Helloo folks!
Welcome to Iron Craft again! Before we proceed to the episode today I want to say a BIG THANKS to all of you who regularly come visit here for the episodes! ITs so wonderful to get messages from you all about how much you enjoy this weekly meeting 🙂 And its so much fun to read your comments!
So on with the episode…
Today my guest is a very talented crafter and a superb craft teacher! You must have knowingly or unknowingly seen at least one of her craft videos because she makes many of them and always has a tip up her sleeve!
Yep its Catherine Pooler! Welcome to Iron Craft, Catherine!!
Choosing ingredients with Catherine was a lot of fun because she has worked with so many excellent companies! We decided to go with CAS-ual Fridays and are using the Casual Comfort set for our cards today. Thanks Michele and CAS-ual Fridays for sponsoring our episode today!
Here is what we made! My card on the left and Catherine’s on the right.
So funny and so awesome that we BOTH used the black label look for our sentiments! Great minds think alike 😉
Today we have 2 fabulous giveaways and there will be 3 lucky winners picked!
The first giveaway is from Catherine. She is giving out 2 one month memberships to Stamp Nation!
The second giveaway is from CAS-ual Fridays. Thanks Michele! This one is for a $20 gift certificate to the CAS-ual Fridays store!
To win, just leave a comment here answering Catherine’s question from the video interview! I’ll choose a random winner from the comments. Here is Catherine’s question for you again…
Aside from time and money, what is your biggest challenge in papercrafting?
Go ahead and tell us what it is and we may just try and solve it for you with some blog posts and videos!
Cuts, Crops & Creativity 
Organization! I have limited space and too many supplies. I know I just need to take the time to redo my craft space but it takes time away from actual card making.
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Because I have time issues, I like to CASE. I found templates a couple of years ago and that was such a relief. But now I find that I haven’t really progressed – – evolving style. I’m not really aware of the trends, unless I watch various videos. I’m still trying to find my own style.
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Hi
I am a crafter who is a work in progression. Being a newbie
( just 6 months old) in the enormous world of cardmaking, I feel that I do not have ample supplies with me. Maybe this is due to a limited availability of craft products at the local stores near my place of dwelling ,Delhi in India, though new stores are emerging and range of products available is expanding.
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Loved seeing Catherine on Iron Craft; thanks for visiting! My biggest challenge is being overwhelmed with too many wonderful cards that I want to make. I just tell myself one card at a time!
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I really enjoyed the interview with Catherine. I think her comments about scrapbooking were very wise and true. Time is the biggest obstacle for me but second to and connected to that is loss of mojo. I would love to hear Catherine’s tips on staying inspired and creative.
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Remembering what I have…..I have my stamps and dies well organized but because I have SO MANY, I can’t remember what I have without flipping through all of them every time to find for example a get well sentiment. Fyi…my stamps are organized by brand and my dies are organized by theme.
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I seem to have lots of ideas and can create card fronts all day but when it comes to the inside sentiments I have brain freeze. So I have many unfinished projects that I guess when the need arises I will get inspired!!
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Both your cards are stunning, love the colors and designs!!! Such a fantastic question, I find that my biggest challenge is I am overwhelmed with ideas and then all the inspiration and creativity makes me give up as I also feel I am not good enough with so many amazing designers. I lose my ability and cannot focus on any one particular idea:-)!!!!
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Thanks to Catherine for visiting!
I am challenged with organization. Can’t locate what I want when I want it! It gets so frustrating.
Love both of your beautiful cards with CAS-ual Fridays stamp set!
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My biggest challenge is creativity and organization. I do find different ideas on different websites but then I have no idea how to complete those ideas–what techniques were used, etc. I would love to see how Stamp Nation works.
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My biggest obstacle was always me and my confidence. But with the support end encouragement that I have found on StampNation, I can honestly say that I have grown as a stamper and become more confident. This year I started a blog and have been entering challenges galore. I even did a guest designer spot on Merry Monday!
Now I’d say my biggest challenge is too many ideas and not enough time! Also I lack organization – I’m always re-organizing my craft room in hopes for the perfect set up – if there is such a thing lol
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Modifying tools and supplies for one handed stamping. I love dies that coordinate with stamps.
Catherine, I enjoyed your interview. It is wonderfulto see you spread your wings.
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Great interview and superb cards! Hmmmm! I sometimes struggle to just get it right. Sometimes there are days, when I don’t like what I create 🙂
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Both absolutely gorgeous cards! WOWZAS!!!
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First of all, I love Catherine and I enjoy watching her videos.
My biggest obstacle might just be having too many supplies and being overwhelmed by all of it. I recently moved to a new town and my studio now is much smaller and most of my supplies are in drawers so I can’t see them like I did before. Complaining about too many supplies is probably not going to get me much sympathy. Ha Ha! Thank you for the opportunity to win such great prizes…
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How fun to see Catherine Pooler on Iron Craft! You nailed her style, Chaitali. I have the honor of being on StampNation’s “dream team” and let me tell you she is awesome to work with!
As for my biggest, obstacle, it has to be color. I tend to go to my tried and true color combos, and it is hard to come up with new ones. My second biggest obstacle is organization. If I have a place to put everything away, that I can also see to grab again then I do much better. I’m constantly looking at my space and looking for solutions to my paper clutter. If my stamp table is a complete mess then I avoid going in there.
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I retired and began card making. I had dabbled in it previously and loved it but never had any time to pursue the craft. Being new to card making, I began as I approached working-researching techniques, education, and classes online or personally. Now, i have so many ideas but can’t sort them out to begin. Being a perfectionist, I have had to learn to let go and have fun. And once I get going, I am a card machine. But to push that one idea start button, is my obstacle.
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LOVE love both of your cards, Chaitali and Catherine! I totally enjoyed the interview! Catherine is such an amazing and inspiring teacher. Her insights and advice are so wise and helpful! Thanks for sharing! My biggest challenge is organization!! Oh… the mess! (Please leave me out for the draw for prize as I am lucky to be on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps team)!
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Another awesome and fun interview! I adore both of your fabulous cards and the gorgeous colors on both cards.
I think my biggest problems are I haven’t found my style and I want to try everything so I have a hard time settling on what to do each time I start creating. This also means I have pieces and parts (backgrounds to focal points) that I start and don’t like or idea of how to incorporate into my project.
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Just love both of your cards and how similar they both are. Wonderful interview. Love all the tips regarding scrapbooking. I use to scrapbook but just found it hard to stay on top of it. I will use Catherine’s advice and just learn to journal everyday joys of life in our household. Great ideas and thank you so much.
Obstacles to crafting? I have three: Time, mojo, and organization. Working full time, basic life’s chores around the house, just seems to always puts me behind with the things I love doing the most. Thank you for the chance too to try Stamp Nation. Would love to peek at what’s that is all about.
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WOW… Another great interview.. I have a lot of supplies but have troubles with how to use a lot of them or when to use them. Like colors for instant. I am terrible with what colors go together.
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Deciding what I want
to create! I have so
many ideas and sometimes
don’t know where to start!
Most creations don’t end
up the way I started them,
as they kind of evolve
as I go!
Carla from Utah
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My greatest challenge is buying too much and then not using everything. I tend to fall in love with a video or design and then have this crazy “need” to buy everything I’d need to maybe make one card…but often I do that and never the products to good use over and over.
I think it’s part of the craft addiction…we all want to try new trends and ideas and it’s hard to pick only one or two new things. I also have FAR too much and need to purge, yet again and stay top of organizing!!
Thanks for another fun Video. I knew Catherine way back from another group we all were once part of. It’s nice to see her continuing to grow and venture out more into other product lines.
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This was such fun. I saw Catherine’s collaboration with Kristina & loved it- now I’m a fan. Loved your cards today & the ‘softness’ of them. I guess one big obstacle for me is vision, as in eyes. I cannot get things straight,- the card front, the sentiment, the washi. Thank goodness for the stamp positioner & for a chance to win. Looking forward to the next episode.
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nice interview!! greatest obstacle after time and money is my laziness… yes really!!
-Berina
Moxie Craftie
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Wonderful interview today! My lack of organization sure holds me back at times. So many ideas and techniques I would like to try– sometimes just getting focused on one idea to work on is a challenge’!
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What a fun and I formative interview! My biggest obstacles in crafting have to do with being overwhelmed by wanting to try so many things, but also being afraid of not being good at them. I see so many cool videos with different techniques, and then when I go to make a card or project, my mind freezes and I can’t think of what I wanted to try!
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First of all, love the interview – especially your photo snaps Catherine!
My biggest obstacle to papercrafting is the deciding what products to use once I figure out the basics e.g. using a new stamp or die set: for example, when I want to make a card, what dies should I get out? washi tape? patterned paper? I don’t seem to have that “inner voice” saying “you need a bit of black here” or “a layered banner would really be great with this.” This is why Catherine’s videos are so awesome and helpful, with insights into her creative process. Maybe when I can mind meld to Catherine’s brain, I will have that inner voice.
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My biggest challenge of course is Time…. So much I want to do, so little time! The days wiz by… But that was not an option here. So I would say my biggest challenge, other than time, might be to control the mess. I find myself spending a lot of time cleaning up.. Luckily I have a devoted workspace … I would never be inclined to create if I had to drag my supplies out to a common area every time. How do you control your mess?
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Sitting down to a blank white card and knowing where to start is my biggest obstacle in papercrafting. I spend a lot of time reading blogs, manufacturer websites, Pinterest and such but then draw a blank when it’s just me at my craft table. Of course, I eventually get inspired again, thank goodness!
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I struggle with having a card inspiration and deplicating it several times over. Ie. for birthday cards, sympathy, get well, etc. I’m starting to love all the other stamps that Catherine stamps with and I’m loving your website too. I cannot wait to do some more exploring. I love that casual fridays stamp set!
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My biggest obstacle is space! I have none. It seems like I get all the stuff found and out to do anything, half the day is gone already. I so envy those who have these great craft rooms–even those that aren’t completely clean and organized!
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Love the cards – love the water coloring using the resist technique. My one and foremost obstacle is finding the time.
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Great interview! I would love some ideas for stencil storage.
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Space!! Due to life circumstances, I recently had to move in with my elderly parents. I went from a house to a bedroom. So I don’t really have a dedicated place to craft, which means I have to take what I need to the kitchen table — and inevitably have to make tons of trips as I realize I forgot this or that. Or I brought this, but once I get started, I realized I really would rather be using that. Or often not knowing where I put that sentiment stamp that would be perfect. Argh!
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Great video, nice to meet you Catherine. My biggest obstacle is not being organized to remember where a certain item is when I want to make my card for a certain person. I buy stamps and dies with a person in mind and then when I am ready to make their card I forgot what I was going to use on it or what to put on the card with it.
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I find that organizing my supplies is the hardest…finding things easily is a goal for me.
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My biggest obstacle is my color sense. I don’t have much or I don’t trust my coloring abilities, whether it’s matching them or using them on a project.
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Interesting question. I think I get overwhelmed with so many techniques and products to try and at the same time I need to use up the mountain of supplies I have accumulated.
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My biggest challenge is designing a card. I joined Stamp Nation and now I have so many sketches, classes and videos to learn from.
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Thanks for another fun episode. My greatest challenge is lack of creativity. That’s why blogs like this and others are so important to me for ideas and learning techniques as a beginning card maker.
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Sometimes just having too much stuff can be a challenge. It can be a little bit overwhelming when I go to craft….however, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Lovely cards, ladies!!! Too funny about the same label look….great minds think alike, lol!!!
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My biggest challenge?? Is to STOP being such a !&/@! perfectionist !!!!
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What an outstanding interview, filled with all kinds of tips and suggestions. The ‘standout’ for me was Catherine’s recommendations for what to spend $50 birthday spending on; everything was soooo practical and versatile. Excellent advice! My greatest obstacles: space (corner of the kitchen counter, that’s all I have), limited supplies, especially the basics (I’ll be following Catherine’s advice on my wish list!), and confidence, particularly in being so behind in fads. I haven’t embraced water-colouring, because I’m soooooo terrible at it, but I love what others have done. As a result, my cards are stamped or have die cuts…feeling a bit dated! Still, I appreciate the ‘real’ message you continually communicate through the interviews: use what you have, and make what you love! Awesome!
c
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Tons of supplies, but I have a hard time getting inspired at the same time as I have free time. I get really excited about things I see on the internet, but when I’m ready to be creative, my mojo dries up. Another thing that stops me is crafting in the basement. I have tons of space, but it is cold down there in the winter, and I hate being away from the family when I’m down there. I also have a disorganized mind…
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Narrowing down a theme from all my supplies…I tend to “shop” my inventory for too long and then waste time I could use to make something!
!
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Organization & remembering what supplies I have. I am really working on being better organized so I don’t end up with 3 of one thing when I really need something else.
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Another great guest and lovely video. You both made beautiful cards with those great stamps.
Well about the question yes definitely organizing my supplies. I am still surging for the best way to organize all my stuff maybe I ought to loose some stuff because I simply have to many.
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Organization is my biggest obstacle, I have many supplies and very small space to craft in.
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