Trick or Treat! The adorable collection, Too Cute to Spook, just arrived and we are now all anxious for Halloween. Until October we will have to settle for lots of candy and Halloween fabric! Stephanie of Bella Blvd is here today to tell us all about Too Cute to Spook!
Ciao, Ciao! I'm Stephanie! I'm the designer and owner of Bella Blvd, this fabulous little scrapbooking company located in the sweet city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. I'm a pretty ordinary girl that is blessed to be living an extraordinary life where I get to do what I love for a living! For as long as I can remember I have dreamt of designing scrapbooking products and now I have been incredibly blessed to meet the team at Riley Blake Fabrics too. Seeing my artwork come to life in fabric form is amazing! Since establishing Bella Blvd not a single day has felt like work. I only hope is that you love Too Cute to Spook as much as I do!
Q:
Where did you find your original inspiration for this collection?
A:
I know that Halloween is primarily for little kiddos. Therefore, whimsical, playful and fun Halloween came to mind right away. My nieces and nephews have adorned some adorable costumes in their youngster years that definitely inspired the little Trick or Treater characters in the main print.
Q:
What is your favorite part of the fabric industry?
A:
I am still learning about the fabric industry, as my company, Bella Blvd, is a papercrafting company. After meeting the wonderful team at Riley Blake Fabrics we have joined forces to be able to bring the world my designs/Bella Blvd in fabrics! It's pretty amazing when the first bolts and fat quarters arrive at the studio. We have our own Fabric Design Team including some talented women that love to sew, stitch and freestyle.
Q:
From what aspect of your life do you draw creativity?
A:
Every aspect. Most of my inspiration comes through direct experiences in my life. For example, when my brand new niece was born I was incredibly inspired to create baby themed designs. Whatever my life is submerged in is what I'm inspired by the most.
Q:
What is your design process?
A:
I love to draw. I always have. Since I was 7-8 years old I've had a sketchbook. I used to love to create portraits of people, but slowly over time I have grown to love illustration. I miss the days of painting in college and wish I had more time to do it. After my illustrations are drawn I take them into my computer and let my creativity fly!
Q:
What is your favorite print in the collection?
A:
My favorite print in Too Cute To Spook HAS TO BE the little Trick or Treaters, in blue, grey and white. I also am a sucker for polka dots, so I especially love the black based dot with the pop of colors!
Q:
What is the most challenging part of the design process?
A:
Narrowing down all of my ideas. A collection must look cohesive and uniform. It's hard to eliminate patterns and ideas from the list in hopes to keep a "family" look to a collection. I tend to stow those eliminated ideas away for the next round....
Q:
What are your favorite and least favorite colors and why?
I think my least favorite color (personally) is green. I don't own a single green shirt. However, in my crafting I use a TON of lime green. It's quite funny how it works out that way!
Labels: Designer Tidbits, Riley Blake Designs
