Combine holiday and international shipping, and things sometimes take forever to reach their destination. For instance, our guest designer for December's Memory Keeping kit, Nordic Woods, Janus Zate, she didn't receive her little yellow polka-dotted box until January! But she's now had a few weeks to work with the Collection, and we are thrilled we get to introduce her and share her beautiful work. Janus loves lace, so you'll notice she added some to each project. The lace is not included in the kits. There are a few products left if you want to check out the store. Please welcome Janus Zate, our Memory Keeping Guest Designer for December. You can see all of her work with the kits (and we'll be adding more as she sends them) in our Nordic Woods Pinterest gallery. Janus Aragones-Zate is a multi-faceted artist and designer. Her creative journey began with inspiration from her passion for books and video games. She loved them so much that it led her to work as a book cover designer and a 3D artist. With a curious mind and a thirst for creative discovery, she decided to explore traditional art as well. From calligraphy to watercolor, to journaling and scrapbooking, this little hobby of learning a new craft turned into way more than she could have expected, which has led her to where she is today. She is one of the many artists who believe in spreading positivity and kindness to a world caught up in hate, judgment, and pessimism. And what better way to spread such advocacy but through her style and art. She is a firm believer in pursuing one‚Äôs passion and inspiring others to discover theirs. 1. When is your most creative time? I am a full-time mom so my schedule mostly revolves around my daughter's, so my creative time is when she's at school. I dedicate about 2-3 hours a day to craft, paint and create. But there are certain days where I'm hit with a great dose of inspiration that I tend to work on a project the whole day with several intervals throughout just so I don't lose that spark. 2. How do you unwind? I love to read! Books have been my biggest creative influence and it also happens to be my best way to unwind. Just give me a cup of coffee and a good book and I'll call that a really great day. 3. If you were in a Rock N' Roll band, what would your job be? Oh, this is a tricky one! I can catch a decent tune to sing but I'm one who'd rather blend in the background... so maybe, a guitar player? Also because that's the only instrument I can play. Ha! 4. What is your guilty pleasure? I love watching sitcoms. Doesn't matter what age group, or no matter how other people find it corny, as long as I find it entertaining, I'm going to binge the whole show. 5. If your life was a movie, what actress would play you? Shay Mitchell? She's on the top of my head, is all. 6. What's your favorite accessory? I don't really wear jewelry that often so I'll have to say the ring my husband gave me. I never leave home without it. 7. If your life were a novel, what would the title be? Ah! I am horrible with coming up with titles! Probably The Crafter, because my art is pretty much the only interesting thing about my life. Otherwise, Basic, I am way too laid back to do much of anything exciting. 8. What was your first job and how did you get it? I worked as a Marketing Officer for a food and hotel service company. A cousin of mine recommended me there and I took the job out of curiosity. Turns out it wasn't my calling. 9. Share three of your bucket list items with us. - Travel to Japan and South Korea with my family - Have my own crafting room/library - Get to create a mural art 10. What is ‚Äúdressed up‚Äù for you? Wearing heels! I used to wear them every day when I was single. Nowadays, I'm either wearing flipflops or flat comfy shoes, so high heels are definitely a dressed up staple. SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram:¬†instagram.com/jveruditeartist Facebook Page:¬†facebook.com/jveruditeartist Twitter:¬†twitter.com/jveruditeartist YouTube:¬†bit.ly/jea-youtube Blog:¬†bit.ly/eruditeartist