Sponsor Spotlight – Crossbone Cuts

Today’s Sponsor Spotlight is Tanya, of Crossbone Cuts! Tanya’s one of my closest friends and favorite scrappers, and I was SO excited when she decided to start designing! This week is her one year Designiversary, and I thought it was a great time for fellow MouseScrappers to get to know her better!

Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Tanya and I am a 30 year old hair stylist/waitress from southern California! I have 5 fur-babies and one equally furry boyfriend =)

What got you started in designing?
On a whim I decided to enter a designing contest to see if I would actually like it or not. Turns out I LOVED it! Designing just kinda snowballed from there.

Where do you find your inspiration for designing?
All over the place! Since I am still in my first year of designing, I have been focusing on the “basic” holidays and trying to squeeze in making things that my CT asks for or kits that I personally need to scrap my own photos!

What do you like most about designing?
The satisfaction of actually finishing a kit. I moan and I complain and I get mad at myself with every kit. It is my process. Lol. But when I actually finish a kit, see it in use and have people tell me how much they like it, it is SUCH a good feeling. I put my blood, sweat and tears into everything I make with the hopes that people will love it as much as I do.

What do you find to be the biggest challenge with designing?
Finding my mojo to get started and picking a color palette. Oh man, I hate picking colors. I am very indecisive when it comes to colors and sometimes it takes me a whole day to narrow the colors down. Then there is the creative mojo. Most of the time I just stare at the computer. Just waiting. But when my creativity does decide to strike, watch out because I won’t stop until I am finished with what I am working on!

How many hours a week do you spend designing? Is designing your full time job?
Designing is not my full-time job. I wait tables part time and am a part time hair stylist. Luckily I have a lot of flexibility with both jobs which gives me tons of designing time. I am usually on the computer for at least 8 hours a day. Usually more like 10. A early night for me would be going to bed at 3am. I do try to not be on the computer on the weekends and actually interact with people and whatnot.

How do you balance your time?
I don’t. I am a time management mess. I do my computer work during the week and most of the time I don’t even turn on the computer on the weekends. Which leads me to be a stressed out mess by the time I actually do turn it on Sunday nights. I have a horrible memory, I have about 30 to-do lists and I forget to check them all. I really need to work on time management. Lol.

What is your favorite kit?
Right now, it is 30 Days Of Thanks. I just love the colors!

Who would you love to collaborate with?
There are lots of people on my list! I LOVE doing collabs. I think they are great for newer designers too because you really learn a lot when you work with a more established designer.

What is a piece of advice you have for those that are trying their hand at designing?
Learn your program, be prepared for TONS of trial and error and there is always something new to learn. You are never gonna know everything. Keep at it and have fun!

Who are some of your favorite scrap artists?
I really need to start browsing the galleries more. Every once in a while I will come across LO’s I love and if I remember I will pin them to my Pinterest for future reference. No one in particular. If I see a LO I love, I will comment and pin =)

What is a piece of advice you have for scrappers?
Remember that you are scrapping YOUR memories. With any luck, these pages are gonna be passed along in your family for a very long time so don’t worry about comparing your pages to other peoples pages. So you think someone can cluster better than you or you don’t think your shadows are realistic enough. Don’t worry about. Scrap for YOU and your family. It is the photos that they are gonna remember. Not that your shadows weren’t realistic enough.

What is your favorite thing about Disney? What is your favorite ride? Favorite character?
My favorite thing about Disney is probably just the magic of it all. Living so close to Disneyland and getting to visit as much as I do, I sometimes forget what it is really all about. Then something will happen and I will be reminded of just how special Disney and Disneyland is to me. I grew up at Disneyland. It was my weekend night hang out when I was in high school, I have hung out with every friend that I have ever had there and we have had family reunions there. Disneyland will always hold a special place in my heart. I don’t really have a favorite ride. It was The PeopleMover until they took it away. Still hoping it comes back someday =) My favorite characters are Roger Rabbit and Figment.

Besides scrapbooking and Disney, what is one thing you are passionate about?
Wait a minute! There are OTHER things in life?! LOL!

Tell us something no one else knows about you?
I have recently discovered that I share way to much info about my life on Twitter and Instagram so everyone pretty much knows EVERYTHING about me.

Be sure to check out Crossbone Cuts blog this week for all the fun celebration going on for her Designiversary!

Check out some Crossbone Cuts kits that are perfect for scrapping your Disney memories!