A Unique Blog Hop

So, a couple weeks ago, I was asked by Jessi Fogan of One Crafty Mama to participate in this unique blog hop. (Here's where she tagged me.) It's sort of like a Tag! Your it! kind of hop, to get to know more about your fellow crafters. Well, duh! Of course I said yes! (Even without the threat of her giving wedgies, I would have said yes! Ok, joking, she never threatened wedgies at all! LOL!)

I first noticed Jessi when I found and started playing along with the Drunken Stampers challenge blog. She also played along with that challenge, and I loved her sense of humor, not to mention her style of card making.  Lo and behold, after answering the DT call, we were both new members of that prestigious challenge blog! (Since then, that challenge has ceased to exist and the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers was born of that) After getting to know her through the DS, we came to the conclusion that we were twins separated at birth! (Even though she's much younger than me!) We share the same evil, sarcastic sense of humor, a lot of times our lives mimic each other, and both our husbands have the same exact floppy hat! (even though I live in the USA, and she in Canada!) We have since been dubbed the EDMT: Evil Double Mint Twins! LOL!

So, the idea behind this blog hop is to answer a few questions and put your own spin on it. Let's start:

How did you get started?
In 2007, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. My brothers, sisters, with their families and ours surprised my parents with a week at a beach house - with ALL of the family there: sons, daughters, grand kids. Yep, they were completely blown away! Needless to say, I took a gazillion pictures, and wanted to give them something to remember the trip. I decided to make them a scrapbook. Now, I had no idea how to make a scrapbook. So, what I did was pick up a scrapbook magazine (I believe it was Scrapbook Etc.), a boat load of paper, tape, stickers, embellies, some decorative scissors, and just cased pages out of that magazine. And that was before I knew what casing meant. (It was a Christmas issue, but I made summer/beach pictures from them) Since then I've realized that paper and embellies came in something called a "collection" and from then on, instead of picking up single 12" x 12" sheets of paper, I would purchase the "collection". LOL! Thus started my paper crafting obsession. Fast forward a few years and scrapbooks later, and I discovered card making. I was hooked and haven't looked back since. I started my blog in 2012 so I could start entering card challenges. And now here we are, a design team member of two incredible challenge blogs, and up to date! ☺

What are you working on?
Well, since being on a couple design teams, I can be found working on cards for those upcoming challenges. (of  course, I can't show you anything on them - that would take away the surprise element! LOL!) But, I also make cards to enter for other challenges. And I've also jumped on the band wagon and purchased some embossing paste and stencils to play with. That's what I'm working on right now.

Not sure what I'm using these for yet, but I just wanted to play with something new! When I finally get my sh*t together, you'll be the first to see what I made with these! LOL!

How does your work differ from others?
Ok, this is a super hard question to answer. I really don't think I have a set "look". I might get on a CAS kick for a bit, then switch to lots of layers, then to vintage, etc. If I was hard pressed, I guess I'm most comfortable with the "clean and layered" style. But, as you can see, what I make usually depends on my mood:

What do you create?
For the most part, I make cards. Every so often I'll make a layout or something outside my comfort zone. You know, just to keep it interesting! ☺

What does your crafty space look like?

Well, it's not neat, I can tell ya! LOL! My craft room (or Crap Room, as my hubby calls it) is the smallest bedroom in our house. I also share that space with the treadmill, which literally takes up half the room. I've dubbed this room the "Endorphin Room/My Happy Place" (Cuz you know, exercising gives off endorphins, which make you happy, and so does crafting!) Here are some pics - don't pay any attention to the mess, or dust. *wink* (Creative geniuses don't have time to clean!)

 Here's the view at the door. You see the majority of the space where I work from this angle.

 Our big *ss treadmill. I would have loved to put this in our basement, but it has a drop ceiling and you'd never be able to stand on it without scraping the ceiling with your head. So here it stays. Sigh.

 My itty work station (TV tray) The bin to the left has all sorts of word stickers in the top drawer (mostly pertaining to family. When I was scrapbooking, I may have bought way more family themed word stickers than I needed.) Middle drawer stores my tiny supply of washi tapes and bakers twine. I also have little used tools in there, like tweezers, an Epiphany Crafts tool, and other things I don't remember. The bottom drawer is full of dimensional stickers filed by theme (beach, flowers, critters, drinks, etc.) The bin under my laptop has all my scraps filed by color.

 I got this book case at Pier 1 Imports. It was a floor model and had a teeny scratch in it, so they gave me an excellent discount for taking it off their hands! From top to bottom: top shelf has cards sent to me from my teammies, glues, more decorative scissors not used often. Below that: embossing powders (in Chinese take out containers!), a mini shopping cart that has more embossing powder/glitter/mica flakes vials and my mini alpha stamps from Studio G. Below that: Stufftainers filled with mostly Unity Stamps, other cling stamps, wood mounted stamps, and the plates for my Grand Calibur. Second to bottom: A bag-o-ribbon I won from a Stampendous/May Arts collaboration hop a few years back, wax paper, tidbits and dohickies that I have no idea what to do with. Bottom shelf: a container of pipe cleaners, a brayer, a paper pad. I don't have much on this shelf as the heat/ac vent is on the wall behind it and I don't want to block it.

 Left side of desk: bottom shelf has a folder of printed challenge graphics (before I got the laptop, that's what I did), another folder for PageMaps printouts, a journal that I write down ideas/sketches/etc, an Art Bin that houses all my dies that are not from Paper Smooches. Another Stufftainer full of stamped images - some colored, some not. Middle shelf: I have containers for ribbon, for floss, for brads, and another Art Bin that houses all my Paper Smooches dies. Above that in the top shelf are all my embossing folders, my stapler, some scratch pads. On the top left of my desk are my most used Unity stamps (where a hand made Dammit Doll from my neighbor sits), all my Paper Smooches stamps, my Slice die cutting machine (buried with things I just bought or played with and still need to put away), paper trimmer (that I need to replace), and cutting mat. Spectrum Noir markers are on the top tiny shelf with all my inks underneath. (I cleaned up my space a bit before taking pics - you usually can't see the surface of the desk top)

 The right side top has a basket full of adhesives, a bin with old markers and some paint brushes, a Sew Easy tool and blending stix. Buried under those stamps that I just bought and have yet to find a home for is my craft mat, a ruler, items I need to put away, a mouse pad that I use to stamp on, and my Grand Calibur. Top shelf has Page Maps books and my MS scoring board. Middle shelf has a box of envelopes and DCWV card bases. Lower shelf has a box full of clear stamps. The mailing bag in front of it is a goody bag I recently received from Donna! To the right of the desk is a bin housing single sheets of designer paper. (This is what I first started with back in 2007. These papers range from years 2003 to 2009. On top of that is another basket with more clear stamps (and a bag of adhesive refills from AC Moore). The door to the room has a shoe rack full of punches, cord and die cut shapes to be used sometime.

 Above the SN markers is a shelf, which I forgot to snap a picture of, that has my Glimmer Mists, a bucket of silk/paper flowers, and odds and ends, like replacement blades for the trimmer, a compass a pencil sharpener, a desk calendar, etc. Hanging from that is some really old ribbon I bought years ago for different projects, some I just recently used! *koff* Any ribbon/twine that is wrapped around purchases of any kind, I keep and they get draped over these ribbons. 

 I can't believe how uncluttered this looks!

On the floor: The bag on the left is my collection of all things Halloween, the bag on the right is my collection of all things Christmas. On the bookcase behind: Top: box of card stock filed by color, magazines in holders, 6"x 6" card stock pads, funny cards I've gotten from my sister and still have yet to put away in the keepsake box in the closet, more ribbon, not sure what else. Middle shelf: box-o-bling, 12" x 12"paper collections. Bottom shelf: 6" x 6" paper collection pads on the left, more 12" x 12" paper collections on the right. The closet door has more ribbon hanging from it, on both the outside and inside. Those little shelves above mostly have knickknacks, like rubber duckies, but there's also a jar of rhinestones, some spools of thread, and a couple bottles of fine glitter.

So there you have it. I now get to tell you who I've tagged to take part of this hop! Yay! I do realize that I was to tag three people, and I invited a boat load of people, but unfortunately, they had to decline. (People have lives outside of the crafting world? Go figure! LOL!) I did get two more of my Snarky Sisters to participate though:

Karen of Karen's Stamping & Crafting Creations

I was lucky enough in June to be able to meet Karen when we were on vacation, and were driving from my in laws house back down to my parents house. Karen was literally on the way and I just had to stop and meet her. Even though it was the first time meeting face to face, it was like we knew each other for eons! 

Lindsey of Bashful Blogging

Lindsey may be the quiet one of our group, but she sure does have a wicked sense of snarky humor - I just love her! 

These ladies I met over the internet via Drunken Stampers, and now as my Snarky Sisters.  But they are so much more than fellow DT members, they are great friends, therapists, personal cheerleaders, gang members (LOL!), and much loved! ♥♥♥ Take some time to get to know them better on Monday, the 25th!

Chris