{capture the moment}

vacation photos: part 1

David has been playing the role of photographer as usual.  I always like to share a few of my favorites along the way...enjoy!

Stopping by to say hi & June Blog Hop

I am happy to report that we arrived safely in Maine late Tuesday night!  The drive went really well and the kids were all on their best behavior!  I think David and I *finally* have a routine & system worked out to get us through the 22+ hour drive with our sanity intact!  This morning we woke to a beautifully perfect summer Maine morning with the sun sparkling on Casco Bay!  Just stunning!  We were able to take the kids to the beach today, with it being Ethan's first experience with sand and he loved it!

Did you stop over to the Blog Hop tonight to see what everyone has been up to?  This month's challenge was to play with acetate (a.k.a. transparencies) and everyone came up with such AMAZING ideas!  (You can see a list of everyone's links HERE!)  I didn't have a chance to complete a project before leaving on vacation, but I thought I would bring our my favorite transparency card from the past!  To this day this is still one of my favorite creations ever! It uses the fantastically versatile Piece of Cake stamp set along with the white sheer blossoms we carry from Maya Road (you can read ALL the details about this project in the original post HERE).  Think of all the other fun things you could layer on an acetate card base in place of the flowers... punched shapes from a variety of cardstocks or patterned papers, die-cut shapes from hundreds of different materials, page pebbles, and the list goes on and on!  Even if you didn't participate in the Blog Hop tonight, I hope you will try your hand at working with acetate!  It's such a unique material that can be used in SO many ways!

Enjoy the rest of your week and happy stamping!

On the road...

I apologize for being so quiet lately!  I've had MANY preparations to take care of so we can go on a little trip!   For the first time since starting Papertrey Ink, my family and I are taking an extended vacation!  We are going to my home state of Maine to visit with family & friends and absorb the scenery that we miss so much!  We are driving from Tennessee to Maine with three kids, so it should prove to be an interesting trip!  I have gathered the supplies for a new knitting project and four or five good books.  I think the relaxation will be good for my creative soul.  I am looking forward to the time with my family more than anything else.  It amazes me how fast the kids are growing up!

We are leaving this morning and won't return until July 9th, just in time for the countdown!  I will be sure to stop in once in a while to say hi before then as well!  I hope you have a WONDERFUL rest of the weekend!

A Good-bye, Some Promotions & a Few Hellos

First, a good-bye...
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I will never forget the day that I emailed Taylor to ask her if she would like to be a part of our team.  It was WAY back in January of 2007, before we had even had our first release.  When Taylor replied, she ecstatically accepted my invitation and it was honestly one of the best things that could have happened to our company.  Many of you are already familiar with Taylor's signature, eclectic style and her bright & bubbly personality.  Her contributions during the last sixteen (OMG!  16!!!)  releases have been of such a high caliber, I knew that she had something special that would take her many places as she developed within the industry.

Taylor is now taking that signature style and investing it whole-heartedly in her own business venture, Taylored Expressions.  A wonderful paper crafting resource for those who are always saying to themselves, "I wanna be like Taylor when I grow up!".  The web store is full of all of Taylor's favorite things that she is so passionate about.  Speaking of passion, Taylor's full of it, along with dedication & commitment.  I have no doubt in my mind, as Taylor travels down this new path, that she will see nothing but the biggest of successes!

We will surely miss Taylor and her contributions to the team, especially since she has been with us since the company's conception.  But with the sadness, comes a sense of pride & joy that one of *my girls* is dreaming big and reaching for the stars! We wish you all the best, Taylor!
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A promotion...

With Taylor's departure, we have promoted Lauren Meader to be a member of our Senior Design Team.  Lauren's incredible work ethic, energetic enthusiasm and mind-boggling creativity have contributed to this decision.  Her perspective of a new stamp set is always different from what I had in mind as I was designing it, and it is this perspective that I think helps Lauren to always aid in those *lightbulb* moments.  We are beyond excited to see what Lauren does while executing the tasks associated with her new title!

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Promotions: take two! 

Lynn Mercurio will now officially have the title of Newsletter Editor.  Within the next few months she will be aiding us in remodeling the Papertrey Newsletter into the type of publication I had always dreamed it would be, but just didn't have the time to execute.  Lynn's passion for helping others has been apparent in our forum since she joined the team, and we are looking forward to harnessing this amazing trait.  She has an uncanny ability to explain everything with such articulate precision, that even the most novice stamper can understand. That is exactly what we need to help bring a fresh face lift to our weekly publication!

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Jennifer Ellefson and I met briefly at a CHA show last year.  I was immediately impressed with both her demeanor and good ol' fashioned manners.  Since that fateful meeting, Jennifer has stepped up to the plate on a few occasions and gone above and beyond to help me with her knowledge of the industry.   While her contributions to the Design Team have been  a wonderful addition this year, I have now asked her to take on the role of my Personal Assistant.  She will be organizing my schedules and task lists, helping to organize & answer email, and all the other little things that take time away from me being able to do what I really love, designing stamps & using them!
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...and the hellos

Michelle Wooderson (or Mish as she is sometimes called) is one of the happiest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Michelle and I always have short little email exchanges that only contain one or two lines.  In just a few words she always brightens my day!  This effervescent personality of hers shines through both her projects & her blog.  Her style is a fun mix of shabby-chic &  Martha, all rolled into one.  I love the real life spin she puts on everything she does, making us all feel like "Yeah, I can do that!".   Words can hardly begin to express how elated I am to have Michelle contributing to our team, and I know you will be excited to see what she comes up with for each and every release!
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I am also pleased to bring you Dawn McVey.  Dawn & I met at a stamping store in Kansas that I was assigned to for World Card Making Day last year when I still worked for Paper Crafts magazine.  She was so excited to be there and was eager to seek out advice as to how to get into the publishing industry.  We exchanged phone numbers that day and have had several lengthy conversations since!  Little did I know how much amazing talent, clean & simple style, was held inside such a wonderfully positive woman.  I am confident that her contributions to the team will be welcomed warmly and her fresh perspective inspiring!

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And last but not least, I present you with Niki Estes!  She could easily be voted as one of the most dedicated Papertrey fans ever!  Pair that enthusiasm with unmistakable talent and a softly sweet personality, and you have a group of characteristics fitting for a member of our team!  I will never forget the excitement in Niki's voice when I called her on Monday to formally invite her to join the team.  We are really looking forward to exhibiting Niki's work and the warmth that it exudes.

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Thanks for allowing me to share all our big news with you!  The July release will be here before you know it and you will be able to see all of this amazing talent in action soon enough!

Space Now Available!

We just found out from the cruise company that there are now a few spots available for our Stamp & Cruise 2008!  So if you missed out on the first round of registration, here's your last chance!

You can GO HERE to find out all the details and how to book today!

Gina K, Em & I are in the process of preparing all of the amazing classes & projects you will get to do on board!  It's getting closer by the minute and we are all getting SO excited!  It is honestly going to be the stamping event of a lifetime!!!  I hope to see you there!