Getting to Know You Blog Hop (Which I'm late For:( )

Hi there crafters!

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from my sweet friend Michelle, who is also a teammate on A Blog Named Hero, asking me if I'd like to participate in a "Getting to know you" bloghop.

 

I was so flattered she chose me, that of course I said yes! Michelle is an incredibly dedicated and talented crafter. The number of brilliant cards she's made leaves me speechless. They get better and better every time she posts! 

So the idea with this blog hop is to get to know fellow crafters by their answers to a few questions - so here goes!

1. What creative projects are you currently working on?




LOTS. I'm on 4 Design Teams and they keep me very busy (which I love) and I have a couple of things in the works that I can't discuss yet, but I'm beyond excited about! I run A Blog Named Hero, a challenge blog that's focussed on the deliciousness of Hero Arts products, I'm on the Some Odd Girl DT, the newly-formed Create A Smile DT and the Scrappy Canary Scrapbooking Kit Club Design Team. I love that I can create both layouts and cards, and get as much CAS or mixed media as I like, depending on my mood.
 

 Some Odd Girl lets me use lots of Copic Colouring and Prismacolour pencils. I love that I get to colour!

Scrappy Canary: Simple, lots of white cardstock, layers beneath a small photo and INK SPLATTERS! Happy Place.

ABNH let's me get my small-scale creativity on, which I love! And we collaborate with fabulous companies!

Create A Smile gives me the chance to smile the entire time I'm creating. Those adorable little images are just delightful

  
 
2. What inspires your designs?
Hmm this is such a tough question for me. For scrapbooking, I'm VERY inspired by Wilna Furstenburg, I think she is incredible.  Paige Evans and Janna Werner are seriously genius too--and I really love that they all have a signature style. You can always tell when it's one of their pages.

For cardmaking, many people, but I'm especially intrigued by super CAS designs. I love how simple they are with super-perfect detailing in their elements.

Pinterest can be a great place of inspiration for me. I especially like looking at packaging or homewares to get ideas flowing.

Alternatively (but not less-so), I find product very inspiring. I'll often sit and stare at a new stamp set or embellishment for a while, and think through ideas while I stare at it. I always keep a notebook handy in case I get an idea while I"m on the go. I also love taking quick iphone photos if I'm in a store and see an interesting window display or piece of packaging. Advertising can often trigger something for me too. I love a good print ad.

Here is a pic I snapped in a magazine, I love the colour palette in this shot, and I'll be using it SOON!

3. What method / process (if applicable) do you apply to each of your creative projects, and how long does each project take to complete?
Gee it really varies. Strangely, I find scrapbooking a layout takes me MUCH less time than making a  card often will.
I tend not to necesarrily have a plan for my cards (which is probably why I take so long to make them). For cardmaking, I think my 'signature' process or method would be to start with white cardstock, stamp something then find a background/coordinating paper, then lastly I embellish and mount onto a coloured cardbase. I almost always work in that order.  Cards tend to take me a minimum of an hour (i work slowly) whereas layouts can take me as little as 15-25 minutes.
For scrapbooking, I love adding Gelatos as paint, and finding matching embellishments.

My 'trick' is to stare at my project and let my eyes blur/become unfocussed. I find this helps me to really 'see' the project as a whole, rather than as the singular parts. It helps me to see if everything has ended up balanced.

4. If you had to describe your 'signature' style, what would it be?
For scrapbooking it's white cardstock with big splashes of bright colour. I love a small photo and LOTS of layers of patterned paper and vellum behind it. I'd love to add stitching too, but my machine is broken :(
For cardmaking I'm not sure. My cards are all so different from each other. I like CAS the best lately, but a really great heavily layered mixed-media card with ribbon and texture? it's delicious.

5. What three crafting tools/products can you not live without?  



I'd have to say my Gelatos (I'm counting them as one!), my inks and maybe stamps or thickers.  (I'm assuming basics like paper trimmer and adhesive don't count)
 


OK! Now, time for me to nominate two peeps! I love Steph's style SO much I just sigh whenever I see her work (even when she asks me to help her fix it--I always already think it's perfect) and secondly, my good friend Lisa. We have the best all-day conversations even though we live on opposite sides of the world and I love her cards. They're never what I expect and I think they're super cool.

See you soon! Thanks so much to Michelle for asking me :)