Jolly Birthday Wishes

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, Monday morning again, how quickly they come around.

I have a few reminders for you this morning before I share my card with you. First, I wanted to remind you that Crafty Boots Challenges are looking for Design Team Members, have you ever thought of joining a Design Team and sharing your handiwork?  It can be great fun and you would make some amazing friends.

The theme of the current Challenge at Crafty Boots Challenges is 'Gold'.  This can be ink, embossing powder, mirri card, gilding flakes, or just gold coloured card or pens.

The card I have to share with you today is mounted on gold mirri card.  This adorable image is from Teddy Bo & Co ans is called 'Jolly the G ...... Jiraffe'.

After colouring the image with Promarkers I mounted it on various card and papers from my scrap box.

Now for something a little different and rather special. Last Monday I was delighted, and not a little amazed, that my good friend and muse Lisette, aka Mrs Beez, had tagged me in a creative blog hop. I know, totally amazing, especially when you consider how talented Lisette is.  Her other nominees, Hels Sheridan and Susan M Brown, are both super talented - exalted company indeed.  Please hop across to their blogs and see their wonderful work for yourself.

I am supposed to answers to a few questions:

1. What are you working on at the moment?

It is a very exciting time for me as it is my turn to administer the Crafty Boots Challenge Blog.  Before taking my turn I never realised just how time consuming this is, but it is great fun.  As you know, we are currently recruiting for the Design Team, this is very interesting and a great way to meet some very talented people.

I have just completed a series of projects inspired by some of the steampunk images I have been looking at on Pintrest.  I have only had time to post a couple of these projects, so please keep an eye out for the rest.

Next I think I should like to experiment with texture and use stencils, pastes, modge podge etc.

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

To be honest I do not think I have a specific style, I like to push myself and try different things.  My crafting has never stood still.  I have been making things for over 50 years.  Cross stitch was probably my first love but I also love working with paper and I make cards, scrapbook and alter objects.  I also make my own clothes and crochet.  I very recently learnt to knit and am currently making school uniform cardigans for my great niece and great nephew.

3. Why do you create?

In all honesty, I think I would find it impossible not have some project (or three or four) on the go, I need to be making things.  However, unlike most people who talk about why they make things, I do not find the process relaxing.  I find it exciting, total consuming and at times very stressful.

4. How does your creative process work?

In truth, I do not think I have a creative process.  There are times, when I am working to a deadline, that it comes out of pure panic but there are other times when ideas come to me in a dream - or at least that time when I am just waking up.  An idea will just pop into my head, of course, I often have to tweak the original concept to make it actually work, dreams are not always that practical.

This is the part where I am supposed to nominate two or three of my crafting friends to join in the blog hop.  I have decided not to do this, it just doesn't feel right.  However, I have made some really good friends through crafting and some of the most inspiring ones are in the Crafty Boots DT, I should like to thank them for their support, their inspiration and for all the tips and crafty gifts over the years.  There are three in particular who have always stood by me, they are all amazingly talented, they have very different styles but they all have such generous hearts.  I have struggled to decide what order to list them in so I have played it safe and I have gone for alphabetical.  So, very big hugs and massive thank you's to Gabrielle, Lisette and Stephanie-Emma.

I hope reading a little about me has not put you off visiting my blog in the future because I would genuinely miss your visits.

Have a great week.

Dionne