It's a Creative World: An interview with Jane Dean

Of all the *names* in the UK scrapbooking world Jane Dean has to be one of the most well known. She is also one of the busiest and we are so excited that she managed to squeeze us into her hectic schedule for a bit of a chat.

Jane, did you have a particularly ‘crafty’ childhood, and what is your earliest crafty memoy?

I can remember my mother drawing pictures for us to colour in when we were little, I always liked to make stuff from anything I could find. I remember finding a pack of Dr White pads with hoops on the end and hung them between the dining chair legs to make hammocks for Sindy and Tressy! We also used to colour doilies on Sunday afternoons.

How did you discover scrapbooking, and how long have you been scrapping?

I have always loved photography and used to doodle in my photo albums, I found out about 'real' scrapbooking when I saw a book about it in a craft club leaflet in 1999.

What crafts do you currently enjoy besides scrapbooking?

I am playing with clay and stamps, making my own mosaic tiles at the moment.

You have a beautifully eclectic style, and, looking at your layouts, enjoy mixing paper, fabric, metal, every day objects – how would you define your style, and how did it evolve?

Thank you :) I don't really have a name for it, I just like bright colours and patterned papers. I think working for the magazine has pushed me into trying to come up with something new to keep my place on the design team.

From where do you draw your inspiration, and do you have any unusual sources of inspiration?

I honestly don't know where it comes from, things just come into my head as I mess about with stuff. I do like collage books and altered art, sometimes I see something and try to change it to use in my layouts. I like to look at techniques and try to put a twist on them to suit what I want to do. If I am working on my own albums I sometimes scraplift or work from a sketch to get started then change things round until they suit me.

Have you had any scrapbook/craft disasters, and, if so, are you prepared to share the details with us?!!

All of the time! I have a lot of projects that end up in the bin because they haven't worked. For every one idea that works I have one that didn't but I love to experiment and failure plays a huge part of learning!

What tools/products/embellishments are you using most at the moment? Is there a line of papers you’re particularly fond of? What’s currently at the top of your ‘wanted’ list?

I bought a Cricut Expression before Christmas, it's still in the box because I can't be bothered to read through the instructions at the moment. I recently made an oriental book in a class at Scrapbook Sisters and fell in love with Japanese Washi papers so bought some on Ebay but I haven't worked out what I am going to do with them yet! My sister gave me some acrylic albums for Christmas and I recently dug out all of my rubber stamps so I am playing with those at the moment.

Who are YOUR craft/scrapbook heroes/heroines?

Rebecca Sower has had the most influence on my scrapping, ever since I started, I think she was way ahead of her time when she wrote her book, she was scrapping freestyle before they even thought of a name for it. I love altered artists and buy a lot of their books just for the eye candy.

On average, how much time do you spend scrapping/crafting in a typical week?

I potter about most days, if my 'studio' is tidy I spend hours but when it gets messy I find other things to do rather than tidy up, I make loads of mess. I suppose on average a couple of hours a day.

Are you working on a particular project right now? Can you share any details with us?

I have some teaching appointments coming up and I am trying to design classes for those, I have jotted down some ideas and some sketches but that's as far as I got! I have been very lazy over Christmas, hanging out with the kids and playing games instead of working.

And now for a bit of fluff!! What’s your favourite perfume?

It's Calvin Klein Eternity Moment, the only one I use.

Who is your favourite artist? Have you ever worked a particular artist’s style into YOUR work?

I don't have a favourite, I tend to pick up bits and pieces from lots of different people. I have copied Claudine Hellmuth's style a couple of times but only for a certain project. I'm happy with my own work so I don't really want to use somebody elses style.

What music do you enjoy listening to? What was the last concert you went to?

I listen to a lot of different music, depending what I am doing. I love James Blunt, Bryan Ferry, John Martyn, David Grey and ballads, especially sad stuff, some female singers like Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy and Sinaed Lohan when I am at home. In the car I like power ballads to sing out loud to while I drive, Bad Company, REO Speedwagon, Roxy Music. I went to see Bryan Ferry twice last year, I have loved his music since 1973 when I bought his first album, I thought he was so much more sophisticated than the teeny bopper stuff my friends were listening to at the time!

What was the last book you read?

I have just finished "World Without End" by Ken Follett. I like reading Barbara Erskine, Diana Gabalden and Dan Brown.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Who’s your big screen heart-throb?!

I went to see The Golden Compass but thought it was mediocre, I love weepy, romantic films like Message in a bottle, Bridges of Maddison County. Other favourites are Pretty Woman, The King and I, Anna & The King, A Knights Tale and Benny & Joon. My heart throb is Martin Shaw, I love Judge John Deed and have seen him in Theatre plays several times although he does have competition from Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones. I like them older and crinkley!

You’re out to dinner at a restaurant where nothing is off the menu; what would be your dishes of choice (starter, main, dessert), and what would you be drinking?

Prawn Cocktail, Fillet Steak with those fat crispy chips and salad then a Belgian waffle with strawberries and cream. My favourite drink is Fanta fruit twist, I don't like alcohol at all.

Tell us a joke!!

A man was on his own at Christmas and made himself a lovely dinner, as he was just sitting down to eat there was a knock on the door. When he opened the door he looked down to see a snail. The snail told him that he too was on his own for Christmas, could he come in and share? The man picked up the snail and threw him as far as he could, across lots of gardens then went and ate his lunch. The following year, the man was just about to sit down to lunch and there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see the snail who said "What did you do that for?"

Describe yourself in three words…
Disorganised, witty, outspoken

Thank you so much to Jane for taking the time to speak with us. We hope that you enjoyed this little snippet of Jane's world and you can always catch up with her on her amazing blog, Sea breezes.