Creative Blog Hop

Happy Monday!

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a sweet friend, Chris Olsen, who I use to work with on the Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge Team.  Chris told me about something called the Creative Blog Hop and gave me a couple of examples of what it was.

The Creative Blog Hop is an ongoing blog hop that works on a nominating system where I am to nominate 2-3 other designers whom I admire and inspire me.  The idea is to learn more about designers in blogland by asking and answering 4 questions.

I was very honored to be nominated by Chris (you can read about it here) as someone who inspires her, especially where she is one amazingly creative person that inspires me!  To top it off, Chris is one of the sweet ladies I know and a dear sister in Christ!  If you don't know Chris, please take a few minutes to visit her blog and see the gorgeous creations she makes!  Here's a little sample of Chris' work...wow!

And another beauty created by Chris...

Isn't Chris' work stunning?  Her work has definitely always inspired me!


Here are the questions I am to answer:

1. What am I working on right now?

I am currently working as a designer for Heartfelt Creations.  I just finished a couple of projects for them that will be posted in a couple of weeks and I am about to start working on their new release for November.

Here is my latest project I posted for Heartfelt Creations this past week. This was colored with chalk inks.

In addition to designing for Heartfelt Creations, I also do administrative work for them behind the scenes as paid work.  This has been a huge blessing for me to earn a little money at home after being a stay home mom for the past 15 years.  (I can't believe it's been that long!)  I had been praying for something I could do to earn money and still be at home for my sons and to continue doing design work.  I knew if I went to work full-time outside the home, my creating time would be very limited if at all.  Heartfelt Creations was a tremendous answer to my prayers and they are a wonderful company to work for!

A verse I memorized many years ago in Ephesians always comes to mind when I think of what I prayed for and what God did in my life.  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think...” Ephesians 4:20.  This is one of those times that God did far more than I asked for or could have imagined and  I'm so thankful to have Him in my life!

2. How does my design work differ from others in my genre?

My work is similar to a lot of other people.  We all get creative ideas and inspiration from each other.  I do like my designs to be balanced and not overly done.  I'm kind of a perfectionist and will sometimes agonize over the slightest details on my designs like where to put an adhesive pearl or button to finish the design.  I drive myself crazy sometimes with this!

Another thing I do differently from a lot of people is color images with pencils and mineral spirits.  Many people now use markers like Copic, etc., but I just love using my pencils!  I love to find the perfect colors and to use shading to make things come alive.  Here's one of my more recent projects I made.  The flowers and butterfly were colored with pencils to match the designer paper on the background.

I am very focused on color in my designs.  I can be very picky about the colors I use on my projects.  It drives my crazy if colors aren't the right shades or tones to be together.  I spend a lot of time on making sure they are.  For example, the sunflowers above were done by layering 4 different colors and blending after each.

3. Why do I create what I do?

I have to create!  God created me to be creative!  It brings me so much joy to take things and create something with my hands! I have done so many different crafts since I was very little and have tons of supplies to prove it!  I love paper crafting because I can do so many different things with it.  I can create a card, a box, an altered project, and add all sorts of supplies from my other crafts to embellish them.  For example, I use to do weaving on a loom and have tons of fibers still.  I love incorporating those natural fibers on my projects.  Here's one of my projects here using blue fibers from my stash that I added to ribbon and twine.

4. How does my creative process work?

When I get a new collection from Heartfelt Creations to work with, I lay everything out and chose an image(s) to work with.  I try to find the perfect colors of papers, ribbons, and embellishments to go with the designer papers and then find the perfect pencil colors that will match.  I have a pencil coloring sample book I used to match them and if I don't have the right one, I try to create it by combining different pencil colors together.  If I still can't come up with the perfect colors, I will sometimes use inks instead to color images using make up applicators.

On a rare occasion, I will think of something I want to make and it will all come together quickly and easily and be just like I pictured it.  About 95% of the time, I have no idea what I'm going to make.  I just start with the image or die cuts and it just gradually develops into something I like.

There are times when I get stumped along the way and I'll have to get up and do something else for a while.  Usually, when I go back to it I see it in a new way and the creative process starts to flow again.  I often pray for God to be with me and my work and help me to create something beautiful.  He never fails me.  Here's one of my projects that took a lot of prayer and I love how it came out.  This is one where I used chalk inks and make-up applicators to color the flowers to match the background designer paper.

So that's a little about me.  Although I don't have anyone in particular to nominate (lots have already done this type of hop, don't have a blog or are very busy), I would like to give you a couple of the MANY people that I admire and that inspire me with their work.

Becca Feeken - Amazing Paper Grace - I just love everything Becca makes, her work is just gorgeous!  Becca is one of the first people I started following and the one that led me to Our Daily Bread Designs originally.

Marisa Job - Designs By Marisa - Marisa's work is just stunning and she is amazingly creative!  Everything she makes is a work of art!  She is one of the few people in blogland that I've actually had the pleasure of meeting in person and she is such a sweet lady!

Pam Simpson - Pams Crafts - I haven't been following Pam for very long, but wow her creations are just beautiful!  I love what she does with die cuts and she definitely inspires me with her work!

Well that just 3 people that I admire and I'm inspired by.  I could list many others, but the list would go on and on! So many talented people out there and it's so wonderful that everyone freely shares their work!

Thank you, Chris, for nominating me for the Creative Blog Hop! Such an honor to be chosen by you!   I could have easily nominated you as an inspiration in return!

Blessings!

Kathy