Design Team Challenge Update

We have had so many great submissions for our April Design Team Challenge hosted by Staci Taylor, some of which I have already featured here on the blog. Today is the last day to get your submission in to be entered to win a $10 gift certificate to the AMM store as well as a selection of AMM's awesome vintage trims to be shipped with your order! What an awesome prize for doing what you already love to do. SO let's take a look at the entries we have had since last week.

"Hook 'em" by Tagnia Clark


"Hangers? Why?" by SuB



"I Loved You Before I Met You" by robin_f


"Pure" by Nicole Pomeroy

"Lil Sis" by Alyssa

"Sweet Baby" by Karla Smith

"Love Always" by BarbP

Thanks so much to all who participated. Staci will be posting on the boards soon after the challenge closes who the winner is. So stay tuned.

Member Monday with Rachel Hall

Welcome back blog readers. Today we have a new Lyaout of the Week to share and this week's pick was chosen by Rachel Hall. Rachel chose this layout by Leeann Pearce. Rachel said, "The second I saw this layout in the gallery I gasped out loud! The layering is absolutely fantastic and so full of interest from the stitching to the crochet trims that peek out from the layers. It's one of those layouts that you could get lost for days staring at and wondering how it was put together so perfectly!'

"Just Beautiful" by Leeann Pearce


You can visit Leeann on her blog here and see more inspiration from her in her AMM gallery. Thanks Rachel and Leeann!

Little Something Sunday with Karen Grunberg

An Art Journal in the Making

I've wanted to keep art journals for several years. Each year, I'd start them and then end up abandoning them after just a few pages. I put so much pressure on myself and disliked so many of my pages that I simply couldn't get myself to continue. I also did the same thing for regular journaling. So, this year, I decided to combine the two and add in my desire to learn new things. I took the journal I'd used in 2008 (the cover says "Journey" which was my word of the year in 2008) and took out its pages. I added a ton of different sized and textured pages. I put some cardboard, watercolor paper, newsprint, copic paper, the thick paper that was in the 7gypsies journal I'm using, patterned scrapbooking paper, etc. Most of the items came from a Rebecca Sower journaling kit I bought. I then sewed a pouch inside the cover to hold some loose items I might want to use in my journal like doilies, baker's twine, tags, etc. and my journal was ready.

The whole thing started with a challenge Kal Barteski issued about picking a topic and doing it 5 ways in 5 days. I decided to do trees and did 5 pages using different mediums and inspirations. I did a page with Ruth Rae's instructions and fabric, one with oil pastels, one with a photo page inspired by Misty Mawn, some copic coloring, and embroidery. I added to that one that I had made for creative therapy catalyst two out of paper and I had a set of 6 pages to put in my journal.

Then I took out every single inspiring book and magazine I'd bought in the last few years and marked all the pages I loved and wanted to try out. I had books by Ruth Rae, the Artistic Mom, several Somerset Studio magazines, Somerset Apprentice and Art Journaling, and Somerset Sew and Quilting. I played with fabric and paint. I tried to create similar pieces to what inspired me. These weren't for publication, just for learning and practicing so I didn't worry about duplicating style. It also took the pressure off having to come up with something to do everyday.

I also put together all my art supplies that I've bought over the years. My new copic markers, my water soluble crayons, watercolors, oil pastels, etc. And made a list of all the things I wanted to learn/try.I was really afraid to draw. I don't feel like I have any talent in it but I wanted to use my copic markers, etc. I reminded myself this wasn't for perfection. It was for experimentation and for fun and for inspiration. So I drew. I colored. I doodled. I inked. I liked some and I liked others less.

It's been a few weeks and I am falling more and more in love with my art journal. I have now completed around 20 pages or so and I have plans for so many more pages. I am still really excited about my journal and I am really glad to be working on it. And in case you're wondering I am doing the journaling, too.

I think the biggest trick was to go through all my books and magazines and tag pages. Now I have a long list of inspiring things to try and I sit every morning and work on one that strikes my fancy that day. If you're like me and have been putting off making an art journal, I highly recommend this trick. Or at least collecting all your supplies, the papers you haven't been using, the leftover pile and just getting started. The best part about an art journal is that it's for pure play. No one is ever going to grade your art journal. It's just for you. If you want to see any of my pages up close or see what inspired which page, you are welcome to visit the art journal section of my blog. If you have an art journal, please link to it so I can come see yours too. I love being inspired by others!

Design Team Recommends with Karen Grunberg

Happy Saturday and welcome to a new installment of The Design Team Recommends. I think you can totally pick up on the style of each designer just by looking at what products they have picked out from the store as their favorites. Today we are going to take a look at what is in Karen Grunberg's shopping cart.

AMM embroidered lace from the Odds and Ends section of the store.

Jenni Bowlin's Tiny Circle Alpha-Navy

From My Little Yellow Bicycle's Fresh Print Traveler Collection, Ticket to Ride

From My Little Yellow Bicycle's Zinnia Collection this Floral Ledger paper now only 47 cents per sheet!

American Crafts-Daiquiri Vinyl Thickers are Karen's favorite font to use. These are currently on sale for only #3.90 so stock up!

From 7 Gypsies Avignon:

Orchestra

Ericture

So head on over to the store and remember domestic orders get $5.00 shipping. So stock up on your favorites!

Have you heard the call?

We are looking for new Design Team Members and will be accepting applications through May 31st, 2010!!!

We would also like to get at least one altered artist.

We will announce the new designers once they have been contacted and have accepted their posts. The design team position is a commitment through December, 2010.

GENERAL INFORMATION:We are looking for energetic, outgoing, talented, versatile and creative individuals who are team players. Strong photography, digital scrapbooking and class experience is a plus, but not required.

Interested applicants MUST REGISTER AND POST on the message boards at AMM during the DT call. We want to spend time getting to know you and we want you to get to know us. Your design team experience at AMM will require daily activity on our boards and posting praise in the gallery.

We keep our Design Team Members busy with all sorts of activities, i.e., monthly kits, manufacturer kits, 2-3 blog posts per month, message boards, chats, classes, etc., so when considering whether you would like to apply for the DT position, please think about the amount of time that will be required to fulfill your DT requirements.

FOR LAYOUT ARTISTS:Submit 2 NEW (not previously posted or published) original 12 x 12 layouts and a card. A bonus to your submission can also be an altered project that you may have created in the past (or a new one). "Altered Project" in this respect can include a mini book (but not a card or a page).

FOR ALTERED ARTISTS: Submit 1 NEW (not previously posted or published) original project, with photos of previously created projects.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:A Million Memories Designers are exclusive to our team. Our designers cannot hold design team positions with any competing kit club or online scrapbooking retailers. Manufacturer design teams, blog challenge boards and teaching at your LSS are acceptable. Your main function as a Design Team Member for AMM is that you ARE A MARKETING TOOL FOR OUR STORE AND KIT CLUB!!! Whether it be through your designs of the product that we provide for you, word of mouth, etc., We do not want our designers to advertise for competing online businesses.

As an AMM designer, you will promote AMM whenever possible. Example, if you have a blog, there should be a link to AMM with our blinkie. A picture of our latest monthly kit should be on your blog and on your Facebook page (if you have one). The latest happenings at AMM (such as contests), should all be posted on your blogs. We will in turn post your blog on our blog.

As previously indicated, CONSISTENT message board participation is required.
DT members are required to post at least 3-4 layouts per kit, the altered item included in the kit (if there is one) and a card (if possible). All pieces of the kit should be utilized so that kit members will be inspired to use each individual item on their own projects.

Complete manufacturer sponsorship projects. You will receive product for free and in return we will showcase your work directly to the manufacturer.
Actively participate in challenges, organizing contests and vendor advertising (where appropriate).

WHAT DO OUR DESIGNERS RECEIVE?
A free kit every other month containing the industry's latest and greatest products, plus extra supplemental products as compensation.

Special sponsored manufacturer's kits. These projects are completed and posted on our boards and then we send the projects directly to the manufacturers, who may in turn, use your projects on their site, catalogs, etc. This is direct access to having your work seen by manufacturers.

Product discounts (more detail will be provided to those who are selected for the team) and larger discounts with designer direct manufacturer orders.

Free product for special limited edition kits that you may (on occasion) design yourself from items in our store.

Free product for special class kits that you will design yourself.

Miscellaneous perks - free passes to CHA, opportunity to design with our kits, etc. The opportunity to teach in our store and earn a percentage of the class fees.
________________________________________________________

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE e-mail your projects with the following information to michelle@amillionmemories.com:
-Name,
-mailing address
-phone number
-Links to other online galleries that show your work (as well as your screen name)
-Link to your blog, if you have one (there is going to be an AMM link on there, right?)
-Become an AMM fan on Facebook. Send us a friend request if you have an account so we can follow you.
-A bio of yourself

Include the answers to the following questions in your email:
1) Why are you interested in a DT position with AMM?
2) Site commitment and participation. How will you encourage people to become involved in the AMM community?
3) Have you ever designed for another website/company? If so, who?
4) Are you active on any message boards? Which ones? (please provide a few links to your posts and your user name)

**Note: The answers to the above questions will NOT effect your chances of being on the Design Team . . .we are just curious. ; ) If you have any comments or questions, please email us at michelle@amillionmemories.com

Saying Goodbye to Suzy Plantamura

April marks the end of Suzy's Honorary Design Team position with us. Having met this fun lady, I can tell you she is just as fun and spirited as her layouts are this month. So please join me in leaving her some love for her work this month and saying thanks for designing with us for the past three months!

"Who Me?" This layout makes me laugh. All of my life I have been "in trouble" for being a talker. If you know me, I'm sure you are really surprised by this - haha! Even though I was always tagged as the bad girl, I am really a good girl underneath! I used the April kit for this layout - I cut the scalloped circle out and used a gold marker around the edges to frame the photos. I used my Slice for the butterflies (I couldn't resist getting in on the butterfly craze!).


"Easter Egg Hunt" I had fun making this layout with the April kit! I used a piece of white cardstock for the background so the bright pink colors would pop. I used my Slice to cut the word Egg from the pink paper and the eggs and basket from other papers in the kit. I added a piece of green paper and cut grass out of it. I used Ranger Stickles to decorate the eggs and basket.


"Doggy Photo Shoot" Another layout using the April kit. I tried to put a funkier spin on this one. I punched circles out of patterned paper and then folded them in half and stitched in place for the borders. I made the cupcake with a white button, green dots from the letter stickers and beads from the trim. The candles are cut from the chandelier on the rub ons. The letters are from the add on kit.


"Daddy Love" Another layout with the April kit. Oh my gosh - it is so gorgeous, I am just trying to do it justice (which is hard because I am NOT a gorgeous type of scrapper). I added the flowers and rick rack from the add on kit - and of course I had to throw some ledger stickers in there!

"Precious" This is my first page with the LOVELY April kit. It seriously took me about 30 mins - the products are so pretty, you just lay them down and you have a beautiful layout! I added a tag from the add on kit and two Maya Road pins.

Thanks so much for inspiring us over the past three months Suzy! I hope you all will leave her some love here. Be sure to visit her creations in the Design Team Gallery or on her blog.

Design Team Challenge Update

Hi there. Today I just wanted to check in with you on how you are doing on completing your project for our April Design Team Challenge. Last week I posted the submissions we have had so far, and today I have a new one to show you.

This monochromatic beauty is from Susan Dupre.
"Kiss Me I'm Irish"


Remember, you need to create a layout based on the sketch (you can see it over there to the left) and your layout needs to be monochromatic.

Post your completed layout in the challenge thread here by the 21st and you will be entered to win a $10.00 AMM store gift card along with several yards of Michelle's awesome vintage trims to be shipped when you place your order. Now, that sounds like an awesome prize! Happy Wednesday!

Technique Tuesday with Kat Glossop

I love playing with fabric...and ink....and paint....basically anything that gets my hands all dirty! Here I’ll show you how I created the background piece for my “My Hand” layout.


I took a piece of calico, arranged two “Love” stamps using single alpha stamps, then used paint to stamp the words over the calico.


Once I was happy with the fabric, I allowed it to dry, then scrunched it up, applied a line of alcohol ink onto a felt applicator, then dabbed the scrunched material over and over, scrunching and re-scrunching.


I then used a new piece of felt on the applicator, added some Alcohol Blending Solution and rubbed it across the fabric, blurring the alcohol ink splotches, until I was happy with the result.

Member Monday with Karen Grunberg

Hi! It's a new week and that means a new Member Monday. Selecting our Layout of the Week is Karen Grunberg who chose this layout by JenniferL. Karen said, "I love the way she put the numbers and I love the ink blotches and the great use of white space."

"Ten" by Jennifer L.

Want to get to know this featured member a little better? Read on for a little interview Karen had with Jennifer.

What inspired you to do the numbers like that (I love it!!)? Really it was the numbers themselves that inspired me. I love everything about that chipboard set and wanted to use as many as I could.

What's your favorite part of putting a layout together? The best thing about scrapbooking is watching the kids pull out the albums and recall different events, but the best thing about putting the layout together is playing with the products and learning new techniques.

What's your least favorite part of putting a layout together? It seems silly but I think the journaling is my least favorite part, not that I don't enjoy it, it's just not as fun as playing with all the products.

Where do you get your inspiration? I find inspiration in a lot of different places, but mostly through blogs, galleries, and the products themselves.

Maybe link us to some people who inspire you? There are three people who really inspire me (not that my work looks anything like theirs). Janine Langer (still have no idea what happened to her), Larissa Albernaz, and Michelle Alynn Clement.

You can visit Jennifer on her blog here. Be sure to leave Jennifer some love here on this post or click on her layout title above, to see it in the gallery.

Happy Monday!