It's again time to appreciate a designer and the work that they do, and this time it's the lovely Ewelein I've gotten the pleasure to interview. Hope you're as excited as I am to learn more about this talented designer!

And, she might also have a little surprise for you... can you find it?


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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm a french girl, a little clumsy with english (and in general), named Margaux! I'm currently 20 years old, and I study science at university. Most of my free time is spent studying because as I'm an anxious and easily stressed person, so I need to work a lot in order to pursue anything with a more free mind. Beside designing for vp, I like to draw, like a lot of the other designers and many people on vp in general I guess, even tho I end up throwing most of my things away... I also like to play my instrument, the saxophone, but it has become harder to get time to practice the past few years as I'm living in a studio with thin walls. Besides that I'm pretty much a loner, so I enjoy spending my time just with music, dramas, tv shows or movies.

How long have you been playing the saxophone, and do you have a favorite piece to play?

I’ve been playing the saxophone since I was six, so I basically learned to read music in the same time as I was learning how to read. I like to play a piece called “Petite Fleur” (Little Flower) by Sydney Bechet, a really calm and easy one, as it was my granny’s favourite song. I also like to play songs that are faster and way harder, to challenge myself. 

Why / How did you start designing for VP?

I was already designing for other doll websites like vp, so when I discovered vp it just came naturally; I grabbed my computer mouse, gave it a try, and then it just continued from there! I like to be able to wear my own things, or see people enjoy them. I don’t usually think much of my own designs, meaning that it rarely feels like they're much worthy, so seeing people wearing my designs or putting them on their wl makes me really happy. And it is this little happy feeling that made me start designing, and is why I still do it. (male: Surpraizeboiz2)

How long have you been designing for vp and when did you become a badged designer?

As I was already drawing clothes other places, I started to design for vp pretty soon after I joined the game, so I think we can say that I've been designing for vp since my beginning on this site. 

I became a badged designer also pretty soon I think? I received the "d" badge 17-04-2018!

How long do you approximately spend on designing one set? 

How long I spend on each design depends on many factors:

- My mood. Sometimes I'm just feeling really down and am not able to do anything, and if I start trying to make a new design or anything in those times, I'll just give up after a couple of minutes. 

- My work with my studies. 

- My inspiration. Sometimes I really want to design, but I just don't know what... 

So overall, if I’m in the mood and don't really take any breaks, it can take me a minimum of 4 to 5 hours, but I can also use days, weeks, and even months for just one design. 

One thing is sure though, I cannot make a set really fast. For one set, I usually set myself a minimum of items (usually around 10), without knowing what they'll be, and I try my best to not include recolours in this amount. (female: SuUrpraize)

Beside having to find inspiration for each set/item, I usually do a lot of sketches until I have something that suits me, at least a little. I'm not really confident, and I'm always asking a lot from myself. If there's something I don't like, or it’s not enough, I'll remake that item or even the whole set. Because of this, I spend a lot of time and energy on every set I make. 

How much time do you spend on designing on a weekly / monthly basis? 

Just as the previous question, it really depends on the month... I don't really have a basis.

Do you have a set that means something special to you or that had a special story behind it when you created it? Can you tell us why / what that story is?

This set is really special to me. It's my second set that was chosen to be in a MCW. 

From the moment Jess asked me if I was okay about it being a MCW set, I was so unsure. I spent hours just to make all the reflections in the skirt and on the arms so that they wouldn't end up being too weird. But even though I was unsure of the quality of it, and was thinking there maybe wasn’t enough items, I had a lot things in my mind! 

In the end there wasn't a lot of good comments about it around the different topics on vp, actually it was more "not sure it's good enough for a MCW" or "it sucks ", but that experience just helped me to focus less on what people may say about my things. 

It was from this moment I think I really started to make things for me, and not to please other people. Before I used to ask myself "what would they like?" and "would this be appreciated?", but now I just draw things I like. If people like it that’s good, but if they don't then... well... hum... who cares?

Where do you find your inspiration?

Mostly Pinterest, because there you can find everything! 

I sometimes get inspiration from k-pop (mostly EXO) or Instagram too, but most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest suggestions.  

What program do you use for designing? And do you use a mouse or a drawing tablet? 

I used to draw with a mouse at the very beginning, but then I received a tablet from my loving dad that was originally meant for my studies, since it's also a tiny computer. So, for more than a year now, I have used the Lenovo Yoga Book tablet with Windows.

I use Paint tool Sai, because from all the programs I've tried so far it's the easiest and most comfortable for me!

Show us your first design and your latest design!

I think my very first design was this one: 

I made it for "let's play a design game", but I never sent it to the design team tho.

My first ever in game design is this one I think: 

Some of my latest designs are these: