Hello, everyone! Welcome to the grand kick-off to our third anniversary festivities! Someone pinch me! How can three years and thirty-six releases go by so fast? I hope you are all prepared for one amazing ride as we begin a fifteen day celebration, full of inspiration, challenges, games and much, much more! There will be exciting announcements & product line introductions every day, so be sure to check in often so you'll be sure to be the first to hear the big news!
It seemed fitting to begin the first day of festivities with a nod to our multi-talented, hard-working Design Team members. While celebrating each individuals talents and strengths, we also have a few farewells and hellos to mention.
We are saying farewell to two of the most talented ladies I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
Geny Cassady's smile & positive attitude will be greatly missed. She was always full of sunshine and kind words, filling my inbox with happy little "just because" notes on a weekly basis. Her talent is something I know she will continue to hone and refine and hopefully continue to share with all of us on her blog so we can gain inspiration! Her use of color has always been so unique and "out of the box", which gave her a signature look that I know we will continue to see in her future. Thank you for your dedication, your reliability and most of all your friendship, Geny! We love ya!
Becky Oehlers will be stepping away from her design team responsibilities to concentrate on another venture she has begun with us (more on that tomorrow). We've enjoyed every minute of working with Becky over the years. Her enthusiasm for both life & stamping are contagious and she kept all of us on the team on our toes! Even though Becky won't be contributing to participate in the monthly countdowns in her normal capacity, we look forward to seeing more from her with the new responsibilities she is taking on.
With the two spots left open after Becky & Geny's departures, we are introducing two new team members. I formally introduce you to the 2010 Papertrey Ink Design Team...
I am very excited to introduce Erin Lincoln to our team. I've been a fan of her work for sometime and I was flabbergasted when I found out that she was an avid fan of Papertrey products last year. Erin is most well known for her previous work with Creating Keepsakes magazine, including contributing to her very own book. She has recently been spotted in Stamp It! Cards magazine as a cover girl, as well as several other pages with her amazing Papertrey projects. Welcome, welcome, welcome, Erin!!!
The second newcomer is Maile Belles. She has been very active in our Guest Star Stamper contests since they began nearly two years ago. You can see her name appear in print alongside Papertrey projects in a variety of different publications. Clean & simple stamping is one of her strong suits and we are really looking forward to having her polished style integrated into the team! We're so glad you're here, Maile.
Betsy Veldman is on board with us for another whirlwind year as a Senior Design Team member. The perfect word to describe Betsy's style is whimsical & fun. It always seems to embrace elements & details that get you to thinking how you can look at your paper crafting supplies differently. Betsy is also known for her bright, vibrant colors schemes. Citrus, bubblegum and pretty party dresses all wrapped up with a bow. Hold on tight, as we see & learn even more from Betsy this year!
Dawn McVey is proudly being promoted to the Senior Design Team. You will now get the opportunity to see her bubbly personality during countdown week, newsletter and challenge day. Her fresh & funky style is unique in that it often has vintage touches, all while maintaining a modern facade. Dawn is famous for the way she layers stamp images & patterns to create depth and interest without layers of paper. So excited to see Miss Dawn's work in this capacity.
Debbie Olson is one of the originals. I will never forget the day she accepted the position on the team. I literally did a little dance in my office! Debbie is not only mild-mannered & kind-hearted, but she also has more talent in her little finger than I can claim to my entire career. You give Debbie a stamp, and she brings it to life in ways that you never thought possible. Whenever I see one of her new creations, it makes me want to drop everything and go create! Thank you for always being so inspirational to all of us, Debbie!
Heather Nichols is going to have a BIG year with us in 2010. Along with all the things coming, she will be maintaining her work on the Design Team that she has been part of since we first opened our doors. Her rustic style is SO refreshing, bringing us back to our stamping roots, reminding us that it doesn't need to be complicated. Heather loves to experiment with different mediums and techniques, which she loves to pass onto all of you through tutorials on her blog. We are looking forward to another amazing, fun-filled year with you, Heather!
I have watched Lisa Johnson's style evolve into something recognizable and distinct over the last few years since she joined our original team back in 2007. I love the way she mixes things up, grasping to a few traits from several different standard looks, creating something fresh, fun and so "Lisa". She constantly looks at her supplies with a creative eye, coming up with new uses for so many different things (remember her ruffled ribbon tutorial? I think it's safe to say that that was a lightbulb moment for EVERYBODY!) We are so thrilled to have Lisa's talent as part of our line up again this year!
The lovely Melissa Phillips has a smile and a style that will light up any room. Each piece of work she creates seems to have life and a personality, unlike anything else I have ever seen. Each card, each layout tells a story of it's own, created with bits and pieces that look like they have a history. Melissa is not only an amazing artist, but a doting mama and heartfelt story teller, as showcased on her blog each time she posts. We can't wait to hear all about your next chapter with Papertrey, Melissa!
Michelle Wooderson is always the life of the party, which you can see in her fun & carefree projects. One of the things I love the most about her work is the way she pulls elements from so many different sources to create one cohesive project. Mixing and matching stamp sets & sentiments, pulling out patterned papers from various collections and making them all work together If anyone knows her, they know she is the queen of scraps! Looking forward to another year with you, Mish!
Niki Estes is one of the most helpful people in our forum, always lending an answer to folks who need one. To that with her knack to create show-stopping projects that are perfectly polished and you have an ideal team member. One of Niki's many knacks is creating patterned papers with our stamps. Sometimes I am surprised when I read a supply list for a project of hers, only to find out she made the paper and that it wasn't purchased from another manufacturer! Happy to have the opportunity to work with you for another year, Niki!
Kim Hughes has only been with us for a few short months thus far, but she has already rapidly made her own niche. She is a very hard worker who is willing to do anything and everything asked of her, and all with a smile. Kim is so incredibly talented and I look forward to her creations each month with anticipation. I'm always learning something new from her and that is such a gift. I think we ALL agree that we are looking forward to learning more from her in the coming year!
And now onto our first contest to kick off our anniversary festivities!
Your challenge today is to participate in the Designer's Favorites Scavenger Hunt. There are just a few easy & fun steps to follow along with that can allow you a chance to win BIG!
1. Print this checklist to keep yourself organized during the hunt.
Download Scavenger Hunt Checklist
2. Visit each of the team members in order according to the list you have printed (all of their links are above.)
3. Each gal has one project to present to you today. Study it carefully. Each member uses only ONE stamp set on their project and your challenge is to name that set! If you don't recognize the set immediately or can't remember the EXACT name, you can always refer to the Papertrey store!
4. Write down the stamp set name next to the appropriate designer on your checklist.
5. Return to this post when you have completed your list and type it in the comments section in numerical order. DO NOT include the team member's names, JUST the numbers 1-11 and the stamp set names in the appropriate slots.
*The randomly selected winner MUST have an accurate, completed scavenger hunt list included with their comment in order to be eligible to win. If they do not, we will move onto another randomly selected winner, and so on and so forth.
*In order to win you MUST have the stamp sets matched up with the appropriate number (each design team member will have their number displayed at the top of their blog post.) They cannot be out of order.
*Stamp set names must be spelled and formatted EXACTLY as they appear on the set's sale page in order to qualify.
*You have until February 2nd, 7am EST to enter this contest. The winner along with the correct list will be announced on our February Release Winners page by noon the same day.
Good luck!
