We are counting down the days to ND2020! Join us for a little retrospective. A little Studio history. A little glimpse into our team now. A team that would not be what it is without our Next Designer competitions over the years.

Today I am shining the spotlight on the lone man in our midst, my dear friend Ben of Benthaicreations. He’s a rare gem that we’ve been truly blessed to find & keep in our treasure trove. He’s not only talented, check out his amazing glitters, but he’s a warm & gentle soul. He truly cares about all of us & it shows in every message.

Ben entered in 2016. That year we had a pre-game contest to pick the contest palette. Dani, our own The Urban Fairy, won with vibrant hues of autumn:

The challenge was a simple one, crafted for the Designer Contestants to show off their coloring skills. They need to create 5 cardstocks & 5 patterned papers. Ben created some especially gorgeous patterened papers in his entry:

Round two had everyone in a panic. They were challenged to create 30 unique elements & 10 recolored elements, all using the same brilliant pattern. Ben’s entry was stunning. I especially loved his wooden word arts & that marvellous sunflower:

Round three had everyone breathing a little easier. Each Designer Contestant had the choice of an add-on pack to match their papers & elements. Ben picked clusters and created six fantabulous clusters! Go Ben!

The final challege knocked everyone into a tail spin. Rather than continue with the now-comfortable fall palette, each contestant had to compose their own palette; create a full mini kit & I added them all to our store. The final round (and this is a big hint for everyone entering this year) was scored not in votes but in the number of actual sales.

Ben. Won. His “Celebrate” is in his store still today.

Will you be our next Ben? Will you be the Grand Prize winner & join our team? I’m so excited to see what everyone creates! My patience has flown out the window & I so wish it was next week.

It’s audition time for our ND2020! All auditions must be posted no later than midnight Sunday May 31, 2020.