P. Kelly Smith
Welcome to Freebie Friday! We’re wrapping up our Card Creations: Favorite Occasions Week with an inspiring challenge. I asked the top five designers of Card Creations: Favorite Occasions to create a brand new card in one of these five occasions: Birthday, Thank You, Congrats, Love and All Occasion.
And because every challenge is always better with a twist, all five designers were sent the exact same product – Pink Paislee’s Sweetness collection. The purpose: to show not only the versatility of product, but how different designers adapt product for different occasions.
And boy did they deliver the goods! I also had each designer tell me what occasion they find the most challenging/rewarding to design for. Here’s the results of the Five Designers Create Five Cards in Five Different Occasions with ONE Product Line Challenge. (Say that five times fast!)
Most Rewarding Occasion: “Creating a card for any reason is a joy, but the occasion I find most rewarding to design for is encouragement or thinking of you. There is something so special about getting an unexpected card in the mail. In these busy times, a personal touch is sometimes lacking and we all go through days when we just need to know someone cares. A handcrafted card is a wonderful way to share your art and also your heart. The ability to touch someone’s life with this small gesture is a very unique and special thing.”
Most Rewarding Occasion: “Thank you is the most rewarding occasion for me because I think it’s so important to let loved ones know how much they are appreciated. Creatively, the sky is the limit when I create thank you cards, and I love that freedom.”
Most Challenging Occasion: “I’d say the most challenging would be to create sympathy cards. Not only is it an occasion that I don’t look forward to crafting for, but it’s also an occasion that seems to call for a card style that isn’t my strength. I like crafting good ol’ fun & cute!”
Most Challenging Occasion: “I find that sympathy cards are the most challenging for me to create. When designing a sympathy card, I find myself wanting to include a meaningful and thoughtful message inside. Yet, at the same time, I’d like a card design that can express those same feelings, not only on the inside, but on the outside of the card as well.”
Vanessa Menhorn (All Occasion):
Most Rewarding Occasion: “My very favorite occasion to create cards for is birthday. For this occasion there are almost no restrictions and I am able to just play and have fun with my supplies.”
Thanks to Julia, Kim, Chan, Maile and Vanessa for accepting my challenge (with a twist!) and creating such diverse, yet complementary cards. I know several of them have created additional cards in different occasions, so make sure to stop by their blogs for even more inspiration.
I also wanted to thank our friends at Pink Paislee for sending our five designers the Sweetness collection. (Speaking of diversity, we had shipments going to Germany, Canada (x2), California and Arizona!) Pink Paislee was also kind enough to send another set of Sweetness to me…to give away to one lucky winner! Leave a comment telling me what occasion you find the most sweet. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Sunday, Dec. 5.
One lucky winner will take home Pink Paislee's Sweetness collection!
Happy Friday!
Kelly
P.S. Cath has one more fun challenge ready to go over on Moxie Fab World. Go check it out!
P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winner of Betsy’s Inspired By Card Creations: Favorite Occasions post!
Marla J. (Dec. 1, 11:33 a.m.)
Congrats, Marla! You’ve won the three cards featured in Betsy’s post, plus a copy of Card Creations: Favorite Occasions! I’ll be in touch shortly to get your mailing address. Thanks to all who left comments!
The sweetest holiday for me is Halloween!!! LOL!!!
I find Valentines Day to be the most sweet! I love making sappy cards for my husband and sweet ones for my girls!
Wedding congratulatory cards are the sweetest to me – there is no such thing as being too ‘sappy’ or ‘sentimental. I mean hey, you’re sending your best wishes to two people who are about to start a new life together!
I was drawn to the Occasion’s card by Vanessa Menhorn. I’m going through a flower phase. Something about this card just sings to me, and as I usually only create with stamps, I thought her idea was very unique! Thank you for sharing!
This is a beautiful collection by Pink Paislee. It is so unique and looks like it can be used for many different occasions. I think any occasion having to do with love are the sweetest cards. Anniversary, Wedding, Valentines day, and I care are some of those. Thanks for the chance to win such a wonderful prize.
xoxo, Christine
hi,this such a sweet gift. and i thing the sweetest occasion is wedding and engagement. don’t we all love to see two soul finely can be together as one. that’s the sweetest thing that could happened to anyone.
The sweetest occasion to give a card, in my opinion, HAS to be to welcome a new baby! There just isn’t any another occasion that is as joyous and tender as that! Thanks for the chance to win such a gorgeous collection!
The arrival of a new baby has got to be the sweetest occasion that I can think of. (thanks for all the inspiration that I gat here.)
I love Hello cards…just a thinking of you can make anyone’s day.
Thanks for the chance
This event doesn’t happen on any regular schedule, but the birth of a new baby is the sweetest for me. I just experienced this event last week with my 2nd grand daughter. How sweet!!!
I just made a card to celebrate our niece’s birth. All pink and cute I consider this (birth announcements) a sweet occasion to make cards
Thanks for the chance to win!!
I think the sweetest for me is cards for a little girl. I have three nieces and I adore making the pretty cards for them.
Just thinking of you cards are my fav. It’s like opening up a hug.
These are such beautiful cards! I consider Valentine’s to be the sweetest occasion and the nice this is that it can apply to anyone.
The sweetest “occasion” is “Thinking of You”, because these cards can be sent any day of the year. And to think of brightening someone’s face with a smile… well, it puts a smile on my face too!
I love cards that say thinking of you because they are my go to card and I use them for almost anything.
My sweetest occasion must be Valentine’s Day. Candy, chocolate and love in the air! Also a great time to tell those close to you how much they mean to you!
The sweetest cards for me are welcome baby. I love the colors in this sweetest collection.
I think the sweetest occasion are new babies! I love all those cards and that beautiful flower that Kim created!
There is nothing to me that compares to new life in this world and to see a little bit of you and love reflected back in that sweet new shining face. : )
I love birthdays and think they are the sweetest occasions to celebrate! Maybe because there’s always cake around?!?!
What beautiful cards! I love how each designer expressed themselves so differently. Awesome work.
Any child’s birthday is a fun occasion but for a sweet occasion I think of a little girl’s birthday. It’s all sweetness and imagination with lots of pinks and purples and pastels. The more sparkle and shine the better.
)
love the Be Mine card!
I love Just thinking of you cards…nice to know people think of you
I think children’s birthday’s and just a fun way to express a more whimsical side of crafting! This collection looks wonderful!
My favorite are ALL occasions- you can use them anytime and no sentiments needed
Valentines are the sweetest and most fun. You can make super gushy, all out romantic card, or go to the opposite end and make adorable valentines using animals and plays on words. It’s all too fun.
Email correction – sorry bout that!
Lovely cards indeed. So beautiful!