Rock Star Spotlight ~ Shirley Hotop

Happy Hump Day, everyone! As I mentioned on Monday, we’re taking a break from our usual projects and challenges this month to bring back our Rock Star Spotlight series. This little game of questions has proved to be a fun way to get to know the artists behind the cards we’ve been sharing. So each Monday and Wednesday throughout December we’ll be featuring a different Rock Star and showing off some of their latest creations too.

We hope you will visit often and leave each of these talented ladies a little love in the comments. And to make it even more fun for you, we’ll be awarding a $25 Repeat Impressions gift certificate to one lucky commenter. Every comment earns you another chance to win. So visit and comment often. We’ll use random.org to choose a winner and make the announcement the first Monday of next month.

Today we’re shining the spotlight on RI Rock Star, Shirley Hotop.

Creations by Shirley Hotop.
Visit Shirley’s blog.

1. Tell us a little about your family.
Married to my high school sweet heart - 3 adult children - 3 “big” furbaby dogs and 1 diabetic calico cat that tries to boss everyone.

2. How did you get into stamping?
Went to a “home catalog” party - and before I went I told the hostess “wellI will come BUT I am not buying anything”. That was 16 years ago and many $$$$ as well.

3. What is your favorite holiday or occasion to create cards for?
I love all the holidays but being a Chemo Angel for 11 years I create a lot of Thinking of You, God Bless, Prayers, type cards of encouragement for those who just need to know that someone has them in their thoughts.

4. What is your favorite stamping style or technique?
I really like whimsy/fun images but I think I am now leaning more towards flowers, and images that I can color. I love embossing - whether it be dry embossing or wet embossing.

5. What is your favorite color combo and coloring method?
I love copics - (wish I was better in my coloring skills), and I like to experiment with watercolors although I want to make my water coloring look perfect and it is not.

6. Aside from the usual necessities, what one crafting tool could you not go a day without?
I really think it would have to be my stamp positioner as I like to stamp the image on my clear pad and then see where I want it on my card. I use this tool when doing two stamp stamping as well as I want it to be “almost perfect”.

7. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
When do you do most of your stamping? Early bird. My dogs get ME up at “o dark thirty ” so I stay up make a cup of coffee and head for the craft room.

8. Tell us a little about your craft room/stamping space. And are you neat and organized or creatively messy?
When we were looking for a new home - I saw my large craft room and my husband saw a third garage. We signed on the dotted line immediately. I “try” to be neat and organized - and I really prefer to put away my tools and supplies when I am done with a project - doesn’t always happen, so then I just close the door.

9. What has been your biggest stamping challenge?
I have a dear friend that I call the “box queen”. She can look at a box and go home and make it. Even with measurements and instructions mine always turn out lopsided.

10. What’s the best stamping related gift you ever received?
Well I would like to say friendship - I have met so many wonderful creative people through stamping and friendship is truly a gift.

11. If money were no object, what new crafting tool or supply would you choose?
An electronic cutting machine with easy to understand instructions.

12. Tell us 3 of your most favorite Repeat Impressions’ designs.
This is not a fair question - but will try and narrow it down to just three. The large and small detail butterflys under the summer collection - 9001-L and 9009-F, so versatile. #2 the teddy bear Belle - 701-K, and The Penguin Trio 8806-N - these little guys are my whimsy fix.

13. Not including stamping, what’s your favorite pastime?
Reading - just about anything except science fiction. I also like to walk - as our dogs insist on a daily walk or some kind of exercise every day.

14. What’s on your perfect pizza?
Supreme thin crust.

15. What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?
Vanilla - then top it with any flavor topping you can imagine.

16. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
White rafting in Colorado.

17. Name 3 things on your “bucket list”.
Going up in a hot air balloon, sky diving, and scuba diving. I do like adventure.

18. If you could shop for free at one store, which one would you choose?
I’m pretty economical - so I think it would have to be Kohls.

19. If you could take only 3 items with you to a deserted island, what would they be?
My husband, my Kindle, and my pillow.

20. If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction? And who would play you in the movie of your life?
Oh it would definitely be a drama, and Jennifer Aniston as she has so much talent.

Many thanks to Shirley for all the wonderful Christmas creations and for sharing her responses here with us. What fun to get to know her a little better! Now be sure to leave her some love here below in the comments for your chance at our $25 gift certificate! Then join us again on Monday for our next Rock Star Spotlight featuring Patti J. Gilliam.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week!

Wendy
Repeat Impressions