Featuring Zubaida

Hey ladies!! I've accidentally found today's star in cyber world and to my surprise discovered that she stays not far from my place ;) Though she's a newbie in card making yet her creations are quite awe-inspiring!! Will not let you wait for long, pls welcome zub momi...

 Name: Zubaida

Blog: ColorPaperScissors

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I am from Pakistan, married and have two lovely daughters. I have been residing in Abu Dhabi for the last 14 years now. I truly enjoy the family life here as it also gives me time to do craft work. 
  

2. How and when did you start crafting?

I have been doing crafting since my school days and have always loved arts and crafts like coloring, painting and drawing. Making cards/paper projects is a new challenge for me as I started this a year ago. Prior to this I used to paint.    
   

3. From where do you draw your inspiration?

My main inspiration comes from seasons, festivals, occasions, nature and my two girls. Also, flowers of various different colors inspire me to create projects. 
   

4. How would you describe your style?

Being a newbie, I am still trying to discover my style. However I try to use a combination of colors, patterns and layers that look soothing on the eye and give joy. I like to be as detailed as possible on the cards/project that I make. I enjoy detailed work.

5. What are the 5 top tools in your crafting space?

I use silhouette cameo, distress ink and various types of markers for coloring. I also use stamp and embossing heat tool.

6. What’s your favorite technique?

I think my favorite technique is trying to give the project as much 3 dimensional look as possible via various layers. 

7. What are your go-to colors?

I really don’t have any go to colors as such. I try and use colors by my mood :)

8. Do you sell your projects?

I have not thought about selling my projects as yet. I think I still have a long way to go before I can think about selling the cards.

9. What do you do when you aren’t crafting? Job? Other hobbies and interests?

When I am not at my crafting table, I’m usually doing some kind of project with my kids. I also enjoy painting as it gives me many colors to play with. 

10. Are you currently designing for any blog?

I recently completed three months as a design team member for one of the blogs. I had fun doing it but right now I am taking a break from it as I want to create projects from my own ideas. 

Aren't these so cute?! Lots of clean layers, pretty embellies and perfect finishes!! I really doubt if Zubaida has been making cards for only one year, you're such a talent!! Thank you dear for giving us the chance to learn more about you and thanks to all leaving some love here,,, Great time =)

Kelly's Kreativity

Hello! Tasnim here this week, bringing you an interview with a rising star! She has been blogging for only about a year, but her popularity speaks otherwise. Her incredible talent and creativity will keep you on your toes waiting for her next post! Please join me to welcome Kelly Griglione:

 Name: Kelly Griglione

Blog: Notable Nest

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I'm married to my high school sweetheart ... our first date was 25 years ago. He asked me out on the bus coming home from a Math Team contest. How romantic, hahaha : ) We now have two boys, 5 years old and 8 years old. They are into sports, video games, and Legos. 

  

2. How and when did you start crafting?  

My dear Grandma started me on crafts at a really early age. My first memory was crocheting a scarf when I was 6 or 7 years old. I worked on it for what seemed like hours. She asked to see it, and tears welled up in my eyes as I watched her rip it all out to correct my stitching. What a hard, but in hindsight, valuable, lesson for me. Maybe that's why I'm so detail oriented! And why my recycling bin is so full. As far as types of crafts, I've gone through many different phases over the years ... crocheting, cross stitch, needlework, beading, sewing, scrapbooking, and of course card making.  

3. From where do you draw your inspiration?

Like many card-makers, I get inspiration from fashion, home decor, advertisements, wedding invitation sites, magazines, etc. I also collect 19th century paper, and hope to start focusing on the mechanics of some of the great valentines that were made in the 1880s - 1920s.  

4. How would you describe your style?

I'm definitely not a beautiful card maker. I can't take common elements, put them together, and come away with a stunning card. There has to be a trick to it. Wida Miller (one of your earlier interviewees,http://beachorado.blogspot.com/) calls me a card engineer. I'd have to say my style is Clean & Graphic or Clean & Complicated, something like that.  

5. Tell us briefly about your design process.

If I have to make a specific project, I take the first thing that comes to my mind. And then I toss that out. I usually start with the second or third thing that comes to mind, and go from there. Ardyth Percy-Robb (http://ardythpr.blogspot.com/) is so great at doing this.  

6. What are the 5 top tools in your crafting space?  

Aside from the true basics like stamps/ink/paper trimmer/scor-pal, 1) fine-tip scissors, 2) white embossing powder, 3) dies, 4) Martha Stewart grid ruler, and 5) alcohol markers (I ended up with the Spectrum Noir markers instead of Copics since I got a great deal on them, but I prefer the Copics) 

7. What’s your favorite technique?  

I love to take a concept and see all the possibilities I can get from it. A narrower focus is better for me. Give me too many choices and I'm paralyzed. But tell me to make 20 different cards using Papertrey's Quatrefoil die and I'm OK with that. 

8. What are your go-to colors?  

Love chartreuse, raspberry, aqua ... definitely more towards the happy colors vs. vintage/grungy colors.  

9. Do you sell your projects?  

I don't. I am such a sloooow crafter I would end up making pennies/hour!  

10. How much time do you spend crafting every week?  

It depends, but if I have free time it's in the craft room. In the winter I'm there a lot. 15-20 hours a week? I should time myself. It's probably more than that. Like I mentioned, I'm a slow crafter : ) In the summer we like to be outside, so crafting time definitely takes a big hit then.  

11. Are you currently designing for any blog?

I'm designing for the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge blog, the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog, and will be designing for the new Fusion Challenge blog. It's been an adjustment for me to balance the time, but I absolutely love working with those design teams!

 Wowza, these are out of the ordinary!! You never know how I couldn't stop looking at the honeycomb card and quatrefoil one.. Oh yeah and Wida is so true- You're a rocking card engineer... Thanks Kelly for sharing with us your gifted talent and being here today =) Hugs to alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

From Confession Chair With A Smile

Hey friends!! Let me be honest I'm not a lucky person, hehehe.. Its once in blue moon that I win in challenges or get spotted for a design team, lol.. Frankly speaking, I'm quite overwhelmed with my personal and working life so I don't think I can commit much to design teams hence this is not my concern.. But why it doesn't work with challenges?! Listen to me RANDOM. ORG- if it is you who picks then hey I'm there (don't forget me) but if not then it seems we got to know the blog owners personally to be selected as a winner, strange but may be true =) I admit that my cards are not so wow but yet its good to give someone a pat on the back ^_^ Or should I show up in every challenge every time so my work will be recognized, oh this is difficult, I'm quite a busy lady :p

Back to serious business, here's a card for a great pair PEAR... As you see the designer papers are filled with fruits and topped with transparent grid cuts... Also added the distressed banners with connecting twine and some deep red buttons.. Finished with this cute image from Unity Stamp and the sentiment that comes along-with...
Thanks for peeking and share your funny opinion too ;) xxx

Featuring Nazneen

Its so interesting to spot a talent every Friday and the best part is when she has an utterly pleasing personality =) We're featuring a young talent today who's already a member of six designer blogs as well as an engineering and finance graduate, God bless!! Pls help me welcome, our new crafting buddy, Nazneen...

 Name: Nazneen

Blog: Kaagaz Artistic Quilling

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I am born and brought up in Bangalore, India. Have done my graduation in Engineering and Masters in finance.I am super addicted to the card making world :)

Have very encouraging parents and 2 adorable siblings. And i am extremely grateful to God for everything that he has given me!

2. How and when did you start crafting?

I have been into watercolor painting since my childhood and would make greetings for my family members from a longer time, than i can remember! Started Blogging about my projects from about 9 months

3. From where do you draw your inspiration?

I derive inspiration from everything that i see around me! Offlate Pinterest has also been a great source of inspiration!

4. How would you describe your style?

I try different card making styles varying from CAS to layered! I believe this will make me more of a versatile crafter! All in All, every piece of my work involves 100% dedication from me!

5. What are the top five tools in your crafting space?

My top 5 tools are paper trimmer, scissors, quilling tool, my set of paint brushes and punches

6. What's your favorite technique?

It has to be quilling!! The lovely creations that can be made from paper strips are just unbelievable! I also love coloring and offlate have been trying out punching as well. I also try creating embellishments myself.

7. What are your go-to colors?

I go for pastels to bright colors, depending on the project need. I believe every color has its own beauty and combining the colors for the wow effect is certainly an art, that i am learning

8. Do you sell your projects?

Not Currently. But would love to do so in the future. For now, i am happy crafting and posting my creations for the Design teams and challenges

9. What do you do when you aren’t crafting? Job? Other hobbies and interests?

I work for an MNC. Other than crafting, gardening and painting takes away my free time

10. Are you currently designing for any blog?

Yes, currently a part of six designer blogs :)

Oh Nazneen, you left us speechless!! Such creative ideas you got and I just adore your clean paintings!! Thank you dear for joining us this week and hope to stay in touch!! Hey ladies, don't forget to leave some love here or in her blog :) Enjoy your Friday, cheers..

 

Love You Berry Much

Hello sweeties!! As you may know I'm selling my creations beside fruity arrangements so cards like the one below are must-haves in display stand ^_^
This pretty patterned paper was distressed with Shabby Shutters ink from Rangers. Then I stamped and paper-pieced the strawberry image from Unity Stamp. Later placed the sentiment, felt flower and finished with pinky hearty blings,,,

 This card is entering for:

Pile It On

My Time To Craft

Creative Moments

Thank you for dropping by and have a wonderful day!!

Wida's World

Hello all... It's Tasnim here today and for this week's feature, I've interviewed Wida.  In case you haven't heard of Wida, here is what we've to tell you about her:

I have gotten to know Wida through the Runway Inspired Challenge blog, which at the time was one of our favorite challenge blogs. From competing against each other, we have come to be on the design team of this challenge blog =) Wida has guest designed at many blogs, published a few cards in well known magazines, and has won many challenges. She was one of the top 15 finalist at the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol 2012 challenge; the most competitive challenge, as it gets over 1000 entries for just 20 spots! She has many interesting features on her blog, one of them is the Design Diagnosis, where she does a thorough analysis of well established card designers through interviews, testimonials and sharing her own views... 

Name: Wida Miller

Blog: Beachorado

  1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family

My name is Wida Miller (pronounced Wee-dah). I am a mom of 4 (Sophia age 9, Bennett age 6, Anya age 3, and Karina age 2), a nurse practitioner, a pretty good cook, kind of messy, way too chatty, so analytical it will give you a headache, and pretty funny if I do say so myself. I married my husband in college and moved to Colorado from Ohio for his job in 1999. I have been blogging for about a year now. 

 2. How and when did you start crafting?

I started scrapbooking in 2003 around the time of the birth of my first child. About 5 years ago I started making cards after watching Kristina Werner. I still scrapbook, but currently have an obsession with cards. 

 3. From where do you draw your inspiration?

You can find a list of inspirations on the blog post here, but my favorite is Pinterest.

4. How would you describe your style?

Fresh and Edgy CAS

5. How much time do you spend crafting every week?

Some weeks none, and some weeks about 5 hours, perhaps?  But that doesn't include photography and blog post time. I usually batch photo and posts, that is, make 3-5 cards, then photograph and upload them all in one sitting, then set up posts in another sitting. My blogging has slowed down with time, when I first started blogging I was addicted to challenges and would post almost daily!

6. What are the 5 top tools in your crafting space?

Besides the usual scoreboard, cutter, camera, ATG gun etc. my most used items would be my Cuttlebug (I like to emboss and cut die shapes),  Versafine onxy black ink (it is dark and if you mess up a bit, you can emboss it and it forgives a bit) , glitter, twine (hemp, bakers, and even the cross stitching kind), and versa mark/clear embossing powder.

7. What is your go-to colors?

I love vintage cream card stock, pink, gray and green

8. What is your favorite technique?

Die cutting and glitter...that is glitter with die cuts, in splatter, on the edge of card stock, covered in chipboard...EVERY KIND OF WAY, I LOVE GLITTER!

9. If you could work for any manufacturer, who would it be?

Studio Calico, Hero Arts, and October Afternoon. 

10. Are you currently designing for any blog? 

I design for Runway Inspired Challenge, A Blog Named Hero, and another one coming soon ;)

Classic and elegant cards, Wida!! Your style is so inviting and pleasing :) Wow, love the way you master creating fun modern cards for different themes and occasions.. Thank you dearie for being here and hope to see you more frequent,, Thanks in advance to all visiting this post and leaving some kind words*_* xxx

Welcoming Tasnim,,

Hello everybody!! So happy to let you know that Tasnim Ahmed who was featured HERE one month back is now a part of the Fascinating Fridays :) She'll be working with me spotting talented artists from every corner of this crafty world!!
Wishing you the best Tasnim with us and in your crafting career!! Excited to have you on board ;)