Monday, August 11, 2014

Creative Blog Hop

I was invited to participate in the "Creative Blog Hop" by my sweet friend, Vicki Robertson. We will continue this progressive blog hop while meeting and greeting new bloggers, sharing our creative inspiration, and learning more about ourselves and the craft we love!

Here's a little about Vicki. . .

I've gotten to know Vicki through our mutual love of paper crafting and appreciation for each other's work. Vicki is amazingly talented and enjoys spreading her creativity across the gamut of papercrafting from layouts to cards and off the page projects. She currently shares her talents designing for Craft-Dee BowZ, Dies R Us, Rogue Redhead Designs and Blog Coordinator for CropStop.

Be sure to stop by Vicki's blog, He"artful" Validation to see her amazing projects.

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I started my journey into paper crafting strictly as a scrapbooker, but over time have expanded to include cards and off the page projects. I'm a life-long crafter, and enjoy employing those skills into my projects. As you will see below, I enjoy a wide range of color palettes.

Here are some of my favorites:

"Caboose Light"

"Together"

"Together"
Created for our 32 year anniversary!!

Wedding Card

"Memories"

Candle Holder

"Bless the Lord"
"

1. What I am working on?
I love to get my fingers into paint, ink, and all sorts of mixed media goodness. I just finished a paint palette wall hanging and am getting ready to play around with a new glue technique tomorrow for one my upcoming projects. You'll have to stop by my blog later this month to see how they turned out.

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?
My style has varied over the years, but my current style is Shabby Mixed Media. I love to combine pretty and elegant items with grungy, rough edged things. I also enjoy finding and using non-traditional items on my layouts and papercrafted projects like jewelry, and guy junk like washers and gears. The most unusual item I've ever used? Probably the metal eyelets I cut off of an old pair of discarded tennis shoes. I know our daughter thought I was a bit crazy when I asked her if she was throwing those shoes away for good. I just couldn't let those cool triangular eyelets go to waste!!

As much as I adore my amazing husband and sweet children, my faith is the most important thing in my life and is often reflected in my work.

3.   Why do I write/create what I do?
I started scrapbooking to archive our family history in 2007. It soon became clear that for me  papercrafting is more about the creative process than documentation. That realization gave be the freedom to take as long as necessary to create. Yes, sometimes it takes me several days and many hours to create a layout or project, but that's just fine since I enjoy the process so much. I love to learn and try out new things.

4    How does my writing/creative process work?
Each piece I create is a work of art, so I start with the photo and go through a process of selecting papers and other elements that support the feel I'm trying to achieve for that layout. If it's a wedding layout, I'll tuck in symbols of love like hearts, and keys, and my stamping may be bits of random script from I Corinthians 13 - the love chapter in Scripture.

I don't always know where the creative process will take me. Often the finish project looks quite different than what I envisioned when I started. I never know what might happen with mixed media, but glitches can be easily covered and often morph into what I call happy mistakes when the result is better than what I had originally intended.

Now, I'm "passing the torch" to my Leaky Shed Studio Teammate, Veronica Johnson, also known as Kits N Bits. Veronica is a talented paper artist and such a lovely person. I adore her work and want to share more about her. 

I have a passion for creating and sharing my love of crafting, whether it’s cards, layouts, albums, altered and mixed media; I love doing it all. I also enjoy bringing new tidbits and techniques to inspire as many crafters as I can through color.  If I had to name my style I would say “Shabby Whimsy” because I always start projects with lots of color then depending on my mood I will shabby it down with browns, texture and layers.  Each day is a new adventure and every day I try and learn something new.

Please visit Veronica's blog, Kits N Bit Scraps, HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

8 comments:

  1. So lovely to read a bit more about you.. always love what you create Tracey!!

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  2. I'm with Lizzy C - lovely to read a bit more about ur creative journey & those projects really highlight HOW creative you are !!! The cross & that beautiful wedding card..... They're tops!!!!!

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  3. All your works are so gorgeous Tracey and I loved learning a bit more about you and your creative process!! So pleased you joined in with this Hop!! My faves from the projects you shared are the cross and the candle holder ... simply stunning and I love the colours used. God Bless. ox

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  4. Gorgeous projects Tracy! Your work is always so inspiring. Thanks for playing along with the CBH!

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  5. Tracey, You are truly creative and one of the coolest people I know!! Blessings- Jesse

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  6. I loved reading and learning more about you...and about your love for our Lord xx

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  7. I love that you are so versatile in your creations Tracey!! I love love you shabby feminine creations and all the wonderful creative things that you include in your work!!

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Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave a message! I treasure your comments.