Week 2 with Richard Breaks

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to my second guest spot with Richard! Here is a new sample he created with "The Vine" and its coordinating set "Branching Out". You know how much I like brown and this monochromatic sample with the different shades (and just one ink pad! Memento Rich Cocoa) is just lovely, that punch with the stamped vine is fabulous and all the distressing he did on the edges, direct to paper, and watermarked leafy background remind me of beautifully tooled leather.

And here is a short Q&A with the man himself!

Describe your style/what you think you do best: I like fresh, fun colors, for the most part, but since I am so new at doing this, I find it's hard to really say I have a style yet. I mean, this card is SO dark, and different from what I have done for the most part in the past.

FAVORITE TECHNIQUE: Anything that involves my Cuttlebug! I use my embossing folders with alarming regularity...

COLORS/COLOR COMBO: Orange and any sort of blue-green or yellow-green. I definitely like most shades of blue, as well. And who can argue with a pop of red? Uh, did I forget any colors???

FAVORITE EMBELLISHMENTS: Pearls and rhinestones, for sure.

FAVORITE GINA K SET BY MELANIE: Gifts from the Sea, my FIRST GinaK Designs set!

FAVORITE GINA K SETS (FROM ANY ILLUSTRATOR) It's a tie between Gifts from the Sea and Enjoy the Sunshine. Both of them are my "go-to" sets.

CRAFT SUPPLIES I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: My Cuttlebug! My Tombo adhesive and Scor-Tape, my teeny-tiny Studio G Inkpads, and for sure, Memento Tuxedo Black.

I’VE BEEN STAMPING FOR (HOW LONG):Two years, really, but I just started in earnest around April of this year.

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: Wow, so many sources. I think, first and foremost, the videos I see at GinaK Designs, and other sites. Challenges get me going, for sure. Needing a card for someone for a certain occasion will inspire me too. (I think we call that Necessity being the mother of invention.) Sometimes running across an older stamp set or favorite designer paper will spark something. During dry spells, I will search out sketches on various websites to get me started.

Tell us about your FIRST stamping experience!! My very first experience was at my friend Stephanie's house. We had just reconnected after an over 25 year separation, and the first thing she does is give me a new addiction, uh, hobby! My bank account will never be the same!

Tell us about your most MEMORABLE stamping experience!! Well, DEFINITELY being asked to be Melanie's guest designer! This has been a BLAST, and such an honor.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT STAMPING/CARDMAKING ARE: KEEP GOING! Even days where you have NO motivation can be good if you just stamp out some images or cut some cardstock while you watch TV. I will often make elements of cards, and put them aside until I figure out the perfect way to use them.

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING GOALS ARE: I would ultimately like to be on a Design Team (or 6!), and I sure would love to change careers and work in the crafts industry.

ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS: Buy a good quality paper cutter, and don't load up too much on discount cardstock. You will want to move up to the better stuff before you know it. NEVER pass up a sale on embellishments!

What’s it like to be "Mr. CardMaker" in a sea of ladies? As a hairstylist, I have been surrounded by the lovely ladies for most of my life. I love it! SO many ladies have been so welcoming and supportive, and I actually have run across one more male cardmaker! (Hi, Ted!)

How do you think your personality/life experiences shape your art? I have been surrounded by art and artistic people forever. My Grandmother was one of those ladies who literally NEVER sat down without some sort of crafting going on. I also am an actor, and I did one year of graduate studies in Interior Design. One of my very favorite activities as a child was cutting and pasting things together out of construction paper. I feel like I've come full circle!

Another art medium I excel at (or would like to try) I would really like to learn graphic design. When I'm not at work or cardmaking, it seems I am here at this computer.

FAVORITE THING TO MAKE THAT AREN’T CARDS: Christmas cookies and decorations. Anything I can make shiny.

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Again, my guest designer spot with Melanie. I think that any card I make that makes people happy is quite an accomplishment!

CHALLENGES I LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN: Color challenges, theme challenges. I find I will often get stuck with a sketch challenge; I have no idea why.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MIGHT SURPRISE US! I actually draw pretty well, but I really don't like to do it.

WHAT I DO WHEN I’M NOT STAMPING: I like to tan during the summer months, love to travel, and I like to spend as much time as possible with my dear old blind beagle, Celeste.

A FAVORITE QUOTE: "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." -Oscar Wilde

Thank you again Richard for sharing with us today! Please go visit Richard's blog for some more fun stuff! Have a terrific day!!