Blog Hop with a difference.....

Hi everyone

I received a message from the lovely Fiona a couple of weeks ago asking if I'd like to participate in a blog hop with a difference.  It's a little different to the usual, scrapping blog hops as it's  not run by anyone, instead it's a blog hop to share a little more about yourself, introduce your readers/followers to some lovely scrappers that they may not already know and having fun.

I first met Fiona when we were both designing for a sketch challenge site and now we ''cyber stalk'' each other work and chat over all this creative.She creates stunning layouts with any product and I am always amazed at how varied her pieces are. You can see her gorgeous work here on her personal blog and also over at All About Scrapbooks blog. 

A few questions & answers about my creative process:

1.  What am I working on right now?

We are about to finish school holidays over here in the West (two days to go, who's counting lol) and I am working like a mad woman to finish and clear this months and next months Design Team deadlines because I am very lucky to have my mother fly in for a visit for two weeks..... normally I dont stress about deadlines but I want to clear the schedule. I must say its been an interesting process as you dont get the opportunity to over think anything, you just have to do.

2.  How long does it take to create a project?

Hmmmmm now that's a tricky question, some days its effortless, others I struggle. On a weekly average I create about 4 layouts a week maybe a 5.... I love to fussy cut and that can take a couple of hours, I tend to do it while watching TV at night so its prepped and ready to go. When I work on my mixed media layouts I tend to work with multiple layouts at a time it allows for drying and all the detail you tend to add in with stamping etc, they can take 6 + hours to create. Now for a flower layout like below it took 6 hrs to get the placement right, then about 3 hrs to stick it all down, another 1 hr to add smaller flowers into it. 

3.  What are my favourite things to create with at the moment?

Can I say everything??? Love my Dylusions and Heidi Swapp Colourshine, I have just started to play with Ecoline and I am loving the results in that atm. I couldnt live without those and white cardstock!!!

4.  How does my creative process work?

For design team work, I get paper ranges sent to me, so it starts with the paper, and I always try to do a fussy cut layout, then a mixed media layout and I always try and find a way to change it up from what the norm is, I NEVER match photos, I do the layout get my ideas then find a photo later.  If I am doing my own thing or a challenge, I still work backwards, I just dive into my ever growing stash of pattern papers.

5.  How do I become inspired & stay inspired?

I have always been artistic and have loved photography, so this is the best of both worlds. I am doing this for my kids, they  will have the  story of there lives in albums, documenting everything that there lives have entailed. I am always wanting to try some thing new..... Design teams allow me to do this, they allow me to work to a schedule and I love that because that means I am always creating and carving out a little time for myself to do layouts. I find the more I do, the more creative I get, if I step away for periods of time I have to work at getting back into the swing of it.  

''The more you create the more creative you get''.

6.  What is my signature style?

Ohhhhhhhhhhh this is the question that I really try and avoid..... because I truly don't know and I really don't want to be put in a category. I do this for the art of things, and I always do something different, and its a constantly changing thing and thats me..... my friends say that I have highly functioning ADHD and they are probably right!!! I always want to do and try something new.

The next three people are lovely scrappers that are going to follow me on the blog hop next Monday the 28th. They are:

Amy Prior - 

http://www.amyprior.com/

I have been lucky to work with Amy on a couple of design teams now, starting back in 2011with Handmade Halo. We currently work together on White With 1. I am a huge fan of her work, all her pieces are AMAZING!!!! She is on a lot of design teams and you can see why.....

Marelle Jackman -  http://www.undermycreativeumbrella.blogspot.com.au/

I have know Marelle not for a long time but I feel like we have know each other forever, this is one of those friendships that I am grateful beyond words. Its one of those wonderful moments that happens when you are in this world of scrapping. I love her style and her fearless approach  to her pieces....

 Cathi O'Neil - http://celticknotted.blogspot.com.au/

I have had the pleasure to work with Cathi on a couple of teams now, and I have to say I love her style, admire it  and wish I could do half of what she does. She is the most dedicated and hard working people I know and her work is stunning.....

These ladies will share a little more about themselves,  their scrapping style & inspirations.  So make sure you give them a visit next week to catch their blog hop post, where you'll learn more about them & also see who they are passing the blog hop onto. Pop on by their blogs now and become a follower, that way you won't miss their blog hop post when it goes up next week....or any of their future posts showcasing their amazing work :)

I hope you enjoyed this insight to my scrapping world.

Rikki 

xxxxxx