This week we have two interviews coming your way so be sure to check back for another awesome interview a little later today!  First up is Mary from Plum Dumpling Designs!

1. Your screen name? Plum Dumpling Designs Your real name? Mary

2. What is your main job/career? I stay at home with my two boys Clark and Kent. Before motherhood I taught English as a Second Language in a middle school.

3. Are you married/children/pets? I’ve been married for almost 7 (gasp!) years to my best friend, Jason. We have our two superboys Clark and Kent and a dog Cutlass. We also have a slew of fish and a baby snapping turtle named Snappy.

4. Where is home for you? We live in the suburbs of Chicago.

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, mashed potatoes, and green beans

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Vanilla

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Sweet, sweet, sweet and a little more sweet.

8. Beverage of choice? Diet Coke

9. What’s your least favorite food? Seafood – all of it.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC – PSE 8

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I started digiscrapping when Clark was 6 months old. I had PSE 5 in the package for about 6 months and never touched it. One day I started to google tutorials about this strange hobby with all of its strange language. I did my first challenge that day, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

12. What was your 1st LO about? My first LO was of my graduation from my Masters’ program at DePaul University. I was 7 months pregnant in my cap and gown.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Finishing and album and actually PRINTING it! One of my goals this year is to finish our 2009 vacation to Maine.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I’d love to learn how to make awesome sugar cookies…decorated all beautifully and super yummy to eat.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? TV: Bones, CSI:NY, Criminal Minds and AFV Movies: Return to Me, Despicable Me

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I scrap in our family room. Sometimes the kids are around and it is noisy and sometimes they are asleep and it is quiet. I almost always have a drink (Diet Coke or water) and a snack.

19. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed? I started designing just before the first Design Star competition. I think my favorite product to date is Serendipity or A Photo A Day

20. How would you describe your design style? I have no idea. I think it is still evolving. I have yet to really feel my niche.

21. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation? I’m always looking for new ideas. I look around a lot when shopping and I browse through magazines. A walk through the library is almost always inspiring.

22. What is your favorite color scheme to design with? I tend to shy away from pinks. While it is my favorite color, it just doesn’t look right on my boys.

Thanks Mary to for letting us get to know you better!  Check out all of Mary’s awesome designs here!!

-Lynett (lynett_rock)

Welcome to the first Saturday Special in April…and boy do I have a fun challenge for you!!

Let’s try combining two different templates! Maybe you want more pictures and need help with the placement of adding photos, or maybe you like the paper layering on one but really like the element placement on another. Are maybe you have tons of template packs that you have used the single templates but would really like to get more use out of your stash. Combining templates is a great way to create a whole new layout out of products you already have!!

What I do first is find to templates that are a little different but I know will work beautiful together. I upload them both into my editing software and put them side by side. Next, I hide everything on the templates except for the back ground papers. Then I open a new 3600×3600 blank file. When I decide which parts of the background I want to use I start moving them to my blank file.

Then I unhide the photo placements on each template and decide which ones I want to use and add them to my blank file.

Be sure to move layers around so that your photo are covered up and make it so it works how you like it!

Next you can merge the template elements or you can just work with what you have and add your embellishments later depending on the kit you are using.

I decided to combine geniaBean Scraps – Lots Layers v1 and uses SMDT Warm Fuzzies

and check out the awesome creations by our creative team:

Kairyn:

It combines True Blue – Sweet Spring Set 1 combined with KimB Page Formers 3 and uses Laurie Ann’s – April Grace

Melanie:

It’s a mix of all four of HayNay Designs – Don’t Be So Negative Templates. Uses My Magical Place, My Magical Place: Add-On, My Magical Place: Grunge it Up and Dotted Dates all by Hanynay Designs

Becca:

It combines Erica Zane/Denise Beatty Originals EZ Originals V.1 template and WM[Sqaured] Fun and Funky volume 1 template. Uses WM2′s Springy: The Alpha, Inspiration by Day’s Sew Springy, and KimB’s Carefree Solids, Carefree Prints and Carefree Elements, all from the April Mix A Kit Collection.

Amanda:

It combines Carefree Templates by True Blue Studio and Don’t be So Negative by Haynay Designs and using the SMDT Mix a Kit April

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting in The Saturday Special thread & in the The Saturday Speical gallery. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!

-You have until the end of April to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.

-Remember no double dipping…your photo and/or layout must be unique to this challenge.

-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

Can’t wait to see what you create! Have FUN!!