Heidi of HandsOccupied is new to the world of craft blogging, but she already feels like a pillar of the community. Her dynamic site is packed with all sorts of great tutorials, including wedding videos, gardening ideas, and home decor projects. The best way to get to know someone new is with a few intriguing questions, so check out the answers to her 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of
1. The project I think I’m most proud of is probably the light-up banner at my wedding. That project was an original idea, and it’s one of the first tutorials I did for Hands Occupied that was featured at a widely read blog. I can’t wait to see other people (not just brides) take the idea and run with it.
Two Mistakes You’ve Made in the Past
1. Not realizing the necessity of great photography in craft blogging. My biggest goal for the remainder of 2012 is to stop using my iPhone 4 camera for blog content.
2. Working too fast. Sometimes my most exciting ideas come while I’m working, but in particular, they come when I’m taking enough time to self-reflect while working.
Three Things That Make Your Work Unique
1. I have only been crafting in the quasi-public sphere for 11 months. My newbieness helps inform a fresh perspective on blogging and crafting.
2. My family is from the plains and has a long, long history of crafting and making. I have this piece of my personality that is insatiably practical, which leads me to look at nontraditional materials and think of interesting ways to use them in crafts.
3. I love learning how to use new mediums and techniques. This helps keep my crafts interesting.
Four Tools You Love to Use
1. My iPad: my new favorite way to search for inspiration online. Getting to touch the screen helps me feel more connected to what I’m seeing than a mouse and keyboard.
2. Hardware and building tools: there’s something about making something small and cute that involves a hammer that makes me laugh every time.
3. Nontraditional supplies: whenever I can recycle or upcycle stuff I have around the house, I am happy. It’s that North Dakotan practicality thing at work. I also keep a “goody bag” of crap I don’t want to throw away that might have a craft use some day. But also, being a librarian, I make sure to weed the goody bag from time to time to avoid a total mess.
4. My hands!
Five Inspirations
1. Andrea of Blonde Bedhead. She’s a fashion blogger who moved to Chicago from Lansing, Mich. around the same time I did. Seeing her really make an impact from Lansing inspired me to finally take the plunge into blogging.
2. Megan from Studio MME: my 5th grade friend-turned brilliant illustrator and artist. Nothing gets her down.
3. Craftzine: I started reading Craftzine a number of years ago it really turned me on to what was happening in the modern world of crafting. They are always sharing innovative and creative ideas.
4. My family. This fall, I’m going to start featuring “my family’s crafts.” My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents made everything from DIY wine and rosaries (Catholic upbringing what what!) to gorgeous quilts and woodworking. Guess which grandchild is winding up with a lot of the trinkets accumulated over the years? I think this will be a great way to preserve and share their history and work. The best part? One of my grandmas asked me one day, “So what’s this internet I hear so much about?” Now, she’ll be featured on it.
5. This isn’t supposed to be a cop-out, but I’m really inspired by people who work really hard. Other bloggers, Etsy sellers, and silent readers all make this weird, crafty circle of the internet keep going. I rarely run into spammers, plagiarists, or haters (knock on wood). Everyone in the crafting community is so nice and supportive. It’s awesome.
Now it’s your turn! Share 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things about yourself on your blog, and add the button we’ve made. Then, send me a link and I’ll include it in a future roundup!
Grab a button unless you hate cuteness. Just copy this code and paste it into your blog template.
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