Designers

Lydell Quin

Design Team Coordinator

Hi there.

I am Lydell , from Adelaide, South Australia.

I have been involved in the Scrapbooking industry for the past 12 years.  In recent years I have enjoyed Mixed Media and Art Journaling, and am often up to my elbows in paint and other messy mediums!  I love to draw and have dabbled in calligraphy for over 25 years.  I love that this industry embaces art of all kinds, where you can have a go at anything creative you can dream up!

I am thoroughly looking forward to this team getting to explore countless new products and mediums and sharing ideas and techniques we have gathered along the way!

Welcome to The Crafty Crusaders Blog.

I guarantee you will have learnt something before you leave :-)

Naomi Cox

Hey you

I am so excited to be a part of the Crafty crusaders and can not believe I am amongst such an amazing clan of creative types considering I am a stay at home mum to three of my greatest masterpieces in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

For as long as I can remember I have painted and drawn and created my own little characters and adventures and journaled day to day life in a format that resembled what I now know as Scrapbooking. As a self taught artist I dabble and learn through experiments and accidents and love to share my successes and my failures on the art front...I believe it is all part of the process, and each time you will learn a little bit more about yourself in the process.

I don't have a favourite medium or style I love it all.... You think I am kidding but seriously I am not  As a 'Jill of all trades and master of none' I have a whole studio filled with loved tools and half finished projects...I paint in watercolours, oils and acrylics. I draw in pencil, biro and ink. I make cards, scrapbook and do mixed media. I can make jewellery, bead and sew knit and am learning to crochet....I am pretty sure if there is a hobby out there I have given it a red hot crack

So here is a little glimpse of what I do when I am not being a mum.....
See some samples of my work HERE.

Siann Watts

I live on a farm in country South Australia with my three precious children and wonderful husband. 

I have enjoyed anything remotely arty or crafty for as long as I can remember. 

I have a Bachelor of Design (majoring in illustration) and a Bachelor of Education and have taught Art, Design and Photography at High School level. I entered the Scrap booking world when my children were young and have loved it ever since.  I want to try every crafty/arty thing I see, and wish there was more time to create in each day. 

I am still filled with wonder at what one can bring to life with a blank canvas and some paint, pencils, paper etc.  It fills me with excitement each and every time!
See some samples of my work HERE

Ash Chain

Hey there, my name is Ash Chain and I'm a 24 year old tattoo artist and cosplayer currently living in Cairns. I have been tattooing for the past three years and cosplaying for seven years. I have also been creating art using different mediums since my early high school years. I have been a gamer  and an avid comic, memorabilia and statue collector for the majority of my life. Comic book artists such as Jim Lee and Nichola Scott have been a major influence and inspiration to my art work and drawing style. Simple yet full of impact. Although i mainly draw animals and objects so David Attenborough and the animal kingdom are my major influences there. I love animals and have watch David Attenborough since I can remember. I drawing mainly in pen and ink. I also use pencil, paint, watercolour and even digital. I travel around Australia attending tattoo conventions and also pop culture conventions such as Supanova and Comic Con advertising myself as a professional tattoo artist, artist and skills in fabrication as a cosplayer. I never travel without my trusty mepxy markers and a pad of paper. After all you never know when inspiration will strike. 

Hope you enjoy my work....See a few samples HERE

Kerry Sinigaglia

 My heart has always belonged to art. I have, since childhood, always drawn, painted or done some kind of creative activity. Even when life seemed to get in the way, I was still playing with colour. Only on walls, renovating houses and and dressing them up with home decor.

Only over the last few years have I rediscovered my love for drawing again. After leaping into art journaling, I have been on a creative journey, finding mixed media to be my true love. Art journaling has stolen my heart for sure. Although, being a dabbler, I'm also finding that assemblage is pushing my creative juices. It's always great to break out and try new things. These are the things that keep us growing as artists.

My experiences in art continue to teach me about myself and and it often surprises me just how nourishing it is for the soul. 

Finding inspiration in sometimes unusual places, I love to work in whatever medium feels right at the time. No rules. ( chuck them out the door.) 

See some of my work HERE

                                   Belinda Lindhardt

                                              

Hi, I am Belinda Lindhardt from the Central Coast NSW. I am a Sydney girl born and breed but moved up here about 9 years ago. I am a mum to two VERY enthusiastic boys 11 & 9 who whilst can be very exhausting are also my shining light. 

Like most in this industry, I have always been very arty and crafty. I am a carpenter’s daughter and my mother sewed and knitted, so I love working with my hands or creating some type of project usually something new that I have never created before.   I have a love for getting in there and experimenting with new materials or ways of working to see what comes out. I don’t believe that there is only one way of working and in recent times have learnt to trust the creative process and believe in the journey not just the outcome of the final piece. 

Trained as a graphic designer and working as a web designer for the past 20years I have also been actively pursuing my passion for illustration and art specifically working with coloured pencils which I just adore. 
See some of my work HERE.

                                         Dee Noney

Hi everyone, I am relatively new to the art world so I am super excited to be chosen as Crafty Crusader Design Team member.

About 18 months ago I closed down my business an Image and Colour Consultant and having some extra time on my hands, decided to take up art as a hobby. I'd always enjoyed art at school, but hadn't really practiced at all in my adult life so I took as many on-line classes as I could find (I am still addicted to them).  I mainly explored mixed media and art journalling classes which I continue to enjoy so I can learn and grow as an artist. I am also starting to branch out into more larger scale work on canvases, and dabbling in a bit of digital art - I love it all.  I am living proof of how far you can come, and how quickly you can advance just by watching art tutorials and practicing, so if you love art, start watching, learning and doing. 

One of the biggest outcomes of my foray into the art world is my addiction and obsession with art supplies. As art adventurers we simply can't have enough. I'll use whatever I have at hand to create, and as you will see in the upcoming tutorials, there are some wonderful, amazing products available. 

Below is some of the work I have created recently, I hope you enjoy it, and will continue on to create your own beautiful art work.
See some samples HERE

Michelle Grant

 Hi, I am Michelle from Mackay Nth QLD, I am very lucky to have the most amazing supportive hubby and 2 wonderful kids 21 & 19, who are all ready to start their own adventures in this big wide world. One of the driving forces behind my creative journey is to teach my kids to follow their dreams too!

I am very fortunate to have been able to stick with pursuing my creative journey, I have learnt so much about myself in the process. I have just about tried nearly every creative hobby out there over the years, even hobbytex as a kid. (anyone remember those?) Scrapbooking/ Mixed Media and Art have been the things that have really ignited my passion and I never get tired of it!  It is so easy to let life get in the way but it is so worthwhile when you make the time and follow your dreams! Aside from my Hubby and kids this journey is the most rewarding one I have been on.

I have been Scrapbooking for the the past 10 years and have been working on Design Teams for different companies both in Aust and overseas and I have been published in Aussie Scrap Magazines since then too. 

I ventured into mixed media a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the freedom of expression. Then about 2 years ago I started exploring more art techniques and drawing and again I was totally hooked. It is a great way to lose many hours in a little creative bubble. I love it!!!!!

I am currently a Master for Scrapbooking Memories Magazine and on the Kaisercraft DT. I have my own business Studio M desiGns and teach workshops in Mackay and have online shop with supplies, online courses and kits available.  I enjoy bringing the two worlds together and fusing Scrapbooking and Mixed Media in my ScrapMedia Workshops. 

I am beyond honored and excited to be joining the Crafty Crusaders Team and can't wait to explore more art techniques and products! I get such a buzz out of experimenting with products! :)
See some samples HERE

                                      Courtney Diaz

Hi there! I'm Courtney Diaz and I'm a Sydney based Journal artist, mother to two curly haired brown eyed babes and wife to a man that made life colourful again. 
I have been getting my hands dirty with paints and inks since I was a kid! Always hoarding notebooks to fill up, always with my camera in my hands to capture life so I could print the photos and get them into my journals. I live between the pages of art journals, written journals and everyday notebooks.

See some samples HERE

 Natalie Wyatt

I pride myself on probably being a very accurate female representation of Peter Pan, I am a huge Disney girl and have even cos-played as Princess Belle on an occasion or two. I don't believe I will ever lose my child-like wonder and love of things magical and happily ever after. My romance with art is married very closely with my love of cartoons. Whether it be Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar or anything in between, I find myself utterly drawn to it.

I have been drawing seriously since early-teenage years and just love it. It's like an expression of myself. For me, drawing is a release of both creativity and excitement with the promise of fulfillment from creating something from nothing. Something that's like a fingerprint, uniquely yours and yours alone.

Your interpretation. 

I tend to cycle through an assortment of mediums as I become drawn to them, however, I am currently most drawn to graphite, markers, pens and digital painting.

I am 20 years old and about to commence my final year of a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design at University in Melbourne and hope to one day work as a story artist for a major animation studio.

See some samples HERE

Feliciity Wilson

Hi. I am Felicity, from Central Queensland. I live on a large farm with my hubby (who runs the property) and two little boys, Brae 5.5 years and Piper 4 years with Baby number 3 due May 2015. 

  I have always been a crafty kinda girl. I love putting different textures together, colour, reminiscing about a photo or art journal page....  It feels like 50 years since I started getting messy hands, only problem is I am not that old, lol... Nah, realistically I have been scrapping for over, 7 years, but I really got into after my eldest son’s birth. Sheesh - that's 5 and half years ago!! Time flies when you’re having fun!! I am a white paper covered in the colours of the rainbow with lots of fibres to make it lumpy and bumpy type of creativity soul!!

I am lucky enough to have my own little studio, where I escape when the boys are tucked in for the night and hubby is out on the tractor. I also use this little escape to try and hide out from the farm work, tee hee... no not really. I love getting outside helping out when I can, playing in my garden or learning about different crops. I love my little 'me' room and documenting my families adventures. 

I cant wait to inspire you and get to you know you.

See some samples HERE

Peta Thompson

I am a mixed media artist currently residing in sunny Qld. I have been creative all my life and here is a brief biography of my creative journey.

I fell into scrapbooking before it became popular, about 16 years ago. Over the years, I have been published, designed papers, and taught classes. I also created with fabric and became a quilter. I love the texture of fabric and the Naïve style of quilting. When my scrapbook layouts became so intrincate,

I lost sight of the photo, I became aware there was something missing and looked for another way to be creative.

I started at a point where I kind of had a background. My Dad was an acclaimed watercolour artist on the mid north coast of NSW in the 1980's. Watercolours. As soon as I started, I realised watercolours were verydifficult! However I persisted and today I just love to paint. I fell into mixed media painting when I was doing a watercolour canvas and suddenly had the desire to add pastels and crackle paint! I didn’t realise this was mixed media but now I will never look back. I am very varied in my artistic tastes, and enjoy a wide variety of art mediums.

Art journaling is a natural extension of all these interests and I love that there are no rules except colour and composition when creating any piece of art. I am an avid recycler for things for creating art and don’t believe in wasting anything! I’ll be happy to not need a bin in my studio one day!

I am a partner and design team member for Journaling Krazy Island Style. A weekly art journalling course with a video tutorial for an art journal page with a prompt. These tutorials are based on beginner, intermediate and advanced levels to cater for all the learning levels of our students. This is a paid subscription course.

I also teach art journalling to private students and have run large classess for things like a gratitude canvas workshop, mixed media canvases and art journalling pages.

I was the creative director of the Jewels conference in 2014 and had full creative control of a large auditorium and 4 smaller conference and receiving rooms. My paintings have been exhibited in various art shows in Qld.

I take commissions and my work is currently all over the world!

I'm also a mum to two teenage boys and adoring wife to my gorgeous husband. I love life and blessing people through my art.

I'm excited to be a part of this very talented team and look forward to teaching you all some great techniques and projects.

Some Samples of my Work can be seen HERE

Michelle Grant