One Big Sunshine Spritzer: August 2014

Blog Hop With A Difference...

12:38 PM

You may have seen this blog hop floating around creative blog land?

Well, this one has been named the Blog Hop with a Difference because it is designed to just go on and on.

One blogger blogs and tags three other bloggers, who then blog and tag another three people each, and they all blog and tag a further three people each again, and on and on it goes! Brilliant!

I thought it sounded like fun! I was really enjoying reading people's blog posts under this blog hop banner and thought it sounded like a good thing to be involved in. After all, I've never actually participated in a blog hop before.

So when I got an email from one of my biggest inspirations and mentors in the creative industry, my heart leapt with delight!

I was invited by none other than Kim Archer to participate in this blog hop. YEP -- scrapbooking and memory-keeping extraordinaire AND publisher of the increasingly popular Jot Magazine!
You can read her blog hop post HERE!

I have followed Kim Archer and her blog for a while now, was right there when she launched the EtzClub (now re-named The Jot Spot) - soaked up every issue of Etzcetera magazine and thoroughly enjoy her workshops, especially the annual Jingle Bells workshop! BUT... it was the announcement of the upcoming launch of Jot Magazine that caused something else inside me to just burst open with an intense passion.

And I started scrapbooking again!

I had had a loooooong break from doing much creative stuff due to being busy having babies and delving into the poopy, up-chucky, no sleepy, full-on world of parenthood where Playgroup was my weekly outing, PlaySchool was the show to watch, and playdough was the best option for a creative fix ;-)

There just wasn't the time to fit anything else in!

And that's ok.

I wouldn't change a thing.

But when the announcement for Jot came - and there was mood boards and the actual release of the mag complete with a Creative Design Team call, there was NO WAY I could miss out. I just couldn't hold it all back anymore.

And...it all happened from there.

I became a Jot Girl.

Which, technically makes Kim kinda my boss ;-) haha!

[I can hear her saying "Oh gawd, don't call me that! LOL] - it's fun to have a little joke about it though ;-D

I have had the awesome privelege of meeting Kim in REAL LIFE too. She really is such a lovely, encouraging, down-to-earth person and I'm just so grateful to be able to know her and call her a friend.

I am so blessed to be a part of Kim's team and to support her in her ventures. Everything about my return to this industry and all the opportunities and growth I have experienced, began with Jot. It holds a special place in my heart and always will!

Kim and myself at E2C 2014 retreat in South Australia

So I better get onto answering some questions about myself and what I've been up to lately...

1. What am I working on right now?

Well...this blog post of course! LOL!

Jokes aside, I have actually been quite busy in my little studio of late. Issue 7 of Jot is set for release early next month and so I have been creating projects for that...oh -- you want some sneaks?

Ok then, I'll oblige...

I've also hopped onto the art journal bandwagon and have been enjoying getting messy and experimenting with inks, paint, ephemera and just going totally random on the journal pages! Loads of fun :-)

[ I took a small box of supplies down to the shop while I covered for Mr Awesome there one day :-) - make the most of every opportunity hey!?!]

2. How long does it take to create a project?

Hmmm - it varies really. Sometimes if I'm feeling super inspired, I can get a layout done in half an hour.
Most of the time, a layout or whatever I'm working on comes together in spits and spurts as I usually only get bursts of time here and there during my day between home and Mummy duties.
Ten minutes here, 5 minutes there - gradually things get done.
My main creative time that lasts for a longer duration, is in the evening after the kids are in bed, dishes done and the house is back into relatively good order. That's when most things get done!

3. What are my fave things I love to create with at the moment?

Can't get enough of patterned paper, flair badges, wood veneer and paint splatters. You'll see some, or all of these, somewhere on pretty much all of my layouts :-)

4. How does my creative process work?

Again, it varies. The majority of the time, being in creative design teams, I am working from a challenge sketch, mood board, or theme - so generally I gather any supplies that co-ordinate with these challenge or themed projects first, then I get the photo that I will scrap with.
But other times, I may find a photo that I really want scrapbooked and go from there.
It all depends.
Sometimes the mood I'm in or how daring I feel can affect my creative process.
For example, if I am feeling kinda cluttered in the head and want to regain a bit more control, my creative process will take on quite a clean, no fuss approach - everything in straight lines, balanced on the page etc.
But...
Sometimes I will feel quite amped up, wanna break out and run kinda feeling - so my creative process will be a rather messy, mismatched, use-the-whole-page kinda approach. These particular times is where I get quite brave and just let go, experiment, and just get quite daring and bold. And the project generally reflects this.
So basically, my creative process can go from one extreme to another.
And I like it that way.
I never know what I'm going to end up with...and more often than not, I surprise myself.

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

Uhh, you know this already. Just like most people, it's PINTEREST!
Love it! Such a time waster but oh so inspiring and very handy.

Creative people around me - in-person or online - inspire me.

And just the world around me can inspire me. Nature is a big one - the colour of leaves on a tree, a paddock of canola, fluffy clouds in the sky etc etc. Or I could be flipping through a mag and be inspired by the layout of a page, some text it uses, colour combinations and so on.

My mind is always filled with ideas and possibilities.
I have many sources of inspiration so am constantly inspired.

[ source ]

6. What is my signature style?

This is always a hard question to answer. After-all, my signature style is basically just my style and the way I create.
My style can vary...
It can be messy and mismatched OR clean and co-ordinated
It can be bright and bold OR muted and calm
It may have lots of detail OR be rather simple and straight-forward
I love layers and texture.
I love colour.
I also love basic and minimal.

I guess you could say my style is rather...eclectic.

Yeah.
That's me.

And that's the end of my spill :-)

Now to introduce you to the wonderful creative people I'm passing this blogging baton onto...

1. JODIE (Polka Dot Creative)
I first came across Jodie and her awesome blog and business through Jot - right back in Issue One. And I have followed her and her creative awesomeness ever since. I even have the most wondrous privelege of serving on the Polka Dot Creative team.
Jodie is upbeat, passionate, driven, and oh so talented. With her positive energy, she is quite the motivator - I am constantly inspired, challenged, and uplifted by what she does or says or posts on her blog, Facebook, or Instagram. I adore seeing her Project Life pages and am so in love with her latest creative ventures into Brush Script work. I have the honour of owning one of her canvases -

I adore it!
You can link to her blog and shop by visiting her site HERE.

2. KAREN ANDERSEN
Karen is another online friend and fellow creative.
She is so talented! I own a few Blythe dresses she sewed herself and they are gorgeous. Her blog is just so bright and well presented. And her creative works are just so bright, bold and oh-so pretty. LOVED her December Daily album she created last year. And her creative space pictures she posted made me swoon. So organised, fresh and pretty.
And she is just a lovely, friendly person.
You can find her blog HERE.

3. ---
Ok. So I have a bit of trouble getting someone to fill this spot - so if you would like to join in...consider yourself tagged.
(Make sure you leave a link to your blog in the comments here so I can check out your blog and the blog hop post ;-) That would be great!)

And that is my first blog hop DONE!
YAY!

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

Blogs

Friday Faves...

7:30 AM

Linky Loves...

Friday Faves...

Pin Picks...

Friday Faves...

Pin Picks...

'Something' New at Jot...

Friday Faves...

Blog Hop With A Difference...

Friday Faves...

About me

Connect

DESIGNING FOR

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive

Contributors

BlogLovin

Followers

Popular Posts

Flickr Images