Sweet Shoppe Designs – The Sweetest Digital Scrapbooking Site on the Web

Happy Friday Sweet Shoppers! How is your July going? It is sure flying by, already halfway over. We are going camping and making memories for the next week, I can’t wait to see what we get up to – that I can scrap about later, of course!

Today we have a brand new Featured Designer, Raquel (Kel) of Sweet Doll Designs. She is relatively new to Sweet Shoppe Designs but not new to designing and I can’t wait to find out more about her with her Q&A below. Her kits are so dreamy and lovely, and they are seriously so large I don’t think anyone could ever use the entire kit all at once, they are amazing! I love all the ephemera that she includes, they add the perfect touch to every page. I’m a huge fan of her work!

Before we get to know Kel a bit better, check out this new Featured Designer kit, Adventureland, which is FREE with your $10 purchase between now and when the new releases go live on July 26th. From carnivals and fairs, birthdays, and just outside fun times, this kit can be used for so many everyday memories! This would be the perfect kit to scrap about your circus adventures too – or even the circus that lives in your house, if your house is anything like mine most days!

Kel also has this amazing add-on to her kit, this MASSIVE bundle, which accompanies the above kit just so perfectly.

Not only that, she also made these great templates to coordinate with it all!

And now to learn a bit more about Kel!

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 started many years ago and worked at several stores, but I was very young, had no experience, and still had a lot to learn. That’s why I retired from scrapbooking and dedicated myself to other areas of design. When I decided to return to scrapbooking, it felt like a call for me to have more time to take care of my health and do things that made me feel good. It was then that I decided to return and started selling in the store that I had previously retired from, Oscraps.

I had to update myself on how things work now since I had been away from scrapbooking for 10 years, but I was certainly trying to improve myself whenever I could. Despite the fear of not meeting the store’s expectations and activities, I decided to apply after receiving several likes on my Instagram from Robin. At that moment, I started to feel comfortable thinking that I could be part of this sweet family.

How do you define your style? What does that style include? How has your style changed over the years?

I like to experiment with a variety of styles, and throughout this year, I have tested many styles, elements, and features. However, I definitely love the shabby style with a dash of cute things.

Where do you see your designs going in the future? Is your focus changing in any way?

I believe that changes are important, both to adapt to new resources and to meet the needs of each client. That’s why I like to think that I will always be looking to bring real elements to my products, keeping alive what scrapbooking represents in the life and memory of each person.

How do you stay motivated or deal with the loss of mojo?

I have definitely learned that I need to take breaks and do something else so that inspiration can return naturally. 

What comes first when designing… theme or color palette? Where do you find inspiration for a new kit or template?

Definitely the theme. I create boards on my Pinterest to gather inspiration for themes and colors. My biggest inspiration is definitely Pinterest; I love looking at paper scrapbook pages and imagining how I would recreate them in Photoshop.

Show us a recent mood or inspiration board… or two.

Here, I have the most recent one I made in collaboration with Bobbie

This one is from my collaboration with Val:

What are your must-haves when creating a kit or collection? How do you know when a product is “finished”?

Few people may know, but I have ADHD. It took me a while to discover it, but now I understand better how my mind works and how I can effectively use my ideas in stages. That’s why I start by creating a board on Pinterest, then I condense all the information into a mood board so I can focus precisely on the theme I want to develop (without distractions). To determine what to include in the kit, I periodically survey my creative team to find out what they like and dislike. This helps me create elements and papers that they will genuinely want to use, while still aligning with my style and sales strategies.

I have a base of 20 papers per kit and approximately 100 elements, which I consider complete. However, as I often have many ideas during the creative process, I end up creating separate packs to make the collection more robust and versatile. This allows people to use it beyond the highlighted theme and on more than one page.

How long does it take you to put a collection together from start to finish?

It can take a week or more, depending on how my offline activities are going.

How do you keep your collections fresh and new for themes that are done again and again like holidays, weddings, scrapbooking, etc.?

I aim to create kits that aren’t overly themed and can be used in projects throughout the year. I typically avoid making holiday kits since stores already have plenty of those; instead, I strive to offer something unique and versatile.

Show us a preview for one of your first kits, compared to a recent kit you’re proud of. We want to see how far you’ve come!

A lot has truly changed, and I love witnessing that evolution. With each new kit, I strive to bring something even better.

Are you an adventurous person?  What has been your greatest adventure?

I think so, but I’ve become less adventurous since the pandemic, though now I definitely prefer safer adventures.

One of my biggest adventures was living for a few months on the border between Venezuela and Brazil during a challenging period, where I volunteered to help. And from there, we went to spend a few days in the Venezuelan Caribbean.

What’s your most memorable childhood adventure?

I have few childhood memories since we didn’t take many photos back then to remember later. If cell phones had been around at that time, I believe I would have more memories to cherish.

If you could pick anyone in the past or present to go on an adventure with, who would you pick and what would you do?

Definitely my crazy friends.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done recently?

Signing up to join the SSD may seem simple to some, but I had to confront some negative thoughts about myself to gather the courage to come here.

If you had an hour to yourself, but were not allowed to use it to scrapbook or design, what would you spend the hour doing?

Today, I learned to appreciate doing nothing—resting and swaying in the hammock.

What’s the last really great book you read or tv show you watched?

Currently, I focus on my daily Bible reading, which I love. I’ve read it several times and I’m always learning new things.

What was your first job?

I trained as a teacher, and my first job was teaching literacy.

Do you have hobbies other than scrapbooking, photography, or memory keeping? Tell us about them.

I love taking walks along the coast near my house.

What’s your favorite movie quote?

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

I’ve loved finding out more about Raquel, man I wish I had a view like her last picture!

Before you go, check out these great pages from the Sugarbabes showcasing Raquel’s Featured Designer kit!

That’s it for today, come back next Friday to find out which 15 products Kel has chosen for her Featured Designer 15 sale starting July 23rd. Until then, keep on scrapping!