Meet the Crafter Behind the Craft: Jennifer McGuire

From seeking inspiration to battling creative block, every crafter goes through their own journey of making beautiful and heartwarming projects that spark joy. That journey isn’t always smooth sailing; that’s when we can rely on amazing crafters in the industry who can help out. 

Well, we have none other than cardmaking and DIY paper crafting royalty, Jennifer McGuire, featured in today’s blog to share her tips and personal experience with you. 

How Did Jennifer McGuire Get Her Start in Crafting?

Jennifer’s entry point into paper crafting was working on scrapbooks. She was a volunteer for her church’s senior high youth group and worked on a scrapbook layout of one of their latest mission trips. This sparked her interest in creating handmade projects, and soon after, she began to work with related magazines and companies to hone her skills! 

After a few years, Jennifer was contacted by Hero Arts, and under the guidance of Shari Carroll, she eventually fell in love with stamping and creating handmade cards. 

Finding Inspiration: How Does Jennifer Do It?

It’s no secret that everyone, regardless of age or experience, can experience creative block or a lack of inspiration. If you need help with this, Jennifer has some tips! 

First, draw from your experience and what you know you’re good at. For example, Jennifer drew on her previous career path to give her inspiration and a desire to come up with new techniques. 

“I used to be an engineer, so I have this desire to 'invent' or find ways of doing things. Therefore, I really enjoy coming up with techniques, or just creating spins on old ones.”

Jennifer also shares that her passion for stamping fuels her desire to teach and improve as a crafter. Enjoying the process is one of the most important things you can do, because without passion and happiness, it can be hard for fulfillment to follow. 

Lost Your Crafty Mojo? Here Are Some of Jennifer’s Essential Tips!

There are so many elements to making cardmaking projects, whether it's deciding on which techniques to try or what supplies to use together. In making those decisions and successfully making a handmade card, losing your crafty mojo is possible, but Jennifer has some tips to help you get it back! 

Everyone Is Different!

“I really believe everyone is different when it comes to finding inspiration.”, Jennifer shares. 

It’s important to remember that everyone is on their own pace and the unique phases of their crafting journey. Don’t look at other people and compare yourself to them, especially when it comes to the techniques you’re using or the cards you’re making. Find inspiration at your own pace and enjoy the process from there!

Seek Tips and Inspiration Online

The online crafting community is an amazing thing. You can check out the Instagram feeds of your fellow crafters, watch YouTube videos from the Altenew channel, or read paper crafting blogs. You don’t have to copy these ideas as-is if you don’t want to, but they can give you a very good starting point for a project.

Having Crafty Friendships Is a Big Deal

Much like other aspects of life, being surrounded by inspiring, supportive people who share the same interest is a must. You can do this with your loved ones at home, or join the crafty community online! Facebook groups, online crafting challenges, or even classes for a chance to mingle with other crafters and learn new techniques at the same time. 

Crafting Is a Process, So Enjoy It!

Jennifer’s final words? “Do your thing. Don’t try to be someone else or create like them. Just do what makes YOU happy and works for YOU.” 

Remember to enjoy your crafting journey and make choices that spark joy. We hope you had a great time getting to know Jennifer McGuire today, and if you’d like to learn more about all things paper crafting and cardmaking inspiration, click HERE!