This week we have the pleasure of spending a little time with Holly Craft (and yes, that is her real last name!).  Holly is a two time Design Team Member, she was on the very first team in 2005 and came back in 2008.

What led you to crafting?
I have always enjoyed drawing and sewing and photography and making cards. As a five year old, I would draw the comics and I would sew clothes for my Barbie doll. My father was a painter and photographer, my mother a seamstress and wonderful cook and my grandmother did needlework. I learned from all of them. I began scrapbooking in the early 90’s for the PTA at my children’s elementary school before there were any decorative papers even available. I would make cards as a child with pieces of plastic flowers….hmm; maybe someone should put flowers in a bottle and sell them?

Do you have a background in art or design?
Yes, my Associates Degree is in art and I also did studies in Graphic Design as an adult.

Tell us about your family.
My two children are both married. My daughter lives in Memphis, TN and is a high school history teacher. My son lives in Tuscaloosa, AL while his wife finishes law school and he works at a bank. My husband and I live in the metro area of Atlanta, GA where we have lived since we moved “north” from Florida in 1986.

Do you ever teach classes?
I always wanted to be a teacher as a child, so I really enjoy teaching classes. It takes a lot of time and work to prepare a class. I have taught throughout the southeastern US, but have not had the time lately, unfortunately.

Do you prefer to make cards or scrapbooks or altered art?
I enjoy all three equally….just depends what the die tells me when it “talks to me”.

Do you work outside of the home?
Crafting is full time for me. I do work for several companies and would like to get back to teaching classes when I have the time. The last full time job I had was doing artwork, displays and floral in a major supermarket. I enjoyed doing that, but once I discovered stamping, it took over my life….and house!

What kind of workspace do you have?
My workspace is cluttered with an appearance of being unorganized. I have an organized mind however, so I know where most everything is located. Perhaps I will make it a goal this year to become more organized, but I will never have one of those neat freak white studios like you see online. It just isn’t me. I am, however, always on time with deadlines.

Besides paper, what other materials do you use in your art?
I have been called the Queen of Road Trash as I am always finding things to put through the Wizard or to use as found objects. I love using metal, leather, coffee filters, etc. I have a collection of different gutter guards that I use to emboss a quilting pattern on my cards.

How would you describe your style?
I think my style would be called classic and eclectic. I don’t usually do real funky stuff or cutesy, but I feel that I can do whatever style is called for with given materials. I do like the vintage look.

Besides paper crafting, watercolor, calligraphy and photography are some of my favorite things. Luckily I can use them all together in my crafts. The examples below show my love for watercolor and nature (on the card with flower and butterfly), my love for calligraphy and photography and fonts and travel (on the layout) and my love to experiment with many materials like handmade paper and metals (the Mr. Fix It pencil box). I have been designing with the Wizard since 2004 and the ranges of things I can do with it (such as flower pounding, something I figured out in 2004) still amaze me.

To see more of  Holly’s handiwork, you can visit her Blog Frenzy Introduction, her Savvy Saturday on Impressabilities, and her personal blog, Today’s Creations.

Thank you Holly!

Beth

Tags: Holly Craft

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at 7:31 am and is filed under Design Team 08, Designer spotlight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.