The Creative Blog Hop Experience---take two!

Thank you very much, Susan Horr of Susan Stamps, for nominating me to participate in the Creative Blog Hop this week.  Susan is a long-time member of our monthly Wacky Watercooler Blog Hops and has always amazed me with her many creative projects.

For my project this time around with the Creative Blog Hop, I had been thinking of making an easel card.  I love easel cards because they are such fun to display.  Of course this easel card would be different than my usual rectangular or square ones because I was determined to make it round so that I could also submit my card to the SUO Challenge which is all about different shaped cards.

I began with a Basic Black base simply because black is such an elegant colour and almost anything looks wonderful framed by it.  I had also been eyeing the new stamp set lying on my crafting table, Indescribable Gift.  I had fallen in love with the branch of flowers but so far had done no more than look at it and promise myself I would use it "soon".  Soon is a very flexible time measurement.

I stamped the branch of flowers on a piece of Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper.  This is a very lightweight paper and was perfect for the delicate flowers in the stamp.  Then I used my lightest Smoky Slate Blendabilities marker to add some tint to the wood and leaves, the lightest of the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities markers to add some tint to the flowers, and followed that up with using the Blendabilities Colour Lifter to take away much of that tint, especially in the flowers.  Finally I used my Real Red Stampin' Marker to add a bit of colour to portions of the blossoms.

Then I used my Paper Snips to fussy-cut the whole branch with its flowers, buds and leaves.  By the time I was two thirds of the way through the cutting, I was questioning my sanity, but they don't call me the Queen of Fussy-Cutting for nothing---I persevered and finished the job.  I took the delicate cut-out and immersed it in a plate full of water, tapping the flowers to get the Real Red to run.  When the water turned pink, I so very, very carefully took the cut-out and placed it on some paper towels, carefully blotting it until it was just barely wet.  After that I let it continue to dry on a flat piece of plastic and got to work on the remainder of the card.

This is the front:

The inside:

And, finally, standing as an easel:

As you have probably guessed, this is an anniversary card.  I love what it says on the inside and the whole card makes me think of romance.  That slight wash of light colour around the edge of the card?  I sponged it lightly with some Craft Whisper White ink.  

And now for the questions that are part of this blog hop:

#1.  What are you working on now?   I'm working on preparing for my Open House this coming weekend, my Design Team card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge, arranging for the Watercooler Challenge this coming weekend and organizing the Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop which launches on February 26th.  It's a busy month!

#2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?  If by genre you mean cardmakers then I don't really differ all that much.  After all, we work with paper, ink and embellishments.  I use any colour that appeals at the moment or that compliments the theme of my project.  I think most of us do that.

#3.  Why do you create what you do?  I get inspired by an idea which can come from any number of sources:  a photo I've seen or taken, a card that caught my attention, a new technique of which I've heard, etc.  Bottom line, I create anything that will give me joy.  I have designed clothing, costumes, knit and crocheted items, done woodwork, painted pictures and murals, created pottery and projects out of an enormous variety of materials.  I love to create.  I am constantly inspired.  Colours, textures, shapes---all inspire me.  

#4.  How does your creativity work?  That differs for each project.  Usually my ideas or inspiration "incubates" for a while and my subconscious wrestles with it until suddenly I know just what I am going to do and go ahead with my creation.  Those times that I force the issue are the hardest for me as I find myself changing my mind dozens of times during the creation stage.  If I haven't developed a clear idea of what I'm doing, I know I will be constantly changing paths.

My last task for this Creative Blog Hop is to nominate someone to follow along with their own blog post next Monday.  My nominee is Jeanne Kupsh who is currently in Germany with her husband and daughter, where they have been posted with the military.  Jeanne is one of the most creative and talented people I know.  Her blog is always fun to visit.  I hope you'll join her next Monday when she presents her wonderful creation at Jeannie's Happy World.

I've also entered my card in the SUO Challenge which, as I mentioned, is all about different shaped cards.

And lastly I've entered it in the Inkspirational Challenge which is a photo challenge and my blossoms are perfect for it.