10 Things You Didn't Know About Melinda Spinks

We interrupt this post for a "Special Announcement" - We are so excited about this... Melinda has graciously accepted the position of our new Design Team Coordinator for Imaginisce. Although I have LOVED filling that role this past year, I have been asked to focus on many other new projects for the company, but I will continue to oversee all the Social Marketing for Imaginisce. So we needed help! You will see me pop in once in a while, but this blog is officially Melinda's turf NOW. Help me in congratulating her today!! - Lori

Sneak Peek into a different side of Me!

One... I have been scrapping for almost 2 years, however I think I was destined to be part of this industry from when I was small and used to cut out articles from newspapers of my favorite football team and make them all pretty in a scrapbook. I then left school when I had just turned 17 to take up an apprenticeship in the printing industry where my job was to cut and paste the newspaper! I’m a whiz with a scalpel and a ruler… No paper trimmer in this house!

Two... I learnt the piano for 17 years and barely play a note these days. I used to play at weddings, parties, restaurants etc. We’ve been without a piano in the house for such a long time although I do have one on the way so hopefully I will be able to teach my children to play and re-learn to play myself.

Three... Before the farmer (my husband) and I were married we backpacked together for three years around Africa, the Middle East and Europe. We based ourselves in London, worked a bit and traveled a lot! The farmer proposed over a picnic supper in Hyde Park just before we flew home.

Four... I can drive any vehicle on the farm, I’m pretty handy on a tractor, front end loader, truck, quad bike, you name it… I’ve driven it, except for the new header, that’s the farmer’s baby and I doubt I will ever be taught how to drive it! My 11 year old daughter even drives herself to school in her own little car as the local school is located on our farm and has a total of 23 students.



Five... I don’t drink tea or coffee, hate it, hate the smell, and hate the taste! Like a lot of scrappers, I’m a Coke Zero junkie and love to start the day with an icy cold can of Zero. I also get really cross if the farmer takes the last can out of the fridge and doesn’t replace it. Grrrrr!

Six... I suffer from Coulrophobia - the fear of clowns. I’ve been terrified of them for as long as I can remember however there was never an incident in my childhood that led me to this problem (that I’m aware of). I even hate mascots that are dressed up in larger than life outfits of animals etc. My poor kids will never be taken to the circus by their mother! Ever!!! I was give a porcelain clown once and had to lock it in a cupboard, and to this day I swear I could hear it move every now and again!

Seven...

1. I love to garden and try to always have freshly picked flowers in the house. Roses are my all time favorite and I have over 50 different varieties. I’ve even started to use them in the background for my scrapping photos. We also produce allot of our own food through a veggie patch, fruit trees and hand raised lamb and beef.

Eight... When I was young I adored the Bay City Rollers and used to wear the tartan pants complete with braces and badges. I was such a bogan. I then graduated to Freddie Mercury and Queen and have remained faithful to this day! There is nothing better than a very loud rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody to help with the vacuuming.

     Nine... I’m a passionate Aussie Rules football fan… Go Tigers! I love nothing better than to sit down on a Friday night during winter and watch/listen to the football whilst I scrap. I even converted the farmer from his team to mine the day we were married as his wedding present was a membership to my team! LOL!

Ten... I really enjoy Harry Potter, have read the books numerous times and have watched the movies more times than I care to remember. I don’t get to watch allot of television as the farm keeps us busy, however, a good Harry Potter movie never goes astray. Otherwise I don’t mind the Amazing Race, Masterchef , NCIS and most types of sport!

To be a returning member of the 2011 Imaginisce Design Team is a priviledge beyond belief and I'm delighted to be working alongside a group of talented and enthusiastic designers.

Thank you Imaginisce!
I've popped a couple of my favourite projects from 2010 on to my blog and would love for you to stop by and see where it all began HERE.

Leave a comment on both Melinda's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 Things you didn't know about Sophia Allison

A BIG hello to you all from a hot and humid Durban, South Africa...


To say I am thrilled to be on this awesome team is an understatement, still feels like a dream, PLEASE don't wake me up just yet...♥


#1 ~ Am totally obsessed with the colour {PINK} and all things bling, really don’t know why, must just be a normal “Girl” thing.

#2 ~ I cannot go a week without getting my Grey’s Anatomy or Private Practice fix…like an addiction of sorts, must be that Mc Dreamy or could it be Mc Steamy, who cares they are are both equally delicious…♥

#3 ~ I love anything pasta orientated, I think I should have been born Italian and not Mauritian.

#4 ~ I love to listen to music, when a song comes on that I really like, I turn it up load and sing along to it. I also love to scrap with music playing in the background, it seems to soothe me and and gets my creative juices flowing. 

#5 ~ Spa treatments are my best form of indulgence, it is my way of saying thank you to my body for all that I put it through.

#6 ~ I lost 19kgs (41.8lbs) in 2010, it was my goal I set for myself in Jan. I just had had enough of what I looked or felt like, so I promised myself to improve on it. It took me a whole 8 months, but I am maintaining very well…so BIG up to me!

#7 ~ My fav drinks varies from Iced Coffees to Strawberry Daiquiris (the ones they make with real strawberries and which give you a kick once you have had too many of them)...

#8 ~ I find myself wearing jeans, whenever I have the chance. It must be the way it makes me feel comfortable about just being myself. It has so many endless possibilities, as you can dress it up or down depending on your mood. Has a lot in common with my personality, as I am a relaxed and easy going type of person. This is one item of clothing that will never date in my wardrobe.

#9 ~ I live in a country where the BIG 5 roam around, no silly, not in my backyard or on the streets (the elephant is my fav one of all). Nelson Mandela was one of our Iconic Presidents. We also got to host the World Cup Soccer in 2010...and what an amazing event it was to see the whole world come together as one, something that will live in my heart forever.

#10 ~ I was destined to be creative from a young age. Both my parents have a creative gene of some sort in them. I was always creating scrapbooks with my diaries sticking photos and souvenirs in them. I also loved making my own cards. Go figure that Scrapbooking and I had to cross paths along the way…(I feel sorry for my poor husband's credit cards).

Thought I would share a photo of my sweet family...

I would love it if you’d stop by my blog and check out why I was selected to be part of the Design Team for Imaginisce. I’d also love it if you would follow me on my blog and come back to the Imaginisce blog often to see what we’re working on.

My Blog: Sophia's World 




Leave a comment on both Sophia's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 things you didn't know about Penny Smith

I am thrilled to be designing for Imaginisce another year! What I have learned in the last year, is that this is a FABULOUS company with some REALLY fabulous people! They make awesome products, but the people behind them are more-so! Thank you Imaginisce, for having me another year!

(Warning: I am VERY visual, so ya get LOTS of pictures! :) )

#1 When I was a kid I wanted to be a ballerina or a dolphin trainer. I got to do one of them! The other makes me LOL! (Photo from a recent vacation when I went to visit “the boys”!)#2 I am adopted, and we adopted a daughter. It was one way to guarantee a girl (I have two boys "biologically"), and at least I could relate. We adopted from Ukraine. She is a handful, and a princess, and a blessing!

#3 I LOVE sushi! I always say if we win the lottery, we would hire a full time sushi chef. (I don't think I'm kidding! But all I can think of is that coffee creamer commercial with the barista living in the house! LOL!)

#4 I was a band chick. NOT a groupie! I despised groupies! I was a cool band chick that “got” the music. {snort!} I was SO cool in my own mind! BUT I did get to meet LOTS of cool bands from the 80's and 90's (Van Halen, Firehouse, Slaughter, Warrant, Candlebox, White Lion, Skid Row... I'm getting old. I can't remember them all!) because I worked at a bar while in college where the bands would come after concerts in town.

I married a long haired bass player that still plays in bands on weekends.

(and I have known him since I was 16 years old!)

#5 I am over 40 years old (that should have it's own line. I can't believe I am admitting that freely!) and I LOVE the “young adult” series “Twilight”. I vowed NEVER to watch those “silly” vampire movies. Well, Twilight was on Showtime for free, I watched, and then proceeded to read all four 600+ page books in a WEEK! I was a shut in! This was when New Moon was about to leave the theaters. I was late to the game! :) TEAM EDWARD BABY! (Oh, and his song “Let Me Sign” MELTS me!! The man SINGS and plays piano and guitar!! Oh Nelly!)

#6 (Related to #1) My heart is in Santa Cruz CA... or anywhere in the area of. I was born in Lake Forest IL, and have lived in WI, NC, and grew up in Iowa, but when I moved to CA, love is the ONLY thing that could have pulled me out of Cali! I love the climate of north central CA, the ocean, the culture... if I could, I would move tomorrow!

#7 I don't drink coffee, and rarely drink soda but I would sell my chihuahua for a chai tea latte. Serious addiction issue.

#8 (Speaking of my chihuahua) I have three dogs and 1 cat (and a bird) and I would have about 10 more if my husband would let me. I can not imagine a home without pets. Isn't going to happen. (I use to be a Registered Veterinary Technician that specialized in Emergency medicine. Explains a little. :) )

This is Jetsetta Bling. She sits with me when I crop at home and occasionally at the store. She is VERY well behaved, and is trained to stay on her blanket on the crop table! :)

#9 I would LOVE to be a CNM (Certified nurse Midwife). I actually went back to college AGAIN and had all my prerequisites to go to nursing school, but decided I wouldn't fare well with all the politics. (I was a Doula for awhile, so I experienced it!)Plus, I am recovering from being boldly opinionated. BUT, well behaved women rarely make history, so who knows! (This is my second son who was a 10#3oz. waterbirth!)
#10 I have ALWAYS loved art! In high school (after it was clear the ballerina thing wasn't going to happen {snort again!}, I wanted to be an artist. My father was happy to point out (most) artists are poor. Find another career. :( I use to draw pictures and titles of the subjects of my photo albums and add them to the sticky pages of those books. (AAAHHHHH! Sticky page albums!) It was my destiny to be a scrapbooker/designer someday!

Wanna see more? Come visit me on my blog! I LOVE visitors!

Leave a comment on both Penny's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Tracey Taylor

1.   My husband and I designed and contracted ourselves the building of our house.  I remember gyprocking a wall after work one night, without the proper tools and little daylight, so it would be ready for the insulation guys the next morning.  What an amazing learning experience the whole process was... on many levels.

2.  I have never coloured my hair though the older I get the more appealing it seems.

3.  My favourite movie of all time is Dirty Dancing.  I still wish I could dance whenever I watch it.
 
4.  I'm not a huge fan of chocolate unless it is cooked in something like brownies or cookies.  I can't remember the last time I ate a whole chocolate bar. 

5.  I love to cook.  In fact, cooking is as much of a hobby for me as scrapbooking.  When we built our house it HAD to have a cold room so I had a place to store all my pickles and preserves. 

6.  Is there an opposite to the term "movie buff"?  If there is, than it would describe me. There is no real reason or conscious decision to be this way and  I always enjoy a movie when I take the time to watch one.  There just seem to be so many other things to do that TV and movies get forgotten.  Did I mention I'm not really into popcorn?  Maybe that's part of it!

7.  Just so you all don't think I'm completely backwards with the whole chocolate and popcorn thing, I LOVE sweets.  We have dessert of some kind with every meal.  See number five.  I am always baking!

8.  I just realized this month that my snowsuit is about 20 years old and 4 inches too short. How and when did that happen? 

9.  I absolutely LOVE the smell of line-dried sheets.  I wish there was some way I could bottle that smell!

Photo from e-how.com.

And finally,

the secret of all secrets....




10.  I always said I would NEVER scrapbook.  Something about cutting apart my photos just seemed so wrong and foreign to me.  I am really happy to admit I was wrong.  I even cut apart the odd photograph now and again, but that's really only because everything is digital now so I can print a new one if ever I want to.  So I guess that means I'm still not as rebellious as all that!

I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to work for this wonderful company and along side such a talented group of ladies.  I have also updated my blog today with my submission pieces so you check out why I was selected to be part of the Design Team for Imaginisce.
Please come back to the Imaginisce blog often to see what we’re working on.  There is always something fun and inspirational going on around here.

My Blog:  Tailored Pages

Leave a comment on both Tracey's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Michelle Unruh

What an honor it is to asked to be a part of such a great design team. I have to say, I am still in shock, excited and floating on cloud 9! This is going to be a fantastic year!!! Let me share a few things you may not know...

1. I do not like/drink coffee. I have never acquired a taste for it. While most everyone has their coffee in the morning, I have a can of Coke. That is not to say, I don't like how coffee smells. LOVE going in the coffee isle at the grocery store.

2. My kids are all almost 10 years apart. Crazy, huh?! No, it wasn't planned that way. It just is how it happened.

3. I really dislike winter. I do not like the ice, the sub-zero temps. I would love it if our winter season were shorter and the other three were longer.

4. I went to school for law (paralegal). I traded that in to be a mom. I also work for a tax office during the tax season, making meals for the 18 or so that work there. My kitchen will shortly start looking like an episode of one of the FoodNetwork cook-offs.

5. I am not a TV person. There really isn't anything that I have to watch. With that being said, I do like the Netflix Instant streaming. Once in a while, my daughter and I like watching the old episodes of Dick Van Dyke. I also love a good movie every now and then.

6. I do not own an iPod. I think I am about the only person who doesn't. I am kind of old-fashioned in the sense, I love the stereo/radio still. I love cranking it when I am cleaning the house.

7. I love walking the Mall of America. I have been going out there since it opened, and never tire of it. It is the only place big enough to walk on these cold winter days.

8. I am a night owl. I can stay up late and still get up early. It is the only time that I get some time to myself and am able to enjoy some peace and quiet.

9. I LOVE the outdoors, the North Shore along Lake Superior specifically. I have been going up there for 20 years and never tire of it. It is so peaceful and beautiful. I love the lake, the falls, the lighthouses.

10. I love to travel. I would love to be able to see every state in the union. I have only been to seven so far.. I better get busy!!!

I am so very honored and super excited to be a part of this wonderful company!!! Please feel free to stop over at my blog and see a few of my projects and why I love Imaginisce! Thank you for spending a little time with me today.

Please, I'd also love it if you would become a follower of my blog and visit the Imaginisce blog to see what we are creating.

My blog: http://www.momma-paparazzi.blogspot.com

Leave a comment on both Michelle's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 Things You Didn't Know about Kim Holmes

#1 - I have an obsession with Converse shoes along with my daughter -- between the two of us, we own and wear over 25 pairs.  Good thing we are the same size!

#2 - My current color obsession is lime green - right now my bathroom is painted this color and I have 2 pairs of shoes, 2 coats and 2 coffee mugs in this shade.  Yummy!



#3 -  I have been married for 24 years to a man who I have known since I was 2 years old.  He is 7 years older and was my  brother's best friend growing up.  I don't remember my life without him in it in some way, shape or form.  He has gone from being a pest, to being a babysitter, to being a crush, and is now the love of my life. 


#4 - I am adopted, though I didn't find out until I was 18 years old.  Shocking, but pretty normal back in the day.

#5 - Growing up I never wanted to have kids.  I despised babysitting and could never imagine wanting to have my own children.  I now have 7 kids, 5 of my own and 2 of my husbands that are just like my own. Add to that, 4 significant others and a granddaughter and there are a lot of them! 

#6 - I suffer from anxiety and have finally learned how to keep it at bay --- scrapbooking!  Spending time creating is the best drug there is.

#7 - I am a Krazy Coupon Lady!  I love this website and I spend over 5 hours a week clipping coupons, finding sales and planning my shopping trips.  Getting huge bargains on food and essentials is a total rush for me!


#8 -  I am totally OCD -- I don't know how to do anything in moderation, it's all or nothing for me. But, don't confuse that with perfectionism, a perfectionist I'm not.  Just have to give it 100% every time or it's not worth it!

#9 -I eat cold cereal every morning for breakfast, always have and always will!  My favorite - Special K with Strawberries!

#10 - I am so blessed and lucky to be part of this Imaginisce Design Team!  Okay, so you probably knew that already, but I feel like I need to say it anyway!  This is one amazing company and team and I pinch myself daily because it is too good to be true!

Please hop over to my blog,  The Holmes Crew for a few of my favorite Imaginisce projects from 2010 and check out my galleries and my other obsessions!  Have a great day!  Happy Scrapping! Become a follower and leave a comment over there AND here on the Imaginisce blog for a chance to win a great prize! 

10 Things You Didn't Know About Heather Leopard

I am so EXCITED, HONORED, ELATED, over the moon HAPPY to be a part of the 2011 Imaginisce Design Team. I can't wait to see all of the FABULOUS creations our loyal followers create with these AMAZING products!  But first, let me tell you 10 little things about me...

1. I married the love of my life (gag, right?) in 2002 in beautiful St. Lucia, West Indies. It was just the two of us. We got engaged there and we were married 3 days later. My day consisted of diving 100' feet underwater that morning and then a beautiful beach wedding that afternoon.

2. When I married my hubby, I gained a wonderful step-son. We went on to have our first daughter in October 2003, 11 months after we wed. Five years later in 2008 we welcomed another sweet baby girl, who's not such a baby anymore...WAH! You will see quite a bit of them in 2011.

3. I have a somewhat dry sense of humor so when you read my posts on my blog, it's meant to be humorous, not snide. Just imagine me with a little grin while you are reading what I have to say. This brings me to the next thing you may or may not know about me...

4. My last name is pronounced in the simplest form - Leopard, like the cat. It's one of the coolest names - EVER! When you're telling all your scrappy friends to follow this AWESOME new design team member's blog, appropriately called The Spotted Leopard, you don't need to try to fancy it up like everyone else does. It's not LEE-O-pard, Leopold or Leonard. I just thought you should know.

5. I love, LoVe, LOVE to Scuba Dive - wreck dives, deep dives, night dives, you name it, I'll do it. I've dove the Blue Hole twice where I went down 130' while nurse sharks circled us. I always take stupid silly self portraits like this one. My most amazing experience was a random encounter with 3 hammerhead sharks, one of which stuck around for an underwater stare-off.

6. I'm loyal and can keep a secret! I expect the same in return. That probably goes hand in hand with the fact that I'm usually quite reserved, sweet and innocent until we get to know each other. After that, I reveal my other side.

7. I am a huge and I mean H.U.G.E. huge Rob Thomas fan. I actually bent the truth in a BIG way to meet him but the payoff was AWESOME! He was quite proud of me for doing what I did and no, I won't put it in writing. ;) I'd show you the photo but I had been flying and wasn't looking my best. ;)

8. My grandma, mom, daughter and I all have a birthmark in the same spot on the same leg. How cool is that? I wonder if it coorelates to the fact that we are the 1st borns, except grandma.
9. I cook, the hubby cleans. It's only fair and actually it's the only way it'll get done because domestic goddess I am not. It works for us.

10. Last but not least, I can twist my tongue into a clover, which according to Google, only a small percentage of people can do.

So now that you know a little more about me, be sure to hop over to my blog to see some of my scrappy creations. Become a follower and leave a comment over there AND here on the Imaginisce blog for a chance to win a great prize! 

10 Things You Didn't Know About Robyn Schaub

1. I'm an only child and an only grandchild. Oh yes, I have been spoiled my entire life. But I refused to let my own children be a "lonely only," so I was determined to have at least TWO kids. (And I do! Two girls, both just as spoiled as I was.)

2. I love karaoke, and I don't care how bad I am at it. Secretly, I think I coulda been a contender on American Idol, but unfortunately, I was above the age limit when it started. But that doesn't stop me from watching it and picking apart all the contestants. (I think I'm meaner than Simon.)

3. I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant, so I own every kitchen tool ever invented. Ironically, I rarely cook anything more than a Lean Cuisine or microwave chicken nuggets.

4. My husband, Adam, and I got married on a cruise ship, and it developed into a bit of an addiction. By the end of March, we will have taken six cruises in the past eight years.

5. I have two dogs that were rescued from the local pound: a smart and fiesty Jack Russell Terrier named Zoey and a lazy, sweet Labradoodle named Lilah. I'm trying to make up for their time in the pound by spoiling them shamelessly for the rest of their lives.

6. My brain has a built-in Starbucks GPS -- I have an uncanny ability to guess where one might be even if I've never been to it before. My usual order is grande-nonfat-no whip-white-chocolate-mocha.

7. I've played the piano since I was four years old, and my first job was as a teaching assistant at the piano studio where I took lessons. Now my 7-year-old is taking lessons, and I make her play duets with me.

8. My hair is naturally curly, but you'd never know it because I have flat-ironed the life out of it for years now. Last fall, I started getting Brazilian Blowouts so that I wouldn't have to flat-iron and it has changed my life!

9. I've had a lifelong dream to be on Wheel of Fortune. I've watched it since I was a kid, and now my husband and I watch it every night. We play against each other to see who can solve the puzzle first. And 95% of the time, I win.

10. I have absolutely ZERO athletic ability. None. There's not a single sport I'm any good at -- unless you count shopping.

I'd love it if you stopped by my blog -- today I'm featuring my favorite Imaginisce layouts -- and become a follower while you're there. We have some wonderful things in store for you this year, so stay tuned!

Leave a comment on both Robyn's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Cari Locken

#1 I hate flying ... or anything to do with moving around in the air. I used to do it all the time when I was in University but in 1999 after my brother’s wedding, there was some really bad turbulence and well … my air motion sickness bag became quite full! (I know … gross!!)

#2 When I was around 4 years old I decided that after watching my dad do this I figured I could too. I wanted to shave my face just like he did. I took his shaving razor and proceeded to shave … however being a novice I didn’t do that well and cut off a small piece on the side of my nose!

#3 I have my Masters in Music (Piano Performance) … I started playing piano when I was 4 years old and loved it! There’s just something about my fingers moving across those black & white keys that calms my spirit.

#4 I’ve always loved doing crafts & being creative. My mom taught me to knit and one summer I made myself 3 sweaters. I used to enjoy going to art stores with my dad when I was younger and looking at all the different colored pens and the various shades of paper. So it’s no wonder that I absolutely LOVE scrapbooking!

#5 I hate making beds & putting away clean laundry ... I don’t mind taking the sheets off and doing the laundry but the thought of having to make the bed afterwards and put away all that laundry .. ugh!

#6 I hate the smell of parmesan cheese (the stuff that you sprinkle on spahetti – can’t stand it. And yet, I don’t mind the fresh stuff and the taste doesn’t bother me … it’s just that other stuff that is so nasty smelling!

#7 I don’t have a lot of patience … especially after I’ve spent an entire day cleaning the house and my kids come home promptly to mess it up! Seeing those crumbs on the floor drives me bonkers!

#8 Pizza is my favorite food. It’s a family favorite too as we make homemade pizza every Friday night!

#9 I love the color blue. Always have (but not so much royal blue – I like the softer, lighter shades). Turquoise (which to me is a shade of blue) is my ultimate favorite color right now! Love it!

#10 I’ve had 3 c-sections. Finding out in the delivery room with my oldest child that I would require a cesarean was a bit disappointing and very scary. My other 2 children were delivered the same way.

I would love it if you would stop by my blog and check out why I was selected to be part of the Design Team for Imaginisce. I’d also love it if you would follow me on my blog and come back to the Imaginisce blog often to see what we’re working on.

My Blog: Me and My Thoughts

Leave a comment on both Cari's blog and the Imaginisce blog and you could be selected to win!!