hey everyone!!  don’t forget that Challenge #5 is still HOTTTTTTT!!  since i realized (with a little help from my friends) that people’s weeks were probably busy last week, with school starting for most families, many of us have not had time to scrap like we have wanted to — so i will extend the deadline for this challenge an extra week to help compensate for that time!!  new deadline for pages will be Sunday, September 7th, 2008 at Midnight wherever you are!!!

>>HERE’S<< a link to the post about the Challenge, it seems to have gotten buried under all the other stuff that’s been going on here recently!!  of course, i know it’s KINDA hard to see, but you can always find information about our challenges on the “Challenge” page link, located in the sidebar.  i *think* it’s up to date!!  i try to be good about that!!

hope all is well in everyone else’s world

be back soon w/ more exciting news & fun stuff!!!!

Kimmy used this Crushed Button Mosaic detail on the apples for her page for this Challenge — when I saw it, I was like OHHH you should write a tutorial!!  Because honestly, I didn’t know how to do it, but I would sure like to try, and Kimmy was nice enough to happily create one really quickly!  Granted, she pinched her fingers with the pliers in the process (OUCH!  poor Kimmy :(  ) — but the tutorial turned out fabulously and I know now that putting the buttons in a Ziploc baggie & hitting them good a few times with the kitchen mallet was probably not going to work out as well as I’d thought!!  SOOOO here’s Kimmy’s tutorial — if anyone decides to try her technique, feel free to link your pages back here so everyone can see what you did with your crushed buttons!

Materials needed: pliers, adhesive, buttons, and a chipboard shape. The buttons should match the color of your shape. (I painted my chipboard first).

Step one: Crush some buttons. Put the button between your pliers. They break best on the button holes. Put your hand over your pliers to keep button pieces from flying all over… but not too close! I pinched my hand in the pliers on accident, not fun.

Repeat until you have a pile of crushed buttons.

Step two: Cover your entire shape with adhesive.

Step three: cover the shape with the crushed buttons until the shape is entirely covered.

Step 4: Adhere your finished button mosaic to your page!

Variations: Use a die cut, monogram, stamped design, or a shape on your patterned paper, fill it in with crushed buttons.

Kimmy says she’d love to see anything you come up with using this tutorial, and so would we!  Feel free to link your submissions to her blog or ours - and make sure you check out her blog –> HERE <– !!!!!!!!  you will find this tutorial and lots of other scrappy info including Kimmy’s gorgeous work!

thanks Kimmy, this tutorial is AWESOME!  i will definitely be trying it out!!!

last and certainly not least!!  wanted to give all a chance to get to know our new Designers, but i think i picked the wrong week!  it has been totally hectic in my world - how bout everyone else’s?  (READ:  does anyone want to take over the blog for me because i am not good at keeping up w/ it every day!  JUST KIDDING!!!)

so without further ado, let me introduce you to Laina!!!

what you should know about me… My full name is Laina Louise Lamb. My dad thought it was the funniest thing ever when I married a guy with an “L” last name. My full time job is mother to three amazing, energetic boys and wife to a very generous man. My part-time job is as an instructor at Archiver’s. I have a degree in Interior Design from the University of Cincinnati. Before I “retired” to become a full-time mother, I designed retail stores, malls and really big signs. I enjoyed this job but it was very demanding. From now on I only want to design things that fit on a 12×12 piece of paper. I have been scrapbooking since January 2006 thanks to my mother’s influence. My work is heavily influenced by things that are bold and graphic. LAINA’S BLOG LAINA’S GALLERY

and some samples from her gallery to oogle over!!!

there you have it ladies — all of our talented new designers have been introduced

help me welcome them all !!  they are a great and talented bunch, can’t wait to see what the next few months will have in store for us!

thanks for stopping by ladies - be back later to post Kimmy’s tutorial !!!

BOOOOOO.  i’ve been a bad poster for a couple of days here!!  sorry guys

in lieu of my laziness, i am going to feature our 3 Old-School Guest Designer girls we thought should come back for our Design Team!!  they totally rock our socks. 

here’s what they have to say for themselves:

Heyyyy-ya! I’m Mollie. And I’m addicted to scrapping and creating anything made from paper. First off, just let me say that I feel so honored to be part of this rockin’ challenge site! I love this place and these girls are super talented! I feel like I can fit right in with my crazy doodles and bright colors. Which, by the way, is my fave… Doodling! It’s on just about every LO I create. (along with polka dots…) It’s my guilty pleasure and it’s soooo much fun. Other than scrapping, I’m addicted to the internet, love shopping (of course), sushi, and strawberries with fruit dip. Oh, and I love driving with the sunroof open. (random… I know.) I can’t wait to join in on the third challenge here at ScrapStars!!MOLLIE’S BLOG MOLLIE’S GALLERY

Some samples from Mollie’s gallery:

Hi everyone! I’m Melonie and I am SUPER excited to be a part of this month’s challenge here at ScrapStars!! I live in NY with my Hubby and our 2 children. When I am not spending time with them you can bet I’m scrapping or doing something scrapbooking related…like say hanging out on Message Boards with people who love paper as much as me! MELONIE’S BLOG MELONIE’S GALLERY

Konnichiwa!!!!I’m Roberta aka ladybastard, I’m 26 years old but i love to look like a teenager ^_-I live in italy with my parents and I have a wnderful boyfriend! I’m vegan and I love animals! I’m really inspired by everything comes from japan! They’re so colorful and funny! I would like to be a manga ^_^ but maybe I am a little bit! I have a big japanese toys collection and I always play with them! My favourite color is pink! (really??) ahahah! I love to spend my money on clothes, japanese toys and tattoos I started scrapbooking in october/november 2007 and now i’m addicted! I’m so happy to be the Guest designer for this site ’cause i have so many things in common with these girls Lot of love, Sayōnara, Roberta ROBERTA’S GALLERY ROBERTA’S BLOG

and there you have it!!  three more lovely new ladies for you to gather MUCHO inspo from! :)    let’s give ‘em a big scrappy welcome!!

PS - sorry to Christy for your images not showing up - a coding error on my part!  Christy’s images should be displaying correctly now!!  if something ever seems to be broken or not showing up right, feel free to email/comment & let me know so i can fix it ASAP!!

thanks everyone!!  hope to see some more submissions for the Hot for Teacher challenge SOON!!! 

WE’RE HOT FOR TEACHER !!! !!! !!!

CHALLENGE #5 - HOT FOR TEACHER

in honor of going back to school and all the fond memories that go along with it, our challenge this month revolves around special teachers in our lives.  maybe you had a teacher that did something that shaped who you are, or took your education experience to another level.  maybe you had a crush on a teacher in school (it’s time to admit it!)  or maybe there is a special teacher in your life right now that deserves a place in your scrappy memories!  your challenge is to create a layout based on that person and tell why they have had a significant impact on your life.  if you do not have a photo, that is fine - all the more of a challenge to complete the page!

** THE BONUS LEVEL **

- include notebook paper somewhere on the page

- use some type of paint on the page

the bonus level is not required for our challenges, but it gives you a bit of extra challenge, and us more to consider when it comes to picking a winner!!  LOL!  as always, if you can find a way to squeeze in song lyrics or use a song title on your page, they make great additions!!

the deadline for this challenge will be SUNDAY AUGUST 31, 2008 at MIDNIGHT wherever you are in the world.  i’m done messing with time zones, too confusing!!  as always the girls and i will throw together a fabulous prize package for our winner, who will also join us as a Guest Designer next month at their option.

entries must be submitted in the comments thread of this post in order to qualify!

here’s what we came up with to inspire you for this HOT challenge!!

BEKKA’S

CHRISTY’S

EMELINE’S

JILL’S

JULIE’S

KIMMY’S

LAINA’S

(book detail)

MARIX’S

MELONIE’S

MICHELLE’S

MOLLIE’S

ROBERTA’S

SHAUNNA’S

can’t wait to see what you ladies have got for this one :)   hope that was enough inspo for you — sheesh!!  i can’t believe how many we have now…. it’s exciting!!

PS - our Guest Designer / Winner from last month, *KIMMY*, made a special tutorial for this challenge covering a technique she used on her page!  i will post it here on the 20th - make sure not to miss it!!!

ok ladies - you have your assignment - show us how you scrap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here’s the story… of the lovely Christy… who was bringing up a sweet little boy and girl !!   ok i’m not going into ad-libbing the Brady Bunch theme song EVER again…  ew.  seriously, though, Christy rocks - we love her unique ideas and fun designs!!  she is definitely a sweetie too

all about Christy:

My name is Christy Davis, and I am a stay at home mom of two wonderful children, ages 2 1/2 and 1.  I teach online religion courses for my local college, and enjoy scrapbooking and reading in my spare time. GALLERY BLOG

and some recent samples from her gallery:

soooo beautiful!!  we are really glad to have Christy with us - please help me welcome her to our team!

i’ll be profiling one of our old friends - Miss Mollie - next time around, so stay tuned!  gonna take a short break to get our challenge going, so i’ll be back with the d’s about Mollie on Monday!

today, i have the pleasure of introducing you to Marix!!  her scrap style is very unique, we absolutely couldn’t pass her up!  make sure you take a look at her gallery to see more of her fabulous work

I’m Marix aka Benga born in the Philippines and currently residing in Singapore. I love to scrap, create cards, alter and do anything crafty. I’m also a bloghopper who constantly seeks inspiration, new techniques, latest trends and even the latest news in the colorful world of scrapbooking. I’m a co-founder of our own scrap group here in Singapore known as ScrappersatSG and I’m currently a DT member of Scrapdragon. MARIX’S GALLERY MARIX’S BLOG

and some of her work!!

let’s give her a big ScrapStars welcome everyone!!

be back tomorrow with a little story about Christy - and just two days till our sizzlin’ new challenge!!

thanks for stoppin’ by!!!

please join me in welcoming one of our new Design Team members, Michelle Galatuik!!  we are so excited to have Michelle with us for the rest of the year!  if you haven’t taken a minute to check out her gallery yet, you SHOULD!  she has some of the most detailed, eye-catching pages and projects!!  here’s what she has to say about herself:

Hi, my name is Michelle Galatuik, I am a married, SAHM to my wonderful daughter Paige (5) who is the subject of most of my layouts. Art has always been a part of my life so it wasn’t a surprise when I became addicted to scrapbooking over 8 years ago now, which has given me the opportunity to express my creative side while preserving my family’s everyday moments which sometimes can easily be forgotten. I have had the pleasure of being published in the December 07 issue of the The Canadian Scrapbooker, as well as the upcoming Fall 08 issue. MICHELLE’S BLOG MICHELLE’S GALLERY

and here is some eye candy from Michelle’s gallery:

isn’t she just fabulous?!?!!  let’s give her a warm ScrapStars welcome, girlies

be back tomorrow with a post about Marix !!!  the countdown is on for the next challenge, are you ready ??

have a scraptacular day everyone (oh how i love my scrappy little puns!)  

they are everywhere this month!!  we have not two but THREE Guest Designers this month - thought we’d give ya the lowdown on these fabulous ladies!!

HI! My name is Kimmy Jaster and I have been scrapbooking since before it was cool. I started back in Junior High cutting out magazine letters to use for titles in my albums. Now about 15 years later I’m still crafting. I made a goal for myself this year to create something everyday, and so far I have! I’m on 2 design teams already: ConCroption.com (a scrapbook store) & Ready, Set, Scrap (a challenge blog on Live Journal). When I’m not crafting I’m teaching 3rd grade. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! Most the time I love it, especially when I can sneak something scrappy into a lesson. My favorite things to scrap are my niece Kaitee, my dogs, vacation pics, and singer Josh Groban. KIMMY’S GALLERY KIMMY’S BLOG

My name is Julie (aka bmwgirl1 on SIStv!), I have been married to Brian since March of this year and we have two children, my 11 year old son Adam and our 22 month daughter Brooke!  I have been scrapping for almost 12 years, but have really expanded my horizons in the past 8 months! :):):) I can go from white space to layer it on from one LO to the next….I’ve never labeled myself as a scrapper, as I am constantly learning and growing with each LO I make! :):):) JULIE’S GALLERY JULIE’S BLOG

give it up for our AZ girls - woot woot!!! 

AND… our new feature this month - International Guest Designer!  we received SO many entries from people in places all over the world - from Singapore to the Netherlands!!  we decided to put the spotlight on some of the ones that we liked best and created the International Guest Designer position to show these ladies some love too!  leading off the IGDT is Emeline Seet from Singapore!!!

i am a SAHM living in singapore with 2 kids under 5 in tow. Currently designing for Graphic 34, rose Moka and Buzz & Bloom, i started scrapping in end 2004 after the birth of our first child. Love colours and get inspired by them. Addicted to scrapping and can’t seem to stop… Love to spread the joy of this craft and hope to by part of your challenge blog to inspire and be inspired. EMELINE’S BLOG

you all won’t believe what these incredible ladies have in store for our next challenge !!!!

check back for that on the 15th, we have a special tutorial from Guest Designer Kimmy Jaster to go along w/ this challenge!  i’m so excited about it !!!   stop back by tomorrow, too, when i will be giving you the scoop on a new member of our Design Team - Michelle Galatuik !  you won’t want to miss the samples of her work!!!

have a scrappy happy day everyone!

we are finally …. FINALLY …. ready to announce the winners of our Design Team call!!   first off, though, i have to say that we saw — SOOOOO MANY spectacular submissions for the call!!  you don’t even know how surprised we were to have that many people come out and put themselves out there like that!  i loved looking through all of the pages and projects and cards, reading all the stories (OMG some of you are hilarious!), and making new friends in the process.  thank every single one of you for your efforts and your support for us!  no matter what happens here, we hope that you will keep creating your art and coming back to ScrapStars for inspo when ya need it

secondly - an announcement.  after 40+ submissions, a lot of chatter, and a little research we decided to up the ante (without telling anyone!)  we are going to be adding (7) SEVEN new girls to our team!  a lucky number, right?  we thought so too!!  that will increase our current Design Team to 10 total members plus 2 Guest Designers and our *NEW* International Guest Designer for a total of 13 inspiring girls for every challenge!  that was the only way we saw fit to handle the outcome of this - honestly there is NO WAY we would have ever agreed on just three people!!  ok… so without any further of my soapboxing, let me introduce you to the girls who will be helping us keep your mojo going through Christmas…. in no particular order…

drumroll please, Bekka….

	MELONIE MADISON New York, USA BLOG SIStv GALLERY
MICHELLE GALATUIK Canada BLOG Just Cre8 GALLERY
	MOLLIE NEFF Kentucky, USA BLOG SIStv GALLERY
MARIX Singapore BLOG TwoPeas GALLERY
	ROBERTA Italy BLOG SIStv GALLERY
CHRISTY DAVIS USA BLOG Lifetime Moments GALLERY
	LAINA LAMB Ohio, USA BLOG TwoPeas GALLERY

show ‘em all the love you’ve got ladies - they are amazing!!  i can’t wait ’till our next challenge so i can show them off to you!!!  i will be posting a feature about each of them (a day at a time!) through the rest of the month so we can get to know them a little better, so check back for more details about these lovely chicas!! we also wanted to make honorable mentions to:

Lydia Siegel, Lynn Ghahary, Shannon Morgan, Kim Whitten, Emeline Seet, Simona Scarpetta, Loredana Bucaria, Hilde Janbroers, and Mandy Fisher.

You will be seeing more of their work in the coming months as well, so prepare for some awesome inspiration from ALL these talented ladies!

of course, we wouldn’t have a reason to inspire (and sometimes we ARE inspired) by the rest of you who come to the site and participate and help to make this one of the best challenge sites around!!  we love to see how something as simple as scrapbooking could bring so many people together in such a good way!

more info coming up about our Guest Designers for this month tomorrow - including our *NEW* International Guest Designer spot!   stop back by to leave them some love as well - we have a great crew for this month…. and a SUPER HOT challenge!  we have all been takin’ it back to the old school on this one!  be ready - we’ll post it on the 15th!

thanks again to everyone who came out and continues to come out and support our favorite hobby and our little niche of the net!!  we wouldn’t be ScrapStars without all of our love for the craft

stay scrappy !!!