The Creative Blog Hop

Gelli Plate Print Ombre Collage

Good morning, and welcome to Kim’s Creations!  Let me start by saying how honored I was to be invited to participate in the Creative Blog Hop!  My invitee is Hettie, whom I first met on the “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday” Blog hop from The Stamping Ground.  And she will be a hard act to follow! Go visit her Blog Hettiecraft, to see what I mean!  After hitting it off with emails and skype, we actually met last fall when we went to visit her home in Wales! And this fall, she’ll be traveling to Upstate New York to visit with us.  This shows the Artistic Blog Community at its best!  

So, what is “The Creative Blog Hop”?  It is a brainchild of a blogger some time ago.  A blogger is tagged along with two others who then answers some questions and introduces three other bloggers the following week and so on and so on. (Like the old Faberge Organics shampoo commercial w/Farrah Fawcett…if you’re old enough to remember)  There are no rules as to who you invite or what art the blogger you choose undertakes whether it be cooking. painting, cardmaking, scrapbooking, writing or anything else.  So, on to TCBH!

About me: 

I have always been creative…starting with candles, then running amok with candies, leatherworking (which stopped once I realized that making my own saddle wasn't going to get me a horse! But still one of the best money-making hobbies I've ever had), music (I was a flute major in college-still play in a community orchestra), and photography (with my own darkroom and everything!)  I’m also a role player/gamer, which is what brought me to my current and all-encompassing hobby…Rubber Stamping/Card making.   You see: at tournaments (yes, role playing tournaments..I've even won trophies!), I wanted to make name plates for my characters, and while on my honeymoon in Ireland, I found some Celtic knotwork stamps.  I thought they would be nice.  When we got home I went to show my friend in CT, and said I needed to go to Staples to get some ink. “Oh no, you can’t use that…” she said, and promptly dragged me to my first Stamp Store, Impressive Impressions.  They really knew how to run a store (too bad they retired and sold it; it’s now closed)  They had a big demo table..asked if I wanted to emboss…turned on the heat gun, and if you’re a stamper, you know the rest! LOL!

Burlap Panel

I have been making cards and altered art pieces now for almost 18 years.  While I started with the “Clean and Simple” style, along the way I was introduced to the Distressed Look and a Mr. Tim Holtz…My husband I’m sure still regrets that!  Oh, and the Gelli plate, serious addition! But since he gave that to me as a gift, only he is to blame! LOL!

My Blog, Kim’s Creations  was started in June of 2010 so I could join my first blog challenge, The Compendium of Curiosities Challenge at Studio L3.  Blogging has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people from around the world!  It is such a wonderful way for the creative community to inspire and support one-another.  While I used to be a regular poster, nowadays it seems I’m lucky if I get a challenge piece in. The “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday” hop from The Stamping Ground sometimes is my only motivator to get in the craft room some weeks to snap a quick pic! Sad that I’m counting down to retirement already so I have more free time…14 years, 11 months and 3 weeks to go…

Now to the Questions:

Stamp Camp Dove

1.      What am I working on now?   At this time of year, I try to focus on one thing: Cards for the Craft Show and Christmas! After selling out my first two years, and then had to make all my own holiday cards in a rush, I now really work at having a lot ready to go.  This year the show is the first week in November…only 11 weekends away! /Gulp!

I’m also taking part of the “Compendium of Curiosities III” Challenge, hosted by Linda Ledbetter at Studio L3.  This is the 3^rd volume of techniques written by Tim Holtz.  Every other week we get a new technique.  This week is learning to use the Sizzix Framelets dies. 

TH Stamps & Framelits.

2.      How does my work differ from others in my genre? As all my cards get mailed, I try to keep them flat and light.  Clean and Simple, and I like to think Elegant is how I would have described some of my earlier works—never would have used the word Cute!  And then comes along the Distress Inks, and the grunged up look of Tim Holtz.  Hooked immediately! Now I consider my work grungy and simple!  I have found that I am a far better hoarder of Tim’s embellishments than a user of the embellishments! LOL!

Spellbinders Folder

3.      Why do I create what I do? For Fun…plain and simple. A smuggled 2 hours in the craft room at night can relax me more than…hmmm, as much as….a day on a beach, some home-mixed Mojitos, riding the trails on the ATV’s…well, as I apparently can relax quite easily, let’s leave it at the fun of playing with colors and images! The subtitle of my blog “So Many Colors So Little Time” is so true! There are still more colors out there..I can just feel it…

Sizzix Flip-its card

4.      How does my creative process work?  This is a tricky one.  It has become apparent that I can’t just sit down and start making something with no particular person in mind. I know...weird right?  So when I start making cards for the craft shows, I have to think as if it was a gift for someone first.  Same with canvas’ and other items.   And once I have that person in mind, colors and images sort of coalesce in my head.  And what is truly bizarre, I think, is that I need that mental lay-out/plan before I can even start to put ink to paper.  Otherwise nothing seems to feel right. That’s not to say that my mental layout doesn’t get FUBAR’ed- if you excuse the language, or the final design ends up a long stretch from the original vision, but there is a higher success rate if I have a plan.  And for some reason, a plan does not mean those “sketch” designs.  I have rarely gotten inspiration from them.  Do You?

And for your next week’s TCBH hostesses:

Here is Claire.   We met just this year at the PIF Anniversary of the WOYWW blog hop.  Turns out she lives in “the City”…  New York City..a whole different world from my Upstate New York!  We’re hoping to meet later this fall in person.   She has does such colorful and fun work!  Her blog is Ham ‘n’Mule Designs.

I've been making cards for about 8 years. I started out with a really basic kit and now my craft room is an out of control beastie! I love making cards, because there is always a new technique or skill to learn that can enhance your work. I get bored easily and so switching around is key. In 2014 I have got better at stenciling, learnt how to heat emboss, watercolour and mist. There is definitely never a dull moment in my craft room! 

I am a born and bred Londoner - which is quite rare! I am married to Sam - he keeps me in check, supports my hobby and is genuinely my partner-in-crime. We have been married for 5 years this year and together for 10, so will be celebrating in style in October! Along with our furchildren - Archie and Boscat, we relocated to NYC in May 2013, we love it, but miss our family and friends. I have a real job as a Project Manager - which I am good at and I enjoy it, recently I changed to working for a software company, after a 20 year career in the advertising industry. I love to travel, read, eat, drink wine, watch rubbish tv and hang out with my friends. 

And here is Kay!  Another WOYWWer who I got to know this year on the PIF Anniversary Hop.  She always has great photos on her blog with what’s going on in her neck of the woods! And apparently we have a mutual love of horses which we translated to art! Her blog is: 505whimsygirl.

Hi, my name is Kay Hammock.  I was born and raised in California; a true valley girl from the San Joaquin Valley. I moved to New Mexico around the age of 18. I grew up in a family where my dad painted with oils and my mom would make the most heavenly pies you ever tasted. Like any girl, I loved horses.  So much so that I'd get bars of soap and carve them into horse heads!  I was always doodling and drawing, something that I now wish I kept up with.  There was always something fun and creative going on in our household. 

I started my blog August 8, 2011.  I had been blog hopping for a while before I decided to start one of my own.  I have made some wonderful friends through blogland, most of which I'll never meet.  We all have something in common; the creative spirit.  

As far as crafting, I'm all over the place.  Knitting is my favorite craft as it's like meditation for me.  I love to listen to the sound of the needles.  I've dabbled in beadwork, mixed media and all kinds of papercrafting.  A new passion I've discovered last year is photography.  It's amazing once you truly open your eyes to the world around you what you see.  

I'd like to thank Kim for nominating me for this amazing blog hop!  I've only just "met" her but I definitely feel a bond with her.  Another wonderful reason to blog!

And last but not least….Here is Candy!  I was introduced to her blog, Creativity is Contagious, as she is one of the uber talented “Curiosity Crew” designers from the Compendium Challenge.  She does some of the coolest dimensional pieces! Just check out this week’s challenge piece!  

Hi!  My name is Candy Colwell.  I live in Springfield, Missouri with my high school sweetheart and husband of almost 40 years. We have been blessed with two children and four beautiful grandchildren. 

Although I love all sorts of mixed media and paper projects, my heart usually leads me towards vintage and shabby chic styles. There is just something so sentiment, romantic and timeless about that genre. I dearly love getting together with my “crafting buddies” at least once a month where we solve all of the worlds’ problems while we have fun working on a project.

I am passionate about teaching both online through my tutorials on my blog and locally at Scrapbooks Forever in Branson, Missouri.  I have met so many amazing ladies and truly enjoy sharing my love and knowledge of products and techniques with them as “make art” (as my 7 year old grandson calls it) together. 

My “second home” is in my art studio.  There, I have created many pieces for Simon Says Says Monday Challenge Design Team, The Compendium of Curiosities Challenges, and numerous Guest Designer spots.  I am so honored to have been named to Tim Holtz’ Blogworthy Links twice and I am a proud graduate of Ranger U.  I am also a self professed Tim Holtz junkie! I love his style, his products and his willingness to freely share so many techniques and ideas. I hope that if you visit my blog, you will find some inspiration there!

Thank you so much to Kim who has invited me to be a part of this Blog Hop. I have met Kim through the Compendium of Curiosities Challenges.  She does beautiful work and I know that she is a Tim Holtz fan as well and we are both HUGE Big Bang Theory addicts!