P. Kelly Smith

Howdy, friends! So glad to be with you for our fun promotion of Stamp It! 3 Ways.

Have you had a chance to pick up this $5.99 gem yet? If not, this special issue is a must-have. Not only do you get a lot of bang for your buck (120 projects!), but it also features 40 stamp sets from some of the hottest manufacturers. (Read on to learn how you can win some of these great stamp sets!)

Click the cover image to buy your issue!

One of my favorite contests we sponsor here is our annual Stamping Royalty Card Contest. I love requesting the product, building the prize packages (shiny tiaras and all!) and then sitting back and watching the gorgeous submissions come in. (For a fun little tribute to last year’s winners, check out my Stamping Royalty: From A to Z post!)

Today I thought I would spotlight two winners from our 2011 Stamping Royalty Card Contest. Both Mary Dawn Quirindongo and Cristina Kowalczyk took home a royal prize package and had their winning cards and tiara-wearing headshots featured in our November/December 2011 issue. Not only that, both winners are back in Stamp It! 3 Ways!

Along with the talented Maile Belles, all three designers were asked to create a card featuring the Hope Seed Co. stamp set from Wplus9 Design Studio:

What I love about this issue is we show you three unique interpretations of a single stamp set. Mary Dawn ended up using six stamps from this set in her shabby Friendship Seeds Card (p. 52):

Minimalist Cristina only used two stamps in her Thankful Card (p. 53) but it still packs quite the punch:

And three stamps was the magic number for Maile in her beautifully-colored Poppy Get Well Card (p. 53):

Amazing cards, right? I love how each designer was inspired by individual stamps from this set and how each one let their imagination dictate the design of their card. Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about stamping and I’ll pick three lucky winners to take home Wplus Design Studio’s Hope Seed Co. stamp set (seen above), plus a copy of Stamp It! 3 Ways. Comments must be received by Wednesday, January 25 at 5 PM MST!

Happy stamping!

P.S. Wanna learn more about our 2012 Stamping Royalty Card Contest? Many of the 40 stamp sets featured in Stamp It! 3 Ways are a part of the $500 prize package! Stay tuned for our second post when we reveal all the details on how you too can reign supreme in your shiny tiara!

Courtney Smith

Good morning, crafters and welcome to our Stamp It! 3 Ways promotion week! This week, we’re here to celebrate this incredible issue! Check out the celebration at Moxie Fab World as well! We took a popular feature from our Stamp It! Cards issues, and made it center stage in this brand new special issue!

Featuring over 40 different stamp sets, we asked three different designers to create projects with the stamp sets in completely unique ways!

We caught up with Heidi Van Laar, who not only rocked the issue, but who was one of our cover girls as well! Keep reading to get to learn a little more about Heidi, and to see some of her inspiring projects from this issue!

Where do you find your paper crafting inspiration?

Advertisements, children’s clothing, store displays, fashion magazines, even cake decoration, I find inspiration just about everywhere. It’s funny, but sometimes I’ll look at something totally un-craft related and I’ll instantly know how I want to interpret it as a card. I even carry a small sketchbook with me so I can jot down ideas if I’m inspired when I’m out and about.

What is your favorite paper crafting supply? Why?

Oooh, this is a hard question, I have so many favorites! Love my dies, love patterned paper, love my stamps, but the one thing I think I could never go without is good old cardstock. It’s such a basic supply, but you can do so much with it! I have to have it on hand in just about every color, and I love all the different textures and finishes that are out there.

Out of your cards published in Stamp It! 3 Ways, what were your three favorites and why?

Yellow Ribbon Card, pg. 79: It’s such a simple card, but I love the way it conveys it’s message of missing someone and wanting them to return home.

Welcome Home Card, pg. 63: I had fun taking what was meant to be a Christmas themed stamp set and creating a non holiday card. It’s great to be able to stretch supplies beyond the season that they were intended for.

Thank You Medallion Card, pg. 55: I had this idea to create a medallion by stamping one of the floral images from the set over and over again. As we all know sometimes things work better in your head than they do in reality so I was really pleased when the medallion came out just how I had pictured it.

What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you?

Hmmm, that I’m maybe a little bit obsessed with nail polish (my husband might say a lot, lol). I have over 200 bottles and I usually come home with one new color every week. I’m pretty conservative in how I dress, so my nails are the place I get to go a little crazy and have fun!

What designers do you admire and why?

Another hard question! There are so many truly amazing designers, and it seems like almost everyday I’m discovering someone else who knocks my sock off. There are a few designers that have been inspiring me for years though. Teri Anderson blows me away with her creative use of supplies and her fun and funky designs. Kim Hughes is the the queen of cute and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Maile Belles‘ clean and colorful designs always make my jaw drop.

How would you classify your personal crafting style?

I’ve always had a hard time classifying my style. I think that fun and cute with a tendency towards clean and graphic is probably the closest I can come. Clean and cute?

What was your favorite part about Stamp It! 3 Ways?

It was really fun trying to figure out a different, and interesting way to use each stamp set. I LOVED finally getting the issue and seeing what the other designers did!

What was the most difficult aspect of Stamp It! 3 Ways?

Trying to figure out a different and interesting way to use each stamp set, lol! It was my favorite part, but the most challenging too. Since the goal of this issue is to show the wide variety of things that can be created with a single set of stamps I spent a lot of time making sure I didn’t do something obvious.

What advice do you have for someone who’s never been published or who wants to try submitting for the first time?

I think the most important thing when you are trying to get published is to really know the magazine you are submitting to. Read the magazine, if there is a blog or a forum, read those too. The best way to get into a magazine is to know exactly what they are looking for and then do your best to give it to them. I read Paper Crafts for years before I got brave enough to submit and when I finally did I had some success. Knowing what they liked to publish definitely didn’t hurt.

Out of the stamp sets you designed with, which one was your favorite and why?

I really, really loved the Carved Love set from Practicing Creativity. It’s just such a different and unique set, plus I love anything woodgrain and the bark pattern is such fun alternative!

Thanks for stopping by to chat with us this morning, Heidi! Now what are you still sitting here for?! Get up, get those stamp sets, and get stamping! Leave a comment for us by Tuesday, January 24 at 5 PM MST, and we’ll pick three lucky winners to win copies of this issue! If you’re too excited to wait until then, buy your copy HERE!

P.S. Be sure to tune in all this week for sneak peeks into this special issue!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Magazine Monday and day one of our exciting Cards Ideas Week!

We’re so glad you could join us as we celebrate our latest special issue, Card Ideas for Paper Crafters! On sale now, you’ll find 288 cards made from 72 fresh and fun sketches. The best part? We’ll show you how versatile these sketches can be as our designers flip, turn and rotate them for even more inspiration.

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 cards (and sketches) from the issue, hosting some fun challenges and giving away some amazing prizes.

Click on the cover image to order your copy today!

Today we’re spotlighting the talented Lindsay Amrhein, who has 8 cards in Card Ideas for Paper Crafters! As one of the Top 10 finalists in this year’s Gallery Idol competition, I so enjoyed seeing her creative designs week after week.

Shall we get to know Lindsay a little bit better?

Lindsay Amrhein

1. How long have you been designing with sketches? Why do you think they’re so appealing to paper crafters?

Sketches have been in my craft arsenal since the beginning. I would refer to them when I needed help getting started and I still do. Sketches take away that first hurdle of design and allow you to jump right in with all the fun stuff!

Sketch by Cristina Kowalczyk, p. 106

Happy Happy Birthday Card, p. 107

2. What is your most difficult paper crafting challenge?

Knowing when to stop putting things on my project! I tend to overuse embellishments or colors or something that detracts from the overall design. I have been trying to take a less-is-more approach to my card making.

3. How would you describe your style?

I have never quite been able to define my style; I do lean towards fun and cute, but sometimes find myself creating clean and graphic cards as well.

Sketch by Vanessa Menhorn, p. 58

Happy for You! Card, p. 59

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

At the age of sixteen I underwent major surgery to remove a benign tumor from my brain. It was a pivotal place in my life that changed who I was and how I viewed life from that point on.

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

As soon as a call is up, I print off the information and put it in a folder that sits on my desk. Whenever I have an idea, I write it down within that folder and all card images are stored in a folder on my computer.

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

• Teri Anderson – she does amazing things with patterned paper and stamps. There is always something she does that I wish I would have thought of!
• Julia Stainton – she can seriously do every style and make it look amazing! Her layering is top notch and she chooses the best colors and products for her projects.
• Maile Belles – THE clean and simple queen, she always makes my jaw drop in amazement at the way she thinks outside the box with stamps and her use of color.

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

Don’t take it personally, there are a lot of cards being submitted and sometimes it’s just not what they are looking for. Know the magazine you are submitting to and design accordingly. Lastly, don’t give up! Keep trying!

8. Out of your 8 cards in Card Ideas for Paper Crafters, which is your favorite and why?  

My You Did It! Card. I love the rainbow colors and how simple it looks, although it was more work than I had planned. When I first saw the sketch, I envisioned rainbow die cut circles, but didn’t want the bulk, so I had to die-cut the inner layer out of all the circles to get the one layer look I was going for. 

Sketch by Julia Stainton, p. 24

You Did It! Card, p. 24

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

My blog is http://lindsayamrhein.blogspot.com

Thanks, Lindsay! Leave a comment here for Lindsay and I’ll pick three winners to take home Hero Arts’ Layered Flowers stamp set (the same set she used in her Happy for You! Card above) AND a copy of Card Ideas for Paper Crafters. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Tuesday, August 23.

Three lucky winners will take home this stamp set from Hero Arts!

Happy Monday!
Kelly

P.S. Hop over to Moxie Fab World for even more sketch-filled inspiration!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winners from our Monster Gift Card Giveaway, Countdown to Card Ideas Week and Samantha Walker/Unity Stamp Giveaway posts!

Monster Gift Card Giveaway winner:

Karen (Aug. 18, 12:48 p.m.)

Countdown to Card Ideas Week winners:

1. Laura Daniels (Aug. 19, 9:18 a.m.)
2. Annette A. (Aug. 19, 6:48 a.m.)
3. Norma (Aug. 19, 4:12 a.m.)

Samantha Walker/Unity Stamp Giveaway winners:

1. Dianne (Aug. 21, 11:30 a.m.)
2. Janie La Pierre (Aug. 19, 12:50 p.m.)

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

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!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday! How many of you get positively giddy over inking up a brand new stamp and applying it to a clean, blank canvas? Even if the outcome isn’t always perfect, the possibility of greatness is always there. 

Speaking of giddy, how do you feel about 300 card ideas all in one issue? Beginning Monday, we’ll be spotlighting our latest publication, Stamp It! Cards, Vol. 8. And for the first time ever, this stamptastic issue is 164 pages!

Once again we’re partnering with trends editor Cath Edvalson and the Moxie Fab World blog. Between the two sites, we’ll be featuring some great stamped cards, hosting some fun challenges and giving away some fabulous prize packages.

Click on the cover image to order your copy today!

Even though this issue doesn’t officially go on sale until next Tuesday, June 28, let’s begin the countdown! Lately I’ve been obsessed with kraft cards. Talk about giddy! So here’s three of my favorite kraft cards from Stamp It! Cards:

Julia Stainton's Today & Everyday Card, p. 47

Maile Belles' Hey, Little Lady Card, p. 78

Vanessa Menhorn's Birthday Birdy Card, p. 51

Who’d like to make their own kraft masterpieces? Leave a comment and I’ll pick two winners to take home a copy of Stamp It! Cards, Hero Arts’ Music Background and Skipping Stones Design’s Heartsong set (both in Vanessa’s card). All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, June 26.

Two lucky winners will each take home this stamp prize package!

Happy Friday!
Kelly

P.S. Join us on Monday when we spotlight the talented Cristina Kowalczyk and a few of her 10 cards from Stamp It! Cards!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winner from Kim Kesti’s On the Go post!

Tiffani (June 22, 8:38 a.m.)

Congrats, Tiffani! You’ve won Jenni Bowlin’s Be Our Guest collection! I’ll be contacting you shortly to get your address. Thanks to all who left comments!

Kerri Miller

I’m not what you’d call a huge pink fan. 

When my daughter was born, I specifically avoided buying her anything pink. I also don’t own any pink clothing.

And you’ll not find any pink around my house. In fact, I had to scrounge to find anything close to pink to wear today.

Apparently, National Pink Day is a big day here at the Paper Crafts office. 

No one wore Halloween costumes last year but everyone wore pink today!

It takes a real man to don a pink shirt and pose with eight women. We love you, Matt!

Even our moxie fab Cath is wearing pink today!

So I find it ironic that I really like these pink cards I found in Paper Crafts magazines. As I contemplate the color pink in depth, I realize just how versatile it can be. There are so many shades of pink and color combinations using pink, each evoking different emotions. 

 

It can be soft and soothing like Terri Davenport’s Birdie Sympathy Card found on p. 131 in Card Creations, Vol. 9. So lovely.

 

Or you can use pink as an unexpected color around the holidays like Jamie Greene did with her Imagine, Wonder, Believe Card found on p. 120 of Card Creations, Vol. 9.

Pink also makes for a great punch of color to an otherwise simple color scheme. Check out Lisa Johnson’s Happy Couple Card on p. 158 of Card Creations, Vol. 9.

Pink is a great combination color. Pair it with orange and black and you get a fun and bright card like Maile Belles did for her Birthday Girl Card on p. 23 of our July/August 2011 issue.

I guess pink does deserve to have a National Day after all. I might even be inspired to go out and buy a pink shirt for next year.  

Appreciating pink more!
Kerri

P.S. We often feature pink cards in Paper Crafts magazines. Which is your favorite and which issue was it featured? I want to know. Drop me a line and I’ll pick two commenters to win this assortment of pink paper crafting goodies. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Friday, June 24.

Two lucky winners will take home this pinkalicious prize package!

Courtney Smith

In honor of International Wear a Tiara Day, which just happens to be today, we’re spotlighting our tiara-donning 2010 Stamping Royalty winners!

Here’s what they’ve been up to since their induction to the royal court…

Courtney Baker: Between moving and running her stamp company, Practicing Creativity Designs, Courtney has given herself a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of card-making. But here’s something I bet you didn’t know…Courtney actually donated stamps for the winners’ prize packages for the 2011 Stamping Royalty contest!

Maile Belles: Maile has kept herself busy as a member of the Papertrey Ink design team, but also creating stamps for Papertrey Ink as well! Maile created the Modern Basics stamp set, as well as the Background Basics: Chevron Stripes stamp set. In our Go-to Sketches for Card Makers, Maile has a whopping 13 projects, including a cover spot! Here’s one of her cards from our Card Creations 9 issue!

Rachael Burdick: Since winning, Rachael has started a blog and continues to compete in online challenges. Her favorite? Our Moxie Fab World’s Tuesday Trigger challenge. Rachael has been a busy, busy girl submitting cards and it’s paid off! Check out her cards in 350 Cards & Gifts, our May/June 2011 issue and the upcoming Go-to-Sketches for Card Makers. Here’s one of Rachael’s projects from 350 Cards & Gifts!

Monika A. Davis: Like Rachel, Monika has been playing along in many online challenges. While she is taking a bit of a break for family time, stamping is still her full-time hobby. Monika feeds her stamping addiction, teaches card-making classes in her home, creates card kits for order and opened up her own Etsy shop! Here’s a project from Card Creations 8 created by Monika!

Kelley Eubanks: As a stay-at-home mom, free time is limited for Kelley, but she stays active in the card-making world by creating for the PSA Essentials design team and creating cards for our many calls for submissions! Since winning 2010 Stamping Royalty, Kelley has had at least one card in almost every single issue! Check out her tag from 350 Cards & Gifts below!

Geri Freeman: Here’s a little known fact about Geri: when she won the 2010 Stamping Royalty contest, she had only been making cards for two months! Since then, her passion for card-making has only grown by entering blog challenges and acting as a guest designer on various teams! This summer she hopes to take her passion for card-making into nursing homes as a creative outlet for the residents. To see Geri’s first published project, make sure to pick up our July/August 2011 issue!

Julie Masse: Julie has had a busy year! Somewhere between co-founding Stamping Around and gearing up for a beautiful Maine summer, Julie also manages to find time to create for three design teams! The Cat’s Pajamas, Kitchen Sink Stamps and Mint Motif are lucky to have this crafty gal on their teams! Check out one of her graduation cards from our May/June 2011 issue!

Michelle Mathey: Michelle has had a couple crowning (get it?) moments since 2010 Stamping Royalty. Since then, she has been part of the a muse|studio catalog design team and she was even featured as a Moxie Fabber of the Week! She continues to submit to submission calls and participates in various online challenges. Here’s one of Michelle’s projects featured in our Card Creations 9 issue! More of Michelle’s work can be found in our Stamp It! Techniques and March/April 2011 issues.

Tami Mayberry: Tami has been busy crafting away for one of her five design teams! Tami is on the Scor-Pal, The Stamps of Life, PSA Essentials and Discount Cardstock design teams! She is also an illustrator and designer for Gina K Designs!

Alli Miles: Though she hasn’t had as much time as she’d like to submit, Alli is keeping busy with in the crafting world! Alli currently releases stamp sets from the Urban Design collection through Papertrey Ink and is on the My Favorite Things design team!

Kristin K. Tierney: Since being crowned, Kristin has had over 20 projects featured in 225 Cards & Gifts, Color Inspiration for Card Makers and several regular issues! Kristin also joined her first design team, Our Creative Corner. Kristin’s most exciting news, however, was winning the 2010 World Card Making Day contest! It’s been quite a year for Kristin! Here is one of her projects from Color Inspiration for Card Makers!

Susan Deering West: When she manages to find time to craft, Susan creates cards like the one below, featured in 350 Cards & Gifts! She hopes to find time to make it back to the craft table this summer!

Ladies, thanks for sharing your inspiring stories and projects with us!

Remember…

2010 Stamping Royalty Card Contest Winners

Teri Anderson’s Soar With Me Card:

Click HERE for supplies/instructions.

Maile Belles’ Balloon Birthday Wishes Card:

Click HERE for supplies/instructions.

And don’t forget to enter the In My Beautiful Balloon Sweepstakes. Ten winners will receive over $80 worth of hot air balloon-themed product!

~The Paper Crafts Team

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!)

Julia Stainton (Birthday):

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.”

Kim Hughes (Thank You):

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.”

Chan Vuong (Congratulations):

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!”

Maile Belles (Love):

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!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Magazine Monday and day one of our exciting Card Creations: Favorite Occasions Week!

So glad you could join us as we celebrate our latest and greatest special issue, Card Creations: Favorite Occasions, Vol. 2! With over 150 ideas for the top five favorite card making occasions, we’ll spend the next five days learning why you love making Birthday, Thank You, Congratulations, Love and All Occasion cards more than any other kind. Sound like fun?

We’re also partnering with the Moxie Fab World blog for a whole week of promotion. Between the two sites, we’ll be spotlighting projects, hosting fun challenges and giving away some spectacular prizes.

Click on the cover image to buy your copy today!

Today we’re spotlighting the talented Maile Belles, who has 10 cards in Card Creations: Favorite Occasions, Vol. 2! With her signature style always present, her Celebrate With a Rose Card even made the cover. Wouldn’t you love to know how she keeps coming up with one amazing design after another?  

Well, here’s your chance…Without further ado, let’s get to know Miss Maile!

Maile Belles

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

All Occasion because it allows you the most creative freedom.

2. What is your most difficult paper crafting challenge?  

Creating a shabby/vintage design. I love the look…how textured and detailed these amazing designs can be, but I could never pull it off myself.

3. What is your favorite paper crafting supply?  

My stamps! I am a true stamper at heart, and I love it.

Maile's You You You Card can be found on p. 34.

4. How would you describe your style?  

Clean and simple.

Maile's Many Thanks Card can be found on p. 77.

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

My first name is Hawaiian and pronounced “My-Lee”. My mother was born and raised in Hawaii, but I have never been there myself (not yet anyways).

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

I mark the deadline on my calendar and print out the submission call, which I keep posted at my desk. This way, whenever I sit down to create, I can glance over the list and quickly squeeze in a card or two. Then into a safe place they go until the call has ended.

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

It wasn’t easy to pick only three, but here you go:

• Jessica Witty – Love her fresh, clean and hip style. Her cards are always so fashion forward.
• Dawn McVey – She always manages to pull off a clean look with the perfect vintage touches.
• Lisa Johnson - I seem to relate to her designs the most, and I love her stamping style. 

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

• Don’t be afraid to display your own unique personality through your designs. 
• Try new ideas that will help your creations stand out from the rest of the submissions. 
• The more projects you submit, the greater your chances are of having one or more picked up.

9. Out of your 10 cards in Card Creations: Favorite Occasions, which is your favorite and why?

My Butterfly Thoughts Card. It’s a super simple yet effective design that uses only a few basic supplies. 

Maile's Butterfly Thoughts Card can be found on p. 19.

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

You can find me at Simply Stamped. Please stop by for a visit!

Thanks, Maile! Since Maile is on the Papertrey Ink Design Team, she scored some fun prizes for today’s giveaway. Leave a comment and I’ll pick one random winner to take home Papertrey’s All About You stamp set, their Fillable Frames #4 Die AND a copy of Card Creations: Favorite Occasions, Vol. 2. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

One lucky winner will take home this All About You stamp set!

Happy Monday!
Kelly

P.S. You have until midnight (MST) TONIGHT to upload your entries for our November Gallery Challenge. We’re looking for your most festive holiday cards. Click HERE to upload your merry submissions!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from my Countdown to Card Creations: Favorite Occasions Week post!

1. Anna D. (Nov. 26, 6:04 p.m.)
2. Julie (Nov. 27, 6:24 a.m.)
3. Sandra M. (Nov. 28, 8:51 p.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!