Hi! My name is Helen Tilbury & I live in Durban, South Africa.
My family moved here in early 2006 due to the problems in Zimbabwe.
I work in the textile industry & live with my husband, 2 teenagers & 4 cats.
We have another 2 older kids in their 20's who live with us on & off :)
My family moved here in early 2006 due to the problems in Zimbabwe.
I work in the textile industry & live with my husband, 2 teenagers & 4 cats.
We have another 2 older kids in their 20's who live with us on & off :)
My blog focuses on my vocation & life as a mixed media papercrafts artist.
I began this blog as a novice back in 2007, when I had been scrapbooking
for 3 years. Since then I have had quite a journey & worked for dozens of
different international Design Teams online as well as Guest Designing
for many others, had my work printed in magazines in the US, UK
& Australia & worked for an English magazine preparing articles
& tutorials. Last but not least I've made many, many
awesome friends & contacts along the way too!
Currently {2015} I own & run my own scrapbooking challenge site
that hosts monthly scrapbooking competitions {Scrap Around The World}
as well as working for 7 Dots Studio, an amazing Polish company,
2Crafty Chipboard, an Australian Chipboard Manufacturer & Studio 75,
another really great little Polish manufacturer or all things beautiful.
My style is "layered collage with light mixed media".
I love creating layouts that tell simple stories about myself & my family,
as well as canvases that I keep to decorate my home or make specifically
as gifts for loved ones. I also love to create smaller items like cards & tags
& also enjoy art journaling as a means of recording the way I feel as an
artistic expression. Often I make mini-albums of family events & holidays.
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How I got here
My 2015 Style
Collage Art is the best way of describing my scrapbooking style today.
I love texture, colour & working with beautiful products. I love using
polaroid photos & strip photos from my Instagram account.
Most of my layouts are based on single photographs or a few small
photos that tell simple stories about my life, my holidays, my kids,
pets & what is important to me. I love light mixed media & a free,
spontaneous look that says "Hey, I had fun making this!".
With 2 sons & 2 daughters I am used to creating both funky masculine
pages as well as feminine, floral "modern shabby"ones. Layering is my
favourite technique & I love using various art mediums to build up my
page from the base up, as well as threads, wire, mesh & paper layers.
How I got here
I stumbled across scrapbooking by pure chance 12 years
ago
& it immediately peaked my interest. I started attending basic
lessons for a few years until my local scrapbook store closed
down & I was left with nowhere to go.
down & I was left with nowhere to go.
Restrospectively that's when I grew my crafting wings,
began my blog
& discovered the online
scrapbooking/
blogging community that is now an integral part of my life.
In 2007 I entered a huge local scrapbooking competition
& was placed 2nd & 3rd {with 2 different layouts}.
That gave me the confidence to start blogging, with no clue
as to how to go about it! I began online knowing no-one at all.
I shared my daily creative pursuits & discovered & started
entering online scrapbooking challenges. I met a lot of
people along the way, which began my journey into the
vibrant & supportive world of online world of papercrafters.
After a couple of years of building my confidence I began
applying for Design Team positions & initially was turned
down everywhere I tried! After a year of failed applications
I was accepted onto one team, then another, & another,
& since then it has been one roller coaster adventure of
a ride, working for dozens & dozens of Design Teams,
kit clubs, challenge blogs, manufacturers (& even a
magazine!) all around the world! Moral of the story?!?
DON'T GIVE UP! You never know when you are
going to turn that corner!!
I jumped on the "mixed media bandwagon" when it first
began several years ago & that's when I really came alive.
I loved getting my hands dirty & the unexpected results
that came from playing with wet media. Since then I
have found my style & love to experiment with artist
supplies & mediums in my work. For me scrapbooking
has gone way beyond the photo for me now.
It is all about the art!!
In 2007 I entered a huge local scrapbooking competition
& was placed 2nd & 3rd {with 2 different layouts}.
That gave me the confidence to start blogging, with no clue
as to how to go about it! I began online knowing no-one at all.
I shared my daily creative pursuits & discovered & started
entering online scrapbooking challenges. I met a lot of
people along the way, which began my journey into the
vibrant & supportive world of online world of papercrafters.
After a couple of years of building my confidence I began
applying for Design Team positions & initially was turned
down everywhere I tried! After a year of failed applications
I was accepted onto one team, then another, & another,
& since then it has been one roller coaster adventure of
a ride, working for dozens & dozens of Design Teams,
kit clubs, challenge blogs, manufacturers (& even a
magazine!) all around the world! Moral of the story?!?
DON'T GIVE UP! You never know when you are
going to turn that corner!!
I jumped on the "mixed media bandwagon" when it first
began several years ago & that's when I really came alive.
I loved getting my hands dirty & the unexpected results
that came from playing with wet media. Since then I
have found my style & love to experiment with artist
supplies & mediums in my work. For me scrapbooking
has gone way beyond the photo for me now.
It is all about the art!!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Collage Art is the best way of describing my scrapbooking style today.
I love texture, colour & working with beautiful products. I love using
polaroid photos & strip photos from my Instagram account.
Most of my layouts are based on single photographs or a few small
photos that tell simple stories about my life, my holidays, my kids,
pets & what is important to me. I love light mixed media & a free,
spontaneous look that says "Hey, I had fun making this!".
With 2 sons & 2 daughters I am used to creating both funky masculine
pages as well as feminine, floral "modern shabby"ones. Layering is my
favourite technique & I love using various art mediums to build up my
page from the base up, as well as threads, wire, mesh & paper layers.
--------------------------------------
THE LONG VERSION OF THE STORY!
HOW IT ALL BEGAN FOR ME & EVERY STEP OF MY JOURNEY
FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS - AN INTERESTING READ IF YOU ARE
KEEN ON ONLINE SCRAPBOOKING & GETTING ONTO DESIGN TEAMS.
MY CREATIVE JOURNEY PART 1 - 2003 - 2012
THE LONG VERSION OF THE STORY!
HOW IT ALL BEGAN FOR ME & EVERY STEP OF MY JOURNEY
FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS - AN INTERESTING READ IF YOU ARE
KEEN ON ONLINE SCRAPBOOKING & GETTING ONTO DESIGN TEAMS.
MY CREATIVE JOURNEY PART 1 - 2003 - 2012
Facts about me {click to read!}
---------------------------------------
My 2012 Style Statement {click in to see!}
--------------------------------------------
I was Featured Scrapbooker here on July 18, 2011 -
with the article below, which encompasses my creative journey until that date.
---------------------------------------
My 2012 Style Statement {click in to see!}
--------------------------------------------
I was Featured Scrapbooker here on July 18, 2011 -
with the article below, which encompasses my creative journey until that date.
Creative Journeys - Meet our Next Guest!
On to today's guest--meet the talented, fabulous Helen Tilbury-
-all the way from Africa!
I started scrapbooking in 2003 in Harare, Zimbabwe, after my daughter attended a holiday workshop & brought home a simple layout that
captured my heart!
For a couple of years I attended weekly lessons at a really basic studio using simple products & none of “the latest stuff” as it simply wasn’t available.
For the first 2 years of my journey all I learned were the basics as I had
no time to scrapbook at home & had no idea that there was a whole new
world waiting for me online.
captured my heart!
For a couple of years I attended weekly lessons at a really basic studio using simple products & none of “the latest stuff” as it simply wasn’t available.
For the first 2 years of my journey all I learned were the basics as I had
no time to scrapbook at home & had no idea that there was a whole new
world waiting for me online.
In 2005 we emigrated to South Africa & I took a short break from scrapbooking
for a year while I was adapting to my new environment. 6 months later I started attending weekly scrapbooking lessons at my new local scrapbook shop.
Now that all my kids were at school I began scrapbooking there every morning as our rented home was limited on space & there was nowhere
for a studio there. I discovered Creating Keepsakes & it was
the first scrapbooking magazine I’d ever seen!
I became an instant fan of Ali Edwards & finally the cogs started turning
& my mind-set regarding my hobby began to shift to a more serious
mode 4 years down the line. With that my excitement for
scrapbooking started to grow exponentially as I shifted
to a whole new mindset.
for a year while I was adapting to my new environment. 6 months later I started attending weekly scrapbooking lessons at my new local scrapbook shop.
Now that all my kids were at school I began scrapbooking there every morning as our rented home was limited on space & there was nowhere
for a studio there. I discovered Creating Keepsakes & it was
the first scrapbooking magazine I’d ever seen!
I became an instant fan of Ali Edwards & finally the cogs started turning
& my mind-set regarding my hobby began to shift to a more serious
mode 4 years down the line. With that my excitement for
scrapbooking started to grow exponentially as I shifted
to a whole new mindset.
In September 2007 I entered the then only (now non-existent) national scrapbooking competition &came 2nd out of thousands of entries.
I was so excited but it lead to nothing, there were no sponsored prizes
for 2nd place (as most scrapbooking products sold in South Africa
are imported) & no design teams to get onto as there are virtually
no local manufacturers. No recognition followed.
The scrapbooking manufacturing industry in South Africa is almost non-existent
& the market in relation to the population is very small, especially in the
province in which I live as it's not one of the main towns. The local
scrap store is owner run & she teaches the classes so opportunities
for me to get to know more scrapbookers & become involved locally
were not available to me. There had to be a way I could indulge
my passion &succeed despite my location!
I was so excited but it lead to nothing, there were no sponsored prizes
for 2nd place (as most scrapbooking products sold in South Africa
are imported) & no design teams to get onto as there are virtually
no local manufacturers. No recognition followed.
The scrapbooking manufacturing industry in South Africa is almost non-existent
& the market in relation to the population is very small, especially in the
province in which I live as it's not one of the main towns. The local
scrap store is owner run & she teaches the classes so opportunities
for me to get to know more scrapbookers & become involved locally
were not available to me. There had to be a way I could indulge
my passion &succeed despite my location!
I first heard the word “blog” mentioned by Stacey Julien, when I attended
a scrapbooking event at vast expense in one of our big towns
{because I had to fly there & stay in a nearby hotel}
& had no idea what it meant but I just KNEW I HAD TO GET ONE!!
I gathered it was some type of personal online interactive website & began
making enquiries...despite never having been online! Yup September
2008 & I had never surfed the web!! Wow did I have a treat instore for me!!!
I began fighting with my kids’ old 'box' computer whilst they were at school
& in October the same year, through pain & suffering like my children,
my blog was finally born! I spent hours online, learning the ropes,
started commenting a lot – figuring someone was bound to notice me
eventually if I just kept at it & after a year I had a small readership of 23 :)
I discovered just how excellent so many scrapbookers were online
& I remember feeling like I could never “get there”, but the more
I saw the more desperate I was to learn & to eventually succeed
at creating layouts just as good!
I lost my way a bit as I fell in love with blogging & ended up blog-hopping more than I was scrapbooking. I certainly made up for all my years offline as I was
so excited to broaden my horizons & learn so much about the world beyond Africa. I had lost sight of my dream of becoming a well-known scrapbooker whose work spoke for itself. I had become side-tracked...
I have always been a competitive person & it just came naturally to want to go
all the way with something I was so passionate about. I was determined
I didn’t need a national competition to succeed – I was aiming higher
than that – I wanted to take on the world!
a scrapbooking event at vast expense in one of our big towns
{because I had to fly there & stay in a nearby hotel}
& had no idea what it meant but I just KNEW I HAD TO GET ONE!!
I gathered it was some type of personal online interactive website & began
making enquiries...despite never having been online! Yup September
2008 & I had never surfed the web!! Wow did I have a treat instore for me!!!
I began fighting with my kids’ old 'box' computer whilst they were at school
& in October the same year, through pain & suffering like my children,
my blog was finally born! I spent hours online, learning the ropes,
started commenting a lot – figuring someone was bound to notice me
eventually if I just kept at it & after a year I had a small readership of 23 :)
I discovered just how excellent so many scrapbookers were online
& I remember feeling like I could never “get there”, but the more
I saw the more desperate I was to learn & to eventually succeed
at creating layouts just as good!
I lost my way a bit as I fell in love with blogging & ended up blog-hopping more than I was scrapbooking. I certainly made up for all my years offline as I was
so excited to broaden my horizons & learn so much about the world beyond Africa. I had lost sight of my dream of becoming a well-known scrapbooker whose work spoke for itself. I had become side-tracked...
I have always been a competitive person & it just came naturally to want to go
all the way with something I was so passionate about. I was determined
I didn’t need a national competition to succeed – I was aiming higher
than that – I wanted to take on the world!
. After my first couple of years online, getting to know people, watching how things worked & soaking up all the different scrapbooking styles in the
world, towards the end of 2009 I started my online education in earnest.
Less blogging & more studying. I poured over layouts by talented designers from all over the world & tried to emulate them. I gave myself an 18 month intensive online course in scrapbooking by studying successful scrapbookers from all over the world, whose work I admired & used as my inspiration.
I was struggling to find my own style & not sure of what I liked & disliked.
I was trying too hard & doing too much – I was all over the place!
Towards the end of 2010 (2 years since I started my blog) it dawned on me that I was never going to “get anywhere” if I didn’t release myself from the confines of my blog and “get out there”. I began taking part in challenges, joining forums, adding my work to galleries & I had various successes along the way.
FINALLY, 2 YEARS LATER, I HAD THE HANG OF THINGS!
Definitely more failures than successes but finally I felt like something was happening. In 2010 I started to apply to various design teams & faced rejection upon rejection. By Christmas 2010 I realized that I couldn’t go on & needed to reassess what exactly I was doing! Or at least trying to do!!
I prayed to God to please give me a change of heart, so that I was able to apply for design teams then forget all about it (as opposed to keep checking my inbox for the e mail that never came…only to see the DT advertised on their blog!).
I cried my heart out then went away on holiday!
FINALLY, 2 YEARS LATER, I HAD THE HANG OF THINGS!
Definitely more failures than successes but finally I felt like something was happening. In 2010 I started to apply to various design teams & faced rejection upon rejection. By Christmas 2010 I realized that I couldn’t go on & needed to reassess what exactly I was doing! Or at least trying to do!!
I prayed to God to please give me a change of heart, so that I was able to apply for design teams then forget all about it (as opposed to keep checking my inbox for the e mail that never came…only to see the DT advertised on their blog!).
I cried my heart out then went away on holiday!
This was the turning point for me. The next DT I applied for when I returned accepted me! And the one after that, & that, & that, & that, & that!
6 design teams in six months & definitely more successes than rejections.
The tide is finally turning. I feel I have worked for everything I have but at the same time I want to give all glory to my maker for giving me the stamina & attitude needed for this harsh game. Scrapbooking is sweet & lovely &
nurturing & healing, but competitive scrapbooking? Welcome to the
School of Hard Knocks!
Want to give it a go?! I hope my story has encouraged you & that, if it’s what
you really, really want (as the Spice Girls would say) that you’ll go
confidently in the direction of your dreams.
The tide is finally turning. I feel I have worked for everything I have but at the same time I want to give all glory to my maker for giving me the stamina & attitude needed for this harsh game. Scrapbooking is sweet & lovely &
nurturing & healing, but competitive scrapbooking? Welcome to the
School of Hard Knocks!
Want to give it a go?! I hope my story has encouraged you & that, if it’s what
you really, really want (as the Spice Girls would say) that you’ll go
confidently in the direction of your dreams.
I love finally having a real audience, feeling like my work has a greater purpose
& getting a “wow” once in a while. I am striving to be the best I can be & looking forward to the rest of this wonderful journey. I still have a long way to go
(I have my first CK publication this month but it’s actually a photograph –
check out page 99 of your latest issue) & I’m still not on the DT of any
“major” scrapbooking manufacturers, but I am in it for the long haul
& I’ve always believed I’ll make it eventually.
& getting a “wow” once in a while. I am striving to be the best I can be & looking forward to the rest of this wonderful journey. I still have a long way to go
(I have my first CK publication this month but it’s actually a photograph –
check out page 99 of your latest issue) & I’m still not on the DT of any
“major” scrapbooking manufacturers, but I am in it for the long haul
& I’ve always believed I’ll make it eventually.
I do think that it is definitely harder for an “international” (especially an African)
to make it in an American dominated industry – mainly because it takes a
month to receive any product & I have to make almost all my scrapbooking
purchases online from the States – but I don’t think it is impossible –
you just have to be fantastic – and that’s what I’m aiming for!
My advice – count the cost. There is a lot involved, & that’s the honest truth. You need to up your game on all levels if you want success.
You need to work long & hard.You need to meet deadlines.
You need to be 100% reliable.
You can’t blog about the bad day you’ve been having if your DT has it’s reveal that day – you’ve got to put your happy hat on & encourage everyone to play along. You need to comment on all the entries & in some cases judge the winners, & that is really hard!
But along the way you will have a wonderful, exhausting time!
to make it in an American dominated industry – mainly because it takes a
month to receive any product & I have to make almost all my scrapbooking
purchases online from the States – but I don’t think it is impossible –
you just have to be fantastic – and that’s what I’m aiming for!
My advice – count the cost. There is a lot involved, & that’s the honest truth. You need to up your game on all levels if you want success.
You need to work long & hard.You need to meet deadlines.
You need to be 100% reliable.
You can’t blog about the bad day you’ve been having if your DT has it’s reveal that day – you’ve got to put your happy hat on & encourage everyone to play along. You need to comment on all the entries & in some cases judge the winners, & that is really hard!
But along the way you will have a wonderful, exhausting time!
(& you’ll make some enemies along the way who despise you just
because they’re jealous so you’ll get the occasional nasty comment too!) Toughen up & let it slide off you like water off a duck’s back.
Just keep your eye on the prize!
If you’re prepared to work for it it can be yours –
you can live the life you've imagined!!
Helen lives in Durban, South Africa, with her husband & 4 kids – Chelsea (18), Jack (16), Reilly (13) and Cami (11). She is a keen photographer & when she’s not taking photos, scrapbooking or blogging you can usually find her in the car, rushing up & down the freeway with kids off to dancing lessons, soccer
matches or sleepovers! Currently Helen is designing for
Scrapbook Challenges, Inspired Blueprints, Once Upon a Sketch,
Bird is the Word, Pretty Paper Petals&Scrap-it-Lah.
You can find her blog @ http://helentilbury.blogspot.com.
matches or sleepovers! Currently Helen is designing for
Scrapbook Challenges, Inspired Blueprints, Once Upon a Sketch,
Bird is the Word, Pretty Paper Petals&Scrap-it-Lah.
You can find her blog @ http://helentilbury.blogspot.com.