Creative Blog Hop

I am honoured to be asked to participate in the Creative Blog Hop by my stamping and crafting friend, Vicki Hodgman from Cards on the Table with Vicki. I met Vicki on the Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator site and we have enjoyed visiting each other’s blogs and chatting for some time now. We really must meet up in person one day, Vicki! Please do visit Vicki’s blog and admire her lovely cards.

The Creative Blog Hop asks us to answer 4 questions about ourselves and is a way of introducing you to somebody else and learning a bit more about each of us.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON NOW?

Right now I am working on putting a class together for October that is Christmas themed. I love all the new products from Stampin’ Up! that are coming out just for Christmas. I want people to be able to make some cards and maybe a new Christmas decoration on the day, so will be working on making something three dimensional.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN MY GENRE?

I am not sure that it does, other than the personal choices I make about colour, embellishment, sentiment and style! Lol! I do love to find someone else’s work that I admire then out a new spin on it. Each of us really puts themselves into their work, don’t you think? I do love to make three dimensional items and differently constructed greeting cards so am always excited when I find someone had created a new style of card and just have to try it out myself.

WHY DO I CREATE WHAT I DO?

I love to make people smile with my creations. It is so much fun to try my hand at new techniques and play with new products. It is doubly enjoyable when people appreciate what I make for them or want to make something like it themselves. Even though I am not necessarily an artist, I do feel it gives me a creative. artistic outlet when I craft, and I need that.

HOW DOES MY CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?

When I make something for someone, I like to know what their favourite colours are first. Then I like to know what their hobbies and interests are, or what special event is being celebrated. I consider whether their style is modern, vintage, fun or fresh, and I try to make something in the style they would like. I spend a lot of time looking at other people’s work on Pintrest, blogs, galleries, Facebook and Youtube. I save people’s work that attracts me and then revisit it when I want to create. Often I am inspired by someone else’s work but the finished project usually turns out to be a little to a lot different from theirs.

Now I have the pleasure of introducing you to two other amazing fellow Paper Crafters.
Both these ladies have great style and enthusiasm for their craft and are always positive and helpful.
I am glad to have had the opportunity to "meet" them online. Their blogs are definitely worth visiting too! I hope you will!

Lesley Jendra of Lesley’s Stampin’ Ground is a marvellous Australian lady who posts a project on her blog nearly every day! I admire her creativity and ability to bring something lovely to us each day. We met through our mutual love of all things Stampin’ Up! a few years ago and have had some wonderful times crafting together.Thanks for being on the Creative Blog Hop, Leslie!

Hi, I am Lesley Jendra and I was honoured to be asked to be part of this blog hop by Susan Luke. I started scrapbooking back in 2001 after our 2 daughters got married and I wanted to scrapbook their wedding photos. We had previously owned a photography business so had put together hundreds of wedding albums but had seen some scrapbooking and wanted to do something special for these wedding albums. I started attending classes, then started card classes as well. I haven't stopped since. In 2009 I discovered Stampin' Up! at a craft show and I was hooked and I became a demonstrator. I had never stamped before despite all the cards and scrapbooking I had done, and hadn't realised how much you could do with stamps.  It makes it so easy that Stampin' Up! coordinates everything from paper, inks, embellishments, punches etc.  I currently teach card and scrapbooking classes which I thoroughly enjoy being able to pass on whatever I can to other ladies who have the same passion about craft as I do.

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Next is the beautiful Lady Ann Milnes-Howard of Anne’s Paper Dreams. She is absolutely fantastic at making beautiful mini albums and cards. We met on a papercraft forum as she lives in England so do get to chat most days, encouraging each other to craft and to share our craft with others. Thank you for being on the Creative Blog Hop, Lady Anne! Here she is:

 I live with my husband Ian in a disability bungalow; we moved here when I could no longer manage to climb stairs, it is small but perfect for what we need now.

I have a daughter Maria who gave me three beautiful granddaughters, Gemma, Victoria and Natalie. Gemma has given me two wonderful Great Grandsons, Jack and Brody but she is expecting another boy November 15^th, Victoria has given me the joy of a Great Granddaughter Charlie-Mae who is the eldest.

I am known as "Lady" Anne this is because my family knew how much I love Scotland and bought me a small piece of land in Scotland which came with a title of Laude/Lady for a woman and I thought I would use it for all things internet, it does seem to be leaking into my everyday life these days *laughing*

I have always loved stationary of any sort so it hasn't surprised me that I took to card making and mini album creating, my other love is art but have never been any good at it except putting colours together which I am very particular about, I hate some colours together even in food *smiling* but love all colour and blending same colour tones together. I have found a joy in making mini albums and have created a few now. I love Graphic 45 Papers but I also love pretty feminine papers.

Ian & I live in a village called Sileby ( my nick name for it is: silly-b) in the East Midlands of England.

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Thank you so much again, Vicki, for inviting me on the Creative Blog Hop, and thank you again,  Lesley and Lady Anne for your introductions and willingness to share your lovely crafts. I hope many people take a moment to go and see your beautiful creations on your blogs. And of course, visit the people you nominate to carry on with the Creative Blog Hop.

Speaking of being creative, now I shall share a new project with you all. It’s a birthday card I made for my lovely sister. She loves bright colours so I chose bright orange and yellow to bring some cheer into her day. I wanted to use the new Stampin’ Up! Blendabilities but have so far only bought the green range, so I used them for the leaves and my Copics for the flowers. I added some Spica pen to the leaves and now think maybe I shouldn’t have done as it looks very un-blended in the photo. It didn’t seem to be like that in person! Oh, and the designer series paper is retired. 

Supply List:

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Inks: Memento Black, Blendabilities, Copics

Embossing Powder: Cherry Cobbler

Embossing Folder: Decorative Dots

Embellishments: Spica pens, Rhinestone jewels, paper doily, Daffodil Delight ribbon

Stamp Sets: I Like You, And Many More