Creative Blog Hop - Butterfly Basics with a Touch of Gold

What, you're asking, is a creative blog hop?  Well, it's a blog hop showcasing the creative works of all of us who love creating.  I was nominated by a friend, Pam, over at Crazy Penguin Designs, and I was a bit nervous about this because I didn't want to mess it up, but at the same time, was honored to be picked.  I see this as a way to link you to others who love sharing their work.

I've been stamping for a number of years now, and I'm so grateful I found this art because I love it.  It truly is a stress reliever for me, and I find that my mind just doesn't stop thinking of what I may want to create next.

Below is a card I made for a team swap, and I also doubled it as a birthday card for a friend and co-worker.  I love the simplicity of it, and selected this one to share with you for my entry.

So here's how this creative blog hop works.  There's some questions that I will answer below, then link to someone who I've nominated to continue the creative blog hop.

1.  What Are You Working on Now?  I'm working on a set of cards for a friend of my sister who wants some thank you and birthday cards.  I've already made two boxes for her, consisting of 8 cards each (4) birthday and (4) thank you's per box.  Now I'm working on the third box for her.  I'm also working on designing a wedding card for my sister's friend who has a daughter getting married next July.  Don't know where this will lead, but we shall see.  I'm also designing some cards for two blog hops that I follow weekly:  Coloring Down the Lines and The Paper Plunge.  I was actually selected to be a designer for The Paper Plunge, and I was so honored, you wouldn't believe.  Each month, I hold card-making classes at the Phoenixville Area library, in a town I grew up in.  That's so much fun, and I get to meet a lot of people I wouldn't have met before.  In addition, I'm involved in a cross-country card swap where we create a themed card for each month and send them to the originator who then sends our cards out to each participant in the swap, so we end up with 12 cards, created by fabulous women all across the country.  How fun is that?  I'm also involved in a couple women's clubs, and I'm being installed as District Director for District 10 of Business & Professional Women's Clubs of PA next month and yes, of course, I'm making the favors.  So yes, I'm quite busy with my crafting, and I see no end to it at all.  Totally love the craft.

2.  How Does Your Work Differ From Others In Your Genre?   I don't think my work differs from anyone else, and I think we all get inspired by those in our field.  You never know what will inspire you, and when.  I love Pinterest, Google, Stampin Connection, and I follow many, many blogs, where I find my inspiration.  I literally can look at someone's work, and in my mind, I'm creating my own card.  Sometimes I look at someone's creation and what I create may be totally different from what the creator made, but it gave me the inspiration for mine.  Sometimes I just scratch my head and can't believe I came up with what I did, but in the end, I like mostly everything I create.  By being in weekly blogs, that also inspires me and takes me out of the box, using techniques, color combinations, or materials I don't use on a daily basis.  That really helps to expand my mind and create using things I wouldn't even think of using or putting together.  That's why they call it a challenge, for sure.  I think everyone's creations are great because they were created by those who love the art just like me.

3.  Why Do You Create What You Do?    I love the art of making cards and paper crafts, and when I make something for someone, I take that whole person into consideration and design the card based on their likes and what they mean to me.  That may sound a bit crazy, but I make my cards to bless the person I give them to.  I'm not saying that sometimes I get stumped and don't know what to make, but that's where Pinterest and all the other resources come into play.  I may select a particular stamp set and then go on the hunt for others who have made cards using it, or I just select a theme and go from there.  Never-the-less, I'll always come up with something and I'm always (99.99% of the time) happy with the final product.  I create because I love it, and I wouldn't have met such incredible and talented people that I can truly call friends.  I have friends all over the world - that's just awesome.  You can't beat that!

4.  How Does Your Creativity Work?   It just does.  I can look at something and be inspired, or see another's work and my mind whips up something that I just can't wait to sit down in my craft room and get to it.  Sometimes I am like a creativity machine where I can make a slew of one-of-a-kind cards in no time, and then I do have occasions where I am lost for ideas.  Yep, only sometimes, but it's usually not for long.  Inspiration, people, nature, colors, you name it - that's how my creativity works.  I love it and I can't see me ever stopping.  I can also honestly say that I wouldn't even have created my blog if it weren't for some special women I met from all over the country at my very first Stampin' Up convention.  They took me in, having just met me, and that was the start of something I never dreamed of.  In fact, I met all of the fabulous, talented women that I follow on their blogs that very trip.  And would you believe, the group of women who took me in included one of my absolute favorite of all time?  Yep, Butternut Sage.  I was so awe struck, you have no idea.  And from that moment on, my life turned around and I knew I would be creating forever.

I hope you enjoyed learning about me, and do hope you will continue to visit my blog and follow me on the blogs I'm involved with.  You never know where you might find me ... and all I can say is, I'm so fortunate to be part of this wonderful world of creativity.  And with that, I now nominate my dear friend, Leslie, who I met on an airplane last year heading to Salt Lake City, UT for a Stampin' Up convention.  Yep, she was in the seat behind me on the other side of the isle and I just happened to look back and see her making some cards for swaps at convention.  Of course, I introduced myself and my friend Megan, who I was traveling with, and that was the start of another beautiful friendship.  Leslie was traveling alone and so I invited her to join us and introduced her to a bunch of fabulous people that I've met through Stampin' Up.  Leslie started her own blog too, and is also now a designer for The Paper Plunge too.  So the friendships continue, and I know there's many more out there that I will cross paths with and expand my breath and depth.

Thanks for stopping by, and may you be blessed with friends, love, laughter, and everything that touches your heart!