Yesterday I was on a card making website that had absolutely stunned me. It had absolutely amazing punch art and I was just so intrigued about how it was done. So I emailed Kim Score of www.paperpunchaddiction.com and asked her if she would be willing to do an interview for Two Pink Peas. She agreed right away and I was really excited. I think that when you see her work you will be amazed at how creative, innovative and just how smart she is. To be able to take regular punches and create these amazing works of art is a true gift!! Trust me when I say that you will definitely learn something new (if you are not new to paper piecing art) after reading this interview, seeing her art and visiting her website!! I know I sure did!
First I want to say thank you for taking the time to join us here at Two Pink Peas and for sharing the love of card making and paper crafting. Would you please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your blog?
I live in a small town in Northwestern Wisconsin and have been a "cheese head" my whole life and don't particularly enjoy the cold winters! I am happily married with one beautiful 4 year old daughter. I work full time in finance/accounting (which is totally uncreative!) and fill my spare time with all things creative. I am a former Stampin' Up! demonstrator and craft show artisan, but now spend my time paper crafting, blogging and sharing online. My blog was born out of the desire to share my love for paper piecing. Since I didn't particularly enjoy hand cutting my pieces and hated to haul my cricut out of the closet, my brand of paper piecing with Stampin' Up! punches was born. My blog started in September 2009 and it's been a whirlwind ever since!
1.) Can you tell me about how you started using punches to make your cards? Were you this creative as a child or was it something that you picked up later on in life?
Going all the way back into my early childhood, I've always loved making things. My interest was in fabric and at age 7, I was hand sewing all of my own barbie clothes. I also loved to do latch hood rugs, cross stitching, crochet and then in my teens and early 20's, I got into making handmade teddy bears and dolls. My mom and I used to sell at several craft shows around Wisconsin but the crafting business has changed so much over the years that it became apparent that we could not make money for all of the time we put into it. I was actually at a craft show selling my teddy bears when I met a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Having never stamped before (but considered it), I signed up right on the spot! I was a demonstrator for 10 years and gave it up when it stopped being fun and became work. I've been paper crafting for about 12 years now and haven't seriously sewn since then!
My interest in punch art started after my daughter was born. I had never seriously scrapbooked and when I started, I was online looking for scrapbook ideas. This is when I discovered paper piecing. I was blown away! I loved the look of the dimensional pieces and they really made my pages special. I was a member of Splitcoast Stampers and was all of a sudden seeing simple punch art popping up in the member gallery. I thought "why can't I create paper piecing with my large collection of Stampin' Up! punches?" and that is how my style of punch art was born!
2.) Out of all of the tools available, what drew you to use punches the most?
It was the most useful tool for creating shapes, which is what paper piecing is all about. It helped that Stampin' Up! had a great array of punches and keep adding to it every year!
3.) It literally blows my mind that you can take so many different shapes from your punches and put them together like you do. How do you do that? I wish my mind worked like that..lol. It's quite amazing to be honest!
I tend to look at everyday things and try to visualize them in simple shapes. If you can break down an object into simple shapes, then it's much easier to create with punches.
4.) I really love your style. Where do you find your inspiration since you come up with so many creative ways to use your punches?
Photographs and clipart are always a great inspiration. l like to visit free clipart sites and look at objects, animals, people and try to visualize those things in simple shapes. Then, I sit down and make a sketch of the object using Stampin' Up! punch shapes. The final "character" comes to the piecings when I add the details like the sponging, shading, popped pieces and faces.
5.) Do you use a Cricut at all or do you primarily just use your punches?
Before I got into punch art, I actually used my Cricut for all of my scrapbooking. I purchased a software called SureCutsAlot that worked with the cricut to cut out any true type font and svg file. I purchased paper piecing files online, converted them to svg and my cricut machine cut the pieces for me. Unfortunately, Provocraft got sue happy and recently barred this little company from supporting their machine with it's software. I still have it (and use it) but I've recently joined the Boycott Provocraft facebook page because I don't like big bully companies telling me how to use the machine that I bought!
6.) How many punches do you own? What is your favorite punch out of your collection? What punch do you find that you use the most?
ALL of the Stampin' Up! punches (retired and current). My favorite punch is the Ornament Punch but lately I've been using the Boho Blossoms the most.
7.) Besides punches what is your favorite tool to use when you create your cards?
I LOVE embossing and die cutting. So, next to my punches, my Sizzix Big Shot, embossing folders and Nestabilities get a lot of use. I also can't live without my Peachy Keen face stamps! They really add a lot of character to my punch art.
8.) How long have you been using punches to make your cards and other crafts?
I starting creating punch art in September 2009. Before then, I used punches sparingly.
9.) I noticed that you offer many different tutorials. They are offered at great prices..how often do you make new ones?
It all depends on the time of year and how much spare time I have. I always have a list of ideas but seems I never have enough time to work on them! On average, it takes me about 30 hours to create a class that includes 5 different patterns. A lot of time goes into designing a piecing and then taking step by step photos, editing photos, writing up tutorials and placing it online. I usually put my punch art pieces on a finished project with instructions as well. Full cards, scrapbook pages, non card gift items and cool card techniques usually accompany my punch art. I want everyone to feel like they get excellent value in their purchase!
10.) Has your style changed over the years and can you explain your transition?
I have always been a "clean" kind of paper artist. I prefer simpler designs with a wow factor. This is why I love punch art. I can let the punch art be the star with a simpler card background. My style has changed in that I used to use my stamps a lot more to create my own backgrounds and now I find that I just don't have the time to do that. I now prefer to use a lot of designer papers and embossing folders for that special flair. I've always been a ribbon and glitter junkie and I've recently gotten into more bling (like pearls and rhinestones). Although I love to look at collage and mixed media cards, it has never been my own personal style. I like projects that are less busy and more eye catching. Sometimes the simplest cards can be the most attractive.
11.) What is your focus when making your cards? When do you find is the best time to be creative?
I usually go into a project with a goal or theme in mind. It's rare that I sit down "just to play". It's usually because I have a design team assignment or project that is due and there is a specified theme to go along with it. Since I only have time to work on my stuff late at night, that is when I'm most creative. Unfortunately, this means that I don't get a whole lot of sleep!
12.) Your cards shows interest in color and texture, are there any specific or different colors and textures that you are experimenting with right now?
I love embossed backgrounds and prefer textured card stock over smooth. I've found that textured card stock always adds way more character and "realism" to punch art. There is more depth in textured paper and to me, it has always looked more elegant and rich looking. Lately, my favorite technique is the inlaid look. You simply punch pieces (like flowers), glue them to cardstock and then emboss the whole thing. I LOVE the Stampin' Up! square lattice embossing folder for this technique. Lately, I've been combining bright and soft colors together. My favorite color combos of the moment is Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron and Baja Breeze. I also love Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake.
13.) Are there any other crafters that use your style of card making that excite you right now?
I love the styles of Mary Fish http://www.stampinpretty.com/ There are so many others I could mention but it would take me all day!
14.) Are you working with anything different that you have not shown us that you will reveal in the future?
I love paper engineering so I'm always looking to create new action card techniques. You can expect to see some more of these in the near future.
15.) What inspires new styles and designs?
Trends in products really steer my style a lot. When certain techniques, embellishments and products are big on the scene, I find that I use them more often. It's funny that trends change on a cyclical basis. Back when I was a kid, the old vintage floral look was big. It fell out of favor and now all of a sudden, it's big again! I don't particularly care for that fad but I do love plaid, stripes, polka dots and tiny floral prints. Lets make that a new fad!
16.) Tell me about your craft room and how you organize your supplies. Do you have any tips on organizing that you can share with us?
Unfortunately, I lost my craft room after my daughter was born! I have a small home and no room to spare. Right now, my work area is a small corner in my bedroom with a drop open computer desk, a small portable table and a large cabinet. So, I'm the worst person to give organizational advice! But, I look forward to getting a larger house within the next 5 years and having my own craft room!
17.) What things do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started paper crafting?
I didn't need everything! I just HAD to have all of the cool new products, tools, stamps, etc. that came out with every new Stampin' Up! catalog. Now, I have boxes of stuff I never used and will probably never use. I wish that someone told me to stop being a collector and start using what I had!
18.) For someone who is just starting out with punches, what tools or items do you recommend should be a must have?
All of the Stampin' Up! punches are a worthy investment. Since I use them all, it's hard for me to recommend just a handful. In addition to punches, I highly recommend Peachy Keen face stamps, sponge daubers and ink pads (for sponging edges of paper), Unibal white gel pen (to add highlights to eyes), Staz on black pad for stamping faces and a small stipple brush for adding blush to cheeks.
19.) What is your most favorite technique?
Punch art, of course!
20.) I noticed on your blog that you are a design team member for several different blogs or companies. What does blogging mean to you and how has it enhanced your creativity?
I have met so many wonderful people through blogging and working on design teams! I think that working on teams gives me the motivation to get something done. I work best with deadlines and commitments and find that the more things I create, the more I WANT to create. I know it sounds strange, but once you find yourself making things on a regular basis, you find that you spend every waking moment thinking about the next project. It's addictive!
21.) How long does it usually take to make one character for a card?
I just want to thank Kim Score again for taking the time to do this interview and for sharing her love of paper crafting with us. I hope you all enjoyed this interview and will visit Kim's website. I hope this inspired you to look at your tools in a different way because that is exactly what this has done for me. I would love to hear any comments that you all may have about this interview and this type of paper crafting. Have a great day everyone!! ~Terri
