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