Happy Wednesday! This is Paige Evans and I’m so excited to share today’s Designer Spotlight: Gillian Nelson!
Name: Gillian Nelson
Location: Portland, OR
Blog: PS Please Send Chocolate
Instagram: @gnelson05
Pinterest: @gilliann
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started crafting: I’m a paper fan from my very early days. I had a shoebox full of stickers when I was a kid (all on their original backing, of course!) and I would sit and look through each and every one over and over again. The joy! So it would make sense that scrapbooking and paper crafting came as a very natural hobby to me. I discovered scrapbooking as we know it while I was pregnant with my first child, which was…holy smokes… I’ve been scrapbooking for almost 17 years! How did THAT happen?
Favorite thing to create: Scrapbook layouts are my go-to paper diversion. I dabble with making cards now and again, but I don’t feel very confident in that arena. I think layouts are easier for me because it’s a method of storytelling and I’ve always loved a good story.
What do you love about scrapbooking? It’s really a sensory thing for me. There’s something about feeling the paper, smelling it, even! It strikes a chord in my brain and fires off endorphins. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but it really does have a very calming effect. I love bright, happy colors, too, and paper crafting allows me to surround myself with just that.
5 fun facts about yourself:
1. I never remember how old I am. Whenever I’m asked, I have to do the math.
2. I love hearing crickets at night, but actually seeing one makes my skin crawl. They’re awful to look at. Blech. Gross.
3. Orion is my very favorite constellation. I smile every time I see him in my night sky.
4. I could eat peanut butter toast for breakfast every morning until the end of time. Not even kidding.
5. I had the steering wheel of a car come off in my hands once. While I was driving. It was like a scene from a bad comedy. Only terrifying and very, very real. It didn’t become funny until my heart started beating again.
Here is the fabulous layout Gillian created for her spotlight:
THE OUTTAKE by Gillian Nelson
I love this photo of the kids so much. I had to print multiple copies of it and use them all on the same page. More is more.
COLOR JUNKIE by Gillian Nelson
This layout is rather self-explanatory. 🙂 I love color. Absolutely love color.
WORD NERD by Gillian Nelson
One of my favorite things to do is to look to my (LARGE) stash of scrap supplies and put the older stuff to use. I reached way back into the vault for some of the goodies on this page.
KIND OF by Gillian Nelson
I tend to keep things pretty simple when it comes to technique, sticking mostly to paper and embellishments. But I broke out the watercolors for this layout and while my “skill” is rudimentary at best, I had so much fun with it, and was really happy with how it turned out.
READ MY LIPS by Gillian Nelson
Cats are demanding creatures, are they not? Mine are particularly bossy. Even for cats.
WOW! Such eye-catching layouts! Thanks for sharing your skills with us Gillian!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful layouts. I just love that everything on the page is meaningful to the story. You have not just put embellishments on the page to “fill the space”. Everything works so beautifully together to really tell your story. The more a person looks/reads, the more you an get out of the story. I’m not even a cat lover, but I love your Cat page! Really nice. You’ve inspired me to try this more organic style.