Welcoming a New Design Team!

Hi everyone! 
Welcome back to Sketches: Creatively Yours where we are taking the time today to welcome a new Design Team to our Blog for a brand new Term! I'm so happy to be back!
For the next four months, here are the gals who will be carrying the S; CY torch, and creating layouts and cards for you to enjoy.

Your new S: CY Design Team Members are:
Heather Bridges-Topich
Patchi Moussatche
Elisha Pharr 
Vikki Whittington (Card Sketch Designer) 
and
Karen Zabuska
Ann Seleshanko will be continuing along with S: CY as Senior Designer.  

Today, as I introduce each Design Team Member, you will get to enjoy the application LO they sent in. 

Here's the new S: CY  Sketch that the application process required that they interpret! 

Sketch #1-13
designed & created by S: CY Team Leader
Ali MacDonald

Introducing our NEW DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS!

S: CY Design Team Member
Heather Bridges Topich

Heather's Bio:

I am a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids and live just outside of Richmond, VA. I have been memory keeping for a long time [When I was in college, I took on the task of putting together my fraternities’ scrapbook and won third place at the national convention for my work. That hooked me!], but I'm happy to say that my style has evolved quite a bit since the beginning. While I’m definitely more focused on layout and design than I used to be, I pay MUCH more attention to the story that I’m telling. I’m not just trying to get photos scrapped… I’m telling my children where they come from.
My style is mostly clean. I tend to use three or more pictures on a lot of layouts, and I am a disaster when try to paint! Most of my layouts are about the kids or our family, but I also treasure my scrapped recipes... it makes cooking WAY more fun! I usually scrap during naptimes or after the kids’ bedtime. I average 2-3 pages in a week, but it’s mostly feast or famine… I’m VERY inspired and scrap a lot or I’m not feeling it at all and can’t bring myself to work on anything.
I’m completely addicted to Pinterest, but I sometimes spend TOO much time looking for just the right inspiration for a page instead of trusting my own instincts. I do too much second-guessing.
I love playing with paper and glue, and I love being back on board at S: CY! I hope you’ll join in the challenges and conversations on the boards. We have a lot of fun planned for the upcoming months!
You can visit me on my blog HERE.

Here's Heather's interpretation of 

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

"Mother Nature" layout
 by S: CY Design Team Member
Heather Bridges Topich

Journaling reads: 
You slept through it all, but at 1:51pm on August 23, we had an earthquake. B was on the computer playing on the American Girl website, and Z and I were playing Brain Quest. I initially thought it was a truck or motorcycle next door or a train out back, until Z asked what that noise was. I never before imagined an earthquake as being loud, but it definitely had a dull roar to it. After I few seconds, I said, “I think it’s an earthquake,” and B screamed. I didn’t think until afterwards that we should have headed to the downstairs bathroom, but we huddled together in the living room until it passed. It probably lasted 30-40 seconds, but I was grateful once I could tell it was subsiding. Daddy was at work and went outside after the plants and shelves started shaking. I can’t imagine living somewhere that this occurs often. Ridiculously, I once said that I wished I could be in a small earthquake just to know what it felt like… I hope that’s the only one that ever finds me. While it wasn’t terrifying, it definitely disturbed the big kids because there were lots of questions for the rest of the day about how earthquakes happen. Just days after the earthquake, Hurricane Irene went through, and we lost power for almost 2 full days… played LOTS of games on Saturday, lit candles, and made shadow puppets.

WELCOME to S: CY Heather! Looking forward to enjoying your LOs and  journaling every month!

S: CY Design Team Member 
Patchi Moussatche

Patchi's Bio:
I am a traditional scrapper and my style is fun & playful. I enjoy using bright colors, mixing patterned papers, vacation layouts, decorating boxes, multi-photo layouts, working with sketches, and making cards from scraps. The LO and Read blog is where I share my hobbies. It is mostly about paper crafts, plus a few commentaries on books I have read thrown in for good measure. I hope you get a chance to stop by and say Hi!

Here is Patchi's interpretation of 

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

"You are the Sweetest!" layout
 by S: CY Design Team Member
Patchi Moussatche 

 Welcome to S: CY Patchi! We will all enjoy your playful style! :)

S: CY Design Team Member
Elisha Pharr

Elisha's Bio:
Hello Scrappy Friends! My name is Elisha Pharr. I am a blessed wife to my handsome hubby, Jason and momma to my Princess Carley, and my Super Hero Gavin. We live in beautiful North West Alabama, where I own and operate an in-home daycare by day and shuttle my little ones to dance and karate by night. 

I began scrapbooking 7 years ago, when Carley was two and I haven't stopped since. I am a former member of the Scrapbookers Clubhouse Design Team and the Paper Piecing Artist Guild. My work has also been featured on numerous blogs, including 3 Scrappy Boys and Inspired to Scrap. As a pre-school teacher with a love for paper, scissors, and glue, it was only natural that I would fall in love with this great hobby! It also makes nap time the perfect time to scrapbook.

 When I'm not scrapbooking, I enjoy getting lost in a good book, cooking all those recipes I've pinned on Pinterest, and spending quality time with my family. My husband and I both love to sing and are active in our home church, Hackleburg Community Church. Jason plays bass in the youth band and I fill in on the Praise and Worship team from time to time. Jason is also a T8 Level Paraplegic from a spinal cord injury he suffered in a car wreck at the age of 16. We enjoy visiting with others with spinal cord injuries to encourage and give them hope of a normal, positive and productive life. 

I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the Sketches: Creatively Yours Team and look forward to the next 4 months of sketches, inspiration, and fun!!  Feel free to visit my little corner of the web HERE. 

Here's Elisha's interpretation of

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

"Oh how I LOVE you" layout
created by S: CY Design Team Member
Elisha Pharr

WELCOME  Elisha, it's so FABULOUS to connect with you through S: CY! 

 S: CY Card Sketch Designer
Vikki Whittington

As you can see, Vikki is coming on board this term as our Card Sketch Designer this term!!

Vikki's Bio: 

Hi, I live in sunny northern Australia and have been stamping for 16 years. About 2 years ago I discovered the world of blogging and just couldn't believe the amount of talent that is out there..it was definitely a real eye opener!! Since I started surfing the stamping blogs and stumbling onto the blog challenges...the fun has really begun. I have noticed just from joining in to as many challenges I have time for that my style has evolved and it just keep changing but for me, this makes crafting all the more fun. In my hunt for card challenges I came across an old sketch from Sketches: Creatively Yours and was invited to apply for the Card DT that was being called just at that time. Now I am so lucky to have been invited to actually create the Card Sketches and my stamping journey is off in another direction. I look forward to seeing the creations made with my sketches and I hope you enjoy your journey with us all at Sketches: Creatively Yours. 

You can find Vikki's Blog HERE. Here are a couple of Vikki's card creations!  

Past Card created by 
S: CY Card Sketch Designer 
Vikki Whittington
(using Sketch 812 by S: CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko)

"Best friends" card created by
S:CY Card Sketch Designer
 Vikki Whittington

WELCOME: So happy you're with us here at S: CY Vikki!!  Looking forward to your Card Sketches.

S: CY Design Team Member
Karen Zabuska

Karen's Bio:
My name is Karen Zabuska but I am AKA Soccerboyzmom on the internet.  I have been scrapping seriously since 2000. I make cards, scrapbook pages and altered items. I just retired from teaching High School for 32 years so I am enjoying my spare moments creating.  I love to look at sketches to get me started and then put my spin on it.

My subjects are usually my two MEN (ages 26 & 27) and my 2 adopted Beagles, Jager Meister and Brandi.  I have thousands of pictures to catch up on which will probably not happen, so I just scrap, mostly current and sometimes I will throw in an old one.  I have lots to do and sketches inspire me to get it done.

Come check out my blog. 
A big warm S: CY welcome, Karen! So happy you're with us!

 Here's Karen's interpretation of 

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

 "Party" layout created by
S: CY Design Team Member
Karen Zabuska

A huge TY to our readers and Blog Followers for coming by to help us welcome the new "March to June term" S: CY Design Team today!

Additionally, here is the Admin Team partnership for S: CY...

S: CY Senior Designer
Ann Seleshanko 

Ann's Bio: 

Hi, my name is Ann and I’m proud to have been a part of the Creatively Yours sketch site since 2009!  I’ve been scrapbooking for 13 years and making cards about 10 years. I’m a very “clean” scrapbooker that doesn’t like clutter on her pages. I love patterned papers. I’m also a stamp addict.  I’m Intermediate certified with Copic so I do a lot of coloring as well.  Right now I’m in the middle of getting my Bachelor of Education and that keeps me really busy. I’m also juggling a family, my husband of almost 15 years and two boys ages 13 and 10. My favorite thing to scrapbook is our family vacations, so expect to see lots of those pictures. I find sketches are a great way to start a layout or card and I love looking at how everyone interprets them differently.

 Here's Ann's interpretation of 

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

"The Mail" layout created by
 S: CY Senior Designer
Ann Seleshanko

S: CY Team Leader
Ali MacDonald

Ali's Bio:
I'm an RN (SAHM) and Mom to 4 kids (10-19) and multiple furry creatures in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. I married my best friend 20+ years ago. We're a military family-- Pete's in the RCAF (28 years!) I'm a scrapbooker with a clean style who loves to scrap horse and riding photos best... good thing we have a horse and 3 of 4 kids who ride! LOL Choosing colours and patterned papers is the easiest part of Sb'ing for me, followed by the journaling. Those who know  me, know how I like to tell a good story on my pages. I find choosing embellies & using ephemera more challenging. I love to organize and write. I'm passionate about animal advocacy and supporting other families who have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I volunteer as a card-maker with three local non-profit groups: creating cards for them as needed. We live in a darling, tiny town with no LSS so I became a CTMH consultant in 2011. Now I "shop my own store." I also make cards for clients: it sparks my creativity!  I'm really excited to have pulled together this strong team and to have Ann by my side yet again. 
You will no doubt enjoy what we have in store for you this term!   

Here's my interpretation of 

S: CY Sketch 1-13.

"Choices" layout created by
 S: CY Team Leader
Ali MacDonald

Journaling reads: 

Choices

There came a time in January 2013 when we had to make a decision for Grace’s benefit. It was unexpected, a massive surprise, and put us in the situation where there was only one choice to make. We made it: the only RIGHT choice. Grace came home on Kate’s 19^th birthday, January 12, 2013.

Bless their hearts.

We’re so glad they’re together again. 

Please stay tuned, and mark March 1st on your calendar. That day, we will see the  newest inspiring S: CY Sketch, introduce our Guest Designer for the month, and view the creations of the entire Team!!  

We will also have a prize up for grabs in March- so be sure to pop on by and make time to participate! 

Scrap lots... Catch you later-- We're so happy you were here today! :)

~