Creative Blog Hop

Welcome to a special post today! I was honoured to be invited to join in the Creative Blog Hop by my friend Vicki. We "met" virtually on our SU site some time ago and it is always fun to see the great punch art and beautifully put together projects she shares. I look forward to meeting her properly one day -we live about 3 days driving apart! Vicki is in Queensland in the north and I am in Victoria in the south so a fair way apart but never say never :-)

The Creative Blog Hop asks us to answer 4 questions about ourselves and is a way of introducing you to somebody else and learning a bit more about each of us.

What am I working on now?
Like most people I have several projects on the go right now. I have cards to make for my Design Team commitments at The Paper Craft Crew, some family birthday cards that are coming up soon and I am trying to get ahead of the Christmas rush and get as many Christmas cards done for other challenges etc as I can as last year (ok, every year!) December is a mad rush!

 How does my work differ from others in my genre?

To be honest I don't think my work differs really from many others. If there is one thing that may be slightly different from some crafters I have spoken to it is that where some may find making a male card a bit of a stretch, I am pleased to say I don't :-)  I find them just as fun to make as female cards - I do get lots of practice with brothers and other family and friends etc etc too And recently I have really gotten into the swing of making Shaker cards which of course are just as much fun to make as to give :-)

Why do I create what I do?

 I enjoy the challenge of creating something new and on occasion being able to personalise it to what I know about the recipient's tastes and likes. I like to push myself creatively just as much as in other areas of life :-) And I also like a sense of balance - despite my use of the "rule of odd numbers" when it comes to embellishments :-)

How does my creative process work?

Well there are a variety of ways I find that work for me. Often, I will start with a colour combo or sketch - maybe from a Challenge or from the DSP I am wanting to use. And sometimes the hardest choice is the stamp set! Other times I will work in reverse - and search the internet for inspiration with a certain stamp set, usually late at night :-)The great thing with this is that I will often go to sleep thinking about the stamp or sketch and by morning I have the card "finished" in my mind :-) I am blessed to have a photographic memory and I think that helps me to picture the finished card. Then I just have to make time to actually make it! These days I can't sit and create for long periods as I used to do so the process of having the card "made" in my head is now something I rely on and yes, sometimes little details may not work exactly but it is usually pretty close to the finished product :-)

And now I have the pleasure of introducing you to another fellow card maker Eva Bussom :-) Eva has a great style and her own Challenge Blog  - Can You Case It. I first "met" Eva online on our SU site some time ago and I am so pleased she is able to join us for the Hop. Do go and check out her blog NEXT MONDAY to see her answer the four questions too :-)

Eva Bussom - www.evascardsandthings.com

My name is Eva, and I live in North Plains, Oregon (USA).  I am the mother of 5, and have a wonderful husband Bill. I joined Stampin' Up! in May of 2013 and love to create beautiful cards... and projects. I run a weekly challenge site, with 9 other wonderful designers, 3 private sites on Facebook all about stamping, the process and of course the people. Jan and I have a love for stampin' up! and that’s how we met (virtually) and hope one day to meet her in person : ) thanks for bringing me on this crazy ride!

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see my post for the Creative Blog Hop. It has been a pleasure to be involved and I look forward to seeing what Eva creates for the Hop next Monday.

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan