LOD 2022 | Feb 26 | Nicole (NBK Designs)

Nicole (aka NBK Designs) is our daily crush!

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This event isn't a traditional CHALLENGE in that there aren't any real rules. It's just...Scrap with the featured designer! It’s a fun event to just scrap with products from a fave designer or try a new (to you) designer. It’s all about having fun and celebrating the uniqueness of all of our Lilypad Designers!

Let's start with Nicole's fantastic 50% one day only sale in her store!
(Click on the ad below to take you to the store!)​

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PLUS her Be Bold Be Brave kit is free with any $25 purchase!

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To connect with Nicole and stay in touch with her latest news, use one of the following links:
Gallery https://rebrand.ly/nbk-Gallery
Shop https://rebrand.ly/NBK-Shop
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/NBKDesignTutorials/
Blog http://www.nbk-design.com
Instagram https://instagram.com/nbk_design/
NBK-Design Catalogue https://rebrand.ly/NBK-ProductCatalogue
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBKDesign
artology Studio http://www.artology.studio
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/heB6A

Introduction:
I have known Nicole for many years now and I must say that, besides being a friendly, warm and loving person, Nicole is also one of my all time favorite designers. Nicole's ability to continually come up with fantastic designs is always a source of amazement to me, just when I think I she must have run out of ideas she manages to produce yet another huge collection filled with so many brilliant and awesome pieces. From stunning color palettes, to fantastic elements and papers and styles galore, Nicole's products are just so easy to work with, whether you are creating a mixed media styled layout or a minimalist one, everything you need is right there, in the one collection!

I find so much inspiration in Nicole's designs and they always seem to 'push me' to be more creative in my own way, using her products in different ways to achieve different effects. I absolutely adore all the paints, gesso and brushes that come with collections, and textures!!!! *swoon* if you know me then you know I love textures! I can honestly spend a whole day working on a layout using Nicole's products, time stands still for me while I try different different techniques, using her styles, paints and brushes to create my own brand of art.

These are just some of my most fave layouts using Nicole's products.

Make a Wish - an oldie but a goodie! I ended up making two layouts with this stunning collection, You Must Be The Change and My Wish. Simply loved the color palette in this one.




SHE - another collection that I loved the color palette and felt it was perfect to scrap a photo with my beautiful eldest granddaughter with her lovely Mum, named Mum.



art & love - loved the papers in this one and used one of them for the background to this layout called Love Is In the Air.



ARTcrush #8 - Nicole's ARTcrush series are so stunning and I loved using to make this layout called Crisp Days.


Nicole's collections are simply filled to the brim with sensational products such as brushes, gesso and textures already mentioned, but don't forget the styles, the scribbles, the magic lights, the amazing artsy type elements and of course her magical templates! *just wow* Her week by week templates are so easy to work with and her Storybook, Letter Sized templates are my favourite! While Nicole's collections are big, her products are also available separately so you can pick and choose just what you want to work with!


Getting to know a designer is always fun so I asked Nicole these three questions:

1. Nicole, you have designed some fabulous products over the years, do you have one or two favourites you would like to share with us - last year you shared Brave New World, Opposites Attract and Urban Garden. Do you have any others that really stand out for you?

I need to say that last year was one of my most unproductive years ever. The pandemic really took a huge toll of my energy. My job at the agency turned more and more unpleasant so I then decided to work for a friends agency on a part time basis. At this time I also started a course for Social Media Management. With all of that going on I just didn't have the energy to create a lot of big collections.

Looking through the collections for 2021 that I was able to do, I honestly can’t decide which one of the collections are my favorite but here are some that I enjoyed creating.

Happy Summer: I think the most fun I had with was Happy Summer. I had in mind to use bright bold colors with a hippish feel to it, something colorful after wintertime.

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Keep On Dreaming: The idea for this collection was to use colors from nature and it should not have anything to do with winter.

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Bloom: My original idea for this collection centered around using lilacs in combination with craft papers and gesso.

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Inner Monologue: I started with the idea to do something retro and use fun elements. There was not really a theme in the beginning.

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All together, the start of a collection is always different which leads me now to answer the second question..........

2. How do you start designing your collections/kits? Do you have a step by step process where you create your papers first, or brushes? Do you start with a color palette, or do you get inspiration from books or music?

I really don't have a special way of building up a collection. Sometimes it's doodling on the iPad. Sometimes I see a color swatch I want to use. Other times I might see a picture, book or advertising elements that will inspire me to use some part of them to base a collection on.

Creating the BYOC Collection is a bit different though, for instance, last month my starting point began creating the templates. Templates mostly do not need a theme but they give me the freedom to work with the given colors and then other ideas for the BYOC Collection start to come so there is a slow building up to the final theme.

I am also always on the search for new techniques to use in my collection so that can also be a start for something new.

3. Apart from your favorite holiday place in Spain, is there any other place you would love to travel to in the world?

Mmh good question. I think something like the Maldives or Caribbean Islands would be someplace I would like to go to. However, to sit on a plane for so long annoys me. I have already been to New York a few times as well as the UK and all around Europe.

I can't wait to go to Spain again as the last time was in 2019.

My plan for this year is to go on a spa trip again. I did that last year in October and I loved it so it's something I want to do again soon. But I think to do spa trip is something for winter time or fall time so I think I would just love to be on the beach to have some sun!

Thanks Nicole for sharing your thoughts with us!

Now ..... it is YOUR turn ...
- Scrap a page using (mostly) NBK Design's products.
- Meet the gallery guidelines of 50% TLP product
- Upload your layout to the NBK Design Gallery and share your page in this thread.

Be sure to check out our Love Our Designers event daily since you never know WHO is going to be featured when! And who knows, the designer(s) may pop in here and there with special surprises and interactions while we are scrapping!!!

Looking forward to seeing your layouts!

 

Hi Cath! great page!! Love the soft greens you used for the background!

The way you have done is perfect, all you need to do now is add by NBK Designs after the product title.

 

Wow! some fabulous pages added guys!!! but alas it's nearly 2.00am and this ol' chook needs to get to bed! so will catch everyone tomorrow!! xxx