Thursday, June 19, 2014

Design Team Member: Ardyth Percy-Robb

For the current CELEBRATE challenge, click here.

Ready for another daily feature and 24 hours to comment for some blog candy?!  Let's see what Ardyth has to say!

Ardyth Percy-Robb from MASKerade


Currently...
  • designing for CASology, The Card Concept, CAS-ual Fridays, Festive Friday, Muse, One Layer Simplicity (wow, I'm busy!)
  • at home with my growing kids (15 and 11), but was previously an accountant and VP Communications for a life insurance company.
  • a piano accompanist for 2 children's choirs, School Council Chair at my daughter's school, Treasurer of our school's nutrition program and Treasurer for our in-school child care.
Do you have any favourite products?
I'm really liking my dies right now - inlaying them not only creates a wow! factor, it gives me the satisfaction of putting a complicated puzzle together. Most of the time.
I love wooden and clear stamps. Not so much the unmounted rubber ones. I buy wood blocks to glue them on.
Stickles - seriously - all that sparkle and no glitter in my eyelashes for the rest of the day!

How did you get into card making?
It started at a Stampin' Up party early in 2006, so SU! was my first love. I still use them most for ink and paper - love the matchy-matchy system of their alliteratively named colours. I stalked Splitcoaststampers and various blogs for years before starting MASKerade in January 2012. Now there are so many great companies offering so many fun products, it would be impossible to choose one - I have stuff from just about every one!

Why do you like CAS design?
Two projects stand out in my mind from my working career - one was ringing the bell on the NYSE on the day we listed in the US (hopefully the only time I'll ever be on CNN!). The other was launching a new visual identity for our company. I absolutely loved spending so much time with the designers (they were so cool!) and that's where I first heard the words that I have come to love so much: "white space". This experience was probably the biggest influence on my design style now.  I love clean, graphic design, often using just shapes, colours and text to get my message across. Having said that, I love almost all kinds of well-executed design. I really admire cardmakers who are able to go from CAS to Shabby-chic, to super-elegant and back again. 

Advice for fellow crafters who are trying to find their own style?
There's no short cut. They say it takes 2 years to become as good as you want to be at anything new. You just have to keep trying and making and throwing out and trying again. Don't get discouraged, look everywhere for inspiration and, when you find something you like, force yourself to really analyze what you like about it.  Don't be afraid to copy someone else's ideas (giving proper credit of course) and then take it to the next step to make it your own. 

31 comments:

  1. Hi, Ardyth! So great to get to know more about you...so cool that you got to ring the bell on the NYSE! It's so wonderful being on the DT with you here at CASology...you are always an inspiration to me!

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  2. Congrats on the feature, Ardyth! I had the pleasure of meeting Ardyth twice and she is just FUN to hang out with! I love her CAS style!

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  3. My gosh, I so admire you and your style. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  4. Ardyth, I truly admire your unique style of cardmaking- graphic with generous amount of this white space. I have seen you use your stamps and dies most creatively and brilliantly.

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  5. It is nice to learn more about you Ardyth and yes you are one busy lady. One can always point out an Ardyth card you have your own style.

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  6. Love this! The questions, the answers...it's wonderful!

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  7. Wow, Ardyth! You have quite a resume! I love learning all that you do, and especially seeing that you accompany children's choirs. That's fantastic. I did that for a while and loved it. Bet you have little free time!

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  8. I love your style and it is you that I use for inspiration ! I love the clean and graphic look and think of all the cards I make those are the ones that I am most proud of.....please keep the inspiration coming ! X

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  9. LOVE Ardyth's work so much, and she's such a sweetie, too!

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  10. Ardyth's CAS style is phenomenal; an Ardyth-esque card can be spotted in any gallery. Her crisp, clean style and flair is incredibly inspiring. She truly makes an impact with all she does, from her cards, to her comments, to her posts. Incredible designer, indeed!! Fabulous behind-the-scenes interview!
    ~c

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  11. What a great feature, Ardyth ... I knew you were busy, but my goodness you're BUSY! Thanks for all the creative inspiration! Anita :)

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  12. I really enjoyed learning more about you, Ardyth...you are one busy girl! Your brilliant designs always stand out in the gallery and are an inspiration for us all! Thank you!

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  13. This makes such interesting reading Ardyth, you are quite a gal...and I do love your work!

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  14. Wow! you are busy Ardyth, I love your CAS cards very much, and love the advice you gave for crafters!

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  15. Hi Ardyth, just loved reading about you! You are one of my "Heros"!

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  16. Great bio...fabulous photo! Your endless creativity and talent never ceases to amaze and inspire me!

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  17. It's great to find out more about the designers and I just LOVE Ardyth's cards. They are so crisp, clean and bright and are so recognisable in any gallery. How you find the time to create so much I'll never know! x

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  18. I can usually spot an Ardyth creation from a mile off. I love her graphic style. As I remarked on her blog recently, I caught myself wondering how Ardyth would CASify a great but rather cluttered inspiration piece. I think that ties in nicely with her advice to stop and think what you like about a particular design.

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  19. Great bio! I love learning more about the designers that I love!

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  20. Yay Ardyth! You are such an inspiration! You always provide such constructive comments! I've learnt so much from you in such a short time! Good advice to really analyse what you like about a particular design

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  21. Loved reading this post on Ardyth. I can spot an Ardyth creation and love her style! Truly an inspiration.

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  22. I love Ardyth's style! Thanks for highlighting her. She's such an interesting and creative person.

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  23. Ardyth you are busy, but never too busy to post a nice comment, or give encouragement. Love your style.

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  24. Very well-said, Ardyth! You are much admired and respected in your short time in Blogland for your impeccable and graphic designs! Your work is instantly recognizable and I'm proud that I've known you since the beginning! It's a never-ending pleasure!! Hugs, Darnell

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  25. Ardyth...so fun reading about and learning more about what makes you you! I have to agree with Darnell, when I see a card you have made I know in as instant that you made it. I love your style and always love learning more about those who inspire me. A big congrats to you on 100 challenges!

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  26. I love your cards and am always amazed at the expertise you display for simplicity and perfect placement! I don't know if that is a real sentence but it's the best I can come up with a small headache impeding my thinking process!

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  27. WOW Ardyth, what an accomplished lady you are, it's great to find out more about you! I too love your clean and simple designs and your advice is totally sound, practice, practice, practice!! :D Gay x

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  28. Love your uber clean and simple style Ardyth. You are an inspiration to all of us!

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  29. Hello Ardyth nice to meet you. I have to say its because of you that I found this challenge and the Muse. So thank you for that. Your creations are always an inspiration to me. You haven't made a creation I didn't like. I'm really glad to get a small glimpse into your life. Its amazing. Sometimes we forget that besides being crafters, we do have other lives that are as intriguing.

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