Guest Designer Spotlight Shari Hensley-Garza

Shari Hensley-Garza's got talent! We LOVE her ability to create something special and unique with paper! I know you will be just as surprised as we were with her delightful creations! Take a look...

How long have you been crafting?

 I've been crafting on and off for over 40 years, but got off to a bumpy start. As a small child I took a pair of scissors to every piece of fabric in our house so I could make a designer wardrobe for my Troll doll. My mother told me that for years she was still finding clothes and linens with the same familiar 1/2 circle missing (this included her wedding dress and the living room curtains). Needless to say my first crafting project was almost my last and was not hailed by all as a glowing success. Lucky for me my mother was a saint and always encouraged my creative spirit, buying me books and crafty projects through the years. I took every art and sewing class in school that I was allowed and often volunteered to do my friends art and sewing homework so I could "play" more. Over the years I have tried many different crafts but my passion is with paper-crafting and decorative painting.

What inspires you to be creative?

I can be inspired by almost anything but it's usually colors and patterns that get my creative mind going, especially in a beautiful paper collection. Flipping through a new stack of paper can make my mind race with the creative possibilities. I love anything that can give me that feeling of beauty or whimsy and gets me excited to start the next project.

What Craft Warehouse products do you love to use ?

I love, love the paper collections (okay, it's more of an obsession), right now I'm really into Graphic 45, Simple Stories and the Authentique lines and I'll always be a huge fan of My Minds Eye. I'm also completely addicted to the unfinished wood pieces. I can walk into Craft Warehouse with no idea of what my next project will be and see a new line of paper and I just know the right wood piece is waiting for me just across the isle. The projects are limitless with all of the wood products. You can dress them up or down. A little paint, paper, some embellishments , go elegant or shabby chic. I really love the feeling of taking something like an unfinished cigar box and turning it into a beautiful keepsake or Christmas decoration.

How can you encourage others reading this column?

I often here people say "I can't make that" but the truth is that every project has a beginning, middle and end before you get to the finish line. If you tackle it step by step you can do anything. I encourage crafters that are a little shy of a new craft or want to try a new product to start with a project sheet. Everything you need is listed along with the instructions. Also find a friend to do the same project, it's always more fun to create with friends. Lastly don't take it so serious, have fun with it and remember there are no mistakes in art only happy accidents. Some of my favorite projects started out to be something else, but I loved what they became because of one of those 'accidents'.

Everyone is living so fast these days that it's important to slow down a bit and have fun with friends and loved ones. One of my favorite ways to connect with the people I love is to do something creative. Some of my best memories are of me sitting around a table with my mom and friends crafting. Some of us made cards, scrapped pictures or painted. We always had so much fun laughing and sharing stories around that table. As I got older I realized we weren't just making crafts we were making memories, really good ones.

Do you have a great idea to share with us? Would you like to design for Craft Warehouse? We would love to hear from you! To apply for our Craft Warehouse 2013-2014 Design Team, click here!