CZ Design

joblackford - it was the same incident that turned me off from CZ. I pretty much forgot about her until this thing with the auction came up.

lynn0117 - there is a certain about of irony that she responded to a critique about being long winded with 3 youtube comments and bringing it to Instagram.

I never followed her on social but I've taken some of her classes and like her templets so I'm sad to hear this but not exactly surprised. I remember finding her annoying on podcast years ago but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it either. She definitely has a self righteous vibe, that's a good way to put it. She likes to name drop which makes me laugh considering outside of of our very small scrapbooking community, no one has heard of these people. It's funny to me some of the people who talk about kindness all the time are the least kind.

Agree with all of this. I used to be a huge fan, back when she was still scrapbooking. I took a class at CKU when that was a thing and she was awesome. She's just gotten more whiny over the years and needs to learn to let things roll off her back. If someone doesn't like your video, who cares? You have enough people loving your stuff why does it matter what the "haters" think? Maybe the people who are leaving the "hate" are actually leaving constructive criticism and she can't handle any criticism? I dunno, but I'm definitely done with her. I unfollowed awhile ago when she started making cards because aren't there enough card makers on YouTube that make better cards?

I like her stamps and dies, I've bought quite a few. I do like her particular style. I follow her blog, get what ideas I can use, and that's that. Her freebies are usually good and she has good hybrid scrapbooking tutorials.

So, I'm kind of a "get in, get what you need, get out" kind of person. I'll use all of these scrapbooking personalities for ideas and I'll even buy some of their stuff, but I'm not invested in them personally and I don't follow them on social media. I really don't use social media, anyway, I prefer to follow blogs - that way I don't have to see the designers, actors, musicians, etc I like act like assholes. It's like that old saying about not meeting your idol, it will ruin them for you forever.

She's always been one of my favorites. I have both her books.
I must have missed something in the past, because I've never gotten that "mean girl" impression from her.

I will say, I don't follow her as much anymore, because she seems to have switched from traditional scrapbooking to photo books and card making, and that's just not my thing.

I am surprised to read so many don't like her.

Definitely this - I’ve always appreciated her graphic-design inspired style, I’ve used several of her mini albums concepts and her introspective journaling ideas were appreciated, although she shared more of her kids online than I’m personally comfortable with. And I appreciated her tech recommendations as a fellow Mac user.

She turned me off in the early days of Twitter. Just a not nice tone to her - subtle but there. Her blog took a similar turn, as did several others. This was also peak ScrapSmack blog, so the whole hobby was getting a negative vibe. 

I got “over” scrap celebrities after a couple CKCs circa 2007 or 08. CZ wasn’t at the two I went to, but almost all the class teachers gave off a vibe of “can’t wait until these losers are gone so we can gossip about them and party together.” They were particularly snotty with the volunteers and local instructors in a very mean girls way. I came away disillusion with all but Stacy Julian, but then her blog started to get a little insiders/name drop, too.

I just chalk it up to the very personal storytelling of scrapbooking leads to over investing emotion in strangers. I also suspect CZ really needs her new YT channel to do well - her freelance work is probably drying up right now. 

I think my thing with all these scrapbook "celebs" and "influencers" is that even though they try to seem genuine, they all give off the toxic positivity vibe that really turns me off. The only "celebs" I really invest any time in are Victoria Marie (we've had some great DM convo's and her spouse has a great podcast everyone should listen to) and Heba. I like Precisely Tazhi as well, but she's so much younger than me I have a hard time relating to her fully and she's been all about the sponsored content lately which kind of bums me out. BUT, she's been really open and honest when I ask her questions via DM (especially regarding the whole dear lizzy debacle) so I still give her a chance. This is how Cathy Z started out too, but now I'm just over her whole "I was a goth chick" vibe and now she's just a middle aged housewife and is having a hard time dealing with that. I too am a middle aged housewife that's dealing with that and I guess I don't want to hear about it when I'm surfing the web and watching instagram & youtube videos. These are my escapes from my boring reality and I don't want to hear anyone else's issues I guess.

I follow the 'smaller' crafters on YT. They're just more fun for me to watch than the 'celebs'. I couldn't stand some of the same things you mentioned. I gave up on all the celebs except Vicky P, Shimelle and Mercy Tiara (if she's one) about 2 years ago - no Jennifer McGuire, no Kristina Werner, no Gina Krupsky (Gina K), no Cathy Zielske, no Laura Basson, etc. and I enjoy my YT time so much more now.

I know I’m late to the party but I think my first glimpse of the not-so-nice side of Cathy Z was from the infamous “Toast” podcast with Ali E and Donna D (the three of them were being hosted to teach scrapbooking classes in NZ and Australia).

Cathy and Donna were ROFL trying to get Ali to bestow some words of wisdom upon the people in Australia.

Apparently, Ali was too busy bouncing on the bed (in the hotel room most likely paid for from NZ scrapbookers' class fees), miming and laughing to speak.

The podcast was about four and a half minutes long but they were REALLY entertaining themselves by about the 2:30 mark where Cathy says "Oh God, this is good!".

She goes on to say:

"She's [Ali] so deep. So much deeper than us combined."

"I mean, if Ali just, Ali could say something like "Toast!" and it would totally inspire people. They would like, they would like, be ripping off their clothes and running through the streets just screaming 'Capture life!', 'Create art!', hahahahahahahahahaha."

"And this, my friends, is what we get paid to do, SNORT."

CZ is laughing so hard she can hardly get her words out by now but she finishes with:

"Well, that's all we have from New Zealand, haha. I hope you've enjoyed, hahaha, our time together, haha. I hope that, haha, Ali's words, hahahahahaha, will inspire YOU, haha, to capture your own art, hahahaha. And that's, haha, that's all we have, hahaha. Peace out, hahaha."

You can listen to the podcast here: donnadowney.typepad.com/simply_me/2006/08/and_now_for_som.html

mom I’m a little surprised (and kinda impressed) Donna has never taken the podcast down because I think it reflects so poorly on all of them 

So arrogant and entitled

I just don’t understand why paper crafting has to include regular lectures on how we are all supposed to behave. (Well, I do understand the Mormon background, but you know what I mean.) It’s a hobby. I’m sure you don’t see this in the knitting world.

CZ and Jennifer have many older women fans who look to them for advice about everything, including how to think on certain issues, i.e., the whole Sizzix suits’ issue. When they send out appeals for money for one of their own, like Dear Lizzy, implying that everyone should care because of our common love for the industry (🙄), it’s basically like scamming old people who should know better.

marg, you put your finger on something here about the cardmakers. I have to be honest, I live in an area where I have no crafty IRL friends. For years, Jennifer McGuire and other celebs have posted pictures/videos from when they have yearly retreats together (many of the big names like KW, Gina K, Heidi Crowl, etc.). At first I thought this was sweet and a good example of women supporting women...but the more I saw it, the more it kind of came across as a form of...bragging to me? Idk, I guess it's because they all have SO many resources and supplies, plus I know a lot of women would kill to be able to craft with them*. Whenever these posts were made, I'd see comments about "is this something you sell tickets to, how can I join?" or "omg I'm so jealous!" I'm trying to analyze it because if I compare it to a group of other celebrities hanging out (say movie stars or athletes), it sounds like sour grapes, but I think it ties in with the preaching about how these friendships are their lifeblood and there's nothing like crafting together in person, when most people don't have that luxury/opportunity. It's probably also because papercrafting is not a super common hobby, so there's already a feeling of being in the in-group, so being denied part of the inner clique doesn't feel good either.

(*And on a side note, I've never really understood the desire to do something WITH a celebrity, whether it's attend a movie premiere or craft with them on Zoom, like the session that JM and GK had on the Kartchner auction. It just feels so weird, here's this person you know a lot about but they know nothing about you, so what do you talk about? Is it all fawning over the celeb? Wouldn't you feel kind of like your crafting was being judged with two professionals watching you?)