The Creative Blog Hop

By now you have likely heard of The Creative Blog Hop and today I am here to share my story with you. Lisa Elton (My Paper Tales) tagged me last week in her blog post HERE. Lisa was my first non family blog follower and we have become blogging and email buddies since that summer of 2011! Thank you Lisa, you are the sweetest! You will find lots of fabulous inspiration if you pop over to her blog and have a look around

The idea around The Creative Hop is to learn a bit about other creative blogger by answering four questions, so here we go...

1) What am I working on right now?

Right now it is all about getting organized. With my son heading into his second year of University and my daughter into her senior year, husband working across the country and design team commitments...the only thing that keeps the creativity going is being organized. Stamps and dies are being stored using the "Jennifer McGuire Storage Style" so that I can find what I am looking for and the clutter is kept at bay. I can't create or be creative when my craft room is a disaster.  A place for everything and everything in it's place!  See HERE when it began a year ago!

With my son taking his furniture to the house he is renting with three other guys from school I am going to be moving my craft room into his bedroom with the big windows and double the space. With his blessings of course!  I will share photos when the move is complete! Like most revamp projects, I imagine I am getting myself into a big job!

Keeping the supplies organized is one thing, but keeping track of deadlines, admin duties, home/family and appointments is a job in itself.  Back a few weeks ago I went to staples with my daughter, not to buy her school supplies, but so that I could get a new school year day planner. I was so excited. That system has always worked for me but after watching recent posts and videos done by Debby Hughes, Kristina Werner and Stephanie Klauck I am now thinking it may be time for a more adult day planner.

Here is a snapshot of my current system...

2) How does my work differ from others in my different genre?

That is probably the hardest question to answer about myself.  I have so many people tell me that they see my cards somewhere and know that it is mine. How is that possible? My style is CAS but my cards are not all the same. Sometimes they are so simple and one layer and sometimes multiple layers. What I do know if that I use the same principles in every card I create. I don't like clutter and if my card starts getting busy I either remove some items or start over. The elements on my design always have room to breath, I leave lots of white space and I use a minimal amount of patterned paper (even though I love it),

3) Why do I create what I do?

I have always been creative! My obsession with paper started as a child when I starting collecting pretty stationary. To this day I love to look in stationary stores for inspiration.

Primarily I create because I find it very relaxing. I have and have had MS most of my adult life. Although I did not find out until my 30's the symptoms traced back to my later teens. For me being creative with paper is an opportunity to let go of any stresses in my life and keep my fingers moving doing something I love to do.

4) How does my creative process work?

I tend to plan out my designs before I begin. I have an idea, I think about the elements I want to use--papers, colours, stamps, die cuts etc., then I sketch out my design.  I always pull all items I am going to use out, cut my papers and then sit down and get to work.  I try to create all at once without distraction, so when I start my intent is to complete it. I do a great deal in the evening, I am a night owl by nature and maybe it is partially because it was the only time I had to create when my kids were little. I don't usually listen to music because I end up dancing instead of crafting, I like to work in quiet.  Projects usually are not quick--I move slow.

Well that is it for me.

Thank you for visiting and learning a little more about me.

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The last part of the Creative Hop is to name and tag THREE more people, with the week I had I only tagged two people, but I know that you will love them! Both of them blog crushes for me.

They will be posting next Monday, August 25th!

Stacey Lang Schafer

I'm a wife, mom of three, special education teacher...and passionate paper-crafter!  I've always enjoyed crafting...and once I attended my first card party, I was hooked and started a blog of my own in 2009!  I LOVE our fun paper-crafting/blogging community and find myself inspired to try new techniques and new supplies on a daily basis!  Meeting new friends who delve the same hobby and sharing my creations and tidbits of daily life on my blog gives me so much joy!  Thanks so much to Tracey for inviting me to join her in this fun Creative Hop!  I'd love for you to stop by my blog, Stacey's Stamping Stage!

Michele Ferguson

I was a SAHM who always found delight in all kinds of crafting - and maybe a little bit of alone time in the bargain wasn’t a bad thing either =] I attended culinary school at age 50!  Own a catering company called “Y.P.O.M?”  and delight in cooking – even though I am married to a “fussy eater.” My husband, Tom, and I spent 15 years renovating a little Cape Cod in Michigan.  When completed, we built a new home on a country two acres, because we were bored and we’d outgrown our little house with SIX grandchildren! Though I’ve been making cards for years, my first blog post happened in May 2014!  With a whole lot of “you can do it” from Debby Hughes – can you believe that??!!

I Card Everyone