Happy #FeatureFriday! This week, we sat down with Tara, illustrator and product designer at Creative Memories, to find out about her inspiration behind the super-popular Maritime collection that brings a nautical feel to any project! Get insider details on her process for designing the album cover, the thought that went into the paper pack, what challenges she faced, her favorite body of water that inspired the collection and more. Intrigued? Check it out!
Meet the Designer
Tara has been an illustrator and product designer with Creative Memories since December 2015. Other CM collections she has designed include Little Lamb, Imagine, Sugarplum, Bookworm, Fur Buddies, Go! Fight! Win!, Gallivant, Super Duper and more. Outside of work, she likes to be active. In the summer she can usually be seen on the lake wake-boarding, and in the winter, you can find her on the slopes snowboarding. Tara also enjoys cooking and is always looking for a way to make recipes with healthy alternatives so that she can feel good about eating all that pizza.
What Inspired This Collection?
“This nautical collection was inspired by coastal beach house living, fine art and simple, airy nautical decorations. It features a color palette with soothing serene shades of blue, sea glass green and soft neutrals.”
How Would You Describe the Papers?
“I wanted to take traditional coastal icons and present them almost as fine art. My goal was to keep the designs and colors both soothing and serene; the way you might feel while lounging in a hammock on the front porch of a beach house listening to the waves. The paper pack features soft, worn textures and seaside painterly art prints infused with nautical themes of ropes, sailboats, maps, anchors, sea glass tile and more.”
What is Your Favorite Sticker and Why?
“My favorite sticker is the oar. I like the combination of the photographed rope and the flat silhouette of the oar with the texture layered on top. I also like the seashell laser die-cut border. It was my first time designing laser borders and it was fun to see how fine the details could get.”
What was the Process for the Album Cover? Were There any Other Designs You Had?
“I wanted to stick with something simple and classic. We’ve done seashells and sea life in past designs, so I wanted to stay away from those specific icons. I had multiple variations that all featured different ropes and anchors.”
What Do You Envision This Collection Being Used For?
“The great thing about this collection is that it is gender neutral and fits vacations that are non-tropical. It will work for practically any occasion, but you’ll especially be loving it for your photos of the beach, fishing, boating, lake living, vacations and more.”
What Was the Most Difficult Thing About Designing this Collection? Would you Change Anything?
“It was difficult trying to keep some of the paper designs as neutral as possible while still maintaining the coastal feeling. I think a supporting tone-on-tone paper pack with the blues and greens would do well. I wish I could have added that in.”
What’s Your Favorite Beach or Vacation Spot by the Water?
“Being from Minnesota, we have tons of lakes to choose from and we spend a ton of time on the lake during the summer. Gull Lake is probably my favorite lake that I’ve been to. You can cruise and look at the houses, dock up at the restaurants or wakeboard and surf on the lake.”
Get Your Maritime Collection
So, now you see why the Maritime collection is perfect for showcasing all your summer adventures by the water. Tara told us what she thinks of the designs, and now it’s your turn! What do you think of Maritime and how do you plan on using it in your projects?
I absolutely love this collection and it’s definitely in my top favorites, if not my all time favorite, of CM collections. I feel at my best and most peaceful when on the coast and this collection brought me to that memory. Thank you! And please do follow up with your idea of a tone-on-tone paper pack.
As soon as I saw this I knew it was the perfect album for my husband’s photos and memorabilia from his time in the Navy. He is a retired Chief Petty Officer and had many honors along the way but has never put any of these items in an album. However I am torn as I may make a second wedding album for us as we were married on the Delta King in Sacramento. The colors and theme for the wedding are an exact match to the Maritime collection as it centered around him being in his dress uniform and everything being of a nautical decor. Who knows, I may have to get two of them!
Living in RI we have lots of beaches to go to. The beach is my “happy place” and I LOVE this collection. Thank you!!
Being a CM Advisor and living in South Florida I felt like this collection was custom made for me and my customers! We have many pictures around the ocean and lakes in Florida, not to mention the boats and swimming pools. I absolutely LOVE this collection! Great job, Tara & CM! I only wish there had been F2F pages included!!!