.lindsiloolabell79: The Artistic Sloth Design Team member baby!

Hi guys!,

I am aware it has been an age since I posted anything on my Blog, but I was falling short on things to post...

Not any more!

This post came about after I became friends with a lovely lady on Facebook. Her name is Trudie. She has a long line of crafty bragging rights, including Papercrafter of the Year 2017.

This very talented lady has branched out into designing her own digi-stamps. Trudie reached out to her friends and followers on Facebook to establish a design team, to work with her amazing images, and help her promote her new Etsy store. I applied for the chance but was unsuccessful. I still joined her fan page, and enjoyed looking through all the samples that her new team had been putting together. Another friend of mine did make the design team, and I knew from seeing that, that the bar had been set high. My friend is uber talented when it comes to crafting and colouring with alcohol markers. I was pleased for her, but a little disappointed that I didn't make it onto the team.

You see one of my dreams in life is to make it onto a design team. Now that might sound sad to some, but I live a simple life really, I have brought up my two daughters, and been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia...Besides the odd course here and there, I've not really achieved anything else in life, and the whole deal for me wanting to make it onto a design team is so that I can finally feel like I'm good at something other than being a mum-which I love with all my heart.

I have lived in the shadow of fellow family members; often being put down and told I wasn't good enough. All these things build up in us, and begin to obliterate any kind of confidence and self-esteem that we ever had.

Anyway...

My friend shared a status, saying that she was giving up crafting and selling all her stash. This also meant she was leaving any and all design teams.

The following day I received a PM from Trudie, asking if I was still interested in being on her design team.

I read the message, then clicked onto something else, all the while convincing myself that I had read the message wrong, and thought I'd give myself a good few minutes before going back to read the message again.

When the invite finally sunk in, I messaged Trudie back, saying that I would be delighted and honored to be a member on her team. She was pleased and asked me for my email details so that she could add me to the relevant admin groups and send me my watermark. While all this occurred, I finally let it sink in and turned into a giddy teenager, trapped in a middle-aged woman's body!

I hooked up the printer and printed out Zombielocks

I then looked at her and panicked!

I had NEVER made a card or project for a DT and I then started to get anxious that my work would not be good enough, I started questioning myself...but I made a start regardless.

I was convinced that the Boss lady would take one look at my card and give me the 'Thanks but no thanks' spiel.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I uploaded the card to our private group and wrote a small note saying not to alarm anyone, but this card was my first ever design team piece.

this was my finished card...My very first (ever) DT piece.

I printed her onto Neenah Classic Crest cardstock and coloured her with my new, complete collection, of Spectrum Noir alcohol markers (an anniversary present from my husband)

I created the background using stamps, distress techniques and mixed in some die-cuts; inking it all up to look grungy with Memento Tuxedo Black.

I created the sentiment freehand style and coloured to match Zombielock's top. I also added a black and white gingham strip of ribbon, that I finished with a bow.

it turned out all my fears were unfounded, and my work was met with lovely appraisal.