Creative Blog Hop

Happy September and happy Labor day! To start this month I am participating on a fun hop. Last Monday, a creative friend and fellow Gallery Idol gal May Sukyong tagged me in her post HERE to take part in the Creative Blog Hop. It is a never-ending blog hop which takes place on Mondays. Each blogger answers four questions about themselves and afterwards they tag two to three other creative bloggers. How fun is that! So, here we go.

1. What am I working on now?

I am currently working on submission call for Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Card Creations Vol. 13 and on various different team assignments. I’ve been blessed with some opportunities to design for various companies and right now am designing for one of my favorite online store, i {heart} papers, A Jillian Vance Design, Riley & Company and another company that I literally just accepted the invitation to join their team this past week. The announcement will be made soon. Hint: they have cute stamps that are totally my style. Being on these teams means every week I always have something to work on.

This is where I do  my work. And, no, that desk rarely look clean like this. 99% of the time it's covered with stuff.

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?

According to my friends, they can always tell which one is my card just by looking at them. So, I guess that means I do have a certain style. J I love making clean and simple cards. For me, white space is a must. The same goes for when I am scrapbooking. As for cute, what can I say, I love cute stuff. From when I was a toddler, I love everything cute, from stuff animals to stationary. And my love of cute stuff totally shows on my projects, especially when I work with critter images.  

Cheerful and bright is other words that often used to described my work. When I make my cards, I make it with the hope that it will brighten the day of whoever receives it. It actually took me a while to realize I am a bright color person. I used to think I am a pastel color kind of girl, but not anymore. I love colors and now I embrace that and yep... cheerful & bright would be the way I described my style.

Here's one of my card. Pretty  much captured those descriptions, right?

3. Why do I create what I do?

Simple, I do what I do because it makes me happy. I always love pretty papers. When I was in elementary school, I collected cute stationery. In junior high I started doodling and trying to do stuff with my pictures. And, soon after I moved to the States I found the joy of scrapbooking. Pretty much scrapbooking and card making are the only hobbies that stick with me. With scrapbooking I enjoy it because whenever I work on it, I am looking at stuff that makes me happy. My family, my dogs, my friends. I love preserving my family memories. But, I am a slow scrapbooker as I like to take my time when I am working on them.

Card making is my day to day creative outlet. I have a pretty fast pace and demanding job. I find making card relaxing. It helps me wind down and whenever I completed a card it gives me a sense of accomplishment, beside the fact that I just made something pretty that can make others happy (when they receive it).

4. How does my creative process work?

Very random. Depends on what I am working on. For design team projects I usually start with the stamp set and go from there. For submission projects, I tend to plan more. I usually would start with some sketch or written down idea on what I want to create and how I want to do it.

Pinterest is my favorite source of inspirations. Most of the time colors would get my attention first. Then pattern. But, many times I work with no idea whatsoever what I want to make. I just go with the flow. Oh... and I have to have audiobook on the background. I can’t create effectively when it’s quiet. Can’t do music either. I have to have good story going on while I am creating. Somehow it helps me focus. And,  yes, I can follow the story as well. Thank goodness for the library. I borrowed tons of audio book from them. 

Well, that's a little bit about me. I hope you  feel like you know me a bit better from this question & answer. And, now I'd like to introduce you to two of my creative friends.

Tiffany is the talented girl from iheartartblog.com! She's an Army wife and mama of 3 stationed at New Orleans, LA. She loves all things paper and ink, but have fallen madly deeply in love with mixed-media and anything die-cutting related! In her free time, she love to hit the gym or go for a run. 

Next, is Chaitali Narla from Cuts, Crop & Creativity. She's a Sr. Software Engineer in Test for Google (yes, THAT Google). She's a double whammy. Smart and creative. She also one of the stamp designer for Verve Stamps.

You're still with me to the end of this post? Awesome and thank you. Am really looking forward  to Tiffany & Chaitali post next Monday. Thank you so much for stopping by here. Hope you have a great Labor day!