September's Featured Stamper!

Hey it's September already! Someone please tell me where the summer holidays went?! I can't believe I'm back to work/school so soon!

So as it's a new month, it's time for a new Featured Stamper for September! Firstly, we'd both love to thank Caryn for being our Featured Stamper for August, we've loved having her on board with us and I'm sure you'll agree that she shared some fabulous projects with us!

And now, without further ado, we'd like to introduce you to our Featured Stamper for September:

Margaret!

We're so happy to have Margaret with us for September. She's been a fab follower of our blog and challenges for a while now and really impressed us with her recent enthusiasm for our past Long & Tall Challenge; entering a whopping 4 times! Now that's the kinda stamping spirit we like to see!

We gave Margaret the usual toughie interview questions to get to know her a little better:

1)How did you get into papercrafting?
I have always been into making things, but it was mainly textiles - embroidery, dressmaking and quilts - until I got Chronic Fatigue. I didn't have the concentration for embroidery, or the strength to make quilts, so I was casting around for a new hobby. Luckily, a FABULOUS stamp shop called Stampaholics had just opened in Perth, Scotland, with an amazingly talented owner (hello Siobhan !!!) A friend and I took a couple of classes and I was hooked. We were originally going to go to watercolour classes - the fine art world's loss is stamping's ...um... gain??!

2)How long have you been stamping for?

Eight years. My excuse for not being as brilliant as some of you who have been crafting a much shorter period is that I had a baby during that time (and if you ever met the whirlwind that is DD, you'd understand why it is only one baby !)

3)How did you get into PTI and why do you love it so much?

I probably found PTI the way I find most new stamp companies. I browse quite a few papercrafting blogs and when I see a stamp I like, I check out the company - it may well have been through the delightful Steph's blog "Stamping & Sharing" (hello Steph !!!)

I fell in love with the clean lines of the PTI stamps and the fact they are so versatile. You just need to see a countdown to understand why they become such a staple of a stamp collection as you can create so many "moods" from one image. More bang for your (expensively exchange-rated) buck ! I also LOVE the sentiments and the fonts they use - I'm a real word girl.

4)What would you say is your stamping style?

My most common style is a variant on the Clean and Simple style - the Quick and Lazy ! However, I really love all styles and I am trying to be more adventurous than good old stamp'n'mat. The one I simply cannot do is Vintage. I could buy identical materials to Melissa Phillips, copy her card exactly, and while hers is whimsical and nostalgic, mine is a heap of junk in a puddle of PVA. I don't visit her blog now out of sheer envy....!

I would say with the PTI stamps, you really can get away with the Quick and Lazy style of stamping - it still looks fabulous ! Give it a go, folks!

5)Do you have a favourite PTI colour or colour combo that just makes you drool?

I'm very seasonal - right now I am leaving my brights to head into the quieter tones of Autumn. If you said I could only ever have one colour for the rest of my stamping career, I'd cry. So don't, OK?

6)If you had to choose just one PTI stamp set to keep, which one would it be and why?

You're so MEAN - one colour, now one stamp !!! Right now, in this moment, I'd have to say "Through the Trees", because I have a card that's been sitting in my head ALL WEEK that uses one of the images in that set. However, the set I have used the most is "Beyond Basic Borders" - it really is a versatile set, with the mix of sentiments and images that can make any kind of card.

7)Who is your PTI Idol?
It's got to be The Boss - Nichole Heady. That woman rocks. During the 5 days of sneak peeks, I always think "Nah... Don't need it.... Won't like it...." Then come the 5 countdown days and - oh my... her creations make me despair, because my don't needs/won't likes become GOTTA HAVE NOW!!!! She creates cards that are relatively simple in construction, totally different from each other, yet all just stand out in their loveliness. I also have a soft spot for Heather Nicholls for similar reasons, and I love visiting Mish, Maile and Dawn's blogs. Heck, I think all the designers are great - I'd have them over for afternoon tea anytime ( can you imagine??! )

8)Where do you get your inspiration from?

I would love to say "nature" or "music" and make out that it's all from my own talent ...but that would be a Big Fat Lie. My inspiration comes from all of you bloggers. I am a very firm believer in CASE and I am often inspired by someone else's work, or a technique that someone uses. I think card sketches are genius and can kick start you into something amazing. That said, I think it is SOOO important to credit someone when you nick their ideas - it's only polite !

9)What’s your stamping dream?

Oooh ! That Nichole Heady reads this and decides to make me an honorary, for life PTI Design Member. She back dates my stamp collection with every stamp PTI have ever made ...and makes the rest of the Design Team come round for that afternoon tea once a month. I make great cake - it wouldn't be so bad.

Slightly more realistically ? OK - two. PTI open a European franchise ...in Dundee, Scotland. IT COULD HAPPEN !! And that I manage to get my birthday card book filled for the year ( I think the PTI, Dundee might just be more likely...)

10)Where can we go to check out more of your wonderful creations?
Come to my blog - Threads, Ink and Me. You can skip the blether, and just look at the pretty pictures. Then CASE them. You can also come to tea - I wasn't kidding about great cake !

Yummmy, well I know we're tempted with the promise of tea and great cake! I'm sure you'll join us welcoming Margaret on board, we can't wait share her creations with you here on the PTI blog!

Aimes & Kate
xx