scrappity blog

Time for another “favorite designer” spotlight “Chud23/Catherine” who is a lovely French woman living in Finland

I really love Catherine’s design, they really tell a lovely story. In stark contrast to Emilie, Catherine’s designs are and I quote “eclectic or ‘free’ style’, I like to use lots of elements in my pages!”.

I went over Catherine’s design in her DST gallery to really understand what I loved so much about her designs. It’s true there are a lot of elements, but that’s what draws you in, all the intracasies in the layouts and the quirkiness. I really do get a sense of quirkiness with Catherine’s designs. I sometimes feel is though I am looking inside a magical dream, or the “secret garden” springs to mind as well. All these little windows into the soul.

I wonder if Catherine gets engrossed in her designs. Not in a bad way, but does she become so engaged in her ideas that she no longer needs to worry about what she is designing? It’s like for that brief time she is scrapping she is in her own world. I would like to think that would be the case.

I do see a nice design style developing from Catherine, although you can get a glimpse of her stepping out of her normal style, especially with this layout, which has a very Scandinavian, graphic designer feel.

I have also chosen two designs of Catherine’s that really stand out for me. These designs made me really stand up and notice Catherine.

The first one “Sing Away” is a gorgeous page of her stunning daughter. The treatment on this design is amazing. I feel like I could reach in and touch the leaves. It would be a great page for a children’s story book. There was a children’s book that used similar treatments, but for the life of me I can’t remember the author. Anyway, whatever the case it’s a lovely page.

The second design was “A journey down the road of “the cradle of mankind”, boy this a beautiful piece. I think the photos really captivated me in this one of the little girl and the little boy in the middle as well as the rich earthy colours. I felt like I had been taken on a trip to Africa. I also like the little figure of the man walking down the road. The treatment on it, looks like it’s a painting and your eye follows the road up to the top of the piece where Catherine, journals her thoughts.

Anyway, take a look at Catherine’s lovely gallery at DST, I’m sure you will be taken in by her designs.

If you’re already a fan of Catherine’s work, what is it that you love about her designs?