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My style is a combination of all the things that are 'me'. I would describe it as color-inspired, collaged, tailored, linear and textural. My background is in clothing and textiles, so color and texture are natural extensions of everything I do. By tailored and linear I mean organized and balanced in color, space, texture, etc. This may come from the same sewing background, but I think it's also inherited from my mum and dad. They both had an eye for those things. The collaged feel comes from my love of quilting and the way the pieces of fabric mingle and 'play' with one another.

My layouts are shaped by the quality of the photo and it's theme. My planning starts with the photo and theme. I like the papers and embellishments to enhance what I do. If the photo is great it takes center stage. If the photo is not the best, the story/journalling takes over. Some days the photos don't 'speak' to me at all and other times I could spend all day doing layouts, cards or making gifts with them.

My inspiration comes from everywhere - and I love to try new things! When it comes to planning and inspiration, the first thing that comes to my mind is 'no fear'. I've had my share of mistakes and learned a variety of ways to deal with them and therefore, I'm not deterred by a fear to try things. I have fun with it! If one color combination, photo size or embellishment doesn't work, I know that something else will. Sometimes I also like to challenge myself. I took a design class where we were limited to using three components blindly pulled from a box. This can be very challenging and the results can be awful, but it also allows you the freedom to try new ideas and color combinations. It helps to get you out of a rut.

Make sure you give your ideas time to 'brew'. When a layout (or any project) is forced to completion, it usually comes off as such. If I get stuck on a layout I walk away from it, do something else and give the possibilities a chance to present themselves. If this doesn't work, I like to leaf through my favorite books for ideas. Books on art are especially inspiring to me for layout ideas, color combinations, proportion, etc.

It is so important to put a 'piece' of you in every layout. Just because a page may not include a photo or story about you, it does not mean you can't embellish it with 'you'. For me it's stitches or something fabric related. For someone that loves to cook, journalling with 'delicious' words may be the result. A cat lover may 'sign' their work with a tiny cat somewhere on the page. A friend of mine loves jewelry so she adds flourishing touches with anything shiny.