Blog Hop with a Difference

When i was asked by the gorgeous and hugely talented Sue Smyth  (and i mean unbelievably talented - i was totally blown away by some of her projects at the recent Brisbane Expo) to be a part of this blog hop, at first i thought - oh no i can't as my blog really is not uptodate but then i thought well that is just me, not really having the time blog every day and only when i can, so i said yes and hope i don't disappoint....  you can check out Sue's blog above  (prepare to be inspired..)... and keep blog hopping from there...

1. what am i working on right now?
with three teenage girls who need me more than ever to be around if only to be there taxi service Ive had to make a hard decision and cut back from full-time work to a couple of days a week.  Ive had so many people say with them getting older i can do more but NO WAY....  Three teenagers, 13, 14 and 15 (all girls) I'm finding they need me more than ever and i need to be around for them too.  I'm still working two days a week with kaisercraft in the design area but spending more time out teaching around the place... so if you ever want a visit or a class just get in touch...

and in the scrapbooking world, well we are always working soooooo far in advance i rarely can share with you what i am doing right now except to say we are doing the collections for february to april 2015.  but i can say we have ticked a few boxes in the requests from customers this quarter.  so remember if you ever have any suggestions to let one of the sales team know as we really do listen.   i can't remember being so far in advance and its quite confusing especially when talking to friends when they chat about what has just been released and i think its so old as we may have scrapped it 6 months ago...

anyways what i can share is a little sneak peak of some classes i am designing for singapore next month and layouts for a few local stores .  i have been given the awesome opportunity to go over there and teach for PaperMarket and I'm so looking forward to meeting with them and sharing some of the things i love doing with them for the day...

mixed media album for PaperMarket Singapore

...... and a little sneak peak of one of the classes, I'm also teaching this weekend in Ngambie.

lots of layers, lots of texture and hopefully lots of fun...

that pretty much it for what Im up to... if you have any idea of what its like to kit up for classes for 50 etc its pretty much been my days this week.  and then you have writing instructions... something that as much as i love getting my hands dirty the instructions are something that i struggle with...

2. How long does it take to do a project?
working at kaiser for nearly 10 years you learn to scrap fast, so at times you don't necessarily get to spend as long on something as you would if you were at home.  khen when you get home honestly there are times that i really don't want to look at another piece of paper.   i think now that i have cut my hours back a bit i am finding that Im probably enjoying being creative for myself again a little bit more.
projects can vary from an hour to days depending on what it is.   sometime when you see a new collection developing then ideas start to form straight away and i can't wait to get my hands on ranges and have a play.....   (that is happening with a range that i know is coming out in Summer.....  i already have it planned for use on the scrapping cruise in Jan) and you can whip up a layout in a couple of hours but it really depends on what the end purpose is.    Say for instance if its a project such as an altered BTP project for display like CHA you tend to spend more time on it to make it that extra bit spesh with the WOW factor...  Some things can take a few days...

3. What are my favourite things i love to create with right now...

i love textures and layers..... so i love pretty papers but i also like to look at the and see how i can deconstruct them so to speak....  

i love mixed media and absolutely love playing with Modelling Pastes and Gels at the moment - and really all kinds of mediums....  here is a couple of examples that aren't anything special but i had a lot of fun creating....

but since i have just currently just finished my cert IV in photography  lately i have been having a lot of fun creating and playing with my camera....   and we had our exhibition last week.

i actually picked these green bottles up
from a little antique shop in Ngambie last year, who you never
know what i may find this weekend.  i will definatley be
giving this store a visit though...

wow, i never really quite imagined so much work and thankfully i did cut my hours back a little as i would never have finished all the assignments.  i was only enrolling in a course to learn more about my camera but hey 12 months later i feel like i have achieved something.  the best part i think is i had the opportunity to do these two courses with my dad  (and now I'm thinking he a lot better at that side of things than me..... and he loves that) but at least now i know all about my camera and it rarely in the green auto setting.  I've also been asked to take the photographs for our netball club so that little project has actually turned into me making a book at at the moment.  this is one of the pictures from inside....

so you can see that scrapbooking isn't my only passion anymore...  guessing as i said i would at the start of the year, trying to get all the priorities around the right way and trying to start with my family, then the worlds my oyster so to say.... and well POSSIBILITIES are endless and  trying really hard to just see where life takes me...  I posted this quote on Facebook the other day and love it.

and ask you can see, who knows what i will be up to next.....

4. How do i become inspired and stay inspired:

well i don't have to look very far to do that, there is always something around me that inspires me, whether its nature or a pattern - there is always an idea for a great printed pattern and I'm sure the girls at work get sick of my ideas at time.

next week the Reeds gift and trade fair is on and i love going to that - i love see what is new and then thinking i could make that...

and also lots and lots of reading and blogs by inspiring people.    I often start at one person and then move to another.

Probably one of my very very favourite artists is Kelly Rae Roberts and i love everything about her....  my house is full of her canvases and she would be one of my inspirations for what i do....  grab some of her books if you get the chance...

I know in all my classes - i always quote
"there are no such thing as a mistake only a unique creation"
i didn't realise she had this canvas until tonight... I'm off to track one down...

5. What is my signature style:

well i don't know if i actually have one, i love distressed, a little shabby, lots of layers but i also tend to like things simple at times... It really depends on the mood I'm in.  I guess working with Kaiser papers i have learnt to adapt to what i have to use can switch it up if i have to... but when i am doing things for myself there usually is lots of layers and heaps of Tim Holtz products - you gotta love Tim...

i hope you have enjoyed a little glimpse of me.  thank you for asking me to do this Sue, its been fun and i nominate the following two gorgeous and talented girls to do the same, both of who i have the please of working with at Kaisercraft....

1.  Kylie Obst

2. Jess Milinkovic or on facebook HERE