DT Intro - Sandy Ang

Today we welcome back Sandy Ang! We at Artfull Crafts have been fans of Sandy's work since she started entering our challenges all the way from Singapore and we are thrilled she has joined us on the Design Team for another year! Sandy currently designs for Australian manufacturer Ruby Rock-It and US Kit Club Citrus Twist.

Keep reading right to the end to find out how to win a full Ruby Rock-It Arcadia Kit donated by Sandy. Everyday there will be another prize to win... so don't miss a day!

I'm Sandy saying hi to everyone today.

I still remember this time last year when Liz and Lowri invited me to join the team. I was thrilled then and over-the-moon when I found out they wanted me to stay on for another term.

How were you introduced to papercrafting?
I chanced upon a LSS when shopping and was like a kid in a candy store when I saw all those amazing scrapbooking supplies. That’s the start of my addiction to this fantastic hobby.

What inspires you for layouts, projects, cards?
My sources of inspiration are varied : ranging from product packaging, through haute couture fashion to origami technique and paper toy design. I’m fascinated by the nature of paper - a light-weight, inexpensive and easily available material. Yet it offers opportunities to create endlessly interesting three-dimensional shapes.

What scrapbooking tools/products can you not do without?
I’m very basic when it comes to tools. With scissors, pencil and ruler; I get most of my projects done.

What do you hope to try or improve on this year?
All my projects have a very controlled look to them. I’m trying to cut loose a little and create in a more fluid and flowing way.

What advice can you give to people just beginning to enjoy papercrafting?
If you see a project you like, find out who the designer is and visit her blog. Most designers don’t mind if you lift their ideas for your personal use. So recreate it using whatever supplies you have on hand. I think making allows you absorb to design elements through a sort of osmosis process that is more intuitive then formal classes.  


You create a lot of papercraft projects and cards. What other types of projects do you like to work on?
In January I felt I needed to push my papercrafting capabilities and accepted a six month term designing layouts for a kit club. It was challenging to work on a larger canvas and took me a while to figure out the design techniques involved in working on 12x12 and 8.5x12 layouts. But eight months later I've fallen in love with scrapbooking in a serious way.  

What inspires you to create layouts ?
Photographs. Those that have a quirkiness to them like the ones above of my cousins on vacation in New Zealand. I like to have fun with my layouts and will often scrapbook everyday, almost mundane pictures of things like empty coffee mugs or a stack of library books.

What is your favourite scrapbook brand and why?
I tend to be able to work with most brands but for the longest time had a brain block when it came to My Mind's Eye. I remember trying, and failing, to work with Lost & Found. Well Liz didn't give up on me and I persisted, finally cracking it with this Indie Chic layout and these Nostalgia cards. A particularly sweet moment came last week when I found my Two Girls layout featured on the MME blog.

What is your current favorite technique or embellishment?

Playing with geometrics. It's a hot trend right now to work with hexagons, triangles, circles etc and I love the graphic effects I can achieve by manipulating pure shapes. Most recently I am fascinated by pattern combinations seen in fashion and hope to work some of those ideas into my scrapbooking.

Liz's Note and Prizes to win!
Sandy has a great blog full of beautifully presented, original projects and vibrant photographs. If you aren't following Sandy already, then take the chance to join her blog.

Now head to Sandy's Gallery and leave a comment on the project that uses your favourite papercrafting brand. Sandy has been generous enough to give away one of the brand new releases from Ruby Rock-It (Arcadia Kit below) to one commenter. You have until midnight Friday Sept 6th to make your comment.

What a Dear Card Supplies : MME (Nostalgia 6x6 Paper Pad, Stella & Rose Label Sticker), IRocks Hot Rocks, American Crafts Just Dandy Momentos, feathers, tulle

Your Smile Card Supplies : MME (Nostalgia 6x6 Paper Pad, Indie Chic Direction Layered Stickers), IRocks Hot Rocks, Kaisercraft (Resin Blossoms Orchid, Wooden Flourishes Small Leaves) , Jenni Bowlin Chipboard Button, tulle