1. We love your card creations. How did you get into card making and can you remember the very first thing you made?
It was about 12 years ago. I
suddenly decided that I would like to make our Christmas Cards that year so, I
went down to the local superstore. I bought some green A6 card blanks and
envelopes, some toppers (all square ones), a Happy Christmas wood mounted stamp
and a silver ink pad. They were very simple cards but I was totally hooked!
2. The crafting world loves your designs and techniques, where do you get all your ideas from?
That’s a hard one! I guess my ideas
usually start with a stamp image, a die or a technique that I want to include
on a card. Then everything else builds around that. Sometimes ideas come from
other crafters – kind of a ‘that’s cool, I wonder if I could do that with this
products instead’ moment.
3. When you're not crafting, what else do you like to do for fun?
I don’t have much free time but I
do love to go to the cinema or just going out for a coffee with a good friend
for a catch up, which is a lovely luxury.
4. What was your first "when I grow up I want to be...?"
Not sure I can remember that far
back! When I was a school, I was about 12 I think, I decided that I wanted to
be a computer programmer. That’s actually what I did when I left school.
5. Christmas is fast approaching, how do you like to spend your Christmas Day?
My ideal Christmas Day is spending
time with my children and parents and a traditional Christmas lunch. There has
to be board games on Christmas Day too!
6. We've seen you on our screens quite a lot recently, do you still get nervous? How do you prepare yourself for live TV?
Actually, no, I don’t get nervous
at all anymore. I was a little bit apprehensive before my first show on
Hochanda as it was all new to me but I wasn’t actually nervous. I find the best
way to be prepared for live TV is to be as organised as possible and then it’s
easy to relax into it. There are occasions, of course, when I forget to take
things but there is usually something else that I can use, just like at home.
7. I'm sure everyone (including us) is dying to know, what 5 piece of kit can you not live without?
Only 5! OK, then it would have to
be – Rubber Stamps, Craft Sheet, Jet Black Archival Ink Pad, Spellbinders
Tool-n-One and my pokey tool.
8. What is it you think make Hochanda different?
Hochanda has a lovely atmosphere.
Everyone seems to be really happy to be there and as a guest presenter, that
makes me happy to be there too. It’s very clear that everyone working there is
very passionate about the channel. It’s wonderful having the time to explain
techniques fully. All the presenters are genuinely interested in what their
guests are doing and their enthusiasm is infectious. There is so much variety
on the channel too. I’ve spotted a few crafts that I’d love to try.
9. What does your studio look like? Give us a tour!
Studio? Mmm? Well, I craft in my
spare bedroom which does have a bed in it as I have to use it when my parents
come to stay. I am not the tidiest crafter in the world, which is a bit of an
understatement.
The main problem is space, Creative
Expressions are constantly bringing out new products so I have to try and find
space for it all - a good problem to be faced with though!
So, besides the bed, I have my
craft table with my Grand Calibur, my computer desk with printer, the new
Cricut Explore and my music docking station, then lots of shelving, drawer
units and boxes.
10. What can we expect to see from you in the coming months?
I’ll try and demonstrate as
many techniques as I can. We’ll be having lots of lovely new dies and embossing
folders from Couture Creations.
We have our UK Trade Show
in February and Creative Expressions are already working on lots of new
products that will be launched then and we’ll be bringing them to you early
next year.
I’m also hoping to bring a new
craft to the channel that we’ve been planning for the past 18 months, so watch
this space!
11. Have you got any handy tips you could share?
Enjoy what you do. You can do anything, it may require some
practice but you can do it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of the
result – if it pleases you then it’s perfect!
Love crafting? Tune in to Hochanda every day 24/7 for lots of fun and crafty demonstrations! Watch our programmes live > Hochanda.com
You can also tune into Hochanda on Freeview channel 39, Sky channel 663 or Freesat 817.
Morning Hochanda, makes very interesting reading, and when you meet Julia she is such a nice person, you are very lucky to have her on your shows as we are to see and learn so much from her.
ReplyDeleteStay safe, healthy and happy, hugs, June Smith xxx
Loved the interview Julia hochanda you are lucky to have Julia she's brill xxxxx
ReplyDeleteBrilliant interview, lovely lady. very kind and helpful.xx
ReplyDeleteBrilliant interview Julia x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely lady Julia is. Certainly an inspiration to me and I can't wait to see all the new products early next year.
ReplyDeleteLovely to learn more about you Julia, not only is HOCHANDA lucky to have you, we are lucky that they do....
ReplyDeleteGreat interview with Julia - a new craft eh, can't wait xx
ReplyDeleteJulia is the best guest on tv I can not stand the presenters because they keep getting in front of the guest when they are trying to make a card .We all know its a selling chanall but they treat us like children telling us every second what you are selling
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Julia's and in fact the whole Creative Expressions team. Lovely to read a bit about the person behind the crafter.
ReplyDelete