Getting to Know Me?

Hello bloggers!

I've a bit of a different post today. You may have seen around blogland a blog hop with a difference - it's a chance for you to get to know your fellow bloggers and see what inspires them in their craftiness. Hazel from Hazel's Paper Designs kindly asked me to take part so go and take a peek at her blog - she's just had a guest spot over at Casology and created a fabulous lolly for the latest cue word. It really does look good enough to eat!

Here goes:

What creative projects are you working on? 

As I'm on the design team, I've been working on a project for this week's Colour Q palette which goes live on Tuesday.  Sometimes we may have the colours weeks in advance - other times we may have a few days notice.  I've got my eye on a few challenges this week but I'm hoping to take part in Online Card Classes 'Stretch Your Stamps II' from today so I'm not sure how many I'll have the chance to play in.

How and what inspires your designs?

I have to say most of my inspiration comes from taking part in challenges and often from the design team's creations.  I'm continually amazed by what people think of -  the Casology design team in particular really think outside the box, which I love.  Pinterest is the obvious choice for some quick inspiration - however, I'm utterly paranoid about inadvertently case-ing someone's design. Sometimes an idea comes to me and I worry that I may have copied someone else by mistake! Perhaps you could tell me if this is normal....

What method/process do you apply to each of your projects and how long does each project take to make?

This question made me laugh. It implies that I have some kind of process.  Here's an example of my process with a Casology design:

1) Read the cue word at about 11pm on a Tuesday night - that's the problem living in Australia...all the challenges go live really late.

2) Start thinking about it and then realise I can't sleep.

3) Still thinking....

4) Still thinking....husband now laughing at me and telling me I'm a complete nerd.

5) Eventually come up with some kind of design. Chuck it in the bin as it hasn't worked...retry it. Eventually manage a card (but am rarely happy with it!) Clean and SIMPLE?  Stuff that! I have been known to spend 10 minutes on a card and then hours, depending on whether that mojo's flowing!

If you had to describe your signature style, what would it be?

I think it used to be very clean and layered, with lots of patterned paper.  But there are so many clean and simple challenges now, I think maybe my style is changing.  I buy a lot more stamps and ink than I used to and use far less patterned paper. I used to scrapbook more than make cards (hence the blog name) but now cards seem to be my favourite crafty exercise so all that paper is now gathering dust!

Anyway, that's enough about me folks...time to pass the bloggy reins to a couple of my favourite card makers:

Kay Miller - My Joyful Moments: Sigh...what can't this talented girl do with a die cut? And stencils. And stamps. And paper.  Her creations are so colourful and creative...she's the type of card maker I'd like to be when I grow up. I'm so grateful she agreed to do this as I know she's on lots of design teams so I'm sure her time is precious.

Kim Heggins - Cupcakes, Cards and Kim: Kim's cards are always so original - she's a master (or should that be mistress?) of clean and simple but uses a variety of different techniques so her clean and simple is never boring! Thanks for agreeing to do this Kim!

Girls...over to you....

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x