Creative Blog Hop - All is Calm

I have been honoured to be invited to join in a Creative Blog Hop by my good Stampin Up Buddy Carolyn Lindenmayer. I have known this lovely lady for several years now and have even had the privilege of visiting her a her lovely home. Carolyn is incredibly talented and is the Easel Card Queen!

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?
I am currently working on several projects. I have several "special" birthday cards to create in the next couple of weeks. A 40th, a 50th, a 1st, my son's birthday card and another friend's birthday card. So many birthdays!! LOL! I have just finished my first Christmas card with my new goodies from the Holiday Catalogue and I am also keen to start using these new products that are on my craft table tempting me.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN MY GENRE?
I think this should be What is my Creative Style? 
I love collage work the most. Just stamping away and creating something lovely with lots of elements is very satisfying (when I can pull it off! haha!) I also love punch art and often turn to this style when wanting to create an image that I don't have a stamp for. I never say no to a bit of sparkle on a card either! One thing I really like is creating cards that look good with minimum effort. Something that anyone can re create for themselves.

WHY DO I CREATE WHAT I DO?
I love art in many forms. I find it very satisfying to create something beautiful and unique for someone. It is a very personal and intimate process, where I am thinking as I create, of that person. Each piece has a little bit of myself in it and is an expression of my thoughts for them. I have made many friends through my crafting. Some I have never met in person, but it is wonderful to share with these like-minded people, who understand my need to create!

HOW DOES MY CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?
Usually I am thinking of a particular person when I am making a card so I try to pull things together that remind me of them. Essentially my card or craft item may start with colour/s or style or images that reminds me of the recipient. I use Pinterest a lot for inspiration and ideas. I also like incorporating new techniques or products when I can.

Now I have the pleasure of introducing you to two other fellow Stampin Up Demonstrators.
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.

Jan McQueen has a wonderful style and blog. She is always up for a Challenge and has always encouraged me. www.janscreativecorner.blogspot.com

Hi my name is Jan. I have lived in Melbourne, Australia almost long enough to lose my New Zealand accent - except for friendly sporting rivalry of course :-)

I have always enjoyed being creative  and was the family card maker as a teen but it wasn't until a friend introduced me to SU that I took it up again.  I love to make cards and gifts for family and friends that can be as unique as they are.

I became a Demonstrator in January 2009 and have made some wonderful friends along the way  - including online through our SU site which is how I met Vicki :-)

Susan Hurley-Luke http://cardmakingsaga.blogspot.com.au is another lovely caring person I have met through the Stampin Up Demonstrator Website.  She also enjoys sharing her great work, especially her 3D projects.

A big thank you to Vicki for wanting me to join in on The Creative Bloghop! I am honoured. When I started papercrafting in 2006 I had no idea it would become such an important and permanent part of my life. I just knew I wanted some beautiful rubber stamps to play with. When Stampin' Up! started in Australua I was over the moon. I became a demonstrator right away. The stamps were gorgeous and I loved being able to colour coordinate everything so easily. Who could resist? Cardmaking became one of my favourite pastimes, and soon a friend persuaded me to try scrapbooking which also 'stuck' with me. The world of papercrafting has since led me to many delightful new friendships and has enabled me to have a lovely creative element in my life. It even made me the webmaster of www.papercraftcentral.com, caused me to become a blogger and a craft teacher! I plan to keep papercrafting firmly in my life for the foreseeable future and look forward to even more unexpected adventures because of this wonderful and fun hobby.

Make sure you visit these two ladies blogs next Monday. I am sure they will have some interesting things to share with you all.

Now onto a card for today! Photographing this was really difficult for some reason. So it looks a little darker than it is.

I received some great new products from the New Holiday Catalogue and just had to make a card with them. My focus was the All is Calm Specialty Designer Series Paper and matching washi tape p.22. I combined them with the Bright and Beautiful Stamp Set. p.25 and the matching Star Framelits p.231(main catalogue).

click on photo to enlarge

 I used Bermuda Bay card stock and ink.

 Plus some pretty silver glimmer card stock and diamantes for a bit of sparkle.

To make the star I got a piece of white card stock and placed strips of washi diagonally across it.
Then I used my star framelit to cut out a star shape.

My first Christmas card for the year - All is Calm - should be titled Stay Calm! maybe? Haha. Apparently it is only 14 weekends till Christmas. (not that I am counting or anything. lol.)

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out Jan and Susan's blogs
http://www.janscreativecorner.blogspot.com.au
http://cardmakingsaga.blogspot.com.au
and I will see you all later in the week with a fun card using the Circle Card Framelit set.Vx