Good morning and happy Thursday! Not only are we very excited to welcome Webster's Pages as a new partner with SCT (love them!), we were thrilled to have an opportunity to chat with Brandin, the owner of Webster's Pages, and ask her some fun questions! She is beyond delightful, very funny and we could have spent all day with Brandin and Courtney Walsh in the Webster's booth at CHA! Here's a little of what Brandin had to say...
Describe your style—both in scrapbooking and in your day-to-day life.
Brandin: My personal style in scrapbooking & in life has been determined for me through my 3 young children & husband. Apparently, the only type of child I create is ½ wild animal ½ human…and that’s being generous on the human percentage {smirk}. Therefore, my life begs me to create a neutral, clean & simple, zone for me to stay balanced. Although I am noticing a slow shift in my style. I have always chosen one style & tried to match everything to that. For instance, I went through a shabby chic stage…but not so much anymore. But the older I get I am finding myself hand selecting inspiration, objects, paper & home design elements to be a mixture of styles of all things pretty. I am finding that if I continue to select the items that I love, that inspire me, that are beautiful and surround myself with that, my entire life begins to be filled with a room filled with beauty. Even if they weren’t designed to “match” each other. Slightly eclectic yet classic, simple & beautiful. Is that a style? I guess it is for me (ha!) and that is how I am seeing my style heading in scrapbooking & in my day-to-day life.
How was Webster’s Pages created?
Brandin: Many people do not know that we have been around for a long time. 28 years long. But we started as a Fine Art Publishing Company designing art for wall art. Webster Fine Art Ltd. is our legal business name. We continue to support that part of our company but my business partner/brother, Tim Myers, and I decided in 2005 to grow our art publishing to the craft & hobby industry. That was the birth of Webster’s Pages. We LOVE this industry & we have never looked back.
What has been your all-time favourite product from Webster’s Pages?
Brandin: Ooooo! Good question. I think it might have been our paper collection titled “Postcards from Paris”. That was our best selling paper collection of all time. I loved it so much that we may just do an special edition, anniversary version of that at some point {shhhh! – wink}. That line was created with dress forms, beautiful colors, rich golds, chandeliers & hot air balloons…all before they made it into today’s trends. We were proud to be one of the first to bring the trend into the market. After over 3 years of it being out of print, we still get requests for it, Digital downloads are available for it at www.websterspages.com but the papers sold out in record time. It was & still is a beauty.
Where do you go for inspiration when you are creating?
Brandin: With a warm beverage in my hand & my design boards close by, I usually go to my home design studio to create most of my art. There’s something about that space that brings an overwhelming peace to me. And that’s when I find I do the best work. I love to surround myself with beautiful things, colors, flowers, instrumental music (you know, just listening to a piano playing…ahhh…) is when I do my best work. Prepping for that moment is important though. I have weekly brainstorm & design development meetings with my staff & we go over what the customer is asking for, what the market is needing & what is personally inspiring us as a company…we place all the clippings of inspiration & colors on a design board & I take that to my studio to begin the designing. It’s the building block that allows me to create with a clear mind & allows me to stay focused and do the best I can do for my customers.
If you could invite anyone to dinner, past or present, who would it be?
Brandin: It would have to be someone who loves to eat Italian & likes desserts. I am a foodie. It’s not my fault. I blame it on my Italian Grandparents {smile}. Funny that you ask about inviting someone to dinner though. Dinner is a big part of our lives, growing up, when I was a child & still today. The doors to our home, wherever we lived, remained open for friends, neighbors, newly introduced friends & family to eat a meal with us. It’s hard to give one person that I would invite to dinner because we have always invited the neighborhood. And they have been known to all show up! With that said, I would invite all the incredible Webster’s Pages customers & friends to our Sunday Pasta dinner, but that would be a lot of meatballs. We have an expression in our family that “when you’re with family you are family”…and we mean that in our company as well.
Fast five:
Summer or winter?
Brandin: Winter 100%. I love oversized sweatshirts, cozy socks & snuggling up in blankets to stay warm
Coffee or tea?
Brandin: Coffee. I pretty much support ¼ of the world’s harvest.
TV or movies?
Brandin: Movies, only brainless ones though. Movies are my release with no thinking required!
Flip flops or wedges?
Brandin: Flip Flops. What are wedges? Hehe.
Daisies or roses?
Brandin: Roses. I always have fresh cut flowers in my house & love fragrant, pink, orange & white roses.
A special thank you to Brandin for spending some time with us and sharing a little bit about herself and Webster's Pages. Be sure to check out the Webster's Pages blog too. Brandin also shares a little more tomorrow, so be sure to stop by! Tomorrow is Friday after all on the SCT blog and you know what that means right? (hint, hint!)
Have a great day!
Barefoot gal... gotta love 'er!!! It was nice to read about Brandin & look forward to seeing more of her & her creations.
Posted by: Jude | August 16, 2012 at 12:26 PM
So fun to learn more about Brandin. :)
Posted by: Chris R | August 16, 2012 at 01:32 PM
Adore Brandin...beautiful person on the inside and out. :-D Fun to read more about her and her fabulous company. :-D
Posted by: Doris Widder | August 16, 2012 at 02:19 PM
Never met Brandin but feel like I know her, she's part of my day like a good neighbor friend; you don't know much about them, you share a conversation every now and then, miss them when they're not around etc. ... fun to learn more about her!
Posted by: Rosann | August 16, 2012 at 03:41 PM
Loved reading this! Webster's rocks!
Posted by: Nicole | August 16, 2012 at 04:02 PM
It was great to meet you Brandin today. I'm looking forward to "shopping" with her over at Websters
Posted by: mary s. - aka Big Mamma | August 16, 2012 at 06:11 PM
What a fun interview and so nice to learn the history of the company. Looking forward to see more of her wonderful papers and other products.
Posted by: Dorina D | August 16, 2012 at 09:26 PM
Not only is Brandin drop dead gorgeous but take it from me, one of her design team members, she has to be one of the sweetest, kindest people I know. She has a heart as big as an ocean!.....and a foodie?!! Ha, I knew you were a gal after my own heart Brandin, guess what I have playing in the background when I'm scrapping? That's right...the Food Network! lol! xo
Posted by: Gabrielle Pollacco | August 17, 2012 at 03:18 PM
Brandin thank you for sharing these beautiful stories. I know where ti bring my family for dinner tonight already * wink*..
Continue to do what you are doing so beautifully . Thank YOU and thank you Webster's Pages for eveything...
Love, jaz
Posted by: Jaz | August 17, 2012 at 09:03 PM
I loved know a little bit more about you, Brandin! I just love your creations, and it is interesting to know how they are born and about your creative process! Thanks for share. xoxo
Posted by: Rô Philippsen | August 20, 2012 at 07:56 AM
Just keep doing your fantastic work Brandin! your craft is so good! keep us posted! thanks!
Posted by: Accounting Recruitment | August 28, 2012 at 03:01 AM
The craft your doing are amazing. Keep it up. Very wonderful,nice reading this one. Love it!
Posted by: recruitment career | September 17, 2012 at 10:36 PM
I also do scrapbooking on my free time. It's quite fun to be honest, it passses the time plus it's good for the future. You 'll be able to look back and appreciate all the things that you have done in the past. It's really great for the future kids and grandkids as well. I'll keep working on my scrapbook.
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