Thursday, December 12, 2013

Introducing..... this month's guest ~ Barb Engler

Welcome to our guest for December.... it's none other than the talented Barb Engler.  Barb is a delightful crafty who is super friendly ~ being one of the first people to introduce herself when I joined a few Flickr groups.  Barb often uses her die and embossing machine to add to her cards so without further ado... I introduce you to Barb....



·         Tell us a little about yourself
I’ve been married for 25 years and have two wonderful boys ages 22 and 18. I manage the floral department of a small grocery store and have worked there for almost 31 years.

·         How long have you been a card maker/scrapper & when did you start?
When our boys were little, I did a lot of scrapbooking and loved looking at Creating Keepsakes magazine. It was there that I first saw Jennifer McGuire and her cardmaking technique articles. That, in turn, led me to the Hero Arts website. Soon after, my scrapbooking days turned into cardmaking days, and I haven’t looked back since. That was back in 2010, so I’ve been a cardmaker for almost 4 years now.

·         Do you follow sketches or dive right in?
I rarely follow a sketch. I don’t know why because that’s one of the things I have the most trouble with in my cardmaking – coming up with a design. In the few times I have used a sketch, it made the process easier. Thanks for this question – it reminds me to use sketches more often.

·         How many projects do you make a week?
It varies. There are times when I’m able to make a bunch of them in a few days, but more often than not, I make a card or two per week.

·         What is your favourite tool (what can't you create without) & why?
Oh, there are so many I wouldn’t be able to create without! It’s tough to pick just one. I’ve come to realize just how important tools are in this hobby and how much I LOVE those tools! Ummm. . . . . . .I guess I would have to choose my Tonic paper trimmer. You can’t even begin to make a card without the correct size, right?

·         What at the moment is your most favourite thing to do on your project?
I can’t seem to put down my Wink of Stella Glitter pen lately! It creates the prettiest shimmer on any image!

·         How would you describe your style?
This is always such a difficult question for me to answer. I can’t do vintage very well, I like CAS but always want to add something more and I don’t do cutesy very well either. So I’m not sure what my style is. I just know I enjoy stamping, inking and coloring.

·         What about your style would you change (or not) & why?
If I could change anything about my style, it would be the ability to come up with unique designs for my cards more often. I really admire those cardmakers who are able to create card after beautiful card, sometimes daily! How do they do that?

·         Have you been published or on a Design team - when & where?
I have never tried submitting anything for publication. It’s not for fear of rejection - it’s more because I feel like I just don’t have the time to write everything down – supplies, instructions, etc. Or maybe I’m just lazy. Lol! I know if I tried it once, it would get easier each time, so I just need a little push when it comes to submitting. As far as being on a design team, I was on the Lily Pad team for a short time before that site closed down, and I loved it!

·         Describe (pictures are even better) your crafting area
I craft in the lower level of our home and share a portion of the family room. I get about half of it but I’m starting to think no amount of space will ever be enough!

·         Do you have a blog? If not where can we see more of your fabulous creations?
Yes I do have a blog. It’s called “Enjoying Life” and you can find it here: bdengler4.blogspot.com.

I want to thank Dawn, and the wonderful ladies at Die Cut Divas, for inviting me to guest design this month! I’ve had such fun creating my cards and being interviewed! 

So here's a cute card that Barb created....


 Isn't this super cute and Barb is keeping with our Penguin theme!

Thanks Barb for allowing us to get to know you a bit better.   Come back on the 14th to see another gorgeous card from Barb. 

Dawn and the Divas

18 comments:

Cecilia Hsieh said...

Good to see Barb here!

joy said...

Barb makes the nicest cards and she is a super friendly gal! I always enjoy visiting her blog. Great interview!

Kim Hall said...

Lovely reading about Barb, she is one of the nicest and most helpful crafters I've met and her cards are super gorgeous. Love seeing what she creates each time.
Wonderful interview Dawn and Barb!

Nancy said...

Barb is such a sweetheart! I love her work. It is always fresh and lovely. Just like her:)

Cindy C. said...

Barb so nice to read more about you here. Your card is really cute! Congrats!!

Barb said...

Thank you for all the kind words, Dawn! I'm enjoying playing with the cute Bugaboo digi images! Looking forward to the 14th! ♥

Arlene said...

I can't help but leave a comment for Barb. Barb has always been such a wonderful inspiration and the kindest person and most helpful...... well, you all know what I mean. So glad to get to know Barb better.

Virginia L. said...

Barb's creates her project with a big heart and passion. This penguin card is totally cute! I love that Barb is always willing to try new techniques and new things...she has much to be admired! Congrats , Barb, on your guest design here! Well-deserved honor!

Barb Ghig said...

It was really fun getting to know more about Barb! She is one of my 'all-time' favorite cardmakers, and a genuinely lovely person!

Congrats, Barb! Your penguin ice skater is absolutely adorable! Beautiful coloring, too!

judkajudi said...

Barb, I love this little penguin!! And the circle is perfect. Thanks for sharing your work and encouraging so many stampers!! Hugs.

MarcyK924 said...

Barb inspires because she loves to try out a new technique and explain it for everyone to understand! Her inking is beautiful and I know she truly LOVES it! LOVE seeing her as guest designer!

CinnamonSally said...

Great to see Barb featured today, really love the Penguin card!

Helen F. said...

Great interview with Barb ~ who has created such a sweet penguin card here! Love to visit her blog and check out her lovely cards :-)

Sarah G said...

Barb makes the Hero Arts Flickr group such a great place to be - it was great to find out a bit more about her! I love her cards. That penguin card is soooo cute :)

Laura Norris said...

It was great to learn a bit more about Barb! She is by far one of the friendliest people I have 'met' in this hobby. And she makes great cards too!

ThePurplePlace said...

What a nice interview! I enjoyed learning a bit more about Barb and her love of cardmaking!!

I think we all share that in common and also our Love for Hero Arts and of course - creating with Dies!!

jintyoo7 said...

What a lovely interview, Barb. Fabulous colouring on your cute penguin!!

Trinh said...

I love Barb's creativity; her cards are always beautiful! And she is one of the sweetest people, always has an encouraging comment.