Blog Hopping...
Lisa Lodge is a published jewelry designer and bead lover. As well as creating fabulous
jewelry, she runs several popular blog hops every year as well as additional, inspiration challenges from her Facebook group. I got to talk to Lisa about her blog hops and
the thought process behind them...
How long have you been doing the blog hops?
About two years now. I started doing small blog hops about four times a year. Now I have blog
hops and challenges almost every month. The challenges are similar to blog hops in the sense
that participants view each other creations. However, the challenges occur in my Facebook bead
group. Pictures are posted by participants in a photo album for everyone to enjoy.
What do you enjoy most and least about hosting blog hops?
That is a great question! I enjoy helping and encouraging people. I receive a lot of feedback from
participants saying that the hops and challenges ignite their creativity and provide a way for them
to meet new online “beading friends.” The hosting process can be challenging – attention to detail and good organization is critical. I enjoy multitasking and organizing, so it is a good fit for me.
Plus I have the added bonus of learning many new things from the participants! I feel very fortunate to be able to host these events. What I enjoy the least about hosting is that I get so wrapped
up in the hosting process that I don’t always have time to create jewelry with the hop kit to post
on my blog page. I like to create something as a “participant” when I can.
Where do you get your ideas and inspirations for the themes you come up with for
the hops?
The four seasons, and various holidays provide inspiration. I also like to use fun events such as carnivals, hayrides, and orchard trips as inspiration. Sometimes I focus on a particular material, (such
as metal) or a gemstone, (such as jasper), and build a theme around it.
Your hops seem very popular, what do you think your participants get out of taking
part?
Participating in a blog hop or bead group challenge has encouraged many participants to break
out of their “comfort zones” and try new things – different colors, wirework, using art beads, and
new stringing techniques, to name a few. Participants have said that signing up for a blog hop was
the push they needed to start their own blogs. It is also a way to get inspiration for new jewelry by
seeing how other participants utilize materials.