Monday, 22 February 2010

Meet The Written Challenges Team....

Now please 'meet' our Written Challenges Team.....


Krissy:- I live in a suburb of Houston, Texas and am married to my best friend Randy McKee. Together, we have a blended family of six children ranging in age from adult to 9 years old, so I ALWAYS have material to scrap! I worked as a litigation paralegal for over 13 years but chose to quit last year so I could stay at home and spend time with my youngest daughter.

I first began scrapbooking April 2009 and it has quickly become an obsession. My children are always making fun of me or rolling their eyes at me because I take my camera everywhere and can often be heard saying, “Let me get just one more picture!” I enjoy experimenting with new techniques and tools and love nothing more than a good challenge. I am absolutely passionate about this wonderful form of self-expression, and I want to share and fuel that passion in others!



Claire:-I’m Claire from Kent in the UK, married to Gary, we have gorgeous twin daughters Madison & Tiegan who are now four.
I’ve been scrapping for a little over a year and am a complete and utter stashaholic! My passion for scrapping gives me the opportunity to play with beautiful papers, inks and pens as well as enjoy photographs of my little girls and the places we’ve been. Its also an outlet for my feelings about my family and about life in general; very therapeutic, especially with a glass of wine or large bar of chocolate!!!!
My favourite manufacturers have to be prima, sassafrass and Crate, my style tends to be quite grungy but very girly!

I’m so excited to be on the DT for Butterfly Crafts & look forward to some fun challenges ahead!!!




Fabi:- Im Fabi, brazilian, turning 35 this Thursday, Feb 25th. I live with Francis for almost 5 years now (its our both 2nd marriage), together we've had Pedro - 4 years old, my major inspiration. We have a girl too, 13 yo, Patricia, from his 1st marriage.
I work as a sales manager Americas for a biotech company called Novozymes - yes, lots of travel and this has nothing to do with scrapbooking lol.But it was due to my work and trips that I've 1st knew scrapbooking, in US.
I felt in love but really started to dig into it only when my little prince, Pedro (4 yo) was 1 yo.
In 2008 I've joined several forums, took classes and started to take it more seriously.
Last year was a great scrappin' year. 2009 was when I was first published in local magazines, gave classes and joinned my first DT's and our local crop group.
I love challenges and to know different cultures and make new friends. Looking forward to have fun with you all!
XXX, Fabi

Lisa:-My name is Lisa, I'm 34 and live in the UK with my hubby and 2 kiddies.I work for myself from home which fits in perfect with the family and my scrapping too : )I love getting messy fingers using paints, glimmer mists, glitter etc.... and love telling stories with my scrapbooking and then watching my kids browse through our many scrapbooks and mini books at all our memories and fun things we do.I also love to read, cook and bake. I guess I am a homely person, but love to 'holiday' too.


Louise:- My name is Louise, I live in gorgeous New Zealand. I am a stay at home mum to my 3 beautiful children who I love to take photos of and do layouts on. My family and I live on a very small farm where we have some sheep and cattle. I have been scrapbooking since 2005 when I had my first child. I would say my style is pretty clean and crisp although I love to experiment with different techniques. My pages normally don't take a huge amount of time as I am so limited in the time I get to spend doing papercrafts. I also enjoy stamping, cardmaking and beading.


Hayati:- Hello! I am Norhayati, from Singapore. I’m married with 2 beautiful daughters; a 3 year old and 1.5 year old who had been the main subjects of my pages.
I started dabbling with scrapbooking in 2006. Only in 2007, when I had my first daughter, did I become obsessed with scrapbooking. I wanted to record, capture and preserve all the precious memories of our life together… our journey…. the ups and downs.
My style of scrapbooking usually depends on the photos that I wanted to scrap. What kind of feeling/story I wanted to portray through my layouts.

Twistedsoda:- My name is Michelle and I live in the far north of Alberta. I have been creating with paper and paint for about 10 years now and it is quite surprising how much my style has changed through the years. I tend to scrap in many styles, collage, linear and eclectic style. I love all of the retro patterns out there! I tend to mix many medias when it comes to scrapping. Acrylics, dyes and inks, sparkle and glitter. I love to incorporate 'art' with my photography. My most favorite thing to use is black cardstock. My family consists of many musicians, music runs in my soul and what better way to create than to have a live band playing in the background.


Sandie:-Hi! My name is Sandie, and I've been scrapbooking now since July 2005. I've 3 children and have been married to Rich for just over 13 years. I love patterned papers with a passion, and would have more if I could! I currently work as a freelance Scrapbook Teacher, and teach locally at a shop called Sparkle Dreams and also co-run a crop which I teach at too.






Tracy-Lihanne:- Im Tracy-Lihanne {36}. Ive been married to Martin for 18 years and im a stay at home mum to 2 boys, Harley aged 6 years and Euan aged 13 months. I was originally a cardmaker but then i discovered scrapping and i have been addicted since 2005. My boys and hubby are my main inspiration. im not sure on my style as yet lol, but love trying new things




Another massive Welcome to the Ladies and please join us back here on 1st March for our first visual challenge......

Meet The Visual Challenge Team......

Starting on March 1st our challenge are changing to a Visual Challenge (1st of every month) and a Written Challenge (15th of every month), so please 'meet' our visual team:

Chiqui:- I am Chiqui Gutierrez from the tropical islands of the Philippines. I’m in my thirties, and been married to my hubby Herbert for almost 8 years. We have 2 adorable daughters, Julia Francesca is 7 and Anneliese is 3 years old. I am a Pediatrician by profession, and a certified scrapaholic for almost 3 years now. I admit I’m addicted to this wonderful hobby! I love how the layouts tell the story behind the picture. I still consider myself a newbie in the scrapbooking world so I guess I’m still discovering my style. I tend to experiment with different techniques but handcutting, layering, & distressing are some of my favorites. Most of my layouts come out clean and simple but I also like the shabby-chic look. I am really thrilled and honored to be part of the design team of Butterfly Crafts. I hope I’ll be able to inspire you as much as others have inspired me.




MirjamC:-"I'm Mirjam, 34 years old and I'm from the Netherlands...and I'm scrap addicted too, like many others:)
Since my childhood I'm a huge crafts lover, I alway's collected cute stickers,papers and cut out pictures from magazines to make my own little books...
so as a child I also did some scrapping without knowing that:):)
Before I started with scrapping I played alot with fimo clay and felt and I've always had a passion for photography.
My perfect scrapping time looks like this.....a pot of tea, an incense stick, my fave music and of course my snoring cats around me...
and then I can scrap and forget everything around me...
....scrapping is a part of my life that I can't imagine my life without it!!!
I'm so happy that I'm a part of the DT of this great challenge blog...and I can't wait to 'meet' you all:):):)"

Andie:- My name is Andie and I live in good 'ole USofA. In Kentucky to be exact. I am 26 years old, and I'm a graphic designer by profession. I work for a NBC (television) affiliate in Louisville. I studied visual communication design at Purdue University for 4 years. I live in a cute little country house with my boyfriend, Michael and our border collie, Rocket. We also have some outside cats, but they come and go often. Oh, and one fish named Rosie. I've been artistic since as long as I can remember. I literally had a crib at my mom's ceramic and craft store that she used to own. She is so creative, and so is my grandmother, so that is where it comes from...Lucky me! When I was in high school, a scrapbook store opened in my hometown and I was hooked. One foot inside that place and I was lost for hours! Of course, my style has really evolved and matured since those days, as it does with everyone I suppose. I really love scrapbooking, although I prefer to keep my pages out loose, like to put in a frame or clip up on a clipboard, instead of putting them into albums. However, at the same time I'm also a big fan of mini albums. I love making handmade cards and other little craft projects too. Here are some of my favorite things: owls, gnomes, little baby kittens, watching movies, exploring antique shops & of course anything vintage.I really enjoy reading as well. My fav color is green. But I'm becoming a fan of pink in a hurry! xoxo andie...

Bekka:- Hi! My name is Bekka. I'm a high school technology teacher from Kentucky. I've been scrapbooking since I got married in 2004 -- oddly enough, I haven't gotten around to scrapping those wedding photos! I developed a love for photography when I was in college, and scrapbooking has become an extension of that -- because it's fun to create pretty places for my photos. I love scrapbooking, not only for the creative release, but also for the amazing friendships I've made through this hobby. In my spare time, I love spending time with my fantastic husband, Mike, and playing with our cute kitty, Lola. Oh, and crochet -- my new obsession is crocheting amigurumi! My personal blog is Positively Bekka (http://bekkabess.blogspot.com/), and I really enjoy comments. :) I'm so excited to be part of the Butterfly Crafts DT!



Louisa-May:- Hey everyone ! I’m so excited to be part of your scrappy world !!
Originally from Singapore, I live in the States at the moment, being Mommy and school teacher to my two girls Rachel (8) and Clarisse (5). Scrapping keeps me sane, preserves memories, and most importantly, gives me the perfect excuse for retail therapy !! I love cooking, hate ironing, and totally overuse exclamation points in my daily language !! But oh well, small luxuries are a perfect way to get through life, don’t you think ? Yeah, I’m all set for fun around here – let’s get going gals !!!

Louisa-May
http://memorytrove.blogspot.com/





KarenW:- Hi, My name is Karen and I have lived in Canberra, Australia for the past 18 years. I have tried most crafts, with sewing and scrapping my main two loves.I have three children, Matt 17, Meaghan 13 and Henry 7. Wonderful to have built in babysitters! I am lucky to be in the postion to be able to stay at home to look after the kids and indulge my crafts especially now that they are all at school - gotta love that. My very lovely DH is an IT contracter and spends all spare moments mountain biking.I have been scrappping for about 5 years but only seriously addicted for the past 18 months. I was considering giving up traditional scrapping for pure digi scrapping but love getting messy too much so have swung back the other way and spend a lot of time with sticky fingers and mist everywhere! I have been published a couple of times in our local scrapbooking magazine but this is my first design team and I am beside my self with excitment. I love the way this craft has exploded with the internet and so many wonderful blogs to look at and interact with. Can't wait to get started!

Emma:- I'm a 34 year old mother of 2, a boy and a girl and also we have a dog who is often the subject of my Layouts as he is so relaxed and eager to pose for the camera! I've been scrapping a little over a year and I am a serious paper addict, Embellishments I can live without but paper is a must, its so versatile and I enjoy making my own embellishments from it. I do something creative most days, even if its just browsing the net for inspiration. I love sketches and challenge websites and I can't wait to start on the Design Team here!



Hannah:- Hi, my name is Hannah, I live in North London with my lovely hubby, who's a paramedic. I love Jesus, my husband, working with Kids and being creative. I started scrapbooking in 2007 and my obsession has grown and grown. I love working with fabric and buttons and enjoy making minialbums too. I scrapbook to celebrate all the good things in life and reflect on it's challenges. I'm not very good at remembering things so making layouts is also great for preserving the memories of things I'd otherwise forget! My husband is also a photographer so he provides much excellent material for my scrapping!! I'm so excited about this season on the Butterfly Crafts design team, thanks for having me!

Beki:-I am 25 and have been scrapping for almost 5 years. I'm hoping to train to be a Teacher next year but at the moment am making the most of having lots of time to scrap. I love to be as experimental as I can, trying everything once and always trying to improve my layouts. I love bright and busy layouts but try to be as versatile as possible and use whatever suits the photo best. I love to scrap about my family and friends, and I try to make my titles and journalling reflect myself and my sense of humour as much as possible. I'm really looking forward to being part of the Butterfly Crafts team and can't wait to get stuck in!






Nat:- My name is Natalie, please call me Nat. I fell in love with scrapbooking at the start of 2009 (although i had dabbled in it since 2008) when i discovered everything! Amazing papers, yummy cardstock, AC Thickers, glitter, Bling and glimmer mists!! I discovered that paper stroking and sniffing in the scrapping world is normal and that to hoarde vast quantities of "stash" in a "scrap room" is perfectly acceptable. I was born in Scotland, moved to England in 2005, work as a Chemistry Teacher, have one son and a very supportive partner.My inspiration for everything scrapbook related is my nearly 4 year old son. I have set myself a challenge to create and document every year of Tom's life and so far i have almost managed two years.I am incredibly excited to be part of this talented team, so thank you and bring on the challenges!!

A massive Welcome to all the Ladies, we can't wait to see all your gorgeous creations in the months to come :) and check back later to 'meet' our Written Challenges DT........

Saturday, 20 February 2010

Our new DT members are.....

Here are our next DT members (you should all have an e-mail waiting for you now :) )........

Chiqui Gutierrez
Mirjam Hendricks
Andie -USA
Rebekka Bess
Louisa-May
Karen Wray
Beki Norman
Emma Dexter
Hannah Ferry
Natalie - UK
Norhayati Dali
Kristin Mckee
Claire Ralph
Fabi Ormerod
Lisa - UK
Louise Forsyth
Michelle - Canada
Sandie Vincent
Tracy-Lihanne - UK

We have gone back up to 20 DT members as there was just no way I could get down any lower lol....

Thank you to everyone that applied to join us and we hope you will continue to play along.

Friday, 19 February 2010

Only a few hours left.....

If you want to try out for our Spring DT call you only have a few hours left.......

Thank you to everyone who has already applied, the response has been overwhelming and I am not looking forward to making the final decision....

Good luck everyone!!!

Monday, 1 February 2010

Spring DT Call.......

Butterfly Crafts DT Call:

Butterfly crafts challenge blog (Butterfly-crafts.blogspot.com) are looking for new design team members for our spring term (March 1st – June 30th 2010).

Challenges are set every 2 weeks and the DT will be split into 2 teams and expected to complete 1 layout every 4 weeks. For this term Team 1 will be using visual challenges e.g. Sketches, Ad inspiration etc. Team 2 will be using written challenges e.g. Using a given topic, song lyrics etc. Please indicate on your application e-mail which team you would prefer or if you don’t mind – Thank you. (Please note - The blog and forum are just for fun and inspiration so I will not be able to offer any prizes of freebies for the DT)

DT Duties:

· Create one layout every 4 weeks
· Make sure lay-outs are completed and sent in on time
· Promote ‘Butterfly Crafts’ where ever you can including on your personal Blogs

How to apply:

Please send us 3 of your favourite layouts along with:

· Name, country you live in and e-mail address
· A short Bio about yourself
· A link to your Blog (if you have one)


To us at: Butterflycrafts1@aol.com please subject your e-mail ‘DT Call’

The closing date for applications is February 19th and the new DT will be contacted by February 21st.

The call is open to everyone no matter where you live and I will be keeping at least 2 spots for new designers so if you have never been on a DT before and would like to try out this could be the call for you. (This call is open to everyone including past DT members and winners)

Blog: Butterfly-crafts.blogspot.com

Jan Winner.....

Firstly I just want to say 'Thank you' to everyone who took part in this months challenges. Your work was so fantastic that I couldn't choose a winner so I left it up to fate and picked a name at random.

So our winner and the first member of our new Spring DT is..............................................

Chiqui Gutierrez



Congratulations Chiqui!! Please e-mail me at Butterflycrafts1@aol.com so I can tell you all about your DT position :) .

For everyone else, please stay tuned as I will be posting details or our spring DT call ASAP :).....

Also I just wanted to let everyone know, Butterfly Crafts will be taking a break for Feb to find our next DT and give the blog a little re-vamp. So please join us back here on March 1st for our next challenge.......

A massive 'Thank You'....

It's the end of the winter term :( I just wanted to take some time to thank our fantastic Winter DT, I can't believe the term is over already it has gone so quick. Thank you so much for all your hard work and the beautiful and inspirational examples you created for every challenge:

Avina
Fay
Kylie
Roberta
Brenda
Meghan
Elina
Laurel
Kelly
Claire
Tamara
Terria
Beki
Cheryl

and a special thank you to Guiseppa for being a fantastic assistant DT co-ordinator, and coming up with such great challenges on the 15th of every month.xxxx

I'm sure everyone will agree that the ladies have done a wonderful job over the last few months.

Thanks again, it has been a pleasure working with you all.