Feature Artist - Michelle

Happy Wednesday all,
OMG so far all it's done today is RAIN, ewww. So I thought what better on a rainy day than a feature artist - especially this extremely sunny person. Michelle actually designed a WHOLE range of papers for Sassafras........
Hello! My name's Michelle Alynn Clement, I'm 25 years old and I live in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada. During the day I work in a local animation studio on kids' cartoons (with my hubby, too!), or sometimes freelance from home. In my spare time, I like to do any and all things crafty - especially scrapbooking, drawing, designing goodies, and crocheting. I currently design paper collections for Sassafras Lass, as well as have my own little Etsy shop, Bubbly Shnooks (http://www.bubblyshnooks.etsy.com/) full of cute illustrated paper goodies. I've been creating for as long as I can remember - from covering my kindergarten journal in wallpaper to taking sewing & ceramic classes growing up - my mom was always incouraging me to make things, and so I grew up in quite the crafty house. :)

Who is your biggest inspiration???
I would have to say my mom, because she's always been the most supportive, encouraging person in my life - she's such a sweetheart - and I'm also very inspired by the business savvy & crafty goodness of Boy Girl Party/Susie Ghahremani, My Paper Crane/Heidi Kenney, Red Velvet Art/Elsie Flannigan, and The Black Apple/Emily Martin. Not only are they incredibly talented artists & crafters, but they're bizz sense makes me smile & aspire to follow my own dreams. :) Not to mention how cute their goodies are!

Why did you start creating?
Hmm. I've never actually thougth about the 'why' behind it! I guess it's just in my blood - I have to do it, like breathing, I think. :) I've always had a vivid imagination, and I guess it's just always needed a way to escape. I've always loved the hands-on of making something, and when I can combine that with self-expression, it's a necessary thing in my life! I get really antsy if a few un-creative/can't-make-something days go by...lol.
What is your favorite thing to create?
I *love* to scrapbook/do anything with paper the most, but lately crocheting has been sneaking in there & taking over my time! I also go through sewing spurts that really make me happy - I have a vintage patchwork quilt brewing in the back of my mind to start, soon!

What are your favourite manufacturers?
I really love Sassafras Lass (of course!) lol - but really, I've always loved their goodies so much since I started scrapbooking! I'm also a big big fan of Bam Pop, October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket, and Jenni Bowlin. Anything bright & cute, I love - especially if mixed with a vintage feel.
You designed a collection for Sassafras, where did you get your inspiration from to create this?
I actually was very inspired by a pile of blue & yellow floral vintage sheets I had recently picked up thrift shopping! You can read more about the behind-the-scenes/inspiration behind my collection, 'Mix & Mend' in this recent blog interview over at Sass, too!

Do you plan on designing anymore collections?
Yes, I have a contract with Sassafras and am working on what's next, so there are plans in the works for more paper from me! :)
Do you create with music? If so what is your favorite creative song?
Oh - music is so inspirational! Especially when I'm stuck on my computer doing digital cleaning up/repetitive work or if I really really need to focus, I *need* to have it on. I don't have one go-to song, they change every week or so, but right now I'm listening to the 'True Blood' instrumental score, Carla Bruni, & Diane Birch a lot.

What are your 3 must-have creative items?
I must have coffee, scissors, and a needle to hand sew.

Have you ever created anything you've hated?
Oh, goodness. Well, hate is a strong word - but yes! Haven't we all? There are some pages that you make and then end up never showing anyone or ripping parts of them up - and then there are the ideas that you finally get out and it ends up looking terrible, nothing like you'd imagined. Thankfully, it doesn't happen everyday or anything - how discouraging would that be?? But I do rip some stuff up and go through a lot of experiments/throw-aways sometimes when trying something new, for sure. :) We all have our days.

Michelle is giving away a $5 gift certificate to her Etsy store, Bubbly Shnooks, where you can buy cute stuff like this:
All you have to do is leave a comment, I'll give you till next Wednesday to enter - that will be my last blogging day before the wedding!!!
I'll be back later in the week with some more posts...... ciao xx