I am so beyond thrilled to have been nominated to participate in the Creative Blog Hop by
Lisa Henke! Thank you so much for thinking of me, Lisa - as you know, I'm a huge fan of your work and I'm always inspired by you as well!
The Creative Blog Hop is an ongoing blog hop that works as a nominating system; I'll nominate three other designers who inspire me and I admire. The idea behind it is to learn a bit about other creative bloggers by answering four questions.
Question 1: What am I working on right now?
Right now -- you may have noticed -- I am taking a break from stamping regularly so that I can get my craft space back in order and organized. I seem to have outgrown my space and I've been narrowing down my stamp/paper supply to a more manageable size. This process has been great for me and I can't wait to get back into a regular stamping routine again and give new life to some very forgotten stamps and goodies. I am also working on more Sweet Sunday Sketches for you all, which I hope gives me some inspiration as well.
Question 2: How does my work differ from others in my genre?
Well, this is a tough question! I really don't think my work differs from many others in my genre, but maybe you'll disagree. I've always been a less is more stamper, although many of my cards have multiple layers, ribbon, buttons and stitching, but I'm backing away from that now. I think my style has moved back to the way I created when I first started - much by the fact that clean and simple stamping is hot, hot, hot! I have always been a copycat stamper, it's just how I work.
Question 3: Why do I create what I do?
When my kids were much younger, I would stamp after they went to bed as a way to reset myself. Long days of playing on the floor, cutting up food, and wiping tiny hinies burnt me out. Giving myself a creative outlet let me feel like Karen again and not just Mommy. This is how it all started. Now that my kids are older and don't need me as much (except to drive them EVERYWHERE) I can find my creative outlet during the day when they're at school. I'm just in the habit of it now and I don't think I could function without a little stampy time in my week. It breaks up the monotony.
Question 4: How does my creative process work?
My creative process starts with a challenge. I can't seem to just whip something up from something I've pictured in my head. I'll grab a color or a sketch challenge (or both) and then choose a stamp set that fits the sketch.
I am also a GIANT procrastinator! I seem to work well under the pressure of a deadline, but it's not always so ideal for the rest of my family, ha ha! So the majority of the time I am working on one card at a time, start to finish. I think maybe if I could ever get it in my head to be a "stamp ahead" kind of gal, maybe I could work on several cards at one time. Power stamper!
Are you ready for my nominations? Here they are:
I have loved Lynn's classic style for such a long time. She is definitely the queen of beautiful mixtures of color and patterns and the images she chooses always pop right off the card. She's not afraid to use bright colors or bold patterns, and that always draws me in! I met Lynn in real life a few years ago in Chicago at CHA. She is so kind and warm-hearted! She made the most adorable little paper pad & pen holders to hand out to her "internet" friends, which just blew me away. She is so super sweet and has now gotten me completely hooked on the Outlander series of books, which also has a great deal to do with my lack of stamping lately. I'm pointing fingers. Yep! Ha ha!
Sankari definitely has a style all her own. In one word - striking! The girl is completely addicted to Liquid Pearls, and I can't say I blame her one bit. Sankari adds amazing detail to each project she creates and you can see the love she pours into each one. She is full of sunshine and happiness and I can always rely on her to set me straight when I'm feeling out of sorts. I'm so thrilled we have become real life friends. Funny how a little hobby can bring you together.
Speaking of styles all her own, this girl Jackie can rock the pattern-stamped-flowers! Oh my word. I adore Jackie's sweet style - she has me hooked on kraft paper. She has a knack for taking a simple layout and giving it amazing life with all the pattern detail and texture. She's has quit "patterned paper" cold turkey and makes her own backgrounds and patterns with stamps in her collection. I have to admire that! I'm such a paper hoarder. I met Jackie and Sankari during a CHA show and I love how we all clicked. Jackie, you are such a sweetheart and I'm so happy to call you friend!
There you have it. I proudly pass the nomination baton and I hope you will stop by and say hello to Lynn, Sankari, and Jackie. They are sure to brighten your day!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
