Many Merry NOEL Stars & Creative Monday Blog Hop

How exciting! I was nominated by fellow demo Rachel Chamberlain of Great Minds Ink Alike last week to participate in the Creative Monday Blog Hop. This is a blog hop about creativity and our love for creativity. Each Monday, a few bloggers post on their blogs sharing a little bit about their creativity and will also invite two other bloggers to join and post on the following Monday.

So first I will share my latest creative project… grab a Many Merry Stars kit, a bag of Tiny Treat Boxes and some co-ordinating Under The Tree speciality designer series paper . And you have a great mantelpiece decoration to brighten up any room….. More Merry Stars to follow tomorrow… and details of my Many Merry NOEL Stars Class Kit to Go too….

And here are my 4 questions & answers!

1.  What are you working on?

Quite a lot over the next week! (though it is a very quiet week compared to usual!) 

Prepping for my last class of the Year. Making some more of these NOELS for Christmas presents. Finalising some Class Kits to Go. Finishing off my Christmas cards to send…Writing up some blog posts & tutorials to share. Oh and hopefully a WWWU Team Challenge card too…

And then my big box will arrive from Stampin Up!… with new stamps & products from the Spring Summer Catalogue & Sale A Bration promotion that launch in January …. So I will finish off the week blissfully creating something new…..  well quite a few things probably….

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?

I like to keep my creative work Clean & Simple. Or as others have told me DOUBLE CAS…. Clean & Stylish and Classy & Simple….

But I love a Fancy Fold card to give immediate WOW too…. whether it is one I make up myself or one that I stumble upon on the web….

And then… as others keep telling me…  I have “unusual” ideas…now I don’t really know if that is code for weird …or wonderful!!!

And I don’t just do cards – though a lot of my class attendees want just cards! I get such a buzz from creating a mini book, a box, a bag, a treat holder,a home decor project or an altered item…. especially those that I create from scratch…

3.  Why do you create what you do?

Simply - I create to share… I share to inspire… The SU! mantra of Create Inspire Share sums it all up for me….

It started off with just sending friends & family something handmade & special ( I used to find it amazing to get Thank You cards or telephone calls for my Christmas cards!!!)

Then I realised friends were interested and that I could show them how to craft for themselves!

Then I started a blog – and lovely people gave me lovely comments about my work inspiring them when I shared a project.

And now… I create & share projects for the various classes I run, for customer purchases so they can see how to get more use out of their products, for Team Meetings & the Team Forum & occasionally just ‘cos!  All of which get shared on my blog & Pinterest too….

4.  How does your creative process work?  

Ah… lots of ways! I completely bombard myself actually…..

I have an “unusual” idea – and work out how to make it …OR more often…

I look at a Stampin’ Up! product – be it a die, punch or stamp set – and my brain goes into overdrive. I usually write a list of 12-20+ different ideas for that one item…. but I probably only get the time to create 4 or 5….! I then look at another product….and a new list forms….

I follow lots of blogs, I am very active on Pinterest, I am part of a great & sharing team… so I am constantly inspired by others too!!!! So my list of 20 ideas expands to about 30 or so….. often more!

I am also a great researcher – so when it is time to pick up a stamp set or punch….I will still get onto Google and get even more inspiration for that item…. yup list now approaching 50…

But it is probably a good job I am not into the videos on You Tube as well ( or my list would go up to 75!!)

And then I select a few ideas off my list – and I start to actually create something!! I make loads of mess… I agonise over colours and placement & which other products to use! … but I get there in the end….

But I have a new years resolution….. pick one product, use my own list and focus!!! LOL….

And as I love this sum up of my work as it appears to others…. I will also share what Rachel said about me as she nominated me last week ….

I first found Amanda through a Pinterest pin, and I am so glad I did.  She will take one stamp set and show so many different ways to use the same set or she will design one "wow" project and make several using different stamps.  She makes it easy to imagine a project and to see the possibilities in a particular stamp set or project.

Such lovely words Rachel. You highlighted what I try to do so perfectly….Thank YOU!!

And finally… my invites for continuing this blog hop next Monday 15th December ..… go to fellow team members Julie's Japes by Julie Kettlewell (aka my SU! mummy)  and Krafts by Kate Martin (aka SU! sister).

Both are such talented, charismatic and lovely ladies. We are all part of a Mutual Appreciation Society though …which means if you like my work… you will like theirs too… in fact they CASE me… I CASE them… lovely creative Stampin’ Up! circle….

So please don’t hesitate… pop over to their blogs straightaway for further inspiration…. I can’t wait to see what they share about their creative processes next Monday…