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Monday 8 September 2014

The Creative Blog Hop - Monday September 8th 2014

Good Morning Friends,




A few weeks ago, my blog friend Claire, tagged me to write a post for the Creative Blog Hop...now I hadn't really heard of it, except that I am sure some of you have been tagged in the past. It would have been easy to say "sorry, but I really am too busy"... but this was Claire asking and we have become such good friends since connecting via WOYWW at the start of the year. We immediately loved each others work, we have swapped cards, tips and stash via snail mail and have found out via email that we are quite alike...in fact, had Claire not moved from the UK to the USA last year, I am sure we would have met up by now. I do urge you to hop over and have a look at Claire's blog -http://hamnmuledesigns.blogspot.co.uk

Now the idea of the Creative Blog Hop is that Claire introduces me on her blog, which she did last Monday and then today I introduce one or two others and this is where it has all gone wrong!

You know how busy I've been? I've hardly had time to craft, let alone blog! I follow all of you because I admire your work - you are all different, which reflects my eclectic craft tastes and to actually pick any of you that I have been blog friends with for a long while was impossible, so I chose three people that I have only connected with this year and who have different styles, blog regularly and aren't already followed by many of my long time friends.

Almost as soon as I said yes to Claire, I was asked my three others (they say good things come in threes don't they?), so I had to say no and hope they understood. One of them was one of the people I was going to tag myself! Of the other two, although one really wanted to, a family emergency forced her to pull out and the other was unable to do it. I had no time for a Plan B, so I'm afraid I'm breaking the chain (although I am sure many other bloggers are doing the same thing today!), but at the end of this post I am going to recommend three bloggers, that aren't already followed by many of you and urge you to have a look..that's the least I can do!

The other part of this blog hop is that I am interviewed and here is my interview:


What am I working on now?

Well, I am rarely working on one thing! I have quite a few interests in crafting and whilst I usually have cards on the go, I also love altered and mixed media art. 

At the moment I have two projects for Autumn on the go...one for Halloween, which is a lantern and crow and also a Primitive Folk Art Tryptch. I love this type of art and have done ever since I was a teenager and discovered it whilst spending some time with my aunt in San Francisco.There was an exhibition at a museum that I must have visited every time I took the bus into the City for the month it was there!

 I love the crows and their message of change and rebirth, the all knowing crow! I'm not giving too much away at the moment...these flowers are for my crow, which I am quite nervous about eventually blogging  as a lot of my blog friends will really not like it, this art can be a bit of an acquired taste!





How does my work differ from others in my genre?

That's a very difficult question and I have to be honest, not something I've thought much about! I don't think I have a specific style really. I like so many different styles and try to incorporate lots of different elements in my own work. I take inspiration from all of the blogs I visit and love to learn new tips from them..I love stamping, using dies, painting, sewing...I just like to have a variety of crafts on the go! Too many I suspect!


my crow at an early stage in its creation


Why do I create what I do?

Just because I love doing it! I always have...Dad was a sign writer by profession, but he went to art school when he was a young man living in Canada and drew cartoons for local papers, whilst trying to sell his art. I never really inherited the ability to draw from imagination, though I can copy photos and illustrations and I did win a Magpie Badge (if you remember that TV Show!) for a painting of a horse :)  so using rubber stamps was the next best thing for me and discovering them (when they were still all on wooden blocks) was just brilliant and I never looked back!

How does my creative process work?

Another difficult question - when I am having to make a card for a commission or design something for my group to make at our craft class, there is usually a starting point, which can be simply a theme or a particular stamp that has to be used. I find the creative process easier if there is a starting point, otherwise I take inspiration from looking at blogs and my guilty pleasure, which is Pinterest!

A glimpse of the Tryptych



That's my little interview, but before I go, I would like to introduce you to a few other bloggers that you may like to visit:

Patti and I also discovered each other via WOYWW and we have also swapped cards via snail mail: I love her CAS cards,  do visit and have a look back over her posts!


I met Jackie when we both joined Sam Poole's design team at the same time and immediately connected on Facebook (something else I have so little time for at the moment!)...please pop over and look at Jackie's posts - I know you will love her style!

Finally, I connected recently with Angela, again via WOYWW..if you love altered and mixed media art, you really should check out Angela's blog...I have certainly been inspired by her.



Last, but by no means least, I would like to welcome my newest follower Mouseyjo...thank you so much for choosing to follow me Jo and please let me know your blog address if you have one!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Love and Hugs
Carole X



14 comments:

  1. Hi Carole, I do remember Magpie, though I am reluctant to admit it lol! It was a great program.
    I can't wait to see the crow project, I know some people don't like crows very much but I think they are great characters, they almost seem to try and talk to you and certainly don't appear to fear people.
    Thank you for your kind comment about my blog, you are a true crafty friend.
    Have a great week and happy crafting, Angela x

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  2. Good evening Carole,
    Great insight into what you do and why.
    Looking forward to seeing your projects
    Sorry I for one do not like crows, a right pain in my garden.
    Enjoy your evening

    Patricia x

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  3. Great post Carole. Love the crow project, can't wait to see it completed. I with Angela, I am a big fan of Crows, we have a bunch of them living in the tree that hangs over my parents garden - hilarious creatures. I went and nosyied around the other blogs - Angela I know, but Patti and Jackie were new. Gotta love WOYWW for bringing us all together. Cx

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  4. It is a lovely post Carole, it is always good to get to know more about crafty friends! I am so pleased that you are now pals with Angela, she is a really lovely lady (we have met) and a very talented crafter - much like you! Your crow is looking good aready! Hugs, Anne xx

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  5. Morning Carole.
    Thanks for the interesting post, my you get up to lots of things. Surprised you have the time to go to work.
    LydiaX

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  6. Loved reading through your post Carole...you really are a talented lady and like Lydia says its amazing you have time to work

    Anne

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  7. Hi Carole

    A great post .. .. lovely to read!

    Hope you are having a good week.

    Love Jules xx

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  8. Feel like I know more about you now Carole...like old buddies.xx

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  9. Hi Carole,
    what fab TCBH post.
    Now I can't say that most of it is new to me as I have been one of your followers for some time, and have read some very interesting posts from you in the past, and enjoyed every one.
    I seem to have got buried in my part of this TCBH so sorry I missed this on Monday.
    Your crow looks very exciting, and I can't wait to see the finished creation.
    I will pop over to the blogs suggested in a mo.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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  10. Hi Carole that was such an interesting post thank you for sharing so much of yourself. Thank also for the mention. I hope that one day we can meet up. I know you aren't at Ally Pally this time round maybe another time. Hugs Jackie

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  11. I really enjoyed reading this. I can't wait to see your crow project - I love them too, such symbolic birds!
    Rebecca.

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  12. Carole it was wonderful learning and getting to know you even a little better. Thanks so much for sharing.
    Hugs
    Desíre
    {Doing Life – my personal blog}

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  13. Dear Carole,

    I am blessed beyond words to see the shout out you've given to me! I, like you have felt a bit "out of it" lately and it really warms my hear to see that being absent for a few weeks does not mean we loose the wonderful friendships we've made. You'll be back to blogging more regularly and so will I! : ) Thank you friend!!

    I appreciate you thinking of me and hope that we will continue to get to know one another both on blogging and in private e-mails. : )

    I love reading about your style and creative process much of my creativity comes from my father as well. Sigh.

    Have a wonderful day!! I hope things settle in to a more comfortable pace very soon.

    (((Hugs)))
    Patti

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  14. Loved learning more about you! ~Diane

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