The Creative Blog Hop

Hi there :o)  Firstly I need to apologise for being a day late with this post (darned Fibro brain!!)

So what is the Creative Blog Hop? The idea is basically to provide a chance for bloggers to get to know each other better.  We each answer 4 questions about ourselves and then introduce 3 more bloggers who will put up a post the following week.

Except that as I'm 'Special' I'm a day late and only introducing 2 other bloggers to you - still an interesting experience though!

I was tagged by Bev a lovely crafty lady whom I met through a swap group on Facebook.  She has her blog here - http://bevscraftspace.blogspot.co.uk/ - please do take a look she, like me enters quite a few challenges and it's great to see her creations :o)

So - time for the questions!!

1. What are you working on now?

At the moment I'm playing catch-up on some of my craft swaps in order to get them done for the end of the month.  So this is mostly ATCs - I really love this art-form - it's small yet lets you work in all different ways.  You can use all mixed media, paints and texture pastes, or go with collage or stamps, or even a mixture of all of them!  I've also got a part completed shadow box and some partially completed Halloween cards and tags for another swap.

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?  Really hard to answer this - I know that I am a bit of a last minute finisher - always have been with exams and coursework and the like.  So I find that a deadline fires my imagination.  I do have to often do things in little stages though - hence the part finished works - due to my illness, as I do get fatigued very easily, so try to pace myself, easier said than done though!  A lot of my favourite internet crafters are ones I've come across working on the design teams for some of my favourite craft suppliers.  For example Laura Carson (http://artfullymusing.blogspot.co.uk/) who is on the DT for Alpha Stamps she does make the most wonderful things!!

3. Why do you create what you do?  The first aim of crafting for me (and indeed this blog) is to keep positivity in my life, so that on my lower days I can remind myself that I'm not completely useless and that I can do things!!  Now that I've started this blog, I like to try and post roughly weekly as again that keeps me focussed more on the 'now'.  The things I create are usually for swaps or challenges, although I did make a lot of presents last Christmas and I've done a few birthday presents too.

4. How does my creative process work? As I said above a lot of my work is done when inspiration strikes from a looming deadline!  But I start by finding a swap I want to take part in, or by seeing what challenge themes are around.  I then plan a lot out in my head before I actually start to make sure that I'm happy with my ideas - sometimes this involves sketching it out but only briefly, and then I like to get inky!!

So what happens next - my 'Tagees'

These are two ladies I have met through Facebook (what did we ever do without it?!?)  I've 'met' a lot of people that way, by commenting on artwork they've shared or when they've commented on some of mine.  You see the same names coming up in some of the groups you're in and you realise that you share similar tastes.

Firstly, Aly, she is in a couple of the same swap groups as me and makes some really lovely things that are right up my street!  She runs her blog through a Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/AlysCraftyHands .and shares her creations there.  Her latest makes are some Halloween tags and some great mixed media hangings.

Secondly is Denise, again we met through the dreaded social media (!).  Her blog is here - http://beautifulbouquets.blogspot.co.uk/ - she also enters a lot of challenges, Tim Holtz themed ones and created a lovely piece for a recent Clarity stamps one.  She says she's always enjoyed crafting in a half hearted way but was really struck by the crafting bug last year - and you know once the bug's got you you can't stop!!

Please come back for the links next Monday and have a look at what they've got to share with you!

Thanks for reading
Stefanie x