Creative Blogger Award

Imagine my surprise when I got a message from Hansi Brittain of Quilting with Paper asking if I would accept her nomination for the Creative Blogger Tour.

Um...wow!  Of course I said yes, because I was so honored.

Hansi has a real flair for color and is a regular participant in several of the challenges where I participate.  I glean lots of ideas from her, though I'm not sure I've told her that before now.  I think my favorite thing about her blog, though, is her profile picture.  It's just awesome!

The Creative Blogger Award is an invitation to join a blog hop where you answer four questions about your creative process.  As you take the tour, I hope it introduces you to some new bloggers.  The list below is pretty inspiring.  I have a deep and abiding respect for each of these women and their creative talent.

Hansi Brittain
Marie Flayer
Jody Gustafson
Amy Moore
Karen Day
Brenda Rose
Vicki Wizniuk
Kelly Janes
Amie Kiger
Katy Donaldson Taylor

Now for the questions...

What am I currently working on?

Christmas cards, Christmas cards, and more Christmas cards.  I send about 75 cards myself, plus I promised a friend who got married back in May to make her a set as a wedding gift.  So I need lots and lots and lots of Christmas cards.

Did I mention Christmas cards?

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Uh...

Hmmm...

I once heard that creativity is nothing more than successfully disguising a copy.  I pretty much live by that motto. 

Why do I create what I do?

I'm so glad you asked! 

Back in July of this year, one of my dear friends asked me to name the first person in the Bible who was filled with the Holy Spirit.  I made three wrong guesses before I gave up.  For those of you wondering, it's a guy named Bezalel, and you can read about him in Exodus 35: 30-35.  He was filled with wisdom, understanding, and all kinds of craftsmanship (emphasis mine).

That rocked my world.

My friend went looking for a Bible study on creativity and couldn't find anything, so she asked if I would be willing to co-write a curriculum.  We are in the middle of writing and teaching that now. 

So, the short answer is, I create what I do because I am a reflection of a creative God.  The longer version includes being a person whose "love language" is Gifts and Words of Encouragement; being involved with the amazing non-profit Operation Write Home which collects hand made cards to send to deployed soldiers; and because creating cards with my hands is a great respite from creating characters with my brain.

How does my creative process work?

This question assumes I have a process other than, "Aaaaaaa!  I need to have something posted by tomorrow.  What am I going to do???"

Seriously, that's about what happens around here!

Okay...there is a little more to it.  I used to participate in lots of card challenges.  Since I've started writing professionally, that has somewhat tapered off.  I still have commitments, though, as a design team member with Color My Heart and Stampin' Buds. To help me get the best use of my limited time, I have taken to creating sketches.  I took all of my CTMH Cricut booklets with me on a recent plane trip and jotted down ideas so I would have them when the panic button went off.







I also ideas stored in Microsoft OneNote on my laptop.  Whenever I watch TV, I'm also surfing the web.  I have literally thousands of ideas organized by stamp set, technique, or style.  When it's time to create, I skim ideas and adjust them based off the stamps and supplies I own or to conform to my personal taste.  Over time, I have developed a love for "Clean and Simple" cards.  However, I will do whatever strikes my fancy based off my inspiration piece. 








Now that I've shared my answers, it's time for me to nominate another blogger whose work has inspired me.  It is my great pleasure to announce that Karen Pedersen has agreed to be the next stop on your tour.  I was introduced to Karen years and years ago (back when I was a consultant for "D.O.T.S.", which is now "Close to my Heart"). She pours so much love into every project, you can see it on the page.  Her post will go live on November 10, so be sure to set an alarm on your phone or mark it in your calendar, because you are NOT going to want to miss what she has to share.

Until next time,
Becca