October Afternoon is pleased to welcome Melanie Fink to the blog as its guest designer for the month of April!
Melanie has always enjoyed art, whether it was drawing, painting, or papercrafting. She has been papercrafting for almost 12 years and began sharing her creations 2 years ago when she started her blog http://thepaperretreat.blogspot.com. Melanie says papercrafting calms her and provides her with a sense of community.
Melanie has lived in Minnesota her entire life and has worked for the same company since she graduated from college 11 years ago. Although it may not seem like it, she says she really does embrace change! She is employed part-time as a Financial Analyst at a Fortune 500 company and feels very fortunate to have a great job and one that allows her to have flexibility at the same time.
Besides her job and papercrafting, Melanie loves spending time with her family and friends including her dog, Harvey, and two cats, Mattie and Snickers, whom bring lots of joy to her life.
Now let's get to know Melanie even better:
Are you a layout person, a card person ... or both?
I started papercrafting as a “scrapbooker” and I was very much a layout person. More recently, I am much more of a card person. I love making things for others, which most often is a handmade card, gift, or home décor item. However, I have a scrapbook in the works for my grandmother about our family heritage.
What is on your scrap desk right now?
This is really sad to say – nothing! I am in the process of moving so my old craft space is gone and my new craft space is just getting set up. I am really excited about my new craft space. It will be organized and has lots of space for storage. More storage is a really good thing for me considering I am a shopaholic and have tons and tons of crafting supplies, and as you might guess, many of them from October Afternoon!
What is your favorite October Afternoon line or product ... and why?
This is a really tough question because I genuinely love them all. My favorite holiday to craft for is Halloween and the Witch Hazel collection is awesome! I love the cute witch, the vintage jack-o-lanterns, and the Devil’s Claw paper with the web-like sheet of music. I bought the collection at the October Afternoon warehouse sale last October (right before Halloween), and I didn’t get a chance to play with it. I am very anxious to get it out this fall!
What can you NOT scrapbook without?
I love my Sizzix Eclips electronic die-cutting machine. I love the limitless possibilities I have when using my Eclips. I can cut SVGs, fonts, and shapes I create in my eCal software (Sure Cuts A Lot for the Eclips). I equally love my Purple Cow Paper Trimmer. It cuts straight every time and it is so easy to use!
What is your favorite source of inspiration?
I pull inspiration from everywhere. I will be driving and see a billboard that I think has a cool design or a restaurant that has a really cool logo. If I need to find my creative mojo, I will check out my favorite blogs (Papertrey Ink’s blog is one of my favorites) or comb through my stash of Stampin Up catalogs.
What is your favorite movie, TV show or book?
My favorite TV show is The Walking Dead on AMC. It is full of surprises and is so well acted. I am usually not a fan of shows/movies with a lot of gore, but this one is worth it! Also, I know what to expect should a zombie apocalypse happen! The funny thing is that I have had conversations with people that believe it will happen! Quick question – would you scrapbook during a zombie apocalypse? I would! :)
What is your favorite food?
Anything with tomatoes! Garden fresh tomatoes! I love making fresh salsa and always go heavy on the tomatoes. YUM!
Besides scrapbooking and papercrafts, what do you do for hobbies or enjoyment during your "free" time?
Music is my life. I love to sing – often while I am crafting! I love spending time with my family and friends, buying and selling on Ebay, swimming, traveling, and watching movies too!
If you were a superhero, what power would you possess and why?
If I were a superhero, I would want the ability to teleport distances instantaneously. Won’t it be cool to go anywhere on a whim and not have to pay for the trip! Hawaii, Italy, the Moon, here I come!!!!
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
I always struggle with this question because I would love to have dinner with Jesus or God because I would be certain to learn more about life after death and how to be a better person, but if I had a chance to have dinner with Johnny Depp, I wouldn’t pass it up!
Watch for Melanie's contributions to the OA blog every Friday during the month of April and be sure to check out her own blog at http://thepaperretreat.blogspot.com.