Ask Around: Melody Ross from GCD Studios

Who doesn't remember the first time they saw a piece of Chatterbox paper? My memory is distinctly clear as I gazed at a rack full of perfectly harmonized patterns in soft and subtle yet distintly bold shades of colors so delicious I wanted to taste them, literally put my tongue onto the paper and unabashedly lick them. Whether the pattern was a pretty floral, a sassy stripe, or a proud plaid, a "room" full of Chatterbox product was just a dream away.

When I stepped into the Chatterbox booth at my first CHA, my knees buckled, my heart swooned, and I felt quite giddy as I moved from "room" to "room" as words like "cottage", "nook", and "loft" graced the pages I loved so well.

So, you can imagine my joy when Melody Ross accepted my invitation to join us in an Ask Around. And believe you me, she's just as lovely IRL as she is in the interview below. You'd best get yourself a cuppa something yummy, for you could be here a while, and trust me, that's a really good thing.

So sit back, relax, and getcherself a good dose of Melody. You'll be oh-so-glad you did.

Melody Ross knows a thing or two about starting, building, finishing, and then starting over again. As a madly-in-love wife of nearly 20 wild rollercoaster years, a super-fun mama of 5 creative children and a world renowned artist and entrepreneur, Melody has navigated the difficult and very rewarding journey of building her dreams and her dream life, of losing it all and recovering beautifully, and of coming out on the other side of it ready to share what she has learned.

After 12 years of running and being the lead visionary of her international company, Chatterbox, designing thousands of products that are worldwide collectors items, and writing more than 10 books, Melody bravely stepped away to live a new chapter of artful, joyful, meaningful work that she has always felt compelled to do, focused on helping others to bravely live their dream life and find meaning in their stories, joy in their life purpose, and fun in every moment.

You've recently partnered with GCD Studios, Melody. Tell us how that came about.

I started Chatterbox with my husband in 1997, right when the industry started. At first, I designed all of the products, then as the company grew, I just couldn't do it all. As the company evolved and we innovated many new products and concepts, I had to hire designers to help me keep up. I am and always have been an artist, so my decision to walk away from the Chatterbox years has to do with my goals as an artist and writer. I am now licensing my art and words to a lot of exciting companies and I just get to design all day, rather than run a company. I am licensing my scrapbooking lines to GCD studios, because the good people there are so supportive of my goals with Brave Girls Club, the art+life art retreat business that my sister and I started last year. The products that we are designing through GCD studios all have a focus of helping people to move forward and find individuality in life with creative projects and products, so I am really excited to be working with GCD Studios on these kinds of creative products! I also have really exciting licenses coming up in home decor, fashion and publishing--a lot of big surprises this year!

Is trend-watching important to your creativity? Why or why not? If so, how does trend-watching manifest itself in your work?

I have learned that I have to be really careful with trend watching because I like to follow roads less traveled (my rebellious nature), and my trend-watching technique has evolved into more of consumer watching, and even more importantly, listening to consumers, family and friends, and to myself. I love to look at color and icon trends, mostly through home décor and fashion magazines and trend websites, but what I reallllly like to do is LISTEN to what people are saying, what they are yearning for, what the voids are in their life, what is making them happy and what is making them feel inspired, and then I try to create something that might fill those voids a little bit. I even like to create experiences that fill voids, for myself and others, and have been hosting artsy get-togethers and retreats, a huge extension of my work.

This year, I have loved fun vintage images like this one:

...and have incorporated images like this into my lines:

I also love the weather-worn, well-loved look that distressing adds to everything, so I cleanly distressed so many pieces in my lines like this sticker sheet from my Artsy Urban line:


We even decorated with funky vintage linens, dishes, etc. at my quarterly art+life retreats called Brave Girl Camp and everyone went nuts over the decor, so, I can see lots of vintage-inspired designing in my future. I am loving it!

Where do you find trends?

My 16-year-old daughter is a fashionista extraordinaire with exquisite personal style and taste, so if I want a solid opinion about that I usually ask her. But, I get my very best information from watching people shop, listening to what they are saying on social networking sites and chat boards, and following my gut. I love to listen to what others are saying! And, I have learned to just trust myself. Usually if some color combination or icon set is making my heart go pitter patter, it is making other's do the same, so I will go with it. I design with WORDS so much of the time that I usually look for the messages that people are yearning to hear, that I am yearning to hear, and I will design around those words. Many times those come in conversations I am having or hearing, or letters I am writing to or receiving from others.

This piece of paper from the Artsy Urban line is just a bunch of little phrases that had meaning to me, and we cannot keep this paper on the shelves:

These are things I made with my new tool line with GCD, ChipArt. I really needed a tool that I could use to design with words, and this tool totally fits the bill. I am just loving designing whatever I want to, with whatever words come to mind.

What websites, blogs, magazines, ads, etc. are the most inspirational to you in terms of trend-watching? Why do they motivate you?

Well, I love all decorating magazines, blogs, and websites. I love watching HGTV. I am definitely most inspired by what people will commit to putting in their homes. It's such a love affair to people when they really put their hearts into their homes--the colors, the textures, the materials, the décor, the art. I think all of my creative projects are extensions of what I want out of my home experience, and what I want others to experience in my home--comfort, timelessness, individual expression, a welcome feeling, fun, whimsy, a smile or two...

These photos of home decor speak to me and make me want to create products and projects that evoke the same kinds of feelings. I love mixing old with new, tons of color, whimsical crazy surprises, and just inviting warmth and fun. One of my goals this year is to get my family into a home that we can finally decorate, as we are currently renting. I love decorating as much as designing!

Name a designer (or two) in the scrapbooking industry that inspires you. What do you like about his/her work?

This is hard because I love so many of them, and so many of them are dear friends, but I have to say that Christy Tomlinson of Scarlet Lime has never turned out anything that didn't make me want to sit down in my studio and create. She is endlessly inspiring with her brave and eclectic combinations of color, texture, and materials. And repurposing things? She is the most fabulous recycler! Plus, she's hilarious and I love to laugh. She's always willing to share her techniques or anything else you might ask of her.

Christy Tomlinson

Without giving anything away that you are working on, what trend(s) are you currently watching?

Well, I have seen a trend of gatherings, art retreats and home gatherings--getting artsy gals together to blissfully make stuff. This is a trend that I have completely embraced. I attended 4 art retreats last year, and enjoyed every second of them. At the end of the year, I decided to start my own quarterly art retreats, and it sold out very quickly, so I can see that as a huge trend.

And then, as I mentioned earlier, I have always loved ALL things vintage. Vintage looking, vintage feeling. I am loving that a clean, fresh, but distressed look is so hip right now, with tons of color and happiness. It's so casual, comfortable, friendly, approachable and non-threatening. It seems to appeal to just about everyone. That's what I have been pulling into all of my lines lately: lots of color, lots of vintage elements, lots of clean distressing. You can see that look in both of my new paper lines, Artsy Urban and Homespun Chic. You can also ACHIEVE that look with my new tool collection, ChipArt, which I am totally addicted to!

Where do you think trends get started and what propels them once they do?

I really think trends are started because something fills a need, or a void. People want to feel good, they don't want to feel bad, it's that simple. When something, a technique or a new approach to creativity starts that makes you feel good, or inspired, or succesful at what you are doing, it spreads. I think color trends are also connected to what is going on around us. Colors often have feelings attached to them and we look to the colors that make us feel the best at different times in life. A few really creative people will take those colors or products or materials and do amazing things with them, share that with the world, and then there's no stopping it. I love that! Like the trend of artsy gatherings and retreats, I see this enhancing women's lives so much, and a trend that will gain momentum as people experience it for themselves. I will attend as many retreats this year as I can!


What advice can you give to paper crafters who are interested in incorporating more trends into their projects?

There are SO MANY beautiful and inspiring places to find different trends, that my best advice is to look until you find something that REALLY speaks to YOU. If you are creating something that just makes your heart soar, it will show in your work. It's ok if some trends don't speak to you, YOU are an individual! Creating is such a real, authentic, beautiful part of life--and such an extension of your unique self--so, don't be afraid to take a trend that YOU love and then throw in quirky other things that YOU come up with on your own. You won't believe how much it will inspire others to see new takes on trendy things. And don't be afraid to skip trends that are not your thing, either!

In your opinion, what paper crafting techniques are trendy right now and why do you think they are appealing?

Because of the state of our economy, I think out of necessity and personal responsibility, people are really following the old adage--use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. What I LOVE about this is the innovation that stems from having to “make do." I think so much gratification comes from this. My times of most intense creativity and innovation have come out of desperation, and I am always thankful when I have to find new ways to use things that have been sitting in my studio for years. I have noticed this on blogs and in magazines, too--that artsy people are finding all sorts of ways to use things around the house or things that are “dated” and making masterpieces out of them. Like using very inexpensive materials like chipboard to create works of art. This is really the inspiration behind my ChipArt line, to use an inexpensive material like chipboard and create a real masterpiece with it. I love that!


What is your favorite medium in which to work and why does it appeal to you? Has that changed over time? Why or why not?

PAINT! Always and forever more! I love it--I always have and I am certain that I always will!. I love how messy it is, how forgiving it is, how you can paint over anything for an instant do-over. I love the endless mixing of colors. I love how it looks on my shelf. I love having it on my hands. I love a cup full of paintbrushes next to it. Love it, love it, love it! This is a vision board I just did for 2010, I collaged and painted all over it!


Name some doors that have opened to you as a result of being connected to the scrapbooking industry and what that has meant to you.

I was around when this industry starte,d so over all of these years, I have met THE MOST INCREDIBLY inspiring, brave, inspirational, fun and creative people who are most of my dearest friends. They have been with me through thick and thin have come as a result of my involvement with the industry, whether as employees when I started and ran Chatterbox for 12 years, or as fellow artists, or store owners, magazine editors and writers, or people who buy and collect my products. The scrapbooking industry was a launch pad for my entire career as an artist, and now I am branching into so many other industries. I feel very blessed to have been able to be one of the pioneers of the industry.




Which retail stores tend to get your trendy juices flowing?

Barnes & Noble is my all-time most inspiring place to go. I love to look at book covers, and layouts of type and photography books and magazines of all types. I LOVE WORDS and what can be done creatively with them and what words can do for our souls.

I also find that I am inspired by the marketing efforts of Starbucks, Sonic, and Target. I love to look at what they do each season with their packaging, billboards, store signage and store displays. I'm always impressed with it and it always inspires me!







Thank you so much, Melody, for taking the time to join us in the Moxie Fab World today!

Friends, are you just so amazed? I know I am! In particular, I just love the way she talked about paint and I loved the way she described the origins of trends--that trends are little things that make us feel good, and somebody creative runs with it, and before you know it we're all sharing the love!

Speaking of sharing the love, take a minute and share some love with Melody. Leave her a comment here by midnight MST on Sunday, January 10 and I'll draw one lucky random winner to receive Melody's Artsy Urban line! Oh, and you've still got time to comment-to-win the Homespun Chic collection as well! Click here for the landing page!

Grateful for Melody,

~Cath

PS Stay tuned tomorrow! I'll be announcing the next Moxie Fab World challenge--the first of the year! :)