Magazine Monday – Meet Cristina Kowalczyk

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Magazine Monday and day one of our Stamp It! Cards Week!

We’re so glad you could join us as we celebrate our latest special issue, Stamp It! Cards, Vol. 8! On sale tomorrow, you’ll find over 300 card ideas for all stamping skill levels. The best part? We’ll be spending the next five days in stamp heaven! Who’s in?

As always, we’re thrilled to be partnering with the Moxie Fab World blog for a whole week of promotion. Between the two sites, we’ll be spotlighting some great cards from the issue, hosting fun challenges and giving away some spectacular stamp prizes.

Click on the cover image to order your copy today!

Today we’re spotlighting the talented Cristina Kowalczyk, who has 10 cards in Stamp It! Cards! As one of our reigning 2011 Stamping Royalty winners, she definitely knows her way around a stamp block. Let’s get to know Cristina!

Cristina Kowalczyk

1. What is your favorite occasion to paper craft and why?

Christmas! There’s so much product for it, so I always get inspired.

Holiday Wishes Card, p. 115

2. What is your most difficult paper crafting challenge?

Honestly, just trying to keep up! There are so many challenges I want to enter, so many blog posts I want to write, so many cards I want to submit, but there are only so many hours in the day!

3. What is your favorite paper crafting supply?

I love my guillotine paper trimmer. It used to be my grandfather’s before he died. It still cuts more crisply than any other trimmer I’ve tried.

4. How would you describe your style?

Clean and simple for sure. Graphic, too.

For Baby Card, p. 32

5. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I asked my mom for help with this one and she said, “Maybe people would be surprised to know that you don’t like to drive.” Ha! That’s true.

6. How do you keep yourself organized when it comes to submission deadlines?

I print out the calls and do my sketches on the backside of the paper. That paper goes with me to my studio where I can easily consult it. I enter the deadline into my computer’s calendar and set reminders to pop up a day or two before so that I don’t miss anything.

7. Name three Paper Crafts designers whose styles you like and tell me why they appeal to you.

Lately I’ve been loving Kalyn Kepner’s work. I keep opening the magazine, seeing cards I like, and it turns out they’re hers. Her style is so clean but she exhibits such range. I’m also crazy about Agnieszka Malyszek, whose work is so utterly fresh, both in conception and execution. And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Maile Belles, who’s been a huge influence on me. Her cards are so thoughtful and I appreciate so much the way she’s always pushing the envelope.

8. Do you have any advice for someone who’s never been published or who wants to try submitting for the first time?

I submitted cards for a few months without success, but they never got picked up until I actually started reading Paper Crafts for myself. Once I saw the kinds of things that were in the magazine, I had a better idea of what the editors were looking for and a much better submission success rate.

9. Out of your 10 cards in Stamp It! Cards, Vol. 8, which is your favorite and why?

I have a soft spot for my Striped Thank You Card, mostly because I am a fanatic about stripes so it was fun to use them on a card.

Striped Thank You Card, p. 138

10. Do you have a blog or online gallery? If so, please provide the URL.

You can find me at My Paper Secret. Please stop by for a visit!

Thanks, Cristina! Since Cristina is on the design team for Wplus9 Design Studio, she scored a fun stamp set for today’s giveaway. Leave a comment for Cristina and I’ll pick two random winners to take home Wplus9′s Poinsettia Patterns stamp set (seen in her For Baby Card above), a copy of Stamp It! Cards and some of her published cards from the issue. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Tuesday, June 28.

Two lucky winners will take home this stamp set from Wplus9 Design Studio!

Happy Monday!
Kelly

P.S. It’s time to announce the winners from our Embracing National Pink Day, Countdown to Stamp It! Cards Week and Kraft Card Giveaway posts!

Embracing National Pink Day winners:

1. Chriss Blagrave (June 23, 6:21 a.m.)
2. Kim Heggins (June 23, 12:22 p.m.)

Countdown to Stamp It! Cards Week winners:

1. Claire (June 24, 3:33 p.m.)
2. Brandy (June 24, 11:33 a.m.)

Kraft Card Giveaway winner:

Jennifer (June 25, 9:04 a.m.)

Congrats, winners! I’ll be e-mailing you shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!