Hello crafty ladies!! Another beautiful Friday with a fun and jolly crafter... She's got clever cards and a creativity that will just blow you away!! Let's get down to business and welcome Happy Bev :)
Name: Bev Kastman
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog.
I was born into a military family, so as a child I had the
opportunity to travel and live in many different places. I fell in love with
Roman ruins, museums, parks, and the cultures of various peoples. I think
that's where I derive my eclectic tastes! For years I worked as a Surgical
Technologist/Anesthesia Technician, but felt like something was missing. At age
35, I went back to college and earned a degree in history, with a certificate
in Museum Studies. I was fortunate enough to land a job as office manager and
Assistant Archivist at our local history museum. Don't laugh, but much of my
time at work was spent handling old photographs, letters, journals, and other
two-dimensional objects! Loved it! My husband and I live in Southeastern
Wisconsin overlooking the western banks of Lake Michigan. Between us, DH and I
have eight grown children and 20 grandchildren. It's lovely chaos when most of
them are able to come home! My blog is named Happy Dance, because in spite of
the troubles in my life and in the world, I choose happiness. On Happy Dance, I
share bits and pieces of my life and family, as well as the cards and the
occasional crafts I make.
2. How and why did you start crafting?
Pretty much a tomboy growing up, about the only crafts I actually
enjoyed were those done in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, lol! Once I was
working and married I had little time for my own extra-curricular activities
other than photographing the children! By the time the youngest was in high
school, I found I had a bit of extra time on my hands. I started making
4"x 6" photo albums for family and friends decorated with whatever I
could put my hands on. One of my girlfriends asked me if I had ever been to the
scrapbook store in town. That was all it took. I started out nearly 20 years
ago scrapbooking. A friend peaked my interest in card making through Stampin'
Up, but still, I was more a scrapbooker. Then...about 5 years ago, DH spent
over $20 on Valentines for SOME of the grandchildren!! I couldn't believe how
expensive those Valentines were, said "no more!", and those were the
last cards we've ever bought! What started out as something to do for economies
sake, has turned into a rather pleasant addiction! Madly in love with card
making!
3. How often do you craft? How would you describe
your style?
I do my best to craft every day. It's not always possible, what with
church commitments, appointments, and running errands, but where ever I am, I'm
constantly on the lookout for inspiration. My style is more to the Clean and
Simple, Clean and Graphic, or Clean and Layered end of the spectrum. I love the
look of Shabby Chic, but my attempts have been less than stellar with that,
lol! I've found that, at least for me, cards are quite personal, so my style
will vary. Most often, I gear my creations to their recipient.
4. What are your can’t-live-without craft-room
essentials?
I couldn't live without my paper trimmer. My attempts to cut a straight
line are laughable! I'm still searching for the perfect trimmer, but in the
meantime, my big Fiskars does nicely. It goes without saying that card stock,
designer papers, tape runners, and inks and stamps are the core of my crafting.
5. Where do you get inspiration? How do you stay
creative?
I'm inspired by pretty much everything around me. From images I've seen
on TV, to nature, to other crafter's works and challenges, I find inspiration
everywhere. Thank heavens for Smart phones. If I find an advertisement in a
doctor's waiting room magazine, I can snap a photo and work with it when I get
home! I think we all have times when our "Mojo" takes a little
holiday; I'm no exception to that! However, popping out of my craft room to
take a walk, clean a room, or seeing what's on Pinterest usually helps.
6. What is your favorite medium to work with?
I guess I like the basics best: paper, ink, and stamps. Since cards are
my favorite craft, those three things would be at the top of my list. I'd
follow that list with sequins, Wink of Stella, glitter, and markers.
7. What’s the one craft skill you would love to
master?
This one's a tough question for me. While I'd love to be able to improve
my skills at water coloring, I can craft well enough without doing so. What I'd
really and truly love to master would be freehand drawing and lettering. I can
draw a wicked stick person, but beyond that, I'm pretty horrible! And while my
penmanship is fine, I'd love to be able to write my own sentiments more neatly
and more uniformly.
8. What is your guilty pleasure?
My biggest guilty pleasure is shopping for more craft supplies! I have a
room full, but there's always a new stamp company or paper line coming out.
Waaaay too often, new goodies move right to the top of my "must have"
list! I'm sure I'm not alone here, lol!
9. What makes you smile?
What makes me smile? Oh now that's an easy one!! My grandchildren! They
are the joys of my life -- all 20 of them.
10. What is your favorite thing to do (other than
crafting of course)?
Other than crafting, I
like spending time with my family. There's something special about playing
dolls with my little granddaughters, cooking for and having holiday dinners
with family, talking to my sisters, laughing with my dad, or just having quiet
time with my DH. I've been blessed with a very large and wonderful family!
11. What do you do to keep yourself, your space and
your time organized?
I'm up early in the morning. After perusing the newspaper, I generally
check my blog, then do a workout. DH is still asleep, so that's when I usually
get my ideas going. I have a whole room (I'm so blessed, I know!) to craft in,
so almost always, things are organized and in their places. If I've left a mess
on my desk, I'll pick up and set to work. I try to schedule errands,
appointments, and commitments toward the afternoon so my mornings are free to
create. Being retired, I have all day every day to do whatever I want/need to
do. This might sound a bit crazy, but working within a limited 'sterile field'
in an operating room has helped my organizational skills immensely. It was
important to keep things in their place there, and that has carried over into
the rest of my life.
12. Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you
particularly look up to?
There are so many crafters I admire. It's a long list....Geri from Manitoba
Stamper, Ardyth from Maskerade,
Anita from My Papercraft
World, Hannelie fromDesert Diva,
Darnell from DJKardKreations, Lynn from The Mango Boys
and Me, Donna from Three
Umbrellas, Deepti from Dee's Art
Utopia, Keren fromKerenbaker's Blog, Tracey from In My Creative
Opinion, Marybeth from Marybeth's
Time for Paper, Kim from Cupcakes,
Cards, and Kim, Carol from Just Me C, Leigh from To The Full...well you get
the idea....There is a vast world of amazing crafters out there. I couldn't
begin to finish my list. What I've found since I've started blogging, is that
this community is one of the nicest, most inspirational places in all of the
world. To see more of those crafters whom I admire, check out the right hand
sidebar on my blog. For that matter, check out the sidebars of all the crafters
you know; there's a whole lot of talent and friendship out there!
