Featured Designer – Erica Zane
Happy Friday Sweet Shoppers! I hope you had a great week and made a ton of memories this past week to scrap about. Hubby and I had a good weekend away last weekend and enjoyed some comedy, an NHL hockey game and just getting away.
I’m here today with a new Featured Designer, the amazing Erica Zane. Her store has pretty much everything you could wish for – fantastic kits, tons of pocket cards and great templates, that are so ‘EZ’ to use! I have been a fan of Erica’s for so many years, and I love her card sets, they always make me laugh and they’re always so relatable!! I’ve even printed them and stuck them on a card to give to people.
This year’s Featured Designer series is all about Adventure and Erica rocked this theme out of the park with Adventures in Adulting, her Featured Designer kit. This kit is FREE with any $10 purchase in the Shoppe from now until the new releases go live on April 5. This kit is so perfect for those of us stuck in adulting daily, which I am SO feeling lately with the busy world of working, being a mom and also trying to have a social life. I really love the wordart shown on the preview that says I wish common sense was more common. I feel this in my soul!
Erica also has Adventures in Adulting: Cards she created as add-ons to the free kit, they are absolutely perfect and so funny, because they are true.
And don’t forget to check out these coordinating sticky notes:
And now to learn more about Erica!
Tell us about your journey with digital scrapbooking… How did you find out about it? Did you start with paper first? How did you get started designing? Where was your first shop? How and when did you end up at Sweet Shoppe Designs?
I have always loved taking photos and editing them in Photoshop and doing crafty things in general but I really started scrapbooking with paper after my oldest was born in 2001. Looking at an online paper scrapbook supply site one day, I stumbled upon a digital tab & was curious what that could possibly be…one click later & my paper scrapping days were numbered. I remember staying up all hours of the night to download freebies, most of which were never used, but at the time everything seemed amazing. I eventually got on a store CT and ended up designing there…it’s been closed for ages but it was called Snap & Scrap. They were closing so I moved to ScrapMatters & eventually CatScrap, both of which also closed, before finally landing my dream gig here at Sweet Shoppe Designs in spring of 2012. It was worth the wait – this place is the best!!
What comes first when designing… theme or color palette?
Usually the theme first but sometimes colors come easier to me. With my last kit, A Happy Laughy Life, the theme was a request so I created a fun palette to go with it. But sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing next, so I start playing with colors until I get a set I like, then start a paper two until I’m all “aha – this needs to be a …. kit”. Quietude was a recent one that started with the colors and the theme followed.
What are your must-haves when creating a kit or collection? How do you know when a product is “finished”?
I always add things I usually use on my own pages…I must have stitches & a staple, banners are always fun, gotta have flowers & leaves, a journal spot of some sort is always handy, oh & frames – need frames and I’ve gotten in the habit of adding torn paper edges or paper scraps of some sort for layering. Sometimes I have to scrap a page with what I have so far to see what I may be missing.
Are there any adventures you’d like to go on in the future?
Yes! But also maybe no. I’ve always wanted to go to the UK and Australia/New Zealand and so many other beautiful looking places but besides the cost, I really really hate flying and boats kinda freak me out so when we get some kinda portkey situation happening, I’m totally in!
Would you rather go on a relaxing vacation or an adventure hike?
I do love a good hike but I would always pick a beach vacation given the choice! Nothing better than lounging around reading while listening to the ocean waves, that’s my happy place, Though when we go to the beach, I always try to do my 11 mile beach walk at least once, that feels like an adventure but no one ever wants to come with me for that one, haha. They also are not fans of my “too early” sunrise walks (except my hubby)…those are my absolute favorite!
What is your current desktop or cell phone wallpaper? Why did you choose that image?
On my cell phone, my lock screen is my favorite recent(ish) photo of my hubby & me and the screen behind my apps is a photo of a sunrise from one of my morning walks…both of which make me happy to see often.
My computer desktop is a not so recent family photo because I like seeing us all together and smiling, it makes my heart happy. ( I really need to get an updated one but it’s hard to get motivated when I know I’ll be met with attitude, LOL.)
If you could go on a date but only had $25 to spend, where would you go?
We don’t go out much in general and are not fans of crowded places, so it’d likely be either watching a movie at home, a trail walk or some kind of take out to eat in the car (then we have to air out the car so the kids can’t smell it later & ask questions, LOL). This page was from our anniversary date a few years ago – a beautiful walk & tasty lunch – perfection!
What was your first job?
Besides babysitting, my first official job was working in a one hour photolab. I (mostly) loved it but had to get used to talking to people which I’m sure was good for me but felt rather painful at the time.
Now that you know more about Erica, check out these great pages by the SugarBabes – and Erica herself! – with Erica’s Featured Designer kit,Adventures in Adulting.
That’s it for today – come back next week to see which 15 products Erica has picked for her Featured Designer 15 sale. Until then, keep on scrapping!
