Designer Q&A: With ValC!!

[Dutch_Diva]

Yes this time the spotlight is full on the funny and creative Val of ValC Designs!

Have you ever wanted to ask her something but were too shy? Better lett go of that now and ask away as she can't back out now!! :biggrin:

So I will start to get her going!

Val: how did you, as a French person, end up in Iceland? aris

 

[MrsPeel]

well for a start I feel empathy as a person living in a very different country to my own...would love to hear the reply to that!!!!

how did you start designing? did you /do you do all digital or paper stuff too?
love your kits!!!!

 

[Bush Girl]

I have a question.......


How do you hold down a job, deal with 2 kids (<<WAVES to M & L>>) and still manage to fit in designing and indeed scrapping?

 

[val]

Oh WOW, that are serious questions ladies...
so, ok, one at a time ...

Petra,
I came in Iceland in 2002, because DH got a post doc position for 4 years with 2 fantastic europeen project....
I sold my Communication agency then, and took the way of to Iceland for teh adventure.
I am quitelucky tyhough, because I am also marine Biologist and I found a job here ... but that is partly how we stayed there ;-)

almost 11 years later, 2 kids we are still super glad to live here.
I def. do not dream of going back to france... atually I thnk the only problem of Iceland is that peope speak... Icelandic... LOL, everything else is perfect.

 

[val]

well for a start I feel empathy as a person living in a very different country to my own...would love to hear the reply to that!!!!

how did you start designing? did you /do you do all digital or paper stuff too?
love your kits!!!!

Cynthia...


I started designing for teh fun of it, just because after running a comm agency (web designs and publication /advert) I was wondering if I could actualy do that too....
But I was mainly doing freebie release on my bog. A friend of mine (thatI actually met here in Oscraps) started an new adventure in opening a store
asked me to join in, and that was it...

I am so thankfull she did. ( Helen, <3)

s for craft/pixel/paper.
I do do everything on weekly basis , pixel, paper, glueing or what ever
(In my kit thought I don't use my only own Paper Crafty stuff)

in an other hand, I do most of my brushes/transfert ...

 

[val]

I have a question.......


How do you hold down a job, deal with 2 kids (<<WAVES to M & L>>) and still manage to fit in designing and indeed scrapping?

I think it is because I don 't sleep much
seriously I don't know... But I must admit that designs is kind of taking over most of my scrap time, and that is not something which will last for long. I haven't print 2012 albm yet (I just have to do a cover though I have 88LO) and I have barely 5 LO for 2013.
But This summer I will travel, and I wil dedicate my evenings (kids are asleep a8:00 at the latest) on Catch up 2013.


This said, I am really proud of myself though as i managed a P366 in 2012, too and it is all scrapped (to be printed)

BTW: I did no go to london, as you asked in some LO comment. Chris did and on this Day, my photo was my day cream pot that I had to photograph to email him, so he could buy me one in duty free on his way back home from London/reykjavik..

M and L waving back (from their bed)

 

[sue.falstaff]

How many languages do you speak?

 

[timounette]

Who are your favorite scrappers and why ?

 

[faerywings]

You have been a member here for a long time. What was your reaction when you became an designer here at the O?

 

[val]

How many languages do you speak?

hum ... 2,5+0,25 .. does that makes sense LOL

french and english are quite ok,
Icelandic is pretty basic (that is the 0,5)
and my spanish would be my 0,25. that mean I should get it back my Icelandic level quite quickly if I was in a surrounding where it was needed.

:juggle:

 

[val]

Who are your favorite scrappers and why ?

OMG MY favorite scrappers???
Wow, that's hard....

The thing is that I can love layout in ALL kind of style, and when I love 1 LO from one scrapper that doesn't mean I will love everything from that person...


Honestly sandrine... I can not answer that, I REALLY don't know...

:yield:

 

[val]

You have been a member here for a long time. What was your reaction when you became an designer here at the O?

Beeing here is FANTASTIC for me, Like I told Vicki, once, I grew up here as a scrapper, it is amazing to come back as a designer and grow up here again. (although I never completely disappeared, was playing each and every O birthday with you ladies)
But in the same time, it is not that easy to be in this position, even though I can not explain why.

more "on the moment" answer:

When I got Vicki email I was like ...

-" chrisssssssssss (that DH) ... no, nothing (counting 1 2 3 4 5 6.. to calm down) Chriiisss... you know the O, the place I ... , no , nothing, that ok... (counting 7 8 9 1 011 ...)" it was a morning, and I had to get ready my self aswell as the kiddos, so I just decided not to think AT ALLabout it so I could function ... and I told chris DH around lunch when I could put words together about it.

 

[clarabear]

I don't know anything about Iceland except that it was named Iceland to detract people from living there and Bjork is from there. So is like to know something about Iceland. What's your favorite part about it?

 

[val]

Clara,

actually Iceland is called so, because of Erik the Red, who , fleeing from Norway jail ,found the island. He also found the Greenland. Greenland has a way larger Ice cover than Iceland, but I believe he saw first the south east of Iceland which is covered by the lager European glacier Vatnajókull, while what he saw first of Greenland were the southern part ... which is the one "not icy".

so he called them in a way he could differentiated them...

but he got it all wrong, Iceland is greener than Greenland, so the naming is not appropriated, ad furthermore he should have call this land...WINDland!!!

gosh wind is one of the worst thing here...

But that is not what I want you to remember about this place...

it is the most wonderful place I ever seen, landscape are changing within 50km. you can be on a black sanded beach, and in huge glacier 1 hour later.
I used to call this country "N-iceland"

https://ozone.oscraps.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=145435&title=-28n-29-iceland&cat=532

Each year we travel around the country, and we are (after almost 11 years) still seeing amazing things,places.

honestly the only thing which bother me here, is to live in 3 languages
french at home - english at work - icelandic with kiddos friends/homework etc etc
beside that,it is the place I want to live, where I want to rise my kids, everything is perfect
(beside wind and Icelandic langages)


I will try to bring some photos later ;-)

 

[faerywings]

Beeing here is FANTASTIC for me, Like I told Vicki, once, I grew up here as a scrapper, it is amazing to come back as a designer and grow up here again. (although I never completely disappeared, was playing each and every O birthday with you ladies)
But in the same time, it is not that easy to be in this position, even though I can not explain why.

more "on the moment" answer:

When I got Vicki email I was like ...

-" chrisssssssssss (that DH) ... no, nothing (counting 1 2 3 4 5 6.. to calm down) Chriiisss... you know the O, the place I ... , no , nothing, that ok... (counting 7 8 9 1 011 ...)" it was a morning, and I had to get ready my self aswell as the kiddos, so I just decided not to think AT ALLabout it so I could function ... and I told chris DH around lunch when I could put words together about it.

That is awesome!!! We are so happy that you are here too!!! :hug:

 

[MrsPeel]

wow so great to learn a bit more about you!!!!
you made me laugh big time with this:

I def. do not dream of going back to france... atually I think the only problem of Iceland is that peope speak... Icelandic... , everything else is perfect.

:laugh::laugh:

" chrisssssssssss (that DH) ... no, nothing (counting 1 2 3 4 5 6.. to calm down) Chriiisss... you know the O, the place I ... , no , nothing, that ok... (counting 7 8 9 1 011 ...)"

nd yes, I was a bit like this when I got Clara's message about the guest CT thing
:laugh::laugh:

I don't think I could live in Iceland as I don't get on well with wind, but for the photos I have seen and stuff I read, I would love to be able to travel there one day!

so, on the same line...you said you travel every year within Iceland...do you like travelling to other countries?
you should let us know if ever coming to London!!!!

 

[val]

LOL

Yes Ilove to travel out side iceland too, Of course.

Actually, there are 2 sort of " out of iceland" travels for us.

to france : but that doesn't count as travelling for me, as I am not going anywhere but "home"... There are not discovery, no challenge...see what Imean?

and there is the rest of the world.. That will be a first time this year, that we are taking the kids abroad-somewhere-else-than-france.
We are going to US. (to a place i discovered last October for the Work : the Acadia National Park )

Yeah!!!!


This said, we travel within iceland every year. But, keep in mid that driving "no stop" along the road nb1 (which make the all turn of the island) = in less than 20 hours you are done with Reykjavik/Reykjavik.

we always go in North Iceland 1 week a year, as we love the area. and we haven't been in the east for 3 years now... and I think we will make it next year., as 2014 is a "france" summer trip (we decided to go in france, to visit the familly every second year, so we can also take our kids somewhere else, and have some discovery to share all together.

 

[Bush Girl]

LOL




This said, we travel within iceland every year. But, keep in mid that driving "no stop" along the road nb1 (which make the all turn of the island) = in less than 20 hours you are done with Reykjavik/Reykjavik.

Substantially bigger than Singapore, then - you can drive the entire way round the outside of Singapore in about an hour and 10 mins!


Actually, I'm really surprised at how tiny Iceland's population is - 321,857 according to Wiki. So, Val, does France seem very busy and crowded by comparison?

 

[val]

nope,

since, in france I was living in small villages, and that I live actually in the main (only) city of the island.

actually Reykjavik is as big as the closest city of my previous home ... so I feel just in a normal situation... BUT, then when you go to the 2nd biggest city in Iceland... the main street (the "down town" is about ... 200m long!!!!



but Iceland looks (and is) safer than any other place I ever lived in...

 

[clarabear]

So I can't get off the Iceland kick completely...what kind if food do you eat at home? French? Icelandik (what is that anyway)? Other stuff? I would assume there is a lot of fish involved in the food there. I guess I'm just curious how you merge your food cultures. I know when we lived in Italy I usually cooked American food at home but we ate a lot if Italian out.

 

[val]

hum... that "food" part has evolved a LOT during our stay..

First we were "eating/cooking" in our french way, but it happen to be terribly expensive, spices, wine and cheese for ex at CRAZY.

and if we mainly eat (at home) in a french cooked way we have switched to common icelandic component.
and yes fish are quite important (compare to what it was before) but Lamb is has also increased a lot.
But the most important change is more in vegetable choice.
they Green-grow bananas and other "exotic" fruits, but still, it is quite a narrow selection...

 

[faerywings]

so cool to read about the Icelandic culture. I think I tend to view so much through "American" eyes, it is always so refreshing to hear and learn about other cultures.

How about a scrappy questions for you? What do you listen to (music, TV in the background, your kids screaming --just kidding!!--) while you are designing?

Do you have a favorite kit that you have designed?

 

[val]

hum....

I would tend to say that I create in silent surrounding... but it is also because most of it happen at night ... I guess.
When I am home, alne, I would pick some french radio streaming ...

my fav kit... hum ...
I always tend to prefer the last one, and once again "expression Of The soul" is my latest favorite... but I have to admit that I still LOVE to use Out of comfort Zone and my latest colab with Cilenia Curtis " fly with me" rank really high to in my kit list

 

[clarabear]

What got you into digiscrap?

 

[MrsPeel]

I m not sure I could live somewhere where the food/fruit/veggies we like to eat are expensive to the point of making you not buy.... I'm lucky we are able to cook most Brazilian/Argentine stuff and get fruits like mangos and papayas....

I LOVE eating other cultures food, but also want to have the choice of making Brazilian food quiet often..
I dont know about Iceland, but Scandinavian have some pretty weird stuff made with some very strong tasting fish,,,we both love fish here but coundt eat that stuff LOL

and yes, how did you start digi scrapping?

 

[val]

Cynthia,
we do have some super weird things too... that we don't eat. LOL
and Icelanders grow mango ananas and more in green houses... but stuff like peach or abricot are super crap, if you ask me.
in veggies, for ex... on regular basis we have salad, carrots, tomato (I know it is a fruit) zucchini and eggplant... which are grown here, but I do miss some diffrent variety.
like doing a tomato tart, is pretty strange when you just have tomatoes with seeds inside and no flesh... see what I mean?


Oh well, maybe it is me, I might be too much french and food addict LOL

but in an other side I have 5 kg of hand pick blueberries in my freezer .... and som 20+ home made jam can too ... we love blueberries

btw, what do you do with tomatoes, beside raw /salad ... any special cooking things? kids LOVE tomatoes... I would like to surprise them ...

Digiscrap ...
to make a long story short, I got into that addicting stuff after my daughter was born, when I was back at work, with very little to do and a brand new office (witha door) and a new computer ... so that means long day to fillup and thousand pictures of the cutest baby ever LOL *proud mama*

While skype chatting, a friend of mine shows me the shabby princess website, and a few utra basic thing she was doing ...
and that was it, and then I was looking for inspiration/tuto and some challenge, and that is where I opened O-door it was back in early 2006.
My first challenge at Oscraps was a designer spotlight on Ashalee Wall ... I won 10$

v

 

[faerywings]

Val- I made this last night and it was really good!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Loaded-Vegetarian-Quiche/Detail.aspx

It calls for one tomato but you could use more-- and zucchini. I threw in fresh/raw spinach too. I bet you could make it with whatever veggies you have on hand, since you saute them slightly first.
You could probably even do a mix of zucchini and eggplant (I adore eggplant!)

I got into digi-scrapping b/c of the Shabby Princess too- she had awesome freebies and tutorials IIRC.

 

[val]

I saw it on FB, you posted it right?

Thanks for the link,. we have most of it - will try to bring the kids to cook it, because they are so not used to veggies that if they don't prepare it themselves, then the chance of having them eating is quite low....

thank!!!!

I love doing this
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tarte-aux-Moutarde-French-Tomato-and-Mustard-Pie/Detail.aspx

 

[MrsPeel]

my mum (Syrian Jewish family) makes some amazing thing called meshi.
I ca make them but it doesnt taste as good as my mums LOL
you emoty the tomatoes , also zuchinis, make ahole and emoty the insides.
Then you mix mince meat with a handful of uncooked ricke, season with salt, black pepper & a spice which in South America is called Jamaican pepper, in England they call it Baharat...is not peppery or chilli, just gives a very tipical taste..

you filled the tomatoes & zuchinis with the the meat mixture.
lay them in a saucepan with two cms of water, a can of chopped tomatoes, salt & pper.
some people add dried aprictos or prunes.
Cook for 20 min to half hour in medium heat, watching that the liquid doesnt dry completely...
when the meat is done , you turn the fire of.
Eat with white rice...is very nice to me, but I grew up with that kind of food...

you can make stuffed tomatoes with canned tuna mixed with mayionese, green peas, some use bioield potatos & carrots cut very little...like if you were doing a potato salad with tuna (we call it russian salad) and stuff them tomatoes with that, stick in the fridge and then eat as a starter....

I make tomato soup, hot and the cold variety which is Spanish and called Gazpacho...

I can be here for hours on food issues LOL

 

[jetjez]

I love gazpacho. My DH hates warm tomatoes except in a spaghetti sauce, so I rarely eat them warm. I love them with mozarella and basil leaves toasted in the oven. Yum!