Meet the team - Joanne Allison

We've had a little break but we're back with the next in our regular series introducing some of the designers who contribute regularly  to Craft Stamper - welcome! Today, I have the slightly surreal task of interviewing... myself!

I’m Joanne and I'm camera-shy so this is one of the few photos of me in existence! I've been contributing to Craft Stamper for about three years now and really enjoy the variety in the magazine - I learn lots and enjoy the different styles my fellow designers have to offer. 

Crafting has been part of my life for as long as I can remember; both my parents are creative and their encouraging attitude when I was little probably contributed a lot to my tendency to just have a go and see what happens when faced with new tools and products. If something went wrong, my mum always said "Can you make a feature of it?" which had the effect of turning mistakes into creative opportunities!

Favourite project #1: I think of myself as a stamper rather than necessarily as a papercrafter, partly because I love to use my stamps to make things other than cards. This pendant was made for a Craft Stamper blog hop to kick off 2013 and is based on an article I wrote for the December 2012 issue. It's a chipboard base with UTEE and Perfect Pearls and I still wear it!

{this project is blogged here}

Q: Do you have a signature style or favourite technique?

A: I always find this hard to answer  because I don't think I have a particular style and yet other people tell me they recognise my makes. My mum looks through the pages of Craft Stamper and almost always says "That's Joanne's project" before she's looked at the designer's name! I do like colouring and I tend to err towards fairly classic images but I'm what I believe is known as an "equal opportunities" stamper - I like a bit of everything!

Favourite project #2: I have very little drawing talent and find one of the  beauties of stamping is that you can get around that limitation! These pretty vintage roses look lovely stamped and coloured in the usual way but here I decided to try out some "borderless" colouring for a slightly more arty look that's soft and feminine.

{this project is blogged here}

Q: Where do you look for inspiration before you start on a project?

A: I usually start with a particular stamp I want to use or perhaps a combination of colours I find particularly appealing. For cards I find especially difficult (usually kids' birthday cards!) I usually turn to a challenge or two for a kickstart. I often find I'm more creative if I have limitations in place and for me a challenge can often play that "limiting" role as it provides a focus.

Favourite project #3:  I don't often do "grungy" but this was great fun with the combination of the delicate feather images, a home-made stencil and some inky spray and modelling paste - a slightly prettier form of grunge, I guess. It made a change not to be colouring in as well!

{this project is blogged here}

Thanks for joining me, if you'd like to see more detail on any of the featured projects, the links will take you straight there. If you'd like a general browse with a cuppa, you'll find my blog here (the cuppas are virtual I'm afraid unless you bring your own!).