Announcing the NEW S:CY DesignTeam

A warm and friendly "Welcome" to S:CY!

I know you’ll find MANY sketches here that will spark your creativity!

I have a very special announcement.

Our absolutely fantastic Design Team with skill of all levels and expertise in all areas has been chosen from a large number of fab applicants.
Thanks to ALL who applied. Please remember that we are looking for Guest Designers every month, so please continue your wonderful participation: it is noted and considered in making Guest DT decisions.

With pleasure I announce to you the new S:CY Design Team from Nov 1, 2009- March 31, 2010!

The New "Sketches: Creatively Yours" Design Team is as follows:

Ann Seleshanko (Senior Design Team Member)

Helen Hollinger

Victoria Warren-Mears

Irit Shalom

Carla Robinson

Vivi Rahman

Michelle Hodges

Janis Medina

Pam Sandy

Misty Miller

Jennifer Cassista

Sherry Owens

WELCOME TEAM!

Here are their bios:

Ann Seleshanko~ Calgary, Alberta

Senior Design Team Member

I'll be introducing Ann more formally in her capacity as our Senior Design Team Member tomorrow! She is in her 3rd term as an S:CY Designer, and hails from beautiful western Canada.

Helen Hollinger~ Ontario, Canada

Designer

Hi! I'm Helen! I have been scrapping for about 6 years and love my obsession! My favorite product right now is anything from the Sassafrass Lass lines! I love the colors and the way you can utilize all the elements of their pp in so many ways! Love it!! I use Bazzill cardstock when I am using cs, but find that I am leaning towards pp lately and not much cs. I am the mother to two very active teenagers! I have an 18 year old son, who is in his second year of University studying Economics, but wanting to transfer into Math. He still is at home, for how much longer, not sure! Besides school, he loves his biking! My other son is 15, in grade 9, and is very active in sports and hanging out with his pals. Both keep me busy and both drive me nuts at times, but I love them! I am currently on the Design Team for Sisterhood of Scrap. My DH of 23 years supports my obsession 100%! Although I am not sure he knows exactly how much my stash is worth! He always shows an interest in what I am doing, and for this I am grateful. My best scrapping experience had to have been when I entered my first contest this past June and won! Wow!! What a thrill that was! I like my scrapping style, but wasn't sure if others would. My blog HERE.



Victoria Warren-Mears~ Oregon, USA

Designer

Hi! I am Victoria. I have been married to my fun and artistic husband, Jim for 11 years. We have one charming son, Preston, who is a very tall 9 year old.
I have been scrapbooking since he was two. Even when I was in school and college I kept books of mementos, encouraged by my mom. My style is constantly evolving and I love trying new things. I really enjoy experimenting with textures and I am a huge fan of rub-ons! You’ll find me doing traditional paper, hybrid and digital layouts, depending on where I am and the amount of time I have available. In addition to paper arts, I knit, crochet and make jewelry. My original jewelry designs have been published in Bead Trends.

I live in a vibrant neighborhood in Southeast Portland that has no less than 12 children and their pets, just ripe for scrapbooking! We have awesome places to visit that allow me to indulge in my photography.

I am employed full time. I work for a non-profit organization that works to eliminate health disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives. I consider my work and my art as acts of faith.

I am excited to be on the design team and hope to serve as a role model for other women who are employed full time outside the home. I believe there really is still time to make your hobbies a priority, even with a job and a family and the multiple other demands that go along with it.
I have never failed to be inspired here and hope I can help others be inspired to create too!


Irit Shalom~ Israel

Designer

HI !! I am Irit and I am from sunny Israel. I am very glad to be a part of this blog DT and hope to do my best and make everyone at home proud of me! In my " real life" I am a dentist and for last 3 years I do it as a part time job because I need some extra time to run my Israeli online scrap shop and I have a lot of fun doing something else after 25 years of "teeth." I am married for 27 years to retired high police officer and the full time family cook these days. I am a mom to 4 grown ups : 2 sons and twin daughters and the empty nest is probably the main reason for my obsession for crafting - finally I have some time for myself I need to say that I am totally addicted to crafting since I was a little girl. For many years it was polymer clay and jewelry making, but after I've seen scrapbook LO for the first time in my life (only 5 years ago during my visit to USA) I understood finally that I am in love with paper. Today I mostly scrap and do altered art and less a cardmaker, but I love it all and hope to show you all my sides here. And finally, my other addiction is..... folk and ballroom dancing!! I dance 15 hours a week! So, if I am not in my crafting room- I am probably dancing. If you want to see a bit of my work you can visit my blog- and there is a translator on it- so see you there too. HAVE A GREAT DAY!! XOXO LOVE FROM IRIT





Carla Robinson~ Newfoundland, Canada

Designer

My name is Carla Robinson, married to a wonderful guy (who totally supports my scrappin' habit) and homeschooling mum of 4 beautiful children. I have been creating memory albums for over 5 years now, and loving every minute of it! I get so excited to see my children looking through the albums -- still have LOTS of photos left to scrap, though :-)

My favorite products include patterned paper (of course!) with Basic Grey products taking up the most space in my scraproom. Also, I'd be lost without some buttons and ribbon. I use any colours in my layouts, though purple is not too popular.

I am currently DT on Scrapbook Heaven also co-own Sisterhood of Scrap with two of my actual sisters. You can find my blog at http://www.myscrappyness.blogspot.com/ . It's called "The Pursuit of Scrappyness."



Vivi Rahman~ Brunei, Borneo Island

Designer

Hola todas!

My name is Vivi Rahman and I came from the tropical Brunei in Borneo island (And no we don’t live in trees! LOL!!) Happily married with a husband who totally supports this beautiful hobby & blessed with a 3 year 8 month old daughter who is my major inspiration in scrapbooking! I am a full time working mom who works in a bank.

I got into scrapbooking when a girlfriend signed me up for a beginner’s class few years back. Thanks to her that I fell in love with this creative art work ever since then! I don’t have a specific favorite SB brand right now but I normally play with Webster’s Pages, Pink Paislee, Basic Grey, Bazzill Cardstock, Creative Imaginations, Prima Marketing or any colors/designs that reflects my current mojo. I have been designing with Scrap. Inspire.Create (Brunei) , Scrappin Kids (SG) , Ed’s Sketch (SG) , 1 World Scrap (Spain) , Kiki Art Designs (Canada) and been invited as a Jan 2009 & September 2009 Guest Designer for Sketches: Creatively Yours by the wonderful Ali & Noella.

Thank you to Ali again for making me to be part of Sketches: Creatively Yours Design Team history again and sharing scrapping designs with new talented friends like YOU!

So feel free to pop in my blog @ http://vivs.typepad.com/tyroscrapper

Michelle Hodges, Texas, USA

Designer

Hi! I am Michelle Hodges and I live in South Texas. I have been married for 19 years and we have a 4.5 year old daughter. I’m a SAHM and I love having the opportunity to be there for our daughter. Our daughter loves to do crafts, sing and dance. She loves to Scrapbook, and looks forward to when I receive happy mail!!
My Scrapbooking style is shabby-chic, artsy, simple with clean lines and some vintage. I feel I’m very versatile when I Scrap because I enjoy creating, trying new techniques, and new projects. Some of my favorite Scrapbook manufacturers are Sassafras Lass, Cosmo Cricket, and October Afternoon! My favorite cardstock is core’dinations because I love that you can distress the cardstock and see the back side color show through! My favorite colors are blues and pinks!
My favorite Scrapbooking experience is when I use to go to a Scrapbooking retreat every year in the Fall and Spring! The person who arranged these are no longer having the retreats! I sure do miss them!!
My husband loves that I scrap! When he shops and he sees something on sale he thinks I will like, he will buy a few things to surprise me!
I feel very honored to be a part of Sketches:Creatively Yours! I look forward to working with Ali and the Design Team!!
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to Design for S:CY!
Here's Michelle's Blog.

Janis Medina~ Phillipines

Designer

Hello! I’m Janis, a scrapbooker from the Philippines. I am married to a very supportive husband JE and a mother to Nat (4yo) and Phil (2yo). I started scrapbooking April 2008 and have never been able to stop. I do mostly 12x12 pages - - usually with my kids as the subject - - but I also dabble in cardmaking and altered projects from time to time.
My style can very much adapt to the papers and embellishments that I design with although a play on bold and bright colors usually stands out on my layouts (hence, the monicker Ms. Bold and Bright among friends!). I have a penchant for elaborate layouts - - I soo love putting details and textures on my pages. Clustering, layering and distressing are the usual techniques that I use although I am not afraid to experiment and try other techniques. I feel that I am still new at this craft and have a lot to learn in the process.I am soo thrilled and excited to be invited to design for Sketches: Creatively Yours. Hope you’ll play along with us!!!

Pam Sandy~ Illinois, USA

Designer

Hi, my name is Pam Sandy and I am excited to be here. I can't wait to play with the faboo sketches! I love to sew and quilt as well as scrap, do altered art, and make cards, and I design a lot of my own patterns. I just like to make things! I am currently on the DT for Zutter Zisters and completely love playing with my Bind It All. My fav products right now include tools ~ my Bind It All, the Cuttlebug, edge punches and of course my sewing machine. ;) They really help me create a lot of projects, and I can use them over and over again. I am also totally addicted to Core'dinations Cardstock in any color, in my opinion it is the very best cardstock EVER! Love the different looks it gives projects once it is sanded, torn, or embossed. I also use Glimmer Mist and Stickles all the time, 'cause I love the sparklie stuff! I am married, have two adult children, Cort age 26, and Jay age 22, and two of the cutest grandbabies ever - Kaya who is almost 2 years old, and Cooper, who is almost 1 year old. We have 5 dogs, two basset hounds - Jake and Elwood, and two Shizons (shizu and bichon hybrid) and a Bichon. Can't wait to create with you all!

My Blog



Misty Miller~ USA

Designer

My name is Misty Miller, and I am thrilled to be a part of the S:CY Design Team again. I enjoy the creative and quiet time of scrapbooking. I get excited when new lines come out and can’t wait to get my hands on them. My personal favorites are BoBunny, Fancy Pants, and Basic Grey. I also get excited when I find a good sale on scrapbook supplies. My husband, Dan, and my twin boys, Jacob and Caleb, put up with my scrapbooking so they have video game time. They even try to make it seem like they are interested by looking at my albums once in awhile.

Misty's Blog is HERE.



Sherry Owens~ Utah, USA

Designer

Hello there! My name is Sherry Owens and I live in a semi-rural area of Utah about 30 miles from Salt Lake City. I am a single working woman with two dogs, Harlee and Mickey and an adorable 4 y/o niece Annabelle (Belle) and an almost 3 y/o nephew, Julian. I really love to travel, and my favorite destination is Disneyland. Most of my projects feature any combination of the above, and more recently, some about myself. I've been crafty all my life and Scrapbooking just seemed a natural fit, especially when I became the unofficial history keeper of the family. My work has changed often over the years and "my style" can't be pinned down. I really love vintage, but I get a rush out of creating whatever style I'm working on at the moment, whether it is simple, clean lines, shabby, heritage, or urban. I've been dubbed by longtime scrappy friends as the Making Memories queen, so it shouldn't surprise anyone to find that they are my favorite scrapbook manufacturer, along with Bazzill cardstock, Prima Marketing and My Mind's Eye.I joined online scrapping communities because I couldn't convert anyone nearby to the craft and I've made a number of wonderful friends thanks to this miracle of the modern age. I didn't know I wanted to be on a design team at the time and found out later that I really enjoyed the structure of it. I was a Guest Design Team member on Scrapbooker's Clubhouse a couple of times and really enjoyed myself. My blog is HERE.



Jennifer Cassista~ Ontario, Canada

Designer

(Jennifer at age 17 with her beloved friend, Restless.)

LO by J. Cassista: "Days gone by"

Hi, my name is Jennifer Cassista and I live just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have been married for 21 years and I have 2 kids. My daughter is in dental hygeine school and my son is in grade 9. I am a full time labour and delivery nurse. I tend to forgo sleep after night shifts and get busy with my scrapping stuff..... seems my best work comes when I am totally exhausted LOL.

I am a shabby chic kind of scrapper - I can cluster just about anything. Basic Grey, Graphic 45 and Prima are my go to products.

I look forward to my time here and all the challenges that lay ahead of me. Please don't hesitate to drop me an email, I love to talk. LOL! My Blog is HERE .

Ali MacDonald~

DT Leader, Sketch creator

Ali with her son Noah

Although it feels a bit silly, I thought maybe I should tell you a bit about "Yours Truly."

I’m Ali, from the lush Annapolis Valley of NS. I'm an RN, writer and Mom to 4 kiddos (15, 14, 9 & 7). Pete is the amazing "tag-team partner" with whom I travel life's journey. We are passionate about special needs advocacy and animal rescue. In our home, we love 4 pets, and our horse is boarded just up the road! Cherishing my family, treasuring quiet creative time, I scrapbook after the youngest ones are asleep. When I discovered the sheer wonder of writing stories on my scrapbook pages, I set a goal: the adventure of scrapping LIFE’S MOMENTS. I love that I can tell funny stories about our son, 'Dan-Dan Houdini-Man' and make them accessible, to be enjoyed as often as a scrapbook is opened; being able to create layouts featuring Bryan’s light sabre duels in the backyard; telling about Kate and her new horse, and making mini-albums featuring Noah's sweet face… using “the memorable moments” to thank his helpers. I love that we have layouts of all six of us in red t-shirts, showing support for our troops. And, although it’s challenging, I'm thankful to be able to design and journal pages about life’s “toughies:” a chronic health issue, losing a pet, and accepting that life isn’t always ‘perfect.’
I enjoy inking and stitching on my layouts. Button-collecting & adding button clusters to my work are passions. Blue (= Jacaranda in "Bazzill-speak," LOL) is my favourite colour, followed by red (= pomegranate). Drawn to texture and colourful patterns, I also sketch layouts and cards- it’s like the pencil “takes over.” For that reason, 99.9% of my sketches are hand- drawn. A learning junkie, I recently began a GROWING card-creating business!! My “niche “ is creating cards for horse-lovers. It's so much fun!

And now, I have had the pleasure of introducing the entire new S:CY Design Team!

S: CY is a “happening” place to learn, thrive & grow as a scrapper, and I look forward to our adventure together over the next few months! It’s an honour to be a leader here. Please join us on the creative journey we are embarking upon! We have so many fun surprises and yes, special guests coming!

Shhhhh! Better stay tuned... 'cause it's a secret!

Wishing you a wonderful day! ((HUGZ))~ Ali