Saturday, November 9, 2013

Moxie Fab Thanks! Blog Hop



Welcome to your next stop in the Moxie Fab Thanks! Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Vanessa Menhorn.

While we’re all feeling moxie sad over Cath’s departure, I’m so grateful for this opportunity to honor her as a blogger extraordinaire, former colleague, and a dear friend.

I was lucky enough to work with Cath for seven amazing years. Megan, Brandy, and I all joined Paper Crafts within 6 months of each other. Cath was fairly new herself, so it was an incredible time to begin this adventure together.
 
Cath, Brandy, me and Megan at Disneyland in 2009.
This was also my first time working on an all-female team (until Lone Design Man arrived). I’m not going to lie…it took me awhile to get used to all the different personalities (and hormones attached to each of those personalities!). But like anything in life, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And all our parts made up a wonderfully creative, quirky group dedicated to putting out the best craft magazine month after month and year after year.

Paper Crafts Team, 2011
Cath joined Paper Crafts as the creative editor. Even back in the early days, she was passionate about trends and putting the freshest, coolest projects in the magazine. That enthusiasm led her to "spearhead" (inside joke!) the Moxie Fabs column and soon after the Moxie Fab World blog. 

As one who used to manage the Paper Crafts Connection blog, I know all too well how much time she has poured into the MFW blog. Late nights, early mornings, vacations (what are those?) have all been sacrificed to bring you daily content that would inspire you to not only think but create outside of your comfort zone.

It was in our concepting meetings where Cath would announce what trends had caught her eye. One meeting she announced she wanted to go with the neon trend for the Nov/Dec 2012 Moxie Fabs column. NEON?! I love Christmastime, but I just couldn't see how this particular trend was going to translate to moxie fab holiday projects. But Cath knew it would be totally unexpected and therefore more likely to get people to say, "Wait...that's kinda cool. Maybe I'll try that neon trend with my holiday cards."

Good teachers always bring out the best in all of us. They present the lesson, set forth a challenge, but it's up to each of us to decide how much we'll take away from the experience. Cath summed up MFW here: "It's a place where everyone is welcome, no matter your skill level, your style, and it matters not one whit whether you consider yourself to be trendy. It’s just that, trends inspire, and truth be told, that kind of inspiration is absolutely everywhere."

Inspiration could always be found on Cath's porch!
So even though Cath is moving on, inspiration will always be out there. Trends will beget trends and creativity will surely follow. I just know that “something truly original, amazingly inspirational, or uber cool” will forever describe the person who coined the phrase!

Merci Card by P. Kelly Smith
Merci, cher ami!
PK
 
Your next stop along the Moxie Fab Thanks! Blog Hop will  be Therese Calvird.
 

26 comments:

Vanessa said...

Love your sweet card and thanks for sharing all these facts about the fab PC team! Vanessa x

Megan said...

Oh, PK, you always know how to say the right things. I miss working with you and loved reading this post about Cath.

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Love your post, Kelly! It's fun to learn a bit more about Cath & the PC team from your perspective. And, love your card, too!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful tribute and such a cute card, PK!

stampingandstitching said...

Your card is gorgeous and so sweet too! I loved reading about the great times you've shared with Cath!

Karolyn at Paper Therapy said...

*sigh* This is just perfect, Ms. P.K. Absolutely and utterly perfect. Thank you for sharing your "inside look" of Cath behind the PC scene, and your beautiful card! <3

~amy~ said...

awesome pics and card!!!!

Kelly Booth said...

Love this card just Adorable....

Debbie said...

All those hearts, buttons and dots just make me smile ... perfect :)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute to Cath, and such a sweet card too I know she will adore it!

Cornelia (fun stamping) said...

I so enjoyed reading your blog post. You are so lucky to have worked with Cath! She inspired us all! Beautiful card!

Keren Baker said...

I've loved reading your post- you know her so well and she's obviously the same in real life as we see on MFW. I love your card- polka dots are a fave of mine. Thanks for helping us make this blog hop so much fun and for your hard work behind the scenes at PC & S x

Cathy A said...

Lovely card

Deirdre said...

Love your card and fun post with memories of Cath. Thanks for sharing.

Katie Gehring said...

I loved reading your insider, behind the scenes stories about Cath. She's the real deal (and you are too!)

maria f. said...

Thanks for taking us behind the scenes Kelly. That must have been one amazing front porch!

Tenia Nelson said...

Kelly.....this is an AWESOME post, Miss Lady!! Your card is SUPER CUTE too!! :)

Darnell said...

That was such a joy to read about your history with Cath (lucky you!) and see the awesome photos, AND top it off with your cool card! Great post, Kelly!! Hugs, Darnell

Wanda Cullen said...

Loved reading about the inside scoop at PC! Sounds like hard work but fun times! Beautiful card!

Jingle said...

Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories! Your card is so adorable!

Susan R. Opel said...

Loved this. All of it. Well done Kelly (word)Smith

Anonymous said...

I miss you both. More than you know.

Jessi Fogan said...

This is just awesome :) Thank you so much for sharing a peek at your memories!

shirley-bee said...

Love the post, and the card is so sweet!

Cath said...

Oh PK! Thanks so much for this thoughtful and heartfelt post. We have had some amazing times together, and I have *so enjoyed* working with you all these long years. I will always count them as some of my most most inspiring, most invigorating, and most fun, and I'm so glad I got to share it all with you! I hope you are enjoying your new job, that you are finally on the mend, and that life is good post Paper Crafts! Next time I'm in town, I'll give you a call! Love you forever, my friend! :)

{Rebecca Fellows} said...

Kelly, your post was so well written! Your card is so awesome! Sorry it's taking me so dang long to visit everyone! :)