Getting to know ME

I must apologize for being late with this post; sometimes life gets in the way.
My dear friend Heather Jacob invited me to play along with a
BLOG HOP with a DIFFERENCE 
It’s a getting to know you blog.

At first I was going to decline, because I’m a bit intimidated by new things,
but with her gentle encouragement, I decided to give it a go. 
Having said that, Heather is a tough act to follow.
CLICK HERE
 to go to her beautiful blog
I’m in awe of her Art and creativity.

Heather designs for CSI, Meg's Garden, Maja and Dusty Attic

My list of friends with links are at the bottom of this post
They will be posting next week 30th June

1. What am I working on right now?
Currently, I’m making some Baby cards for my daughter in law,

using Martha Stewart crafter’s clay
 to create a resin type embellishment.
When I finish a layout, I bundle all the scraps into a bag,
so that when I go to make a card, all the co-ordinating scraps are in one spot.
I love to use dies, especially on cards.

I’ve also started a mini-album about a one year working holiday
 I took with friends, before I was married.  I’ve scanned some slides
  and am shocked at the terrible quality of them.  
Still, they tell the story of a young girl, heading off to see the world,
someone my sons have never met. 
I’d like them to know of my adventures before they were born.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Primarily it differs because I’m a journalling junkie.  
I love to tell the story about the photo and not just, 

who, what, when, where and why. 
I try to give a glimpse of the subject’s personality and feelings.
 For retro or older photos, I like to describe the social mores of the time,
so that our Grandchildren will understand
what it was like to live when I was a child.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?
We have such fun with the Grandchildren and enjoy
their funny little sayings and questions. 
I want to record their stories, so they will know later,
 just how much they were loved and what joy they brought into our lives.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?
Writing comes fairly easily to me and I find it a pleasure, rather than a chore. 

I jot down little conversations I have with the Grandchildren.
I’ve always kept a travel diary and refer to it when journalling.
However the creating can be problematic, as I am a painfully slow scrapper.
  I often start without any idea about what I will make
and the page just evolves (or not); sometimes it ends up in the bin. 
I thank Heather for the freedom to be able rip it up
and start again, rather than persisting with something which is just not working.
 Luckily the Grandchildren allow me to take lots of photos, 

as long as I’m quick about it!

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
Being on Design Teams keeps me inspired;
talented artists from around the world encourage
me to try new techniques and styles. 
I’m driven to record the children’s stories,
because although we think we will remember,
they grow and change so quickly,
that even now, I look back and think,
“I might have forgotten that, if it hadn’t been written down."
They love to look at their albums and remember special events.

6. What is my signature style?
I like to try new styles and techniques,
but lean toward clean and simple with lots of journalling
typed right on the front of the page.

If you'd like to visit three inspiring blogs, 

check out my friend’s posts on 30th

Janice Nicholls
A talented scrapper and a gentle spirit who
encouraged me to submit pages for publication,
to start a blog and to apply for Design Team positions. 
Without her, I would have done none of these things.
Janice always has stunning photos to work with.
Her style is layered and distressed with great use of chipboard and washi. 
I was lucky enough to meet Janice IRL recently.

Valerie Thorpe
Is at home with lots of styles, I am inspired by her
interpretation of sketches and bold use of colour. 
She has ventured into the world of mixed media lately
and is coming to grips with the unpredictability of the medium. 
Val shares my love of words and has a lyrical, poetic voice.
She has the ultimate in a scrapping studio, with a place for everything.
Apart from scrapbooking we share a common interest,
as we are both Grandmother to twins.

Denise van der Venter
Denise uses lots of layers, flowers, chipboard, paint, stencils
and anything in the Mixed Media line.
She runs a fabulous design team called Scrap Africa,
for which she provides most of the sketches and ideas for other challenges. 
She is calm, organised and very supportive; truly a joy to work with

Links to my friends joining in this blog hop
Janice Nicholls

Valerie Thorpe

Denise van der Venter

all these artists will be posting for this blog hop next week 30th June,
I’d love you to hop over and find out more about them.

My addiction to scrapbooking has enabled me to
make friends in cyberspace,
some of whom I’ve since met in real life.
What a joy and an honour.

If you have persisted to the end of this long post,
thank you so much,
I hope you will discover some new scrappers
and become inspired by their Art.