CMS: Challenge #41 and our new Design Team Reveal

July 1st?! Already?! Wow, so far this summer is whizzing on by ... on top of it, Michigan has had a LOT of rain lately ...but the grass is green, flowers are growing and it has been mostly nice and warm!

What are your plans for the upcoming holiday weekend? Do you get any scrappy time? Family BBQ? Baseball game? Golf Outing? Picnic? Anyone going on vacation? Swimming at the lake? Camping? There are so many fun things to do this time of year ... don't forget to take your camera and capture all of the special moments that are sure to present themselves!

I just want to take a moment to give a HUGE shout out to Lisa Haiss for biking across the state of Michigan last week! 300 miles ... what an amazing accomplishment! It took 6 full days filled with rain and sunshine ... I'm not sure I would be up to the task, but she did it ... and she rocked it!

So ... onto some very exciting news ... the NEW DESIGN TEAM! Lisa and I were thrilled with the submissions and honestly, as Color Me Scrappy grows, the decisions get tougher and tougher each time. We want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to send us an application ... we really wish we could have taken everyone.

Introducing the newest members of the Color Me Scrappy Design Team:

Raechelle Bellus

Hi! I'm Raechelle (pronounced Rachel) Bellus. I have been scrapping for about 11 years now and I am obsessed with patterned paper, pink, twine, rolled flowers and butterflies. Most of my layouts have several of these pretties on them. My husband and I live in Washington state and have been married for almost 15 years and we have a blended family of 6 beautiful children; five girls ages 13, 17, 18, 22, and 22 as well as a boy who is 23. I am a very proud Navy mom- our two oldest girls are currently serving, as well as my "new" son-in-law (Go Navy!). Our son is expecting his first child in October, and his girlfriend has a son who is 3, so our family is starting to blossom some more. Our youngest daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's disease a little over two years ago, after struggling with illness her entire life. This has been a hard journey, full of many ups and downs along the way, but we view it as a gift and this is how we make it through the difficult days. I have learned so much through this experience in trying to manage her disease as well being there (and teaching her) to be a strong advocate for her needs. Thankfully her health is in a relatively stable place right now, something we never take for granted. I recently began working in a lumberyard- a place I never would have excepted to work, but I truly enjoy it. I love to read and carry my Kindle with me everywhere I go. I also enjoy working puzzles, playing games and just enjoying the precious time I have with my two "babies" still at home.

Jenni Calma

Hello! My name is Jenni Calma. My husband and I met in college and just celebrated 12 years together! I retired from Architecture to stay at home with my two children. After the birth of my daughter, I bought a couple of books of Cathy Zielske’s and Ali Edwards’ and fell in love! I have been obsessed with paper and all aspects of craftiness since! My must have tools are my Tim Holtz scissors, vellum & stamps! Aside from my craving to create, I love to read, cook, surf Pinterest and have a tiny addiction to coffee! I am delighted to be joining the Color-Me-Scrappy DT and look forward to sharing my perspective on their inspiring challenges!

Stephanie DiSabato

My name is Stephanie DiSabato. I am so happy to be joining my first design team with Color Me Scrappy! My career is also transitioning as I left the company I was with for 14 years to accept a promotion as a department manager. This is such an exciting time for me! I am a devoted weekend scrapper, and I've been scrapbooking for 15 years now, since the birth of my son. It's hard to believe that it's been that long. He is still my favorite subject to scrapbook, but I also have a wonderful husband and two beautiful black and white cats. My son has Autism, so I try to document the good times as well as the challenges we face and overcome. As a family, we vacation once or twice a year, and I try to get in some of the pictures! My other interests include reading, trying new restaurants, and relaxing with crime drama shows.

Julie Tucker-Wolek

My name is Julie Tucker-Wolek and I have been scrapping since my son was born 15 years ago, but really got into it as a major passion about 6 years ago when my daughter was born. I create everything! Cards, layouts and altered projects!

Our returning Design Team Members are:

Sharon Fritchman

Crystal Schneider

Lynne Le5

Mary Bennetts

Lisa Haiss

Pam Pritzl

Onto the reveal for Challenge #41

The Twist: Use this sketch designed by Lisa Haiss

Guest Designers:

Paula Flavia

Elisabeth Sarkis

Color Me Scrappy Design Team