Getting To Know Your Creative Side- A Blog Hop

Good morning blogland.....I hope this Monday morning finds everyone in good spirits, good health and grateful for this beautiful morning!!!  I have to start out that way cuz honestly, I have a hard time with Mondays...but I've been working on my attitude a little and hopefully it will help!!  ;)

This post is a little bit different and is part of a blog hop that is going around the blogesphere, I was tagged by fabulous Susan Kennedy, you can see her post HERE.  I first met Susan when I applied and was accepted to her DT for Open-Minded Crafting Fun, which she is co-owners with Crafting Vicky.  Susan is super nice, super talented and very creative.  She has an etsy store called Sentimental Susan, where she sells cards and images. She also sponsors challenges along with having a challenge blog as well.  Her cards and talent are apparent in the many challenges she wins! She has great style and great coloring skills!

So I started a blog March of 2008, honestly I can't believe it's been that long or that I've kept up with blogging!!  I first started this blog as a way to be an online journal, kind of a way for me to write, vent, share inspiring thoughts or quotes, post pictures of my kids, etc.  As I found challenge blogs, my focus shifted to more creative, scrappy, crafting posts and so most of my blog is now my projects, entries for challenges, DT assignments with a little bit of life thrown in! 

 I have been crafting in some way for as long as I can remember, my great grandma tried to teach me  to crochet, but I wasn't very good or very interested in that.  I did however find a huge interest in tole painting, scrapbooking, and cardmaking.  I've been scrapping since YES glue, clip art, and deco scissors.  Does anyone remember that!????  Holy cow this industry has come along way...thank goodness!!   I love to play with paint, stencils, paper, glue and color with my copics.  I LOVE my copics!!  

What I am working on now??

I am working on a coloring class from Alyce at Kit and Clowder and this was the last image I colored up. I find a lot of creative outlet in coloring, and I can color images anyway that I want!  Teal hair?  Sure, why not?!  

I also just finished a couple cards to send to a little boy that has an inoperable brain tumor and for his birthday this week, he just wanted a box of birthday cards.......well, how can I not help grant his wish?!  You can see that post HERE.

I also am taking a break from being on a design team as I have a lot of organizing to do, alot of scrapping/project life to catch up on and I want to take time to read. 

Here is a snapshot of a tiny portion of what I will be working on next...these are my daughter's senior pics and I need to get them scrapped and in an album.

What Do I Create? 

Lately I've just been creating cards, but I do like to scrap, and make frames, play with wood, and have started an art journal, which is another thing I need to start working on again!  

                                                 

Baby Gift 

                                                           Wooden Block

Snow Family from fence posts

                                                      back in my tole painting days!

                            the start of my digital/photoshop journey, need to get back to that as well

                                                                art journal

How My Creative Process works

I've never really thought about this, I just go with what I need to work on, whether it's an image for a challenge or a bunch of pictures to work with.  I look at the theme and try to choose colors and embellishments that will work well together.  In my scrapping, I've mostly switched to a Project Life style as I really like being able to get quite a bit done in a shorter amount of time, if there are a few pictures that I really want to highlight, I will make one or a two page traditional layout and then put the rest of the pics in a PL style page protectors. 

My Style, How does it differ?

My style is mostly clean and layered, occasionally I will attempt a more shabby chic look, but I'm not sure I can really pull it off!  With my art journals I like to get messy and use different texture and paint, I'm not sure my style differs from anyone else.  I do like to mostly use bright, bold colors.

How Do I get and Stay Inspired?

II usually get inspired from the image I'm working on, the challenge theme, I check out pinterest and do some blog hopping. There is seriously a lot of talent and inspiration just from fellow crafters!

Ok, enough about me...and on to the gals I've tagged. 

I've tagged Tracy from Tracy's Treasures and I "met" her on the forums at Two Peas in a Bucket several years ago.  We seem to have quite a bit in common and have been bloggy friends for awhile.  Tracy is amazing with her youtube videos, frankly I'm terrified of hearing my voice or seeing myself on video, so I'm just amazed at her talent for putting together beautiful cards, tags and videos.   I also love that Tracy shares her crafty projects and then adds a section describing her day. She also shares gorgeous pictures of her trips and stay at their family cottage.  Please go check her out and leave her some love.  

The next friend is Larelyn from Handmade from My Heart, Larelyn and I have been on a couple of design teams together over the past couple years.  SKdigis and Open-Minded Crafting Fun.  She has such an amazing eye for color and detail, she is on/has been on several design teams and makes the cutest shaped cards and cut files projects ever!! Her cards are fun and bright and the cut file projects just amaze me.  If you are looking for some inspiration, please go check her blog out and leave her some love.

Well that is it for this epic post! ;)   Thanks for visiting, and thank you for all the sweet words and comments, hope you have a wonderful day!!   Keep an eye out for Tracy and Larelyn's posts, they will go live on Monday July 28th!!  

Have a happy week!! :)