Craft Warehouse Design Team Member Amanda De Jong

What stood out to us when looking at Amanda De Jong's scrapbook layouts was her bold use of color and patterned paper! You can tell she has fun creating! We love her way of adding special time and embellishments on her pages to tell her story. Amanda is a local Northwestern who loves to shop at Craft Warehouse too!

How long have you been crafting?

I have been scrapbooking on and off for 15+ years, which is crazy when I think about it! At the time, my best friend's family owned a camera shop that also had a section devoted to scrapbook supplies. I helped out in the store whenever I could and after high school started working there full time running the growing scrapbook department. For many years scrapbooking had been an occasional hobby but over the last 3 years it has grown in to a passion, and an addiction to pretty paper! Now in addition to traditional layouts I spend my time creating altered items, mixed media, and vinyl decor.

What inspires you to be creative?

All of the above! Unexpected color combinations, ads, typography. These all inspire me when it comes to formation of a project, but the content is all about what is on my heart. I tend to create based more on what I am feeling, often inspired by my son or words that resonate with me, than on memory keeping specific events. Sometimes I manage to tie the two together!

What Craft Warehouse products do you love to use?

I absolutely love the selection of alterable items at Craft Warehouse, from the unfinished wood frames to the window panes, they are so fun to work with! I am also a huge fan of Crate Paper and was beyond excited when I discovered I could get my fix locally at Craft Warehouse  and "ooh and ah" in person!

How can you encourage others reading this column?

Do what you love! A little cliche, right? If your heart is in it then what you are creating will always be special, imperfections and all. I think it is easy to compare yourself to others and devalue yourself. Have a little fun, create for you and you'll find your voice!

Follow Amanda at her blog, on Instagram and on Facebook! Then, make sure to visit again tomorrow for her amazing tutorial using My Mind's Eye's NEW collection!