Cath Edvalson
I know, right? Moxie fab. It’s a strange combination of words. Why, just last July when Susan and I were at CHA, a manufacturer saw my Moxie Fab World button on my shirt and asked me, “Now, what, exactly does that mean?”
And so I ‘splained. Back in the day, when I became the creative editor of Paper Crafts magazine, I found that I needed more adjectives for the times when I saw something really, really cool.
“Awesome!” was so trite.
“Wow!” got really old.
“Oh my heck!”—while geographically poignant, just didn’t have enough “umph.”
And “Fabulous”? Well, fabulous had the zing I was looking for, but it needed a “Cath edge.”
That’s where “moxie” came along. At the time, there was a Target ad for their brand of chocolates—Choxie. You know, “chocolate with moxie.”
I loved what “moxie” did to the word “chocolate” in that case. Pretty soon I was saying things like, “That project has moxie,“ right before or after saying “That project is fabulous,” and before you knew it, as I am wont to do, I was mixing the words together and playing around with them a bit and the term “moxie fab” was born.
For a while it was just an adjective that I threw around. But then it started getting a reaction. And then it started becoming a way of thinking. And then it became a column. And now it’s also a blog called the Moxie Fab World where we have a ton of inspiring fun.
Have you been by to visit? If so, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, well, here’s a run-down of what we do over there:
Moxie Monday: Every Monday I show you a product line that I am ga-ga over. I gush over it for a while, show you up close and personal photos, and then I always, always, always offer it to two lucky winners. This week I’m featuring the Street Lace collection from Die Cuts With a View.
Tuesday Trigger: Tuesdays are Trigger days. I show an image that I find to be particularly inspiring and invite you to create a paper crafted project based on that inspiration. You post your project to your blog or our special Flickr group, then you link it up to Mr. Linky, and we all get to see in what moxie fab ways you’ve been inspired. I announce five Trigger Targets every week who get to put the Trigger Target badge on their blogs and I choose one random winner to receive a fun prize as my thanks for playing along.
Here are a few of our recent inspiration photos:
Ask Around: One of our most popular features, the Ask Around is where I ask popular designers to talk about how trends influence their creative process. Last week I interviewed Tim Holtz, but I’ve also talked with Margie Romney-Aislett, Jennifer McGuire, Jenni Bowlin, and Nichole Heady.
Moxie Talk: This is a fun feature in which each of our talented Paper Crafts Go-to Gals focuses on a trend she’s watching. She shows images that verify the trend and then she creates a paper crafted project (or two!) that illustrates the trend. A couple of weeks ago, Betsy Veldman talked about the hot botanical collage trend and showed this moxie fab project to hit the trend home:
Moxie Fab World Challenges: Every three weeks or so, I host a challenge based on a trend I’m currently watching. Whether it’s peace signs, bicycles, chairs, doilies and lace, or a trendy technique like paper piecing, five winners receive an “I’m Moxie Fab” Challenge Winner badge for their blogs and a generous prize.
Here are some of the winning projects:
Five for Friday: In this weekly feature, I find five (or multiples thereof—10, 15, 20, 60.8!) sources of inspiration. Whether it’s a supah fun trend I’m loving, a sneak peek of an issue that’s just been released, or a trend I’m watching that I set to a favorite poem or lyric, Five for Friday will give you a stylish start to your weekend, that’s fo sho! Here are a few of my personal favies:
- A National Scrapbooking Day Blog Bop Featuring the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team
- I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
- Stripe Hype
- Thanks for Coming With!
- The Road Less Traveled
Bottom line is the Moxie Fab World is just that: a place where we gather to make friends, talk trends, and get inspired. 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.
So whether you’re a bona fide Moxie Fabber who stops by every day and leaves a comment or you’re clicking on over for the very first time, I’d love to hear from you today. What intrigues you the most about the Moxie Fab World? What do you enjoy the most when you spend time there? Are you intimidated by trends? Why or why not? Answer any or all of these questions by midnight (MDT) on Wednesday, Sept. 8 and I’ll select two random winners to receive Little Yellow Bicycle’s Pack Your Bags Collection.
Two winners will each receive this fun prize package from Little Yellow Bicycle!
It really is a moxie fab world,
Cath