A Fun Birthday and A Blog Hop With A Difference

A quick card, followed by a long post!  I'm entering this into Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes, and Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday.  The image is my own design, and the sentiment is from Winnie & Walter.

 

A Blog Hop With A Difference

Last week I was tagged by my supremely talented teamie, Vicki Dutcher, to take part in the Blog Hop with a Difference, where you answer a few questions about yourself, then nominate others to do the same.

What project am I working on right now?

It's Top Secret, if I told you, I'd have to kill you!  But keep your eyes peeled, if you haven't already guessed ;)

But here's what else I'm working on that I can tell you about: 

• Two paintings and and two cards for the village show next week (paintings and handmade cards have been added to the categories this year)
• A burlap block and card for a commission
• Some (several) design team assignments
• A couple of cards for challenges
• Monthly newsletter for the craft club I'm in
• Tidying my craft room (ha!)
• Multitasking ;)

How long does it take to create a project?

Depends on the type of project.  If I'm making a card using Distress Inks, it's usually pretty quick, around 15 minutes or less.  Check back tomorrow and you'll see two that I did in less than 10 minutes each.  If it's a mixed media card it takes longer because there are more elements and more drying time.  And if it's a design team assignment that's outside my comfort zone - could be hours!

What are my fave things I love to create with at the moment?

Distress Inks are always right at the top of the list.  I love how they react with water, how they blend with each other, their translucence, the pure colour.  I always wanted to be able to paint with watercolours but we didn't get on with each other.  I get on really well with Distress Inks, and get results that I'm really happy with - I love sloshing them around!  I love starting with the confines of a stamped outline image, then painting outside the lines and adding splattering.  I get a bit twitchy if there's no splattering.  And it's great for disguising any mistakes ;)

My other newest fad is Brushos.  One of the paintings I'm submitting to the village show uses Brushos.  I'll post a photo of it after the show.

How does my creative process work?

I'm on design teams for STAMPlorations (including fortnightly feature posts), Craft Stamper Take It Make It, Seize The Birthday and The Mixed Media Card Challenge, so there's always a project to make for these, but I also enjoy playing along with, and combining, challenges.  I like to combine two or three challenges with one card so that often determines the theme, colours and sometimes the sketch that I'll be using.  I used to have issues with sketches but I'm learning to live with them, especially if they're CAS.

Having sorted all that out, I've usually got a picture in my head of what the main image/focus of the card will be, but it does evolve.  Quite often I'll start a card then go off at a tangent and make two or three different ones, changing my mind as I go.

I very rarely have a practice run, I just go with the flow.  Probably because I don't can't do precise, so there are less "mistakes" - I can get away with incorporating mistakes into the design.  And if it's not working straight away I abandon it and try something else.

How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

Challenges are a huge inspiration: colour combinations I wouldn't have thought of, different ways of using stamps or other products.  And the interpretations of those challenges by design teams and participants are also a big inspiration.  I do pin things on Pinterest, but don't often think to refer back to it.

What is my signature style?

Sloshing and splattering!  With a sprinkle of artsy?

One random fact about me:

I'm allergic to cheese and I hate shellfish.  Which drives my chef DH mad because it limits his repertoire.

And now I'd like to nominate these people who inspire me:

Shery Russ of One Layer Cards and owner of STAMPlorations.  I first started stalking following Shery after seeing this card.  Then she made me buy some poinsettia embossing folders after I saw this card.  I was thrilled to be accepted onto the design team for STAMPlorations (I get to play with her stamps, yay!), and also onto Shery's latest challenge blog, The Mixed Media Card Challenge.  Shery makes the most wonderful detailed one layer cards.

Jenny Martin of My Paper Epiphany.  I love what Jenny creates with butterfly stamps.  Look at this card, and this one.  And this one's got splatters, yay!  And look at how she uses colour here, and with these birds here.  I had the pleasure of meeting up with Jenny when DH and I were in Australia last year visiting our sons.

(My third nominee unfortunately wasn't able to accept the invitation, so I'm leaving it at two.)

If you made it this far, you deserve a medal!  Thank you for reading:)