Monday, September 08, 2014

favorite scrapbookers blog tour…

I feel so honored to have been tagged by one of my own favorite designers, Jen Gallacher in a fun "favorite scrapbooker/blogger" tour that has been going around blog land recently.  I’ve been a big fan of Jen’s for a very long time and have been honored to work with her in several different capacities over the years.  Right now we’re working together for Echo Park/Carta Bella Paper…and it’s awesome!! 
First, the Q&A:
1. What am I working on right now?
A better question might be…”what am I not working on right now?”  Seriously, I have so many projects that are “in the works.”  I usually don’t multi-task with my design work – I’m normally a “start one project, finish it, and clean up before I start the next project” kind of girl.  But right now – it’s chaos around here.  Don’t believe me?  Well, just take quick look at my work area:
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I won’t say it’s not organized…because, believe it or not, I know exactly which pile contains what I need – I just haven’t taken the time to put the piles away yet.  This is unusual for me – but this is real life…and a glimpse at what I’m working on right now. ;)
2. How long does it take me to create a project?
I am a slooooooooooooow designer.  I feel like Speedy Gonzolas when I’ve completed a project in 3 hours or less.  I tend to overthink things and take longer to get started than I should…but I don’t know how to change that.  So that’s that. 
3. What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?
Oh goodness, that’s almost like asking me to choose my favorite child!  It’s too hard to choose one or two – so here are several things I’m loving right now (some old, some new):
My Cuttlebug.  I’ve had this thing for years and hardly ever used it, but we’ve been doing a lot of bonding over the last several months and now I can safely say that I LOVE it. :)
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My Silhouette Cameo.  Seriously, I LOVE it!  I use it mostly to create bags and boxes and things like that…but I also love cutting shapes and letters with it.
silhouette cameo
I recently made a pillow at the Doodlebug Design Team Retreat, we used a Silhouette to cut iron-on transfers…and now I want to make more fun pillows..you can never have too many, right?
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And all of the fun AUTUMN and CHRISTMAS collections I get to work with right now!

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@PebblesInc and Jen Hadfield's newest collection: Home + Made featuring a stylish palette of coral, aqua, yellow and gray with dazzling gold and black accents.
4. How does my writing/creating process work?
This is a hard one to answer.  Since this is my “job” and a lot of my designing is based on assignments, it’s most likely that I will start with product.  Then I will chose photos based on the collection I am working with or the theme that I am assigned.  However, when I am creating something JUST FOR ME, I start with a photo or a story…something special that I want to remember…and work forward by choosing products that support my photo or story.  The second way is my favorite way, but I am flexible. :)
5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
I find inspiration everywhere!  Magazines, books, food packaging, the talented women I work with and so many other talented crafters that I admire from afar.  I love perusing Pinterest and other online galleries.  I find that more often than not, if I just sit down with either a story I want to tell, or a product I am really excited about using, the inspiration will just come.  I guess that is why I love this hobby so much – it’s not a “stretch” for me and I truly enjoy it so much!
6. What is my signature style?
I don’t really know what my “signature” style is…but I will definitely say that I fall in the “cute & simple” spectrum.  I’m not technique-driven…and don’t do a lot of complicated things on my projects.  I like bright colors, clean lines, and straight-forward designs.  I admire ALL styles of scrapbooking and paper crafting, and I’ve tried my hand at many different things, but I always come back to my clean, cute, and simple ways.
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I have decided to play by the “three strikes” rule for this blog hop.  I tried to tag some of my favorite scrapbookers to be next on the tour – and they had all been asked already.  SO, here’s the deal…I am tagging ANYONE who is reading this right now. If you would like to hop on board and share a bit about you, please consider  yourself tagged!  If you want to leave a comment, I’ll edit my post to add a link to your blog right here:

Taunya Butler!

Thanks again, Jen, for tagging me to take part in this fun blog hop.  And thanks to everyone else for reading my blog and following along on my scrappy/crafty adventures!
Happy Monday! :)