What do you do?
I am on the creative design team. Depending on the time of year, I could be creating kits (often over 200 kits, each kit sometimes containing 50 die cuts or more, (all pre cut). When not kitting, my tasks have and do include demonstrating and teaching at trade and consumer shows as well as individual retail stores, in person or virtual classes, virtual classes for large chain craft store (Michael’s), create embellished images for packaging, quality control and test new SKUs, create projects for photoshoots, create projects and film lives for social media.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
So many aspects to choose from! Not only being able to do what I love every day and being a part of the industry that I still love after 40 (yes 40! ????) years, but seeing the product “coming to life”, when it starts from a designer’s drawings is so exciting! Creating projects and knowing it’s what the designers hoped, is the best part!
How did you get into crafting?
I have always been in the craft industry (except for the short few months I worked at my Dad’s medical office….not exciting and no color ????). My first job in high school was at a custom invitation store. After college, I worked for a well known paper company (Mrs. Grossman’s Paper Co) for 22 yrs. I left there to open my own invitation and stationery store and then sold the business after 7 years to be a mom! Once our daughters were in school full time, I started as an independent contractor at Ellison (starting with trade shows and traveling to stores only), 22 years ago!
What is your favourite making type and why? Is there a make you’ve made that you’re really proud of?
Although I do love the intricacy of the Thinlits dies, I absolutely love the variety of materials the Bigz can cut. I think my favorite making type are 3-D boxes…and then embellished with an intricate Thinlits die of course! The most current make I’ve created that I’m proud of is the assorted “Cutesy/Spooky Halloween” boxes that I made from the Holiday Box die set…literally “Thinking outside of the box”! ????
What is your favourite product from the Sizzix Product range and why?
Favorite Sizzix products would be dies. The possibilities are endless to what you can create with them. Whether you’re doing a folding technique or die cutting a particular shape to create something totally different than what it was intended to be, is so much fun. A simple example: a basic heart die cut turned into an acorn. A more complex example: Pete’s images from the Abstract Faces die set! Still amazed by those!
What’s your favourite current making trend?
Soft craft, I love when I’m assigned the task of creating projects with our felt. Bringing whimsy to some of the Bigz dies.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I could spend hours on Pinterest and even longer in my favorite store, Anthropologie, here in the US! Spending time (and money!) shopping, I’m always out and about and stopping to take notice of the creative displays and color combinations.
