Inspiration Station - Ode to Nicole Nowosad!

So happy to be here with you for another instalment of Let's Capture Our Memories' Inspiration Station - where I aim to inspire by being inspired. This week, it's no secret. It's all about Nicole Nowosad. A very popular name in the scrapbooking industry for quite some time now, Nicole has designed and is still designing for some top-notch scrappy manufacturers and suppliers out there such as Jillibean Soup, Bella Blvd, Fancy Pants amd Cocoa Daisy, not to mention being on Scrapbook & Cards Today's regular line-up. I mean, that alone says a lot!

I first started noticing Nicole's work in 2012, when I seriously fell in love with hand-stitching on most of my layouts. I could always recognize Nicole's work by noticing her unique ways of stitching elements on her pages. Here's an example:

Amazing stuff, eh? I know! LOVE!! I've often said that Nicole invented the infamous pie-chart design element on layouts. Here is one of my absolute favourite layouts of hers with one of my all-time favourite Basic Grey collections, Highline:

Stitching and a dimensional pie-chart on one layout - REALLY! Who could ask for anything more? Hee!Hee! But wait! There's more! Nicole has been a pioneer in showing scrappers from all over the world on how to use die-cut elements - she actually has her very own collection of Silhouette free cut files to download right here (she designs for Silhouette, too!).  Here's an awesome example of hers on how to balance a layout with such an element using some quilt-like features:

I recently got the chance to meet and take a class with Nicole at a Scrapbook & Cards Today Crop & Create event. It was absolutely FABULOUS to see how she uses patterned paper to create her designs. "Cut and commit," she would say. I must admit, I was a bit intimidated by meeting such a well-known scrapper, but boys! Was it ever nice to see how "normal" she is and how she genuinely loves to scrap just as much as the rest of us. Enjoyed speaking to her and learning from her so very much that I instantly thought of this blog post and asked her a day into the event if I could create a design based on her work. She agreed! WOO!HOO! Excited was not the word! And imagine just excited I was when I showed her my design and she stamped it with her seal of approval!! My goodness! Just like opening a new box of scrappy goodies on Christmas morning, I tell ya. Hee!Hee! So... without any further adieu, here is my Ode to Nicole Nowosad:

Used tons and tons and more TONS of My Mind's Eye Jubilee - Sherbet collection on here along with a Jillibean Soup placemat, Queen & Co. washi tape, Prima Sculpture Flowers, American Crafts Pow! Glitter Paper, Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze, Making Memories staples, and yes, hand-stitching using DMC floss with CTMH and Tim Holtz stitching rulers. And be still my beating heart! Do you see what I see? Yes! Unstitched holes!! Holy camoly! Living on the wild side! I must have been channelling the inner Nowosad in me - Hee!Hee!

On that note, I want to give a very special shout out to Nicole Nowosad for giving me the OK to do this post. It was truly a great and "humbling" experience to meet you and speak to you. Thank you for letting me see a bit of the real you! ;) You are such a great example for all of us scrappers. Thank you for all you inspire and all you share with us all. Hope to see you REAL soon! ;)

Happy scrapping!