Big Announcement! Thebrand new Create A Smile Video Team!

Hello everyone!

Christmas is close and it's time for presents, right?
So this is our present for you:

Starting in January we're having a brand new Create A Smile Video Team to inspire you!

4 super talented ladies will share paper crafting videos on wednesday - so you get inspired by videos made by 4 different artists each month. How's that?

Today I would like to introduce the first Video Team member to you. She's a very talented, super kind young women from Switzerland who is a coloring genius and makes the most amazing CAS cards. She makes my jaw drop all of the time.

You need to check out her blog 1001 cartes.  And you can find her Youtube channel here.

Give a warm welcome to: Francine Vuillème!

Name, Age, Location:

Francine Vuillème, about thirty, a small town between Bern and Neuchâtel in Switzerland

Hi, Francine! Nice to meet you! Take a seat, get comfy. May I offer you something? Coffee or cookies?

I NEVER drink coffee (or twice a year). I like it but only with LOTS of milk and sugar or cold in summer. So if you have vanilla, cinnamon or any Tea Forté tea with sugar, it would be great! Cookies, brownies or shortbreads? Yesssssss, please!

Okay, you know why you’re here: People want to know everything about you. Let’s start with something simple: You’re a paper crafter. When did you start and how did it happen?

I was creative since I was a little girl. I began with drawing and painting with my mom (she is so creative – I’m sure I inherited this love of crafting from her). When I was 17, I embellished my first photo album with stickers and journaling but I didn’t know that it was a basic form of scrapbooking. I discovered scrapbooking and cardmaking in 2009 by leafing through a book and it was love at first sight! It changed my life, as well as my shopping habits :-). I started out as a scrapbooker but I made cards shortly after. Now, I make from time to time mini albums or layouts but I do create more cards. However, I love both, scrapbooking and cardmaking, equally.

What kind of projects are your favorites? And why? 
Cards probably because it goes faster and it’s easier for playing with many techniques and styles in a short time. I can use one technique for a card and two hours later a completely different one for another card. That’s fun and never boring! But as I said before, I like scrapbooking too and also experimenting with mixed media and art journaling! Evenings and nights are too short for all I wanna do! :-)

Is there one technique that you use more often than others?

Not really! I have a versatile style and I love experimenting and playing with different techniques. What I like very much is coloring (with Copic, Distress inks or even pencils), paper piecing, blending colors together, doing splatters, using watercolors, stencils, rainbow and bright colors, sequins and enamel dots, speech bubbles and the spritzer tool. These are probably my favorite go-to things and techniques.

If you look at other people’s projects: What amazes you and what makes you frown?

I can be amazed by a beautiful or fun layout, out of the box ideas or a color combination. What makes me frown? Well, I can like projects in any style as long as I feel they were made with love and care.

You’ve been paper crafting for quite a while. Is there a lesson you learned that you’d like to share with our readers?

Experimenting is the best you can do! I think it’s very important to try different styles and play with all techniques to really enjoy crafting. It also helps to find your own way and it will never become boring, even not in 10 years. :-)

Let’s get to something personal. You live in Switzerland what’s your favorite spot there and why do you think people should visit this place?

Oh, this is a HARD question! I love so many places here in Switzerland. So let me say this: my favorite cities are Luzern and Bern and all Swiss regions with lakes – like the Vierwaltstättersee, the Thunersee, etc. – are AMAZING. I’m in the wonderful Three Lakes Region because I couldn’t live far from a lake. You know, this region is close to 3 cities but there are many green spaces, beautiful landscapes and it’s perfect for boating, swimming and taking walks. I need this!

What is a characteristic that describes you the best?

Probably perfectionist but I’m also trustworthy and sometimes totally crazy *haha*! It’s also very important to me to be there for my parents and my best friend. I like to make them happy. 

What else should people know about you? Any secret addictions? Obsessions? Fun stuff?

It could be interesting to know that I’m bilingual in German and French from birth. Then you should know that I have 3 cats that I LOVE to the moon and back! Fun stuff? People often give me nicknames in real life but also in Blogland. So, don’t be astonished or confused if someone calls me differently than Francine. Any addictions? Yes, I love and have MANY (often big and sparkly) rings and you will probably see them in my videos. *haha* :-)

Thanks for the interview Francine. I’m so glad and honored you joined our video-little team!

Oh no, I have to thank YOU, Christine, for inviting me to join your team!!!  


You're hopefully just as excited as we are about the Video Team. I can't wait to see what they come up with.  Check back in two days to get to know the next video-girl ;)