use color (I LOVE color!!) and lots of it! I wasn’t limited to blues and greens anymore, but could use the pinks and purples I loved and also stamp flowers!

3) How did you get into PTI and why do you love it so much?
After I stamped about a year, I became a demonstrator for a stamping company. During that time PTI opened for business and I instantly loved how well thought out their sets were. I couldn’t believe how each set was so versatile and could be used with punches (and now dies) and how so many of their sets were interchangeable and able to be mixed & matched! I remember when “Green Thumb” came out and how the boot had 3 separate stamps so that you could easily change the color of each piece without masking or using markers. That was LOVE for me! It was just such an ingenious idea! And each month as another set came out, I continued to see that well thought out plan and I was hooked!

4)What would you say is your stamping style?
I like anything simple. I don’t usually want to spend tons of time on one card and I like to keep them clean too.

5)Do you have a favourite PTI colour or colour combo that just makes you drool?
My favorite PTI color is a toss up between Raspberry Fizz and Hawaiian Shores , although I do love so many of them! One of my favorite color combos is Hawaiian Shores (or Aqua Mist) with Pure Poppy and any neutral mixed in. I just LOVE that one so much…drool worthy for sure!

6)If you had to choose just one PTI stamp set to keep, which one would it be and why?
That is a tough question! My all-time favorite is probably Polka Dot Basics, but if I only had one, I would want it to be set that includes sentiments and images so I would go with the CHA 2009 set, Floral Fusion followed in close 2^nd by Spiral Bouquet. Both of those sets offer so many possibilities and can be used as a background or as a focal image and both also include sentiments.

7)Who is your PTI Idol?
Nichole Heady for sure. It was her blog that originally drew me into PTI and where I really & truly saw how versatile PTI sets are! She never ceases to amaze me at her level of creativity both in designing her cards & projects and also in designing her stamp sets!

8)Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration all over. I love looking at blogs and magazines as much as possible but I also find inspiration in normal everyday things. Just this morning I noticed that the colors & design on the cover of the book I was reading was a great source of inspiration for a card! Sometimes inspiration comes from clothing that I see in a store or a commercial on TV.

9)What’s your stamping dream?
I would love to have my work published in a popular crafting magazine, but I guess that means I need to actually SUBMIT something! LOL! I would love the opportunity to provide input on a stamp design too!

10)Where can we go to check out more of your wonderful creations?
I have a blog called Jen’s Ink Spot that I would love for you to visit at: www.jensinkspot.blogspot.com.

Thanks, Jen! Be sure to take a visit to Jen's blog for some great inspiration and take a peek at her fabulous button rings - nope, I'm not saying anymore, just check 'em out! I'm sure you'll join us in welcoming Jen here and like us, are really looking forward to her contributions to our blog starting tomorrow with our new challenge!

xxx