Blog Hop with a Difference

Have you seen this going around? It's called a Blog Hop with a Difference, and the reason it's different is because there's no end to it! It will forever expand outwards and onwards into the big wide blogosphere. Let me explain.....

Last week I was ever so honoured to have been tagged in the Blog Hop with a Difference by the fabulously beautiful (even when heavily pregnant!) Raquel Bowman. Raquel and I are both Scrapbooking Memories Masters this year, and she's just recently been invited to join the Glitz Design Team. Her layouts have always inspired me with their clean layers and awesome colour combinations. And it sure doesn't hurt that she's got the world's cutest kid!!

Today I share with you my contribution to the Blog Hop, including the three people I've chosen to carry on the banner next week. But I'll get to that in a minute.

I've been invited to answer the following questions:

1. What am I working on right now? 

Usually at this time of month I'd be busy with the soon-to-be-released Studio Calico kits, but due to some unforeseen delays most of us will accepting the challenge of super speed scrapping when they arrive later this week! 

In the meantime I've taken a deep breath and plunged right in and officially created my first Project Life spread!! YAY! Now I say 'plunged right in' but I really just mean at the shallow end. I'm going to be working in a Handbook for it's smaller size, and for now will probably just stick to the contents of my Project Life Kits so I don't need to stress about product choices. But guess what? I really loved doing this! So hooked right now!

2. How long does it take to create a project?

Oh man, yeah so I'm usually that scrapper that takes a minimum of 2 hours to complete a page. I'm that scrapper who has trouble taking decisive action. I try this paper and then that paper. I move each embellishment to three different locations before I'm happy. I agonise over title choices. Interestingly, the journaling comes really quickly.

Now obviously none of this is going to apply later this week when I go into super-speed-scrapping-mode as alluded to above ;-) 

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

I'm still totally obsessing over my Color Theory Inks. I may have mentioned that once or twice here before. Oh and feathers. Definitely obsessing over feathers too. 

Recently I put together a tutorial combing feathers and ink. It was a fun little project to make a stylised dream-catcher for a layout. You can download the instructions here if you're interested.

4. How does my creative process work?

In my professional life I'm obliged to consistently undergo evaluation. I meet with my superiors to analyse both my strengths and faults and figure out ways to improve. I guess I find it hard to avoid the same process when it comes to my scrapping. So once I decided that some of my weaknesses include making good colour combinations, and the inability to be decisive with product choices I now focus on these aspects and strive to improve them.

That means my current creative process involves first pulling out a colour combination I want to work with. Often I'm inspired by the colours I find in a kit or within a collection so that actually the decision has already been made for me! Next I pull together some supplies that match the colours so that when I'm in the middle of assembling my layout I'm not faced with infinite choices.

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

First and foremost I'm inspired by wanting to document my stories. I keep little notebooks filled with my scribbled thoughts, the stages of development my kids are going through, quotes and conversations, big events and everyday routines. I'm hoping all these will make it into layout form at some point. 

But let's be honest... it's not always that deep and meaningful! I'm also inspired by pretty new products, and having a specially cultivated box of beautifully designed and exclusive supplies land on my doorstep every month gets my creative juices flowing. I've been a subscriber to Studio Calico for 5 years now and I have loved every single kit. I'm totally serious! They've got a great new subscriber deal going at the moment where you get a free kit. Subscription Information is here.

6. What is my signature style?

This is always the trickiest question to answer isn't it? Definitions are tricky, especially since like most people I find that my style has evolved over time and I hope it will continue to do so in the future. Right now I'm finding that I'm totally into layering papers and stacking embellishments whilst still maintaining straight clean lines. This applies just as much to my card making as it does to my scrapbooking. I guess that must mean it's part of my signature style then?!

And now I'd like to nominate three fabulous women who'll post next Monday the 28th, and keep this Blog Hop with a Difference going!

Chantelle McDaniel from The Anticlockwise Fish
Chantelle is also another Scrapbooking Memories master who astounds me with her creative take on our monthly challenges. This talented lady is on a handful of other design teams as well including the Jenni Bowlin Digital team, Sassy Scrappers and Greatest View. She really is a jack of all trades and has such an enthusiasm for our craft.

Maggie Massey is the Midwestern Girl
I've come to know Maggie this year as we serve together on the Studio Calico Creative Team. She has got to be one of the sweetest, most genuine, and just plain lovely women I've ever worked alongside. And to top it all off, she's crazy good at this scrapping business too! She's part of the Heidi Swapp team and has just began her own challenge Instagram account called Society 54. I can't wait to see what she's got in store for next week.

Kim Archer, editor of Jot Magazine
After a week spent together teaching at Escape 2 Create, I'm honoured to now call this scrapping legend one of my friends. She's been a pioneer on the Australian craft scene for many years now and can include such amazing titles like Editor of Etzcetera Magazine and now Jot Magazine into her resume. Kim is a woman of legendary style and continues to be a constant inspiration.

xxx