My Lovely Friend

I am thrilled to introduce you to another of my Designing Friends today who was one of the first online friends I made when I started this blog a year ago. She's a fellow expat and lives "next door" in beautiful Italy. Please help me in welcoming my lovely friend, Justine! I think she has the most clever blog name, Cardiology, because every card we make is a work from the heart. Isn't that right, my fellow crafters? :-)

Look at what she made with Vintage Backgrounds and an oldie-but-goldie GKD set, You Know You're Old When. That old man's face cracks me up and the houndstooth pattern, which is stamped superbly, just adds to the retro feel of the card. She colored him beautifully, too.

And she decorated the inside, too! I love all the little details.

Here's my interview with Justine:

1. How long have you been paper crafting and how did you get started?
As far back as I can remember, I dabbled in crafts of one form or another. For years my entire card making supplies could fit in a single medium sized rubbermaid. I come from a very artsy/creative family but never felt like I had any talent whatsoever. I did love it when my students would say "Oh Mrs. Frederick, you color so beautiful and you can stay in the lines". Those sentiments always warmed my heart.

2. What are your current favorite:

• Techniques : Coloring with my Copic Markers & Distressing
  
• Tools : My Cuttlebug & My sponge dauber that I use for aging/distressing
  
• Embellishments : Hands down, RIBBON & creating my own out of vintage cloth
  

3. What makes a "WOW" card, in your opinion? Something that is different and has it's very own distinct style. (the cards that I look at and think, "Wow, why didn't I think of that")

4. What inspires you to create? Most of my inspiration comes from cruising around my favorite blogs & I've gotten to where I NEED a CHALLENGE to get my ideas flowing.

Define your crafting style:
This is tough, I could probably describe someone else's but I don't know that I have a particular style. I would love for someone to tell me what they think it is. My style is very much based on how an image "speaks" to me. I believe that I have a tendency to sit somewhere in the middle. Not too simple or clean but not overly embellished where my images get lost.

5. Tell us something about your family?
We are active duty Navy Special Operations, been married for 21+ years, 3 amazing children. We have not lived on the mainland United States since 1993. Where are you from? This is a trick question for a military family..... Both my husband and I were raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma area, however we consider either Honolulu, Hawaii or Sicily, Italy home since that is all our children have ever known and of course where our taxes are paid to. We did just purchase a home in Florida and will be moving in a little over a month. Other interests besides paper crafting: Collecting seaglass and just being on the beach. I would be perfectly happy living in a little grass hut on North Shore Oahu Any random fact about you: I consider myself to be a Motorcycle Mechanic, my husband races one of our Ducatis (Italian sport bike) and my Mechanic Nickname out on the Race Track is "JACK"

6. Do you have a favorite quote/verse that you live by?
I think anyone would tell you my favorite thing to say is "SOOOO, How's that workin' out for ya?",,, which is usually said to call attention to a not so good decision someone has made. Because I am super impulsive, one of my favorite bible verses is 1 Cor 10:13 (temptation).

And don't forget, you only have a few hours to enter you project on my challenge for a chance to win $20 Gift Certificate from Stampin' Up!