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!

Little Something Sunday with Staci Taylor

Today I am going to show you how to make this little flowerpot.


Homemade flowers seem to be all the rage right now, so I made some of my own to jazz up this flowerpot for my daughter to collect her spring flowers in. I started with a small pot I found from the dollar spot at Target.


Although the pot was cute to begin with, I didn't want the star to show, so I covered as much of the base as I could with paper.


I think paper roses are so pretty, and a gal at Teresa Collins' booth at CHA explained the spiral method to me, so I decided to give it a go - I love the result! The first thing you need to do is cut or punch a circle. I used my largest circle punch (3 inches).

Next, you need to cut the circle in a spiral all the way to the center.

Then, starting from the outside of the spiral, start rolling the paper tightly in toward the center. Make sure that you keep the side up that you want to show on the flower petals.


Once you've rolled your paper all the way to the center, gently let go so that it opens up and unwinds a bit. Once you have your rose open at the desired amount, glue the outside petal to the bottom of the flower.


At this point, feel free to experiment. You can add paint, glitter or spray ink to your flower or leave it as it is. I sprayed some Pearl Glimmer Mist to mine to give them a bit of sparkle and to allow me to bend the leaves out a bit. Once you have the amount of roses you need to make a border around your flowerpot, simply glue them on. It's an easy way to bring a little bit of spring into your home :-)

Design Team Recommends with Staci Taylor

Happy Saturday! Today we are going to take a look into the creative mind of Staci Taylor and see what products get her creative juices flowing in this installment of "The Design Team Recommends". It looks like Staci is in a spring-time frame of mind.

So have a look below at some of the products that Staci is coveting and just click on the link to be taken to that line in the store.

Don't forget that domestic orders can receive $5 shipping!

American Crafts Dotted Blue Thickers

Making Memories Flutter Line
Journaling book

Love these umbrellas!

Fancy Pants Vintage Valentine Line

Jenni Bowlin Tangerine Dreams Collection

4x4 patterned paper sheets-perfect for creating quick and easy mini books.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

April's Inspired by...

Hello AMM blog readers. I'm here with a new month's Design Team Gallery Inspiration post. We are calling these Gallery Inspirations because the design team's work is more inspired by the original rather than a lift of the original. So let's get on to this month's inspiration, former AMM Design Team girl and one of my favorite people, Susan Dupre!

Susan created this super cute layout for our March challenge using Rachel Hall's sketch and Tonya's twist to use a song lyric or title as the layout title or in the journaling.
"9 Goals" by Susan Dupre

Let's see what the design team did! First up is Larissa Albernaz who said, "I loved the creative way how Susan listed her goals and I loved the clean and clever design with beautiful colors! I tried to make my scraplift in a way I could include on my layout a list, some circles and the position of some embellishments."

"Sew" by Larissa Albernaz

Next up is Staci Taylor with this super sweet layout featuring a flower from one of her recent blog tutorials. Staci said, "I loved Susan's awesome layout. My favorite element was all the circles, and I loved how she journaled around them. I took inspiration from Susan's circles by adding some to my own layout, and I also did my title and my journaling around the perimeter of the circles."

"Last Baby" by Staci Taylor


Next up is Kat Glossop who said, "I was inspired by the circles on Susan's layout, and how it was separated into the two sections giving two distinct focal points to the page, with the title on the bottom half."

"Imagination" by Kat Glossop

Last but not least is this layout by Rachel Hall who said,"I loved Susan's use of circles and embellishments in her page and used a similar look in my layout using the negative left over from a package of embellishments. I also loved how she used the flair in her circles and played around with a similar look as well. Thank you Susan for inspiring us all with your beautiful work in the gallery!"

"Team Awesome" by Rachel Hall

April Design Team Challenge Update

We are taking a few minutes today to take a look at our submissions so far for our new design team challenge for the month of April, hosted by Staci Taylor. You can find more information on the requirements for this challenge and how you can win a $10.00 AMM store gift certificate by clicking the link over there on the left.

Here are the submissions we have so far.

First up is this pink perfection by Chris, also known as "emmapaige" on the message boards.
"Talent Show"


Secondly, we have this submission from AMM newbie, Suzanne, also known as "SuB" on the message boards.
"Passover Seder"

Next is this layout by CaroleAnn.

"True Love"

I do hope you will give the design team challenge a go this month. It is an awesome little prize up for grabs. Remember, you have until the 21st to get those projects uploaded to the challenge thread here.