A unique blog hop - Getting to know your creative side

Hello everyone!  It's Monday!  But that's ok because I'm still on vacation lol.  So I'm here today to share with you a special hop.

I was tagged for this hop by my good friend and co-blog owner for Open Minded Crafting Fun yup you guessed it the fabulously talented Susan Kennedy of Scrap a thousand words.  She tagged me on this post here.

So let's start with how I met this incredible woman!  She was on one of the very 1st team that I join which was Tammy's Scrapin corner.  And wow I just admired her work.  Not only was she super talented she's incredibly nice and sweet.  I don't think there's anything that this woman can't do at least art wise... She draws her very own digi (well her, her spouse and her kids).  You can find those in her store here.  Susan can't seem to do a simple card... she just layers and decoupage like crazy and ends up with such gorgeous projects.  When Tammy mentioned that she was wanting to shut the challenge up, Susan approached me about starting our own.  I would have NEVER EVER started one by myself... but with Susan as the co-owner and knowing how organized she is, I knew that we could make this happen.  I feel sooooo blessed to have been given the opportunity to get to know her better.  Hopefully to meet her one day in person would be totally awesome.  In the meantime I watch what she does and learn :)

When Susan approached me for this hop... I first figured I would not accept since I was camping... and I wasn't sure that I would have Wi-Fi... but then... I just couldn't say no to her lol.  So here I am.

The start
OK so how did this creative journey all start for me?!?  It was back in March of 2012 that I started blogging... and used the title Crafting Vicky in order to differentiate myself from the other Vicky's when I was entering challenges...  Up until that time I had been crafting but didn't know about the crafting community on the internet... I also didn't know anything about digital.

I have been crafting forever... I even did my own wedding invitation stamping and embossing at the time and coloring with tomboy pens.  Then I had 4 kids... Andrew, Megan, Gregory and William.  While they were small I did a bit of knitting... did a bit of sewing for their clothes... I was lucky my MIL was a crafter and great teacher to me!!!  Then in 2010 I started scrapbooking!  And that's when the addiction really started... I went to some retreats with a great friend of mine Cinzia (I've told you guys about her before... she's on this blog but doesn't do it much right now... life is just too busy).

I met some friends and they got me hooked to stamping again (your fault Chrystiane Bisson).  After finding out about challenges I started to enter... and ended up being on a lot of fabulous teams.  I still pinch myself that I can be this lucky!!!!

Oh and then... I just also had to start a darker blog... that you can find here.  There's not much going on right now on that one...

What am I working on
Well right now I'm on vacation... so I'm working on my tan lol...   Here's my campsite just for your eyes...  the kids are playing... you can their tent in the back

The tent on the left is for the games and the one on the right is the meal area

And here's the master suite for the parents :)

What do I create

Hmmm that's a hard question... right now it's a journal full of our camping memories so that I might scrapbook them later.  You have seen some of it on my blog but here it is again:

I do mostly cards these days...  It's always hard for me when there's an anything but card challenge lol

How does my creative process work and how do I get and stay inspired

wow that's a hard question... I usually have some images to work with for my DT... or I start by looking at a sketch and it comes :)  I have a ton of digis... I could probably create with a different one for the rest of my life... but I'm a craft addict... I also have a lot of stamps... and well... just don't want to get rid of them either.

Sometimes just looking around my small crafting space will help me.  I also have a lot of magazine subscription that's fabulous to get that mojo going. That or all the great DT commenting that I do and see soooo much to inspire me!

I put both questions together because basically the answer that I had put was good for both!

My style?  How does it differ?

That's another hard question because I'm not sure that I have a style per say...  I really love to challenge myself in trying out new things... stepping out of my comfort zone.  I work with cute, and not so cute :) So hmmm not sure.  But I adore my copics.  I used to use watercolor... and haven't done that in a long time.  I also have prismacolor pencils... just purchased some spectrum noir... yeah did I say I'm an addict?!?

I have tagged 3 creative friends, who will be sharing their creative journey's with you next week Monday, 28 July 2014. They are: 

Joann Burton AKA Sassy Raggedy

Joann is one of the 1st crafter that I had the chance to meet!  She was extremely helpful in helping me start out my blogging journey.  She has continued to be a real support even though she's had some rough times in her life.  

I don't know if you have seen her artwork but it's always soooo cheerful!  Just brings a smile to my face every time I drop by.  You should check out her blog!!!  And check out how she finishes the inside of her card as well!!!!  That's just incredible to me!  She also uses her Cameo way better than I do... I'm stalking her blog to learn lol

Erin Stephenson of Erin's Owl Nest

I'm not sure how I have met Erin any more... it just seems like she's been in my life for the longest of times!  I had posted a card if I remember correctly for a darker post... and Erin mentioned that she liked it.  So I asked for her address and mailed it along... and there you have it!  Instant friendship.  She's such a great and versatile artist.  She will work with any type of image which is totally awesome.  And we are super lucky that she joined Open Minded Crafting Fun.  Check her out because she will be one big name one day!

Via FB we have become great friends and I long to share with her my latest makes, techniques and worries...  :) It's fun to be able to share this with someone and not get judged.  I consider myself extremely lucky to have her in my life!  It's strange that though we haven't met... I still feel so connected with her and feel that I can totally be myself!  How incredible is internet?!? 

And last but certainly not least is 

Lisa Decosse from Decosse Dynamite Doodles 

I was super lucky that Lisa approached me way back in 2012.  She wanted to do a showcase and use one of my cards from Crafting when we can.  I was sooooo honored.  I don't  think Lisa ever got how flattered that made me.  That someone actually thought my work was good enough to be showcased... So I started to follow this lady...and WOW she's just amazing and a fellow Canadian!

She is so selfless.  She devotes a ton of time for her followers by giving them freebies as well as highlighting their accomplishments.  She also gives a great spotlight to artist.  She's one totally amazing writer... don't know if you have read some of the posts that she has done for Fresh Brewed Challenges or for Scribbles challenges but she totally gives life to her the digital characters like no other! 

She also started 2 challenges one that I'm part of which is Path of Positivity challenge which is really about sharing some good things based on a theme.  She also started a special challenge for Christmas cards in order to give us some incentive to create some Christmas cards ahead of time 12 months of Christmas card link up.  

We are also on a bunch of teams together, Fresh Brewed, Ike's Challenge, Scribbles and none the least Creative bug on the loose that she runs with Naomi.  Lisa does fabulous digital work, you really have to check out the digital papers that she gives or the great sentiments.

She's been sharing this journey with the ups and downs with me and I'm really lucky to call her a friend!

Next step

YES you can see how fabulously lucky I am to be surrounded with such great friends and artists right?!? So you have to go and check them out and see more about them next Monday the 28th!  Thank you so much Susan for giving me this showcase :)    

Hope you guys have fun and don't forget to go and discover those fabulous ladies!  You will not regret it!

Hugs