Creative Blog Hop

Wow!! I have been nominated by Mary Jo Price Williams to be a participant in the Creative Blog Hop. You can check out her post using her name link.  I have never been in a blog hop before so I'm kind of nervous, yet excited.

Albert Einstein stated that "Creativity is Intelligence having fun" (source Pinterest). Then I must be having a lot of fun.

The expectation is that I show you a couple of my projects and then answer 4 questions about myself.

The projects I have chosen are class projects - a 3D candy heart box and a Valentine's Day card.   The heart box was inspired by Brenda Quintana

I often use other people's work as inspiration, may partially CASE them, but end up with something that looks entirely different.

Papers I used for this project include Real Red, Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Pink Pirouette, and Stacked with Love DSP Paper Stack.  The Heart framelits were used to shape the heart, and the Occasions paper piercing pack (Heart) and paper piercer used to pierce the front heart only.
One thing I love is making paper flowers- and glitter. These two flowers were made using the Spiral Flower die.  For the Calypso Coral flower I cut all the scallops off prior to rolling it into a flower. Cherry Cobbler dazzling details was added to both flowers.  Sentiment is from the stamp set " Love You to the Moon"

My second sample is a Valentine's Day card that will also be a class project.

Here I use a Basic Black Cardstock base, layered with Whisper White embossed with the Lucky Heart embossing folder.  The image is from the Hostess set "Hello Love".  It was coloured using markers (Real Red, Calypso Coral and Basic Black) on the stamp.  Tiny red glitter hearts were obtained by using the punchies from the Heart Border punch.  The DSP is from the Stacked with Love paper stack.  A piece of Calypso Coral chevron ribbon is added across the lower part of the card.

Now to answer those questions:

1.  What are you working on?

I am constantly creating because I am involved in so many craft shows, many of which are juried. I had a show on January 7 and will be doing a show in the same location every 2 weeks until June.  A local hospital has asked me to set up in the rotunda for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff.

In June, my regular circuit of shows start.  I love these shows because I get to meet so many people, many of whom are interested in being creative, in Stampin' Up, and in classes. It gives me a chance to really use my creativity because not only do I get to make a myriad of projects, but I also get to decorate my booth with hand made decor items, and set up an attractive table display.

I am constantly looking for  different ideas for "the table". To that end, I am forever researching, reading blogs, websites, checking Pinterest,and talking to my clients  My latest interest is upcycling - creating new uses for old items, like ceramic tiles, trays, and glass jars. I visit the local Habitat for Humanity store on a regular basis.  Being green is very important to me.

In addition to doing the shows, I also teach card making classes.  I am always thinking of new ideas to encourage their creativity, and to develop their skills.  I'm working on the class schedule for the winter/spring right now and adding it to my blog and website. When that is done I start making samples for each class.

Sketch challenges I love, and I do as many as I can, time permitting.  I find doing this activity stimulates me and gets me thinking outside the box.

Every year I put on an All Day Card Making class - usually around Christmas - but  I now have been asked to do one in the summer as well.  Some thinking is going on about whether or not I can take this on.  It's a lot of work for one person.

My Christmas money was used to purchase a new Sony camcorder so that I can start making videos again.  The camcorder has arrived, but I haven't figured out how to work it yet.  My current video making equipment is archaic to say the least.  Stay tuned to Maria Vanderforms You Tube channel.

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?

I'm not sure.  My friends tell me they can spot one of my cards a mile away.  My work tends to be a bit more complex, a bit more fussy.  Sometimes I fuss too much. If I don't like what I have created I will start all over again.  Clean and simple would not be a word to describe my work. Also, I have been told by numerous friends, that I use colour combinations that others would not think of using, but for me, it works. I love colour, and putting colour combinations together.  I also love colouring, using any media, especially with the new blendabilities.

Sometimes an item just doesn't come together.  So rather than stew about it, I put my mind in "idle mode" and go do something else.  All of a sudden I have the answer to what has been eluding me and I am able to finish what I started.

My work space is - well- not neat.  I start out with an unclutterd work space, but as I start my next project  clutter appears all over again.  Plus I have numerous work stations set up around the room for my different projects.

3. Why do you create what you do?

 Because I can, and because I like it, and because it stimulates me and makes me feel good.  I also create with the consumers/students in mind -  what will interest the consumer/students, or what will not.  I make a lot of cards and 3D and decor items. I not only sell a lot of these items, but they also become gifts for family and friends.

In my entire adult life, I never thought of myself as being creative.  Being a full time college professor and raising 3 children on my own didn't leave me with much time to do anything but exist.  Yes, I was told I was creative in the classroom - teaching Neurophysiology one had to be.

Now that I am retired, Ihave found out quite by accident that I had a different sort of creativity - paper crafts.  I can thank a friend who reluctantly dragged me to my first stamping class 7 years ago (not SU). Stampin' Up came about because I was looking for quality materials for making the cards I was now selling at markets. Stampin' Up didn't come to me, I came to them. The rest is history.

4.  How does your creative process work?

 It works differently depending on the project.  Sometimes I start with a sketch, then look at my stamps to see which will work with the sketch, pick my papers and then colour the image to coordinate with the papers.  The embellishments almost pick themselves, and Stampin' Up makes that so easy.

A lot of things stimulate my creative juices - a picture, a blouse, a shopping bag, nature (that's a biggie), especially the early morning sky in the summer and the soft colours of the evening sky in the winter.  I love sunsets and rainbows. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and I get up and create (no matter what the hour)

When I'm working on a project I lose all track of time.  I'm in  "the zone", and if it weren't for my son I probably would forget to eat.

I admit to browsing and pinning on Pinterest, and have done a lot of pinning.  Sometimes I go back to my Boards just to get an idea, but that's enough to get the creative juices flowing.  Rarely do I CASE, and if I do I give the originator the credit.

My blog is part of my creative process.  What a steep learning curve that has been.  I'm amazed at how well it the blog is doing.  However, I'm still learning how to put what in the side bars, etc. I'm a bit technologically challenged!  My son is a great help here. I have never worked on a computer until just before I retired.

To keep the hop going, I have nominated Patrice Herrara  She's a talented lady whom I have worked with on the design team at Sketch Frenzy Friday.
 Miss Vicky , a demonstrator from Australia, is also someone I worked with on a design team, Stampin' Fun and Friends. Both these ladies will be posting on Jan. 19, so don't forget to visit their blogs and leave some comments.

I'd like to thank Mary Jo Williams for nominating me.  It has been a bit intimidating to be amongst a group of such well known talented and creative people.

And finally, there's one thing I've learned: "You can't use up creativity.   The more you have, the more  you use" .. Oscar Wilde.