I’ve been invited to a Blog Hop

Jacaranda in Bloom

I am really honored that someone liked enough of what I wrote about to nominate me for a Blog Hop. I am not really familiar with blog hops. I think that I have seen a couple of craft businesses on Facebook mention them in posts, but that was it. Then Cobs from The Cobweborium Emporium nominated me in her blog hop. If you haven’t visited her blog, you really should. She has a whimsical style and all kinds of crafting projects. She frequently has a little story to go along with her projects. I would dearly love to meet her, she is just so charming! And she says nice things about my stuff. I don’t know exactly where she’s from, but I believe it is somewhere in the UK. Here’s the link to her blog hop: http://thecobweboriumemporium.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/blog-hop/

So the essence of this blog hop is to talk a little about myself, answer a few questions and recommend two blogs that I follow. The tricky part is to limit myself to recommend two blogs. There are a lot of creative voices out there.

What are you working on?

Well, lately I’ve been working on Christmas cards and gifts for family and friends. I have an Etsy Shop and have been doing a few cards here and there to display in my shop. I had a custom order for a really big oven mitt, that was inspired by a friend of mine a few years ago who asked me if I could make him an oven mitt to fit his big man’s hand. He suggested a couple of years ago that I make some and put them for sale on Etsy. Well, they haven’t sold. That is until a very nice lady asked me to make a pair for her.

Mostly, I make cards. I am finicky about paper. I could come up with my own artistic creations via Illustrator, but I don’t like the quality of printing from my home printer. I like the look and feel of professionally printed scrapbook paper and artwork that only offset printing can give you. I also only use products from companies that have a liberal angel policy because I don’t want anyone to send me a “cease and desist letter” and shut down my Etsy shop. I have fallen in LOVE with Hunkydory Crafts cardmaking kits. They have the most beautiful artwork and they use silver, gold, pearl and glittery accents to their artwork that really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. I also use papers, stamps and die-cuts from Hot Off the Press because I like their style, and I like the weight of their paper. Fortunately Hot Off the Press has their own webstore called Paper Wishes (www.paperwishes.com) and they sell all kinds of craft supplies, frequently from some small craft companies that you don’t find elsewhere. This is where I discovered Hunkydory.

How does your writing process work?

I usually start writing in Word. I look at the monitor while I am typing and it just flows. I frequently have a topic buzzing around in my head, either because I can’t find information on it, or I have found a wealth of information and I want to put things in a more concise statement. I am a researcher. I will try to find as much information about a topic as I can, and sort out what makes sense and what doesn’t. Then I save my file and wait a couple of hours or days and look at it with fresh eyes, and edit.

How does your blog differ from others of its genre?

I don’t always write tutorials. Sometimes I just show pictures of what I have been working on and what products I used. Sometimes I have a topic that has caught my attention and I write about that. I have written several topics about copyright law and the average crafter. There are a lot of misconceptions about copyright law and I don’t want anyone to either be taken advantage of or to inadvertently step on someone’s creative rights. I still think that there should be some clarification of arts and crafts and copyright law. Especially since there are so many products that are designed for the home-based paper crafter like me. Word of advice: stay away from any images from professional sports and Disney if you want make something using the images and sell them. Their images are trademarked, which is a separate legal entity from copyright law. Also, you need to be aware of copyright law in your own country, as it may differ from that of the United States.

If I discover a new product or want to share something that I really like, I sometimes just talk about it. I’m also open to anyone wanting to send me a comment about products that they like to use or link to their blogs if they have a new technique that they are excited about. That’s the great thing about the internet; it is so easy to share with people all over the world.

Nominate two blogs that I follow

This is a tough one, so I think I will go with two blogs that I have really enjoyed lately.

https://blackflowercreative.wordpress.com/

Black Flower Creative by Mary Woolley, who loves to crochet, cross stitch and papercraft. She has shared some really beautiful items. She does her own artwork, and has a quirky kind of style. I also loved the fact that she named her blog in memory of her late dog.

http://explorenewness.wordpress.com/

Lenore from Explore Newness, has some exceptional photography, and is always encouraging you to “find something new.” She frequently posts some encouraging and thoughtful expressions. Her blogs are sometimes as simple as a photograph and as detailed as home renovation projects. She is very refreshing.

This has been a fun adventure, and I hope I didn’t ramble too much. Please comment if you have some tips and techniques that you would like to share. I always look forward to finding a new creative blog.

For anyone interested, my Etsy store link is: https://www.etsy.com/shop/prettycolorful?ref=hdr_shop_menu