May 2018 Member Spotlight

Hello, it is so nice to meet you all! My name is Nathalie DeSousa (aka Tachita, this has been my nickname since the day I was born, and what my family and friends call me!). I was born and raised in Ecuador, but have spent the past 25+ years in Toronto, Canada, where I reside with my husband, two teenagers and a Boston Terrier–who thinks he's a baby! I have been enamored with pretty paper, journaling, photography, books, chocolate and coffee for as long as I can remember! My love for scrapbooking and memory keeping grew as I discovered new ways to document my kids lives, but being a SAHM meant limited time when my kids were younger, until a few years back when I decided to put pictures to all the stories I had written in my journals; the rest is history!

I discovered Studio Calico when searching for a particular layout idea and fell in love with its community, gallery, and kits. I was and still am drawn to the fresh and clean look of the SC kits and their modern way to document the small moments in life.

Must-have product:

One of my favorite SC products ever are their stamps. I love stamps in general, but I find that SC stamps are always innovative, versatile, fun and perfect for even those not-so-perfect moments!

Here at SC, we strive to create a positive, creative and inspirational environment. What is one quote that inspires you most?

I think this quote has become my mantra: “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

Life is busy! When do you find your best time to get creative?

Since I am a SAHM, the best time for me to let my creativity fly is when the kids are at school, but i do my best work late at night when everyone has already gone to bed!

Everyone has a scrap-struggle. What is yours? How do you overcome?

My biggest scrap-struggle is self doubt. There are so many fantastic creatives always producing amazing work that it leads to lots of comparison and makes me rethink my ideas. However, I have come to understand that I am not creating projects for a show, instead I am putting together stories, feelings and pictures for me and my family. I want future generations to see us through my pages (some might be beautiful, some might be chaotic, some might be super embellished!) and understand that we lived a blessed normal but wonderful life.

What are three simple things that make you happy?

It is so hard to chose just 3, but I have to say: God and my Bible–first and foremost, my family–all of them, and new supplies (especially paper and TN inserts!!!).

Give a Studio Calico Shout-Out!

There are so many inspiring creative girls in the SC team, but i love Kelly Noel (her pages are always gorgeous, and super clean!), Pam Baldwin (she is an amazing Story teller!), and Catherine Davis (her eye for graphic design is out of this world!).