Reporting from CHA, I interview one of my design idols Karen Burniston, who created all the pop-up dies for Sizzix, including the new Pop ‘N Cuts line.

I’ve been a fan of Karen Burniston and her dies ever since I got my Sizzix Big Shot machine. I use those pop up dies, like the Christmas Tree and the 3-tier cake, to make the coolest cards, and everybody thinks I’m so creative with those cards, but my secret is really those fabulous dies. They make me look good. So when I got to meet her at the CHA show in Anaheim, I was actually a little star struck. Plus, she looks like Debbie Gibson, which made me all giddy.

Karen actually has a civil engineering degree, which explains how she has the brains to create the mechanics of all those pop-ups. They’re really ingenious.

Thanks to Karen for agreeing to be interviewed for the show. She was such a good sport, and even sang a “Grease” duet with me. Make sure you stay tuned for the outtakes at the end.