Ingvild Bolme is an internationally recognised artist and designer in the paper crafting industry. Her art work has been published in magazines around the world, and she had her own line of product designs released by the leading paper craft manufacturer Prima Marketing Inc., USA

Bolme, who was born in Stavanger, Norway 1977, grew up next door to her grandfather who was a painter and photographer, and her grandmother the third cousin to one of Norway’s greatest painters; Jakob Weidemann. The love for art and photography entered her life early in her childhood years, she just knew she was born to become an artist. She struggled at school, unknowing of her ADHD-diagnosis, but when the tasks was to draw or write, she never failed to deliver. At age 11 she wrote a special school assignment about the painter Jakob Weidemann, who also was her inspiration when she one year later found some art materials after her grandfather and painted her very first oil painting on canvas. The following years she painted several portraits and explored her interest for photography. However; her dream to study art fell to ground when a teacher at junior high school advised her to choose another path as he didn’t believe “painting” was a livable career choice for anyone. Since then Bolme followed different opportunities in life, including as a successful athlete winning the Norwegian Championship in motorcycle racing.  

Early in 2007, after giving birth to her daughter, Bolme walked into a scrapbook store for the first time and immediately understood she found something special; A crafting where she could combine both her passions for photography and design. The same year she submitted her paper crafting work for the Norwegian Championship in Scrapbooking, and won the championship title. The most recognized artist and designer in the paper crafting world, Tim Holtz, was a member of the jury and were impressed by Bolme’s work;

“By far the most unique scrapper I’ve seen, combined the things I have never seen before anywhere! You’re hired!” 
– Tim Holtz

Shortly afterwards, in 2008, Bolme started blogging to share her work. It didn’t take long before one of the leading manufacturer in the paper crafting industry, Prima Marketing Inc, discovered Bolme’s unique work, and invited her to become a member of their design team. Bolme’s romantic and detailed crafting style suited the American brand, who are especially known for their beautiful flowers, perfectly. So satisfied were Prima Marketing Inc with the art Bolme created with their products, that they in 2009 invited her to design her own product line under their brand. In lack of education and to make sure she could deliver as good designs as possible, Bolme decided to put the exclusive offer on hold to first study graphic design. She studied graphic design at Norges Kreative Høyskole (Norway’s Creative College) in 2009 and 2010. However, early in 2011 before the studies were completed, Prima Marketing Inc. repeated their invitation, and this time Bolme chose, in collaboration with the college, to end her studies to accept the unique offer from the United States.

In June 2010 Bolme taught her first scrapbooking class outside of Norway, which were held in Dubai. The following years she taught workshops in Sweden, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Israel and Brazil, and in 2011 she was on tour in USA, Canada and Australia. In July 2011 she had her first product release with Prima Marketing Inc. at the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show (CHA) in Chicago, where Bolme was present and introduced her new Ingvild Bolme-line with the popular American manufacturer. Her first release was the Shabby Chic Treasures, scrapbooking embellishments made of resin and metal with total 25 packagings of different designs. She also released the Comfort-Craft Tools-line, which was a line with ergonomic crafting tools for easy and pleasurable crafting. This line included a distressing tool with several purposes, an adjustable craft knife, and the handy distressing stamp pads “Chalk Edgers” in twenty-four colours. Bolme had several product releases with Prima Marketing Inc. the following years, which achieved global success.

Her detailed, romantic and shabby chic scrapbook style was recognisable and became well-known, and Ingvild Bolme’s name listed as a trend-setter. She got over 150 of her works published in magazines in countries as Brazil, Canada, Australia, USA and Russia, to mention some. Bolme also guest designed for other manufactures as Melissa Frances & other brands and kit clubs, and was a sponsored designer for Sizzix and Dusty Attic, among others. She was also on several other design teams through the years, as The Color Room, Bad Girls Kit Club, Scrapping Outback and the French magazine Scrap Pour Tous. In 2012 and 2013 Bolme was a member of the jury in the Russian scrapbooking championship. Her blog reached over 1.2 million visits before it got hacked and removed in 2015.

Some challenges in Bolme’s life put an involuntary stop on her successful journey, and the biggest and best selling product release with Prima Marketing Inc. in 2014, was also her last one.
 

Three classic painters working in the basement of the old Stavanger Kunstforening (Stavanger Art Association). Bolme’s grandfather Eiler Kragmo sitting in the middle.

Ingvild Bolme’s first oil painting on canvas, inspired by Jakob Weidemann. Painted in 1989, when Bolme was 12 years old.

Bolme taught at the Jummy’s event in Brazil, May 2012. Here together with all the attendees of the event.

Bolme had over 150 works published trough the years. Here two of her scrapbook layouts on the cover of the Brazilian magazine Guia do Scrapbooking & cia. and the international released Scrap N’ Art e-zine.

Two of many advertisements released promoting Ingvild Bolme and her line at Prima Marketing Inc.

Ingvild Bolme taught workshops all over the world. Here two advertisements for her workshops at events in Puerto Rico and Brazil.

Photography has always been one of Ingvild Bolme’s greatest passions, just as her grandfather who was also a photographer. She chose photography in electives in sixth grade, and has since then always had a camera. She has photographed regularly within several categories, especially conceptual, portraits, events -and people photography. Bolme had several of her photographs published at the international curator site 1x.com and in several media. 

Through the years since 2014, Bolme photographed and painted some paintings in short periods at the time. In 2016 she got an opportunity to combine both her passions photography and motorcycle racing as a freelance photojournalist in MotoGP. MotoGP is a top level sport above the regular world championship, where the motorcycles races in up to over 360 km/h. An arena its extremely difficult to get an opportunity within. As a freelance photojournalist for Norwegian MC-Avisa and Bike magazine, Bolme traveled to Spain and Italy each year to cover the races and to do one-on-one interviews with the top riders. From a male-dominated profession with a lot of hard work, Bolme delivered exclusive articles with high quality photographs to the Norwegian readers.

Even though Bolme has achieved great success and experiences within craft, designs and photography, a journey she’s very thankful for, her childhood dream to become an artist is still her greatest dream. Her wish to create art that can make others happy, art people can enjoy in their homes, is without doubt her biggest wish. Bolme wish to combine her photographs with different painting techniques, graphics and materials, as well as creating sculptures. Her experiences within paper crafting, designing and photography are experiences, and styles, she now wish to adapt into the art world.

Bolme knew she was born to become an artist, but she felt her dream to study art was taken away from her at junior high school. But now it is time for her to pick up the right path in life and to follow her greatest dream. Early in 2021 Bolme applied for higher education within art and was accepted as one of twenty students at the Art School in Stavanger from autumn 2021. It is a part of history that the building where the Art School in Stavanger is located today, was a nursing home in the 1970’s and 80’s. Ingvild’s grandfather, who was a painter, was on his deathbed at this nursing home. In other words, Ingvild will now study to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as an artist, in the same building as her grandfather passed away.

“What if I had become an artist when I planned to become one, where could I have been today? There is no time left to loose, but dreams and ideas from half a lifetime left to share.”

– Ingvild Bolme