Meet the Contributing Artist: Debbie

Meet Debbie, a passionate artist and teacher from the Netherlands with a love for creativity and mindfulness. Her journey began as a child, encouraged by her mother to explore all things creative—a spirit that still thrives today. Debbie’s artistic style is a unique blend: her lettering is clean, bouncy, and colorful, while her watercolor paintings embrace a loose, relaxed charm. Let’s explore her journey to the Contributing Artist Program and what sparks her creativity.

How did you find Cricut, and why did you join the Contributing Artist Program? 

I got to know Cricut through a friend of mine. I got the Cricut Joy and made my own designs immediately, but I really wanted to make stickers. Unfortunately, that’s impossible with the Joy, but then the Joy Xtra came along! I just love that the Xtra is still very small, but you can make so many projects with it! Not long after, someone told me about the Contributing Artist Program, and I thought that it would be a nice way to share my (Dutch) designs. Thankfully, I got accepted right away, and now I’m so happy with lots of images/letterings of mine that are available in Design Space! 

Where did your artistic journey begin?

I started my artistic journey when I first got hold of a pencil, so very young. My mom always encouraged us to be creative and I still love doing all kinds of stuff! Here in Holland, you would say I’m a “creabea”. Dutchies will understand! Today I mainly work with brush pens, watercolor, and the iPad. 

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity, to me, means thinking of new ways to do things. As a teacher, I find it very important to always think of different and maybe even more fun ways to teach your subject. I think creativity also means mindfulness. To just “turn off” your racing mind and enjoy the pencil strokes, the sound of a pencil on paper or to see how watercolour flows. 

Who or what inspires you to create?

I mostly get inspired by life and the people around me. By how I feel, what I feel like doing, and what happens around me. When it’s busy at work, I like to do the easy stuff, splash colour on paper, and just let it run and dry up. But when I feel relaxed and have the time, I love to paint more detailed stuff. Houses, nature, or make more difficult letterings with lots of colour. 

What is your favorite type of craft, and what project are you most proud of? 

I love using brush pens or watercolor on paper. The feeling of brush pens on paper and writing with them gives me such an incredibly relaxed feeling. The same goes for working with watercolor. When I use watercolor, I don’t mind if it’s not perfect. I find it beautiful when the paint goes outside the lines, when there are white spots visible, or when a spot dries a bit unevenly here and there.  

I’m most proud of a few paintings of houses here in the Netherlands. A canal house from Amsterdam and a little house from our neighborhood. I really took my time with those, and every time I look at those drawings, I immediately remember how relaxed I felt while creating them. 

Describe your artistic style in three words and give an explanation.

When I look at my lettering, my style is bouncy, clean, and colourful. However, I have to say that my lettering in Design Space is mostly black because I haven’t found the time to make beautiful, colourful digital letterings. In contrast to the lettering on paper, my watercolor paintings on paper are primarily loose watercolor. So not clean at all! 

Favorite family recipe?  

My favorite family recipe is something called “Graupensuppe”. I am half German I grew up in Germany as well, and Graupensuppe is a widely known dish for the colder months. You either love it, or you hate it, and I loooove it! Graupensuppe is a traditional German barley soup. It’s a hearty dish made with pearl barley as the main ingredient, combined with vegetables and sausage. 

Are you a clean or messy person?  

I love it when it’s clean. My workspace and our house are very tidy and well-organized. Although I own a creative room at home, which is, at times, a real mess! I call it a creative mess, though. 

If you had to choose a color to describe yourself, what would it be?

Turquoise. This colour always makes me think of summer and quiet times and relaxing. 

Debbie’s journey as an artist is a testament to her passion for creativity, mindfulness, and self-expression. She continues to find joy in every brushstroke and lettering flourish. Whether she’s painting Amsterdam canal houses or savoring the coziness of her favorite Graupensuppe, Debbie’s artistic style reflects her love for life, color, and the beauty of imperfection. Visit Debbie’s Design Space profile to see all her beautiful designs.

Interested in seeing more Contributing Artist images and designs? Check out all of our artists in Design Space!