Introductions!

I would like to introduce you to all of the newest DT members.  I know it is a bit late, it has been a crazy couple of weeks with us all being sick around my house.  But hey, sometimes you have to wait for good things, right? I am thrilled for you all to get to know the newest team members.  We have got another wonderful group of talented ladies this time!  I am always amazed at the talent!

Esti Erasmus

I am 36 years young and in love with life! I’m married to my high school sweetheart and have an amazing 5 year old little girl. We live in Cape Town (sunny South Africa) and I am a work-from-home mom and business owner (unfortunately not scrapbookingJ). I am truly blessed in every possible way!

I have been a paper / stamp / glue / sticker / stationary fanatic since I can remember! I bought my first stamp in 1986 (a funky frog design - my daughter now stamps her projects with it!) and when I discovered Scrapbooking 11 years ago I found a place to live every dream I ever imagined – it was love at first sight (or shall I say first purchase. My scrapbook style is inspired by the product I work with and I LOVE playing around with stamps, sketches, different techniques and new toys. Browsing all the sites and blog-hopping is a favorite past-time for inspiration and to learn new techniques and ideas and meet scrap-buddies all over the world.

Scrapbooking plays a vital part in my life, it is my stress-release, relax-treatment and most importantly a legacy to my daughter…………..hope she has a BIG house to store all the albums one day.

Georgina Hefferman

Hi My name is Georgina Hefferman and I live in London, England. I'm very excited to be a part of this Design Team. I love to scrapbook and I've recently discovered card making too - I have a little bit of an obession when it comes to "collecting" stamps and so I'm looking forward to getting more use of them on my scrapbook pages as well as on my cards. 10 Random facts: My favourite colour is purple, I love cats, I think butterflies are pretty, my favourite show of all time is Little House on The Prarie, I work in the insurance industry, I teach line dancing, I collect a certain type of ceramic mice, I adore making cakes of all kinds, I'm learning to knit and I enjoy growing vegetables in my square foot garden! You can find out more about me and my crafts here: http://www.itsjusttoorandom.blogspot.com/

Teresita Freddi

I am Teresita, 33 years old, I have lived abroad for some years and then

I came back to the north of Italy in late 2009. i am Administrative Assistant during the day,

but then my creativity comes out!

I discovered Scrapbooking in 2008 in Brussels, and since then…I became scrap addicted!

Now I would spend more money in scrap stuff than in clothes!!

My style is I free, colourful, and even flashy sometimes.

I love making 12x12 layouts, but I am happy when I can make cards to offer, or little paintings to be hung.

My scraproom is a mess, but I could not work in a tidy corner. I need my Inspiring Chaos, let's say!

I often scrap myself, and since I do not have kids nor boyfriend at the moment!

You can hae a look at my works here: tita-scrapamoi.blogspot.com.

Jennifer Joncas

I am a married mom of 4, three boys (Codie 16, Aidan 8, and Kieran 5) and one girl (Azelyn 3). I teach high school math and science. I live in Northern Ontario (near Sudbury).

I have been scrapbooking and stamping for 5 years now. I am a CTMH consultant but more as a hobbiest (it helps to pay for some of my supplies)

My blog is http://scrapperj.blogspot.com/.

Vicky Borrey

My name is Vicky, 32 years old and I have been scrapping since 2003. Next to scrapbooking, I really love photography and travelling, so I always end up with a beautiful album about our travels. I’m married, but we don’t have kids. Instead, I have 6 pet rabbits, 5 of them live outside and one lives inside the house. His name is Speedy and I believe he’s a dog in a rabbitskin!


Ever since I’ve been in contact with scrapbooking, I’m very passionate about it. I used to work together with Kars, which is a craft wholesale company in the Netherlands and a couple of craft shops in Belgium. But I decided to start my own business with scrapbooking materials only. Scrapbooking is not so well known here in Belgium (well, at least not as in the States or the Netherlands) but I really do my best to share my passion with others. The shop is not my full-time occupation, I’m a teacher of English, history and geography in secondary school.

I have a (Dutch) blog, it’s http://creanijn.blogspot.com ( I could do English posts as well!) There you can find most of my work. I’m a simple scrapbooker, I don’t tend to use a lot of embellishments and so, because my pictures are the main focus of my pages. I really try to use a lot of pictures on my layouts ever time. Ever since I've discovered your blog, I try to put at least one stamp on my layouts. I have so many stamps, and so I challenged myself to use them more often! I don't participate a lot on the blog lately, but I try to visit it regularly to get some inspiration.
 

Lisa Babcock

 
Hi everyone! I have been married to my best friend, Mark for 22 years and I am a SAHM with 4 children & 6 cats. I am originally from Maryland, but have been in Pennsylvania for the last 15 years. I've always liked creating things, even as a child. I remember macrame plant hangers, pot holders(you know the ones made from loops of fabric), latch hook pillows, plastic canvas tissue boxes and so much more.


I attended a Creative Memories party MANY moons ago and have been scrapbooking and card making ever since. I've been a Close to my Heart Independent Consultant for over 4 years now and it is a joy to share my love of papercrafting with others! I started blogging in 2009 and one of my favorite parts of the day is when I can settle in with my laptop and coffee and "visit" my papercrafting friends to gain inspiration and share some love. I would describe my scrapbooking style as clean and simple. My other hobbies include reading (anything I can get my hands on), knitting and most recently, crocheting.

I am thrilled to be joining this *uber* talented DT, and I look forward to sharing my work with all of you :)

Meet the new DT members....

It is time for the announcement everyone has been waiting for!

First I would like to say thank you to everyone who applied to be on the design team. I so wish that I could have chosen each and everyone of you. I really hope that you will apply again the next go around. This was truly a tough decision to narrow the pool down to just six. After several days of blog hopping and hopping again it was finally time to decide. I am honored to introduce you to the new members of the Scrap and Stamp team. We are completely thrilled to have them with us. You all are in for a treat with their beautiful work!

Hollie Smallwood

Tamara Bennett

Cariena Basson

Lacey Stephens

Shirley Yow

Isolde Pyncket

They will be joining the existing team of

Boni Boutelle-Jones

Pamela Young

Shana Tedrick

Regina Jones

Here is a little intro from each of them. You can click on their names to go directly to their blogs!

Hollie Smallwood

Hey everyone! My name is Hollie and I am from Kentucky.
I am 26 years old, been married for almost 2 years. No kids, two nieces, two
nephews, two dogs, one husband.... that's enough for me! LOL
Right now I am working at a bank and taking some college courses. I hope to be
an Elementary teacher one day, like my mother was.
I have been scrapping for about 7 or 8 years(?) My scrappin' style is very clean
and simple. I like bold colors and bold patterns. I don't overcrowd my pages
with embellies, I like the pictures and the papers to be the main focus.
And I am thrilled to be a part of this team! I look forward to working with all
these talented ladies and I hope to inspire and to be inspired.

Tamara Bennett

I am a 25-year-old stay at home mom to my 3 year old son, Travis I have been married for 5 years to my husband Michael. We live in Murray, KY and love it here! My husband served in Iraq in 2007 and was finally able to get out of the Marines in December 2007. After the first few years of our marriage being separated during so many deployments, we were finally able to be a complete family: living, sleeping, eating and occasionally fighting together. Which brings me to my favorite thing to do to get away from the madness! My craft room! I have been scrapbooking for about 10 years now. I absolutely love the sense of accomplishment it brings to my life. I bought a Cricut E in Feb 09 and I have recently taken up making cards and other odds and ends craft projects. I think this has caused me to develop crafting ADD. I can't seem to stick to one type of project. I have so many going at one time. I enjoy crafting, scrapbooking, card making, creating SVG files for SCAL and digital stamping!

Cariena Basson
(in the middle)

My name is Cariena Basson, and I am from Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. I am 37 years old, married to a great husband, and I have 3 four pawed, barking kids!! I started scrapbooking July 2007 after I realised I needed a hobby - I was just working all the time. Little did I know that I was opening the door for an OBSESSION!! I do mixed media. altered art, collage, cardmaking and of course Scrapbooking! I am addicted to stamping - I buy stamps just to look at them - I REALLY love stamping. Any stamps. Arty, cute, old, new, woodmounted, unmounted, clear , foam, I LOVE THEM!! In real life I am a financial advisor - I do alot of Health Insurance. I am a Type 1 diabetic and have been for 20 years, so health insurance is very important to me. I live on a farm and I love it. I don't have favourite companies - I love them all!! BUT, I do think Ranger's products are super!!! I am very excited to be on this design team - I love all the ladies' work and can't wait to learn alot from them!!

Lacey Stephens

I work out of the house running my On Line Stamping Store www.StampandCreate.com . I am married to a wonderful, funny man and I have 2 beautiful children; my 7 year old daughter Ansley and my 5 year old son Ryan. We live in Sunny (and usually hot) South Florida.
I enjoy scrapbooking as well as card marking. I love anything "cute" and mostly outline images that can be watercolored. I also love participating in challenges.
I have been stamping for almost 3 years. My hobby became my obsession. So my obsession because my business. I now own an on line store called Stamp and Create and co-own Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps with Nikki Fairbairn. Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps are designed after mine and Nikki's children and our furry pets.

Shirley Yow

I have been scrapbooking for almost 5 years now. Only recently did I have time to pursue this hobby further. To me, scrapbooking is the culmination of all the different types of crafts that I love. I find that over the years, my style has changed and evolved with the different types of materials available in the market. I’m more into layering and cutting compared to colour blocking in the past.

I teach SB in schools around Singapore as well as our LSS, Laines Papeterie, and am also a DT member for our local SB forum, Groovie Cover Girls.

I also volunteer at several institutions for children, like the Pathlight school for autistic children, Rainbow Children’s Home for the less privileged children.

I love to try and experiment different things when scrapbooking. I especially love doing altered art and using non scrapbooking materials such as bird cages, fabric, pearls, even candle holders are fair play for me!

Besides scrapbooking, I bake cakes and make my own bags too!

Thank You!


Isolde Pyncket


Hi here,
I'm one of the new members of the DT here.
Let's see, what can I tell about myself. Always difficult, isn't it :-)?

Well, my name is Isolde Pyncket. I'm a 30 year old who lives in Ieper. That's a nice, historical town in the West part of Belgium.
I'm together with my boyfriend Eric for almost 6 years now.
I work as a teacher in a primary school. I teach grade 3 and 4 (kids are 8 - 9 years old). I love teaching them. It's great to see how they learn new stuff and it's even better to see how they enjoy learning new things.

In June 2006, I was looking in the library for a book about crafts. Suddenly I found a little book with the title 'Creative with Photos'. I took it with me and while I was looking through it, I felt the urge to try it too. A week later, I found a shop not to far from my home and bought lots of stuff. Since that moment, I'm totally addicted to scrapbooking. My favourite brands are Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, American crafts, ... Everything with lots of colour.

If any of you have a question for me, don't hesitate to ask. I have my own blog too. It would be great to see you there too. http://sollie79.blogspot.com/

Please take a moment to give them all a warm welcome. We are so excited they are a part of the team here at Scrap and Stamp. I am sure they will WOW you with their scrapbooking, I know they did me!

Regina Hudson Jones.....

Hi I am Regina Jones from Abbeville, AL. I am a SAHM to one very rambunctious 5 year old, Patrick, plus our fur babies, 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 birds and fish. Sometimes it feels like a zoo, but it leads to some great scrap pages.

I have been scrapbooking on and off since high school but really came back to it around the birth of my son in 2003. I love to try new techniques and my style tends to change with my moods, but I love that because it keeps everything fresh and new. Scraping and stamping is my creative outlet, my "me" time, my stress reliever. I love that this obsession/craft can be all of those things but I can also preserve our family memories at the same time. My son is the main subject of my pages but I am trying to scrap more of my husband and myself so that Patrick will be able to know "who" we are as well. We all know kids don't pay attention to the details until later in life...lol.

I am so excited to be on the Scrap and Stamp DT and I look forward to sharing my work with you.

And here is a sample of Regina's work......


Stampin' Hugs and Many Blessings,
Alex and Melissa

Erin Bailey....

Hi, My name is Erin. A little over 5 years ago I attended my first Stampin' Up! workshop and was immediately hooked on stamping! I became a demo shortly after which works perfectly with being a part-time working mom of two busy little girls. After joining the blog scene a year ago, I have found new products and friends from around the world to stamp with. Luckily I have a husband who is growing more supportive of my hobby each day! I find it is the perfect way to relax after a hard day!

And here's a sample of Erin's work........

Are you as excited as we are for Saturday? Not only do we have an awesome set of designers with fantastic layouts, but we also have a prize package from a fabulous company that you won't want to miss!

Stampin' Hugs and Many Blessings,
Alex and Melissa

Pamela Young.....

I love stamps and started off stamping. My early scrapbook pages included stamping. But somewhere along the way, I stopped using them. There were just too many other fun things to use on my layouts. My stamps got neglected and were just piled on shelves. Not only did those I had just sit there, but I started collecting new stamps...stamps that I never used! A few months ago I decided that I was going to start using them again...I would make a consious effort to. And I have been doing pretty good with that. And you know what...I LOVE the layouts I make with stamps! Hopefully we can inspire you to use your stamps in scrapbooking too!!!

And here is a sample of Pamela's work.....

Have a good day!

Alex and Melissa

Boni Boutelle-Jones.....

My name is Boni Boutelle-Jones and I hail from Southwest Virginia mountains where I share space with my husband, my youngest son, and our two ferocious watch dogs Groucho and Zeppo; (my oldest boy is in the USMC stationed in Okinawa Japan). I started stamping about 12 years ago and it has been my Happy Place ever since. Not only do I love the instant gratification I get from completing a project in a small amount of time (see I work outside the home 55 hours a week) but I also love sharing a little bit of me with each project that I create. I started to seriously scrapbook about three years ago and have completed approximately 24 albums. What I love about scrapbooking is that I get to feel, remember and reflect on all the things in my life that truly matter and those things that keep me real, from the silly escapades of my children and pets, to the heartwarming and wrenching moments that make us who we are. But most importantly I love that I get to leave a legacy behind that will mean more than anything else that a person can leave. I am leaving a piece of me and how I was attached to you. And when I am not working or stamping and scrapping I love to read mysteries and sappy love stories, cook for my family and friends, watch Whose Line Is It Anyway with my son, and try to take good pictures. Please visit my blog at http://www.bonibleauxdesigns.blogspot.com and leave me a note to say “hi” – I love meeting new people and truly enjoy sharing in others creativity and what inspires them.

And here is a sample of Boni's work.....


The wait is almost over! Our first challenge will be posted this Saturday so stay tuned!

Have a good day!
Alex and Melissa

Cheryl Kelly Van Domelen.....

Hi! I'm Cheryl from Madison Wisconsin. I'm an engineer turned stay at home mom to a beautiful four-year-old girl. I'm married and also own a purebred Persian cat. I've been scrapbooking and stamping for six years and my hobby has grown to include photography, papercrafts and altered items. I love learning new techniques, participated in challenges and online crops. Scrapbooking and stamping is so relaxing to me.....my studio is my "happy place". It is fun to be creative and preserve precious memories at the same time! My favorite topics are my daughter and my travels around the world. My other hobbies include vegetable gardening, orchids, yoga and Pilates.

And here is a sample of Cheryl's work......


Have a great rest of the weekend!
Alex and Melissa

Chris Severs

My name is Chris Severs. I have been married to the hubs for 17 years now...hard to believe it's been that long. I am a stay at home mom to 2 boys, Brock is 15 [the obnoxious teenager] and Quinn is 10 [the wild child]. We also have 4 pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats, and a very old goldfish. I was diagnosed with MS in 2001. Some days I can barely feel paper, but I keep going!! It just takes me longer to do certain things. I am hoping that I will still be able to enjoy my hobby for many more years to come! If not, i guess the hubs will have to take over [LOL]... We are originally from Colorado, but are east coast transplants thanks to the Navy.

I have always been addicted to paper.Eeven when I was younger. I still think the best time of the year is when we get to buy new school supplies...LOL [sigh] if only the boys felt that way. I have stamped for as long as I can remember, but way back then it was to make the envelopes look cute for the hallmark card...now the card and envie is stamped...I am even picky about what kind of postage stamps go on my cards...the flag and the liberty bell are not very flattering...yes, my post office hates me...

I started scrapbooking when Scott was still in the Navy and a friend of mine had a Creative Memories party...I HAD to buy something, so I bought a black album cuz way back then, black was not cool and so hard to find....that's where I met one of my dearest friends Latisha...and she started the whole stinkin' obsession!! so here I am today...addicted to paper and stamps...I love to stamp on my pages...I can not live without my alphabet stamps, flourishes and the journal-ling lines, by far the best invention for scrapbook pages....wish I would have thought of it! I look forward to sharing my work with you for the next few months!

And here is a sample of Chris' work......

Thanks for dropping by!
Alex and Melissa

Michele Kovack

My name is Michele Kovack. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for the last 16 years. I currently teach 5th grade and love it! I have two beautiful children, Cortney (14) & Kyle (12). They inspire me everyday! I also have a cutie pie Bischon/Poodle mix named Skippers. We rescued him from the shelter last summer and couldn't be happier that he is a part of our family.

I started scrapbooking about 14 years ago, shortly after my daughter's birth. We had been informed that she was visually, mentally and physically impaired. It was a lot to deal with, especially since it was our first child. I think scrapbooking became a creative outlet for me. It became a chance to express myself, whether it be grief or joy. It also made me treasure all of her milestones and accomplisments, and to focus on the positive! My son was born two years later, and he was such a character that I scrapbooked all the silly things he did! From scrapbooking, came the cardmaking/stamping end of it! I had so many supplies that it seemed ridiculous to buy a card from Hallmark. So my obsession with homemade cards began! I love making altered projects too now! I can't seem to throw anything away these days. I hoard it all, in hopes that someday I can "alter" it! : )

I am excited to be on this talented DT and can't wait for all the fun challenges ahead!

And here is a sample of Michele's work.....

Kathleen Hopperstad......

From now until June 6th, we will feature a Design Team Member complete with bio, photograph and samples....be sure to stop by often to see what we've designed to inspire your creativity!

Hi, my name is Kathleen Hopperstad and I'm addicted to paper crafting! LOL! Besides paper crafting I am a wife to Douglas Hopperstad. We just celebrated 19 years of marriage in May. We have 3 beautiful children, Rebecca-15, Nicholas-11, and Sam-9. I have a degree in hotel/restaurant management and worked in restaurants for many years. Then I went to work as a manager in an office.

When my middle child was born I had the opportunity to stay home with my children and I have loved it! Throughout my marriage I have been involved in something creative. I used to make fabric folk dolls, ornaments, and cut and painted wood shapes. I would pedal my wares at craft shows. I used to paint shapes and stuff doll bodies in my living room, at McDonald's playland while watching my kids, and wherever I went. Now I pretty much stick to paper crafts. My husband has been very supportive of my varied hobbies and just accepts everything that comes along with it. He even built me a beautiful craft room!

I started scrapbooking and stamping around the same time. My sister, Mary Jo, kept trying to get me to stamp and I resisted. The last thing I needed was another hobby! Well, I went to my first Stampin' Up! party, and like many others, I was hooked! I started scrapbooking when my daycare provider presented me with a simple scrapbook of my daughter when she left daycare.

I thought it was so precious seeing her years layed out in this form. Combining the two crafts, stamping and scrapbooking seemed natural to me. I started stamping in my scrapbooks from the start. I started with alphabet stamps and quickly graduated to making my own designer paper and diecuts! I love the unique look you can get by creating scrapbook pages with stamps.

Here is a sample of Kathleen's work....