Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner. I would like to introduce once again a very talented lady who designs gorgeous cards/creations in the Vintage style, so if you like this genre then you will love her work.

It is my pleasure as always to present to you this week, all the way from the north of England, the winner of ‘Fabric Flowers and a Crown’ Challenge, our Top Talent this Thursday:

Margie: Margie’s Blue House.

Let us get to know her a little......

1) Where do you live?  

I live in a 200-year old cottage just outside a tiny village in Northumberland, which is very close to the Scottish Border. Because of the frequent battles between the Scots and the English in past times we have lots of castles in our locality, the most famous being Alnwick Castle which was used as Hogwarts School of Wizardry in the early Harry Potter movies. The scenery in this area is amazing - gorgeous coastline, beautiful national parks and of course, The Cheviots - a range of hills protecting us from the worst of the weather. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.


2) Describe yourself in 5 words.  

Well, other people might say I was "grey-haired, unfit and slightly overweight" but I'd say I was a silver-haired foxy lady having way too much fun for a pensioner! Yes, I know thats more than 5 words but since I reached 60, I've stopped counting things - especially years and calories!


3) What colour inspires your creativity? 

I love vintage colours - creams, dusky pinks, pale greens and browns. Although sometimes its rich colours like maroon and chocolate that make me long to create. I recently visited an exhibition of vintage clothing and could hardly keep my fingers away from the gorgeous materials they used.


4) If you have lost your Mojo, how do you go about getting it back?  

I visit the blogs of very creative people - Lynne Moncreif of Adorn, Astrid Maclean of Astrid's Artistic Efforts, Laura at Laurart and Rebecca at Paper Primrose are just a few of my favourites and I soon see something fabulous that gives me a buzz. Entering challenges is also great, especially when you are given a theme, colour or inspirational picture to give you a kickstart. I really enjoyed the Shabby Chic challenge on Our Creative Corner and being chosen as the winner gave me a real confidence boost.


5) How long have you been crafting and what made you start crafting?   

I've only been enjoying this lovely hobby since I took early retirement from my office job six years ago and found I had some free time at last! My Japanese daughter-in-law did wonderful origami and got me started on that and I still find it fascinating what you can create with paper and card. All the inking, paints and embellishments came along later and now I'm venturing into mixed media and thoroughly enjoying getting messy.


6) What is your favourite holiday/event to make crafts for?  

I love to make books and boxes which are special to an individual (or couple) so I guess my favourite is anything that's a life event like getting married, moving house, the birth of a child or a special anniversary that I can really go to town on. I've made my little house book specially for some friends who are moving shortly and hope it will give them some pleasure over a very hectic and trying time. I'd like to think it would become a keepsake.

And this is what Margie had to say about the project she made.

“My New Home book was inspired by a wonderful book called In This House (and its companion In This Garden) by Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn. There are loads of ideas for little houses, including a template and lots of images you can cut out and use in your own artwork. The papers are the delicious Websters Pages and I added lots of little trinkets and bits from my stash”.

Absolutely gorgeous Margie, thank you so much for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent' and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us.
It is worth a minute of your time to pay her a visit.

Margie’s Blog:  http://margiesbluehouse.blogspot.co.uk/

And one more paragraph from me.....
This is my last posting  as co-ordinator for Top Talent Thursday, I want to say a very 'Big Thank You' not only to all my OCC teamies, but to everyone that I have corresponded with over the last 6months, you have all been a delight to work with and I have enjoyed and savoured the inspiration each week, I am going to miss not only highlighting the winners, but the pure pleasure of knowing that I bring a smile to a face when one is in the spotlight here as our Top Talent.
Fear not, I am not disappearing from blogland just from here!

Smiles:)
Sue.

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
Our Top Talent today creates beautiful work, and I know you are going to enjoy what you see, the Tag that she has presented for her show-piece, is only a sweetener and I encourage you to hop over to her Blog and also her Pinterest Page (which is full of all wonderful inspiration).

So without further adieu let me present the winner of our Challenge ‘Let me see a cake’ and welcome this weeks Top Talent:

Diane: Nellies Nest

1.) Where do you Live?

I live in southwest lower Michigan, in the country, but close enough to a great 25 minute shopping mecca in Indiana or 90 miles from Chicago if I want to go. I love it here, as I can have peace and quiet or be in a whole other world in 25 minutes!!

2.) Describe your most 'productive' crafting environment.
I like lots of light, and being I live in a log home, it's sometimes tricky, but my hubby hung me some great lighting over my creative tables..but I work in a messy room, I think I spend as much time cleaning it up as I do creating in it, only to make it messy all over again!!

3.) Describe a real life experience that inspired you artistically.
I think it was when my sister and I had our our own craft business called "Cabin On The Creek"...we made lots of prim dolls, santas, snowmen, ornaments and such. We had our own home show here in my home, cleared everything out but the furniture, put about 15 Christmas trees in and had a home show here for 3 days, we had people coming from as far away as California and Georgia just to visit our show...we grew too big, too fast...did it for about 12 years, and finally let it go, thats when I went into something else, "papercrafts" and have been going strong ever since!!

4.) If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?

I saw this on Pinterest, not sure if it can be considered a "slogan" or not, but it sure holds true with me
"Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters"...now isn't that true?

5.) What other hobbies or talents do you have that you'd like to share with us?
I sew and I flower garden......picking out my designer paper is very much the same as picking out fabric...I really have an addiction for both, and have more then I will ever use, but it makes me "happy".
I base a lot of cards on my flower garden, by using all those wonderful dies available, I can almost recreate my "real" flowers onto paper...I love that! You will find me from April on in the early mornings planting, weeding and feeling proud of my flower bed efforts!!

6.) What is the most useless item that you have purchased for your craft?

I laughed when I read this question, because I am so glad it wasn't "what is my most useful item?" That would have been really hard to narrow down.....it took me a bit of thinking on this one, but I had bought a tag crimper that at the time was a bit pricey, you could purchase these little rectangle metal tags, and the tool crimped them on a ribbon....it was one of those spur of the moment buys, as within a year, the metal tags were no longer produced, rending the tool "useless". It did however teach me to think things through a bit more before purchasing!!

Diane has made a wonderful Tag.

Diane's Blog: www.nelliesnest.blogspot.com
and Pinterest Page:

Thank you Diane for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent' and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us!

Smiles:)
Sue

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner. and once again it is that time where I have the pleasure of presenting someone special,  and this week it is our winner of  the ‘Let’s get Sketchy’ Challenge, and our Top Talent this Thursday.

Heather Dennis:  Heather’s Coffee Break.

Her two cards she has created for us are just delightful, but first let us learn a little about her.

 1.) Where do you Live?

I live {near} Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but was born and raised
in a little town called Old Fort in North Carolina.

2.) Describe a real life experience that inspired you artistically.
This is easy. What HASN'T inspired me artistically?
God's love shines through in EVERYTHING I see, hear or do. The birds singing, walking through the tall green grass, watching the trees change with each season. Everything is so amazing and beautiful and special. How can you not be inspired every day? Just step outside and look around. :)

3.) Are you a day-time or night-time crafter?
I am a mom, wife, teacher, chef, housekeeper, taxi driver and referee during the day.I am a crazy, caffeinated, crafting ninja at night! HAHAHA!

4.) Are you a Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall person?
OOOH... I love a little bit of everything about all of the seasons.
I will go with Summer because the kids are out of school and we can just enjoy our time with each other.

5.) How long have you been crafting and what made you hop on the creative train?

I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. My mom is SUPER DE DUPER creative and SO TALENTED! She has taught me so much and has passed on her talents to me as well as has spent time teaching my children when they go over to visit her. I thought I had lost my creativity when I became a mom. I did not have time to paint or do any of the things I had done before. When I started homeschooling, I thought I was going to lose it. {my mind that is} I NEEDED some sort of creative release. I stumbled upon a card-making group at an online site called CafeMom and was quickly sucked in. I started card making in 2007 and haven't stopped.

6.) Picking only one colour of paint, which would you prefer on your carpet?On my carpet? I don't have any carpet ;) lol!!! If I had to choose ONE I would choose....{oh why is this one so hard to answer?} I can't choose. My daughter said hot pink, so hot pink it is!

"The intense colour palette that Heather has chosen for her two cards just sing and vibrate. they relate joy and happiness; Yellow.
There is energy and passion; Red, and the Black gives the cards power and sophistication.
The palette is used wonderfully to create a very effective and dramatic design, and you cannot help but enjoy them, they are very pleasing to the eye."
 Just take a look and drool.....

Thank you Heather for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent' and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us.

HEATHER’S Blog: HERE

Happy Easter to you all.
Smiles:)
Sue.


"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
Our Top Talent this week probably needs no introduction, as most who have been around the last few years would have come across her blog at some stage and most have probably reacted to her work in a very positive way. Her creativity is boundless, the pizazz and spontaneity along with the enthusiasm and alacrity oozes from her work like globules of water bouncing off a hard ground; it is mesmerizing.

So without further ado, I present to you our winner of the Challenge ‘Stitching and fabrics’ and our Top Talent this Thursday: 

Anita- The Artful Maven Haven.
 Anita added this little message to her project. 
“It's a real honor to be showcased here today at my old creative stAmping grounds! I loved my time here and working with you ladies was absolutely wonderful!
Thank you so much for having me.”


1.) Where do you Live?
I live in the West Texas area, in a smallish city called Midland, which is halfway between El Paso and Dallas, hence the name given from back in the old cattle driving days.

2.) Do you enjoy 'stepping out' of your comfort zone? If so Why?
Yes, I do, but not until after I have thought about it for a few minutes. After the "Stress!" leaves, the "I can do this." comes, and after I've finished the whatever it was, the reflective "See what you learned?" fills my mind. I ultimately find it refreshing.

3.) Do you have any personal goals you have attained or would like to attain in the future?
Absolutely I have! Just being on Design Teams were dreams come true. AND, then came Ranger U. I can't even find the words to tell you what that meant and what that has done for me. It was truly a dream come true. I highly recommend it to any of you who love Ranger products. I am now teaching classes using the techniques I learned there, and that has been a huge blessing. I love teaching and I really love demoing the products for people. I am doing what I love to do!

4.) Describe yourself in five words?
The Bad: a hoarding, fowl mouthed, dirty minded, over-eating, insomniac
The Good: a kind, giving, hard working, comical, helper

5.) What other hobbies or talents do you have that you'd like to share with us?
I am one of those people who has to try everything, and I want to be good at it. Although I have to admit I am not...lol! I do love to bake and cook. I love to watch movies. I love to travel. I love to eat good food. I love pretty much every type of crafting and genres of Art. I have a love affair with shoes and handbags, because they don't care what size you are...believe me, it is a hobby! I secretly love to organize, but I just don't make the time for it I should. And, I just love to sit and talk, especially while crafting. Are all of these hobbies? YES!!!

6.) If you had a time machine, that worked only once, what point in history or the future would you be most inspired to visit and why?

 This question is tooooo hard!!!! There are too many stops I'd want to make. There are too many people in history I am interested in...namely Jesus. Hmmm....
My time machine would have to go back in time a good ways...before technology ruled the world...when people still wrote letters...when manners were still the status quo...probably the late 1800's or early 1900's. It would be cool to see the first car, the beginning's of the industrial age....no...too much Downton Abbey I think. Really, this question is too hard. I have too many questions about history and want to know more. I'd want to see what happened to the dinosaurs; see the splendor of the Garden of Eden; see the parting of the Red Sea; see the pyramids being built; see who shot JFK; see if aliens really landed at Roswell; see how those stones were moved at Easter Island, Stonehenge, and places of their likeness; see if there was a continent of Altantis. DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN??? I have too much racing through my head, and I could not pick one. I'd probably just stay home just to avoid the decision.

 Now enjoy what Anita has created for us.

 

Thank you Anita for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent' and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us.
I would urge and encourage you to pop over and visit her Blog to see more of her commendable work, plus a step by step tutorial on how she made this canvas, and whilst there spend some time viewing her other tutorials, she does them on most of her creations, not only will you pick up more inspiration but helpful tips on techniques and products.

Anita-The Artful Maven Haven

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge here you still have some time to participate.

Smiles:)

Sue.

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
It is with utmost pleasure that I present to you this Thursday, the winner of our Challenge 'Party like it's Mardi-Gras' a lady who is very versatile, as appears to be the case with many of our winners of late.  Her blog is full of her life experiences along with her unique work.
Please welcome this weeks Top Talent:

Mitra-Mitralee

Let us learn a little about this wonderful lady.

1.) Where do you Live?
I live in Northern NY, very close to the Canadian border. We are in the country although our very small college town is within ten minutes. It’s a lovely in the middle of nowhere place, but access to supplies sometimes is limited so I rely a lot on making due with up-cycled items and coming up with new ways to use existing supplies!

2.) Describe yourself in five words?
Fearless, Out of the Box, Organized, Caring and Creative

3.) How would you describe your art for the general public audience if they have never seen it before?
My artwork typically involves either a story, an upcycled item and often has a vintage twist.

4.) How many hours a day do your waste/spend on your hobby?
I typically spend 30 minutes a day blogging and about the same scrapbooking, plus or minus. The crafting normally happens on the weekends and the blogging during the week. I like to write and craft, so it keeps me happy.

5.) What supply wouldn't you do without when it comes to stamping?
Ink pads and alcohol, I find you can stain just about anything with an inkpad and then use a bit of alcohol mist to get the color to run

6.) Is there is tool/item that you are drooling over at the moment and wanting to buy?
Right now I’m shopping for punches, in particular one that allows me to use up small pieces of extra scrap paper. I do have a Silhouette, but using up extra paper with a punch is so therapeutic!

 And Mitra has provided a creation that is out of the box and demonstrates perfectly how versatile a craft person she is.

Thank you Mitra for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent' and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us!

Mitra's Blog-Mitralee

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge- “ Photo Inspiration” here, you still have some time to participate.

Smiles:)
Sue

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
It is with utmost pleasure that I present to you this Thursday, a very talented lady who is exceptional in design as well as in the handi-crafts discipline. I do not need to give much introduction as she has provided a wonderful synopsis of her life and it makes for interesting reading and I am sure you will enjoy learning about her as much as I did.
Goodness, I do enjoy having the opportunity to salute these wonderful ladies that I am privileged to present every Thursday.
Please welcome this weeks Top Talent:

Synnove-papirverkstedet

1.) Where do you Live? 
I live in a place called Strømmen just outside Oslo, the capital of Norway. I am interested interior design, so I have another blog were you can visit my home. http://villasunniva.blogspot.no

2.)  What supply wouldn't you do without when it comes to stamping?
I love my distress inks, Tim Holtz - scissors and seam binding ribbons and I am also addicted to beautiful patterned papers and different kind of stamps.

3.)  List three blogs that truly inspire you.
I love to do different styles of card making. I am easily bored if I have to do the same kind of thing for a long time. If I have made something cute I have to make something else next so my bloglist is influenced by that. I often visit these blogs: Tim Holtz, Graphic 45 and LilyBean´s Paperie. There are a lot of fantastic norwegian card makers that i like to visit too.

4.) What techniques or routine do you employ to inspire yourself?
I get inspired by blogs, magazines and patterned papers. I am easily inspired and I like to clean up my workspace before I start a new project.

5.) What other hobbies or talents do you have that you'd like to share with us?
I love the theatre and have been acting, producing and directing plays most of my life. When I was young, I studied to be a photographer so I love to take pictures. I also like interior design. I love to tell a story and express feelings and I think that all my work is influenced by that. Some people tell me that they sometimes can feel the theatre and drama in my paperwork. I also like to teach, so I do a lot of scrapbooking and cardmaking classes.

6.) Are you a day-time or night-time crafter?
I really like to work in my craft room in the late evening, and I am often so engaged in my project that I go to bed much later than I mean to. We have some really nice radio-programs in the evenings, that I love to listen to while I am working.

.

 

Shabby-licious and sumptuous splendour is how I would describe this creation.

Thank you Synnove for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent'  and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us!
You must visit Synnove's Blog she creates beautiful work, her Easter Egg creation HERE is stunning.

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge- 'Shabby Chic” here, you still have some time to participate.

Smiles:)
Sue

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Top Talent Thursday.

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
It is with utmost pleasure that I present to you this Thursday, a lady who appears to have special abilities in all forms of crafts, and to justify this statement just read the paragraph below....

“I love Scrapbooking, stamps and inks, I paint (watercolour, acrylic, glass, and mixed media) I love to draw, decoupage, crochet, knitting (though I prefer crochet), woodwork, pyrography, candle making, servietten technique, sewing (machine and hand) cross stitch, tapestry, latch hooking (is that the right verb?!), patchwork, pottery and cake decorating. I love making dolls house miniatures. I studied photography and still am passionate about it..”

Please welcome the ebullient but modest and this weeks Top Talent:
Laura- Laurart

I have been well informed that Laura loves the art of conversation, so this should make for some interesting reading!

1.)Where do you live?
I live in Hertfordshire with my wonderful husband, artistic daughter, musical son and a very moody cat.
2.)  Describe a real life experience that inspired you artistically.
It will sound very cliche but becoming a mother inspired me very much artistically. I have always loved art and crafts but didn't do much. When my daughter was about 6 months old I made my first mini scrapbook album about her. It was making that first album that really sparked my fascination for crafts. I loved it so much I began to make mini albums for family birthdays and Christmas. My interest then extended to many other crafts. As my daughter grew I began to teach her crafts as well (she made her first 8 x 8 scrapbook by herself when she was two years old and she was featured in a scrapbook company magazine) Her wonderful view of life, music, literature and art continues to inspire me.
3.)  If you could only use three craft supplies for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Distress inks - How I ever made anything before these I will never know. They have transformed my work totally.
   Serviettes - Because they are so versatile and I have a huge collection...with a bit of mod podge they can be used to decorate anything
    Balsa wood - Otherwise my dolls house is never going to be completed!!!
4.) CAS or layering? Why?
Layering - I have always been and always will be a layering person. My early card making and scrapbooking work were full of layered pieces of different texture card and papers that had been torn and chalked (pre DI days) edges. Layering has always appealed to me and I think it fits in with how my mind works - I never ever know when to stop! Sometimes I do have to remind myself that I am not building a tower here!
 5.) Do you pre-sketch a design or do you just wing it? How long does it usually take you to make a project?
I never pre-sketch tags, cards, ATC's and scrapbook pages. My preference is to just go with it and see what happens. For most craft things, to sit and plan takes too long - I'd be wasting vital crafting time! Having said that, for my larger projects like this shadow box, I do need to plan and sketch first because I can work out all the measurements - This was essential to making the box accurately. For this creation it really wasn't possible to wing it. Sketching a design has occasionally been an urgent matter too - While watching 'The devil wears Prada' I saw a scene where Meryl Streep is sitting by a gorgeous cabinet. Luckily I had pen and paper to hand and I sketched the quickest, roughest sketch ever of that piece of furniture in the few seconds I had left to get the details. I know, I could have hired/bought the film and watched it again - but I had to make that cabinet straight away! I am a 'do it now' person when the inspiration strikes! That cabinet is now one of my most treasured pieces of furniture that I have made for my dolls house!
Because I make so many different types of crafts, the time spent really varies. A tag can be done in under an hour...A few hours is average for most things but major creations can take weeks. The longest I have ever spent planning a project was a scrapbook album gift and that took about about three months to plan and the longest it has ever taken me to actually make something was a very large acrylic painting I did of Oaxaca Cathedral and that took me 6 weeks to complete.
6.) If you had a time machine, that worked only once, what point in the history or the future would you be most inspired to visit and why?
I adore the 1920's so I would definitely travel there. There are so many things to inspire me from this decade that it would be impossible to just state one. Although I am far from being a fashionista myself, I am interested in the history of fashion. 1920's fashion was such a dramatic change and also such a beautiful one. I love using those fashion images in my work as they really do represent elegance and glamour. It was also a fantastic era for film and I adore the silent movie stars and have always loved the films from that time. I really would love to have been a makeup artist on the set of those early films.....costumes, film stars, creating faces and cinematography - That would be my ideal time travel experience. It would be such an wonderful decade to see.....

And now sit back and enjoy her Shadow Box...

 
Thank you Laura for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent'  and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us!
If you want to see more and the details on construction visit Laura here;
http://laurabomber.blogspot.co.uk/

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge- “Create a Cake Creation” here, you still have some time to participate.

Smiles:)
Sue

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Top Talent Thursday.

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.

Once again it is my utmost pleasure that I present to you, a lady who generates marvellous work. I feel so privileged to be able to present to you each week such talented people here on Top Talent Thursday.
I know they are all appreciated by you and Vada will be no exception.
So please welcome and congratulate our Guest and ‘Top Talent’ for this Thursday and winner of the “Decorative Edge” Challenge.
 I introduce:
vada-stampsinkandpaper.

Let us learn a little bit about her.
1.) Where do you live?
  Portage, Wisconsin

2.) What techniques or routine do you employ to inspire
yourself?
I don’t really have a (routine,) but I am a Technique Junkie
and have been for almost 10 years now.

3.) What colour do you hardly ever use?
Gee this is a hard question for me, as I enjoy the color
challenges, and try to use just about every color that relates
to the challenge.  But I think maybe (Purples) would be the
lesser one that I would use on a standard bases.

4.) Markers or chalk, and why?
Both, I love to color with just about any medium.  I have both
and now have Copic Markers and Distress Markers.

5.) What is the most useless item that you have purchased for
your craft?
I have to say, some of my (first punches), as I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.


This is Vada’s  beautiful card using  the ’Birds of a Feather‘ plate from Artistic Outpost.

Thank you Vada for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent'  and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us.
I would urge and encourage you to pop over and visit her Blog to see more of her commendable work.
http://vada-stampsinkandpaper.blogspot.co.

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge here you still have some time to participate.


Smiles:)
Sue.

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Top Talent Thursday

Welcome back to Our Creative Corner.
Happy Valentines Day, and for those who celebrate, I hope you have received some love in the form of Chocolates or Flowers.
It is with utmost pleasure that I present to you this Thursday all the way from USA, a lady who has just started up a Blog and is a little apprehensive of moving into the unknown here at Top Talent Thursday.
When she was informed of her win for the “Shabby Chic” Challenge, I don’t think she quite believed it, but when you view her card you will understand why she was successful, as her work is just delightful.
So please welcome and encourage our Guest and ‘Top Talent’ this Valentines Day;
It is my pleasure that I introduce;

Steph- Perry Papercrafts.

Let us learn a little bit about her.
1.) Where do you live?
My husband and I live in Sherwood, Oregon, which is just south of Portland.  We are fortunate that most of our family is within a days travel in the Pacific Northwest.

2.) Do you enjoy 'stepping out' of your comfort zone? If so why?
I love learning new techniques, but I don't always feel brave enough to jump in on my own without something visual to go by.  I like best to attend a workshop or class, or using a step by step visual tutorial to learn and try something new.

3.) Do you work on more than one piece at a time?
I always have lots of ideas for projects rolling around in my head, but when I sit down to work on something I usually like to finish it before moving on to the next one.    

4.) Describe yourself in five words?
Friendly, optimistic, curious, affectionate, and totally addicted to stamping (can that count as one word??).
(Um ….No,I don’t think so but who cares!)

5.) What techniques or routine do you employ to inspire yourself?  
I have numerous blogs I view routinely to get inspiration, including Our Creative Corner.  I love the daily challenges at Splitcoast Stampers and try to view the latest trends at Moxie Fab World.  I'm not a trend follower, per se, I just like to see what is new.  Having been a card maker/paper crafter for just under 6 years, I have found a new appreciation for color and composition in a wide variety of formats where I never really noticed before...books, magazines, commercial web sites, etc.

6.) What other hobbies or talents do you have that you'd like to share with us?
Card making is my primary hobby but I have also dabbled in pencil, charcoal and colored pencil drawing.  I like to sit down with a good book (but haven't done so much recently - too many cards to make LOL) and enjoy spending time outdoors camping and hiking when the weather turns warmer and drier.
(Gosh I like a good book too.)



Thank you Steph for being our 'Thursday's Top Talent'  and sharing such wonderful inspiration with us!

Stephanie’s  Blog: www.stefperry.blogspot.com 

You can also view her gallery on- Splitcoast Stampers-dahlia19

If you want the chance to be part of Top Talent Thursday on Our Creative Corner, then just join in our current Challenge "Party like it's Mardi-Gras"- here  you still have some time to participate.


Smiles:)
Sue.

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe