Meet DT Member Deb!

And last but certainly not least is Deb! 

Deb Felsted has been on the Paper Pals Design Team in the past, and we are so excited to have her join us again! She has an unmatchable, unique style to her work. Truly incredible!

Deb has lived in Pullman for 16+ years and has been married to her husband Devon for the same. Deb and Devon have 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. Ages: 21, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 7. "They are all fabulous! I am a stay-at-home mom and I have been scrap booking for about 8 years, the first 4 being very minimal and the last 4 have been more prolific. I love art, writing, photography, family history and my family- so scrap booking is pretty much a slam dunk for me. Time is the only issue, right ladies?"

Deb's favorite reason to scrap all comes down to creation and inspiration. "I love art and creating. This is an important exercise for me. Creating gives me energy and helps me to tap into my soul. Art provides a way for me to express that. It forces me to take time out and think about what and who I love in my life. I remember little things, slices of life and funny occasions, I take time to write them out, to really think about the meaningfulness of how I live my life and who is in it, and this brings me joy. It is also deeply meaningful to my family members. No moment ever spent carefully evaluating what I love about the people in my life and trying to re- create that in art has ever been wasted!"

She varies on what her favorite paper line is, "but you will usually find me choosing more versatile patterns for myself and less thematic ones.I have a "thing" for nifty embellishments. Right now I really love "My Minds Eye". They are terrific! They keep coming out with lines I love. I like funky designs and often lean towards eclectic stuff. But I also like variety. I really love Alli Edwards, too."

When asked what her favorite thing about Paper Pals is, she responded: "I am so glad we have Paper Pals in Pullman. My favorite thing about it is Shawna and Karen. They are creative geniuses in so many different ways. I love that the store offers such a variety of ways to create and that they hand pick their lines so well. They are not afraid to do something new and clever and they really listen to their customers."

Thanks for sharing with us Deb. Keep designing great stuff!

And thanks, blog readers and customers, for following us on our Design Team introductions! Keep coming back here to see more work by all our lovely ladies. We look forward to creating to inspire YOU!

Meet Design Team Member, Leah Candler!

I'm happy to introduce to you the newest member of the Design Team, Leah Candler!

Leah is a local gal-- raised right here in Pullman. Currently she lives in Genesee.

She has been scrapbooking for about 15 years, starting with die-cuts and stickers and getting as many pictures on a page as she could. As the years have gone by, she's changed up her style a bit.  "Now I embelish so much I am lucky to get 1 or 2 photos on a 12 X12 page! "

Leah's favorite paper line is My Minds Eye. "However I LOVE Tim Holtz. His embelishments rock, I use lot of them to make jewelry...another passion of mine!"

Lately, she has been making clocks. "I get one of those chip board boxes, the one in the photo is a wine box, I have also used a regular square box, it turned out great." What a creative way to make some great home decor, Leah! 

Leah's favorite thing about Paper Pals would be the great selection of products that they have. "I can always find what I need there."

It's great to meet you Leah, and we are looking forward to more of your great designs in the months ahead!

Next week:  meet Deb!

Meet Design Team Member, Judy!

Here she is: Judy Pilcher, Design Team Member at Paper Pals!

Judy is the VETERAN member of the team-- she started designing when Paper Pals was a new store almost 7 years ago!

Judy was born and raised in southern Idaho and she graduated in Elementary Education from the University of Idaho. After 3 years living on both coasts of the US while her husband was in the Navy, the two returned to Moscow to live, work, and raise their three children. Judy taught Kindergarten in the Moscow Public Schools for 17 years---"a super fun job! 5 year olds are such fun little people, it was a joy to go to work every day."
Judy retired early 9 years ago when her first two grandchildren were on their way. "I LOVE being wife to Jim, Mom to three great kids---a nurse practioner, a PGA golf professional and a development officer for the University of Idaho, AND... "Nana" to 6 adorable little grandchildren, 3 girls and 3 boys ranging in age from 9 to 5 months. They are, more often than not, the "subject" of my scrapbooking!"


A recent project that she's done is pictured here:

"Every Christmas I make checkbook-size datebooks for gifts. I have carried one of these in my purse for several years and couldn't get along without it. I enter all important dates...doctor appts., hair-cuts, birthdays, sporting events at the University, vacations, etc., in my datebook. I know that I could enter them in my iPhone calendar, but I guess I'm just a "hard copy" kind of person." Judy buys these calendars at the office supply store and then alters the covers. "This year I used some printed paper with months and then I used a doodled quote by Stepha nie Ackerman, of "Homegrown Hospitality" blog fame. (I took her doodling class via the internet this fall, and I have been practicing, but I'm not accomplished enough to do anything like that yet!)"

Judy has been scrapbooking for a long time. "I still have "scrapbooks" I made in high school with dance programs, birthday cards, and all those treasures that teenage girls love to keep." She scrapbooks now for fun. "I LOVE to play with all the beautiful patterned papers, cardstock and all the other fun "goodies" that go along with scrapbooking-- and, to journal and record the life of my family. Besides scrapbooking for my children and grandchildren, I also do layouts for my "Book of Me"...I would love to have a scrapbook that my Mom had done with pictures and journaling about her daily life."

"I also make scrapbooks for gifts. It's so rewarding for me to see the response they get when someone opens a scrapbook that was made especially for them."

Judy is influenced by so many scrapbookers. "Along the side of my blog I have links to many of their blogs. Among my "favorite" scrapbookers are Ali Edwards , Cathy Zielske , Stephanie Ackerman , Susie Plantamura, and SO many more!"

Judy's favorite thing about Paper Pals can be summed up in two words: Karen and Shawna! "They do amazing job of keeping the shelves at Paper Pals stocked with the latest and greatest in scrapbooking!!! I've been to MANY scrapbook stores and I always think to myself "this store could take a lesson from Paper Pals!"

Thanks, Judy for your dedication and creativity!

Come back next week to meet Leah Candler.

Meet Design Team Member, Leah Larson!

Here she is: Leah Larson, Paper Pals Design Team Member!

Leah is a returning member to the Design Team. She's great at incorporating sewing into her projects and has the kind of handwriting that should be made into a font. No journaling disasters for this gal!

Leah is originally from Canada. She has now been in the states for over 15 years, but she's managed to hold on to her accent. :) Leah formally worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse in Seattle. "We moved from Bellevue, WA to Pullman 4 years ago. After my daughter was born I really didn’t want to go back to work and leave her in someone else's care, so my husband and I decided to move to Pullman where my stepsons live."

Leah has been scrapbooking for 10 years now.  She says, "The more I do it the more I love it. I am sure I will be a scrapbooker for the rest of my life." There are many things that inspire Leah when it comes to papercrafting. "I love the stories and the photos. Not to mention the paper, stickers, embellishments, stamps… I am driven to record the everyday things that happen to us. It would be wonderful to see all these kind of details about my Grandmother’s life. Just a simple photo of what was in her cupboards would be fascinating to me."

When it comes to the pros, Ali Edwards is a “life artist” that she truly admires. She loves her clean and artistic style and the fun projects to share.  She also regularly keeps tabs on  Becky Higgins’ blog. Leah is currently doing Becky's "Project Life" and she is "totally in love. This is the first time since starting scrapbooking were I have been caught up on the current year."

One of Leah's favorite product lines is Cosmo Cricket-- available at Paper Pals! She's drawn to the manufacturer's cute designs.


One recent project she has worked on was for her daughter's birthday. Isn't that robot just the cutest? And what a unique idea for a little girl's birthday!

You can see more of Leah's work and keep up with her creative scrappiness at her personal blog, Confessions of a Scraplifter.

Leah had a hard time picking just one thing that she loves most about Paper Pals. "There are so many things that I love. Karen and Shawna make the store what it is. They greet you when you walk in. How nice is that? It is truly a treat to go in there. I love looking at all the wonderful products and dreaming. You could look in there all day and still see new stuff. The smell in there is so delicious. It even comes home on the paper you buy. The products they sell are good quality. I just can’t say enough. "
 
Go visit the store yourself to experience what Leah loves!
 
And come back here next week to meet Design Team Member, Judy!

Meet Design Team Member, Angela!

This is Angela Lenssen, Paper Pals Design Team Member and Blog Coordinator.

Angela is starting into her third year on Design Team and she's excited about the chance to share more about the products and inspirational people at Paper Pals.

She has lived in Pullman for almost 7 years and is a stay at home mom for her three kids. Outside of scrapping, Angela loves photography, singing and event planning/marketing/graphic design (in fact, she's seeking a position in these areas if you know of a job opening!). She ran her first 5K in 2010 and hopes to keep up training for more in the future.

Her favorite reason to scrap is her three kids. "I want them to not only have a visual reminder of the events that happened in their lives, but I also hope to include stories in those layouts that share memories of the relationships they have with me and others as they grow up." She started scrapbooking at a young age with her mom, but started "modern" scrapbooking 10 years ago with the birth of her first child. Angela's inspiration in the scrappy world comes from a variety of places, but mostly she's inspired by blogs. Three of her favorites are listed here:

Cathy Zielske

Noel Culbertson

Elizabeth Kartchner

A favorite project she did recently was for her daughter's golden birthday in October. She turned 10 on 10.10.10 and Angela created a layout as well as party decor and invites with the "Perfect 10" theme. Here's a couple of photos of what she made here, and you can find more details about it on her blog post here. 

She says "I love these projects because they celebrated a huge birthday for my daughter. The bright colors made it playful and inviting. I had fun with a couple new techniques on it too-- making a triangle banner and using glittered cardstock for the part of the title and embellishements."

She enjoys posting a variety of creative projects on her blog, Mom-e-Memoirs when they are beyond the projects she does for Paper Pals. Stop by her blog and say hello!

Angela's favorite thing about Paper Pals is the fact that she can get great quality products for scrapbooking locally. "Stopping in at Paper Pals makes me feel like I'm in a big city scrapbook store for product selection and inspiration-- yet with the small town local service! It's perfect."

Come back next week to meet anther member of the Paper Pals Design Team, Leah Larson!

Paper Pals Design Team Call

Paper Pals is excited to announce that we are searching for new members for our design team. This call is open September 13th, 2010 through September 30th, 2010.

So WHO are we looking for?
We are looking for inspiring designers who are creative, ambitious, and love a challenge. We are looking for designers who can display the following:
~ Open communication skills
~ Unique individual style
~ Teamwork and cooperation
~ Ability to work within deadlines and under pressure

How do you apply?
Submit the following:
1. 2 or 3 of your favorite layouts that you feel best showcase your style
2. 1 altered item, home decor item, or mini book
3. 2 or 3 cards that you feel best showcase your style

All entries must have your name printed on the back. Submit your entries at our Pullman location September 13th through September 30th. (Remember, we are closed on Sundays).

The fine print:
The design team term will run for 6 months, October 2010 through April 2011.

If you have questions please contact Shawna at the store by calling
509-332-0407.

New Design Team Member!

We would like to WELCOME our newest Design Team Member - Suzy McNeilly! We are excited to have her on our team and can't wait for you all to see how creative she is!

Hello from Leah!

My name is Leah and I am new to the Paper Pals Design Team. It was a bit of a surprise to be asked to be a Design Team member. I love scrap booking. I either scrap book or think about scrap booking on a daily basis. My friend, Tanya, got me started in 1999. Back then it was mostly 8 1/2 x 11" paper and stickers. So I was very honored for the opportunity to be on the team. I have just started my first kit. I get to work with the Early Bird line from Cosmo Cricket. The paper, borders and stickers are so kitcheny cute. The possibilities are overwhelming right now. You could do so many pages with the kit I got. Thank you Shawna and Karen. I am very excited.

Design Team Openings!

We have two openings on our Design Team! If you would like to be part of our Team - stop into the store with samples of your favorite scrapbook pages, cards and/or altered art and talk with Shawna!

Off to the Big City!

London, one of our amazing DT members, has moved to Seattle! We are sad to see her go - but thrilled she is off on a new and exciting adventure in the big city! Thanks for all of your inspiration!

New My Minds Eye!

Hey Gals! We have in our little hands ALL of the NEW My Minds Eye that is coming out the end of this month! We got one of each from the NEW Abbey Road, Ooh La La, Boo to you, The Spiders Web, Colorful Christmas and Merry Days of Christmas for you DT gals to make samples with!!

Hurry in and pick up your DT kits - you gals are going to LOVE these new lines.

Thanks Heather!

Heather and her family have moved and we are SO sad to see her go. Thanks Heather for being a part of our Design Team and sharing your creativity and talent with us!!

Miss ya already!

Work in progress?

My family is packing up our belongings and moving. Down the road.

It seems like a big to-do for not a lot of...doing, you know? There is more satisfaction in packing up all your worldly belongings when you are moving, say, a thousand miles. Packing any and all worldly belongings to move a mile seems excessive.

But that isn't so much the point of this post. The point of this post is (another?) confession.

My name is Heather, and I have yet to finish a scrapbook.

I know (I know!!). But please hear me out.

I'm dutifully going through my lovely crafting lovelies, and of the (two) scrapbooks I've done--a Hawaii one and Birdy's baby book--neither are what I would consider a "finished product." Now, since Birdy is just 2 months over a year, I feel like I might have a reprieve with some sort of statute of limitations clause. Something like "thou hast 2 years to finish the scrapbook of the fruit of thy loins documenting their first twelvemonth." Or something. So I feel less guilty about that one.

But the Hawaii scrapbook? That one is all the worse because I thought it was done. And it definitely isn't. And we went nearly three years ago. I'm missing a few pages and some journaling. But the kicker is I thought I was done! I was so proud, and dare I say it: SMUG. I could point at that little book and say: "see, husband? See? I document our lives! We shall remember the trip forever because of my efforts! And take that, because I do finish craft projects."

Ugh. I guess I have a new project.

Thus, I ask you all: How many of you have legitimately, 100% finished a scrapbook?

New Design Team Members!

We are really excited to announce our Design Team for the next 6 months! We have 4 returning members and 2 NEW members!

Angela Lassen
Anita Cory
Deb Felstded
Heather Brackett
Judy Pilcher
London Tierney

We want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Malinda Rose & Nikki Peterson for being on the team this last term. You gals are so creative, generous and inspirational!

News from Memory Mixer

Hey there... are you still considering purchasing Memory Mixer? Well, here's a few more exciting things about the product that may help you with your decision.

1. They've upgraded! There is now a Version 3 of Memory Mixer with several fun new features.

2. Still not sure if you'd like it? Well, according to their website, they'll soon be offering a 30 day free trial!

3. Wondering about the product lines they sell? They recently teamed up with My Minds Eye, so now you can get several of their paper lines (just like the ones sold at Paper Pals) in a digital format. Pretty cool! Here's a couple examples of the QuickMix pages they create for you:


You can also purchase the lines just like you would at the store as 12x12 pages and embellishments. They currently have the lines Bella, Bliss and Boulevard.

You should check it out!

Won't You Join Me...

...to create the PERFECT gift for your special Valentine?? Your Valentine might be your "significant other," but it could also be a grandchild, your mother, your sibling, or any other special person in your life that you LOVE! I will be teaching this class on January 25th from 1-3 PM at Paper Pals.

Halloween Banner

Thank you Shawna and Karen for letting me make this banner. I love the way it turned out. I love all the new Halloween papers so much that I bought some for my circle book that was on the blog last week. Two things that I am really into right now are the color orange (you might have noticed), and shiny things (perhaps I was a raccoon in a former life?). I got to use both on this fun banner.

I used Rangers crackle paint in dried marigold on the letters to spell the word BOO. It was the first time I have used the paint and I really liked the way it turned out. After it was dry I used Rangers spiced marmalade ink and covered the letters with it. This makes the cracks get darker and show up better and it doesn't really change the color of the paint.

After covering the chipboard pennants I glued down the letters and then I used Judikins Diamond Glaze on top of the letters to give them lots of shine and dimension. Then of course, I added lots of Gems that I colored with my Copic markers. I really like these markers, they are alcohol based and you can blend colors and color on things like transparencies and gems! I glued some ribbon along the top of the pennants with glue lines and tied them all together with some cute ribbon.

You can find everything you need to make one of these at Paper Pals. And if you go in to check the back side of this banner you will find a bonus! I had so much fun and so many cute things left over that I decorated both sides. And still I had plenty left over things to keep making things.

Have fun with the Holiday papers, they make them cuter every year.

New Snowed In Line from My Minds Eye!

Another cute line from My Minds Eye. Love it! I used some machine stitching, Ranger ink in the Broken China color. I used a blue button brad from the Bazzil Stitchin' collection to hold on part of my title. I also used some Thickers for my title. I like to mix up the fonts on the lettering to add a little variety. I made a couple of cards with the same paper. If I want to keep the front from becoming to busy I will journal on the back side of my Layout. Thanks for looking!


There is some really cute snowflake ribbon that is next to this paper in the store. Make sure to check it out. It was just the right touch for my card and I am looking forward to using more of it for Winter projects. Race you to it!

Spooky But Cute Circle Album!

I had so much fun with the new My Minds Eye Halloween papers! I love to make little paper craft projects, this one is for my daughters teacher this year. I used my Crop-O-Dile and made holes in some cut out circles of chipboard. I covered them with the cute patterned card stock and then embellished with the page of cut outs. I also used my new favorite technique, I used a sharpie to color my clear gems with orange and black. Tie a little ribbon on and your done. So easy and so cute with the coordinated line!

Say Hello!

Please help us welcome to our new team!

Angela Lenssen
Nikki Peterson
Malinda Rose
Anita Cory
Deb Felsted
Judy Pilcher

We know that these girls will inspire you with their creative works. Be sure to stop into the store to see what they have been up to! Thank you to all who applied, there were many talented ladies and submissions.