Interview with Amy Latta, Winner of The 2015 Craftys Best Craft Blogger

Huge congratulations to Amy Latta of One Artsy Mama for winning the 2015 Craftys Award for Best Craft Blogger!

I had the pleasure of working with Amy two years ago, plus she is a frequent contributor to Fun Family Crafts. She is wonderfully creative, an excellent writer, and an all-around nice person, so it was very exciting to hear her name announced as the winner! Along with congratulations, I had a bunch of questions for Amy. She was kind enough to agree to an interview. Thanks, Amy!

Cindy: Describe where you were and what you did when you found out you'd won the title of Best Craft Blogger 2015.

Amy: I had no idea I'd even been nominated until Friday morning when I got a tweet from the Craftys saying I was a finalist! I had entered a few of the categories myself, but hadn't submitted my own blog. I was curious to see the award broadcast, so I tuned in live on You Tube that night. I was sitting at the dining room table in front of the laptop with my 7 year old son {Little Crafter} on one side of me and my hubby on the other. LC just kept saying confidently that I was going to win. I saw the number of finalists and told him I was sure I wouldn't, but that it was an honor to have been nominated. I could hardly believe it when I heard Mark Montano announce my name! LC, meanwhile, was grinning and saying that he knew all along I just *had* to win. The biggest surprise was when I heard Mark mention that I had won more than just the cash prize; there's a book proposal involved! I almost fell out of my chair because a book has been a dream of mine for at least a year now. Once I got past the initial shock, I immediately went to my One Artsy Mama & Friends Facebook group and my blog Facebook page, as well as my personal one, and announced the exciting news!

Cindy: How long have you been blogging? Why did you start?

Amy: This March, I will be celebrating One Artsy Mama's fifth anniversary. I had no idea that craft blogs even existed until March of 2010, when I was searching online for a St. Patrick's Day craft idea for my son and his friend. I had stopped my full time job as a dance instructor to be a stay at home mom and was anxious for a creative outlet. When I stumbled across a blog called "that artist woman," I was immediately inspired and had to find out more about this blogging thing. That very day I decided I wanted to create my own blog in the hopes of sharing about the projects I did on a daily basis with Little Crafter. At the time, I had no idea it would ever be a source of income or that I'd develop the following I have now. My ultimate goal was to reach 1,000 people, and I just wanted to inspire someone.

Cindy: Name 3 traits you have that make you a successful blogger.

Amy: Creativity: In this business, you won't get far without that! Responsibility: I'm very careful about meeting all my deadlines and all the requirements anytime I work with a brand. Integrity: I am honest and transparent with my readers. My brand is built on honesty and the fact that people can trust what I say. If I recommend something, I truly use and like it. If I say something is quick and easy, it truly is.

Cindy: How has your blog changed over the years?

Amy: Originally, my idea was that One Artsy Mama would be all about kids' projects. But I love to create things myself too, and I quickly found out that readers were interested in those things too. Jewelry, home decor, furniture projects, fashion, crochet, and other types of posts were very popular with my audience, so I expanded what I do and now share a huge variety of project types. Just a few years ago, I really found my "brand" and my passion: "Honest Inspiration for Everyday Life." I realized that my heart's desire is to help people who don't feel crafty and creative see that they CAN make beautiful things. That's why no matter what I share, it's relatively quick, affordable, and simple. Anyone really can do it!

Cindy: What advice do you have for someone who hopes to take the title of Best Craft Blogger 2016 (or beyond)?

Amy: Gosh, I really have no idea! In fact, I'd love to hear from the judges to find out just what it was that made them cast their votes for me! I guess my advice is just to stay consistent and true to your brand, to keep creating new things all the time, and to do whatever it is that you personally do best.

Cindy: Part of your prize is doing a book proposal for Chronicle Books. Any thoughts on a possible subject or theme?

Amy: I've been thinking about this for awhile now, actually, so I do have an idea for what I'm going to propose...but I'm going to keep that under wraps until the process is underway. You can be certain, though, that it will resonate with my brand and what One Artsy Mama is all about.

Cindy: Name 3 of your favorite craft bloggers.

Amy: That's much too hard of a question! I have so many friends in the blogging community and we all inspire one another. The craft blogging world is kind of like a sorority of nice girls who encourage each other and understand that we're all cut from the same cloth.

Cindy: Besides your blog (One Artsy Mama), where can people find you?

Amy: I regularly contribute to the Craftsy Jewelry Blog, and I'm also a writer for the Tampico juice company's blog for moms. Otherwise, you can find me at Starbucks. ;)

Cindy: Thank you for your time and congratulations again!