Happy New Year! and we need guest designers!

so i am starting the new year off with our January featured member:
each month we pick a new member of our ning group so if you havent already please come and join us!
http://letsscrapdivas.ning.com

so this month our featured member is vicki! aka skrapkat
Hey Girls
I am so flattered to be chosen for this month...thanks so much! I am also going to apologise in advance for my photos being so big, I still have not mastered how to shrink them down yet!!
I am 33 years old. Single mum to my gorgeous 7 year old daughter Ashli and we live in Australia.

I have always been a "crafty" person. But the most I made was photo frames as gifts, or cards. Then a friend invited me to a Creative Memories demonstration. I really enjoyed it, but at the time it didn't stick. Then 7 years ago, I welcomed my gorgeous girl into the world, and I made her an album from mdf and cardboard. I went into a newsagent to find some stickers for my album when I came across scrapbooking mags....I have not looked back...suffice to say the album had to be redone though with acid free products....lol

For me scrapbooking is a creative release, but its also my way of leaving a witness to our lives. I am definately a "less is more" scrapbooker most times. I love a blank background with lots of colourful embellishments. My fav embellishments I would have to say are journaling boxes, rhinestones, glitter and chipboard. Oh and I have to mention my white gel pen, I can usually find a use for it on any of my layouts....lol

If I had to choose a favourite line, I would have to say Urban Lily - they are an Aussie company, and they just have gorgeous, funky,colourful paper, with flourishes and butterflies all over. Another favourite is a small company called Blueyedezines, they just some gorgeous felt embellishments.

Last year I achieved 3 of my scrapbooking goals...I made it into a Design Team, which I had so much fun with. I had a layout published for the very first time, and I very recently opened my own online scrapbooking store. So as you can imagine this all keeps me very busy on the computer. I would have to say I spend way too much time online, but as not one of my friends scraps, finding like minded friends online has been fantastic.

For inspiration I like to check out other peoples blogs....one of the blogs that truly inspire me is this one:

http://nadgmb.over-blog.com/

The site is french, but her layouts are awesome, and at the bottom of the page she also has blogs that she finds inspiring which are just fabulous. I love them so much I found a translation program online so that I could read them.

some of her favorite LO's

This layout is very sentimental. That bear was given to me by my best friend when Ash was born. So everyone that visited us at the hospital, and everyone that attended her naming ceremony signed it. Plus when Ash was born, she was exactly the size of that bear...weird to think about it now!!
I just love this layout, I think its those colours with the black background, and I adore those photos!!
This is one of my all time fav photos of my girl...her personality just shines right through...lol
vicki thanks for sharing your wonderful layouts and we love having you over at LS
and please go check out her blog!
http://skrapkats.blogspot.com/

we also need guest designers for February
so what i need you to do is head over to our ning group and sign up! say hello and then email me 2/3 pieces of your best work, a short bio & photo plus blog link
we need 2 card girls and 2 LO girls, i will supply sketches and so forth
and a blog button for you to use!

cant wait to see your creations and hope everyone is having a great new year

December featured member is......

amy duff
she does amazing work and i am always blown away by her cards! she also happens to be a guest dt in dec for us so please check back in a few weeks for her dt reveal!

Definitely a Mom or a Mom Warrior for my daughter's battle with Autism. I am engaged to a Brit whom tolerates my habits which include papercrafts, reading, indulging in too much Pinot Noir, watching Hell's Kitchen, attending Jazz Fest in NOLA, travelling anywhere with a beach (well minus D. R. right Si?) and paper hoarding. All is grand!

here are a few of her favorite things she has done:
Mon Amie: A favorite card because I like the felt bird I hand cut and inked myself

Hello: The papers are gorgeous so was intimidated to even cut them! One of my first cards using the Webster's Pages line.
Altered Christmas Wish Box: The shabby chic look is me and after meeting Melissa Frances it meant even more to me when I create with her papers. Soinspiringg!

some questions we asked her:
started making cards at an early age (10) and progressed from there to making various crafts. I loved stamps and remember having a teddy bear stamp with a mint scented pad that I used on every letter I wrote. I even attempted to make my own wallpaper and stamped the wall with it much to my parents dismay.
My favorite embellishment is well... can I select a few? LOL! I love ribbon and buttons! I was trying to think if I have a card/page without ribbon or buttons. I don't think I do.
Favorite product line is currently Webster's Pages because the papers are so beautiful. I often don't want to cut them because they are so stunning.

I am engaged but have not set a date yet. Much to our parents disapproval. The current economy makes it difficult to sell two homes. :-( I have a daughter from a previous marriage named Jacquelynn, whom is 12.

I am on the computer every day.

Favorite site for inspiration... it depends on what I am looking for but always love going to 2 Sketches 4 You to see the cards created there weekly.

here is her blog go and check her out:
http://papertrailsleaver.blogspot.com/

featured member of the month

each month i will be randomly choosing a member of our group and feature them on the blog. november's member is alicia here is her blog:http://aliciadelanodesigns.blogspot.com/
she is also a guest dt for our card design team so be on the lookout later this month for her work!

so please stop over to her blog and show her some love!

I am a stay at home wife and I have 3 stepchildren . I have been crafting forever I love all crafts from the needle arts to the paper crafts but my favorite is card making followed by scrapbooking. I have a craftroom that is my little getaway where I work on projects and it is also a great place to store my crafting stash (that is always growing). I love going to crops especially at Archivers although I get little accomplished due to the fact I do more talking and shopping then cropping.

I am also a Card Angel for the Chemoangel organization it is a organization that pairs volunteers with cancer victims going through treatment. I send a weekly card or letter to my buddy and sometimes a small gift it is a very rewarding activity. I am currently with my second buddy and happy to report my first buddy has successfully gone through treatment and is cancer free..

I could spend all day on the computer going to my favorite sites (Tallyscrapper,Splitcoast stampers) and also my favorite blogs too many to mention. I have recently started my own blog aliciadelanodesignsblogspot and I have also set up shops on ebay and etsy all under aliciadelanodesigns. I love doing favors for bridal and baby showers everything from the invite to decor. I would love to be a party planner for small events. I enjoy crafting and try to get as many friends and family that I can involved because it is always better with friends.

and here are a few pieces of her favorite things!