This week you are in for a real treat!  We were able to catch up with Lina of LDrag Designs to learn a little more about her and her designing style!!

Well, grab a snack and a favorite beverage because you are in for a TREAT today!! We have 3 Guest Interviews and our LOTW/POTW Winners up on the SM Blog today!!

First up is Rachel (Captivated Visions).  She has been a Guest Designer for ScrapMatters before and we are SO EXCITED to see what new goodies she has brought for us this month!!  If you’d like to get to know Rachel a little more….READ ON!! =)

1. Your screen name? Your real name?
Captivated Visions, my real name is Rachel Jefferies

2. What is your main job/career?
Designer! Captivated Visions is my full time job

3. Are you married/children/pets?
I’m married to Simon, we got married overlooking the beach in Mauritius and will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary this year

4. Where is home for you?
I’m an English gal, I live in Birmingham in the UK

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Lasagne, Traditional Roast Dinner Yum, Hmm I don’t know what else, I eat too much of everything!

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Sweet!

8. Beverage of choice?
My friends call me the Tea Monster . .enough said . .

9. What’s your least favorite food?
Celery . . blech ..

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?
PC, Photoshop CS3

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?
I was first introduced to the digital scrapbooking community by a friend in 2009 after using Paint Shop Pro for many years creating signature tags in forums and dabbled with digi-scrapping shortly afterwards although I wasn’t very active back then.

12. What was your 1st LO about?
One of the first pages that I created and uploaded to the ScrapMatters Gallery was a wedding page – I look at it now and eek no date!!

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?
No there are certainly not any other hobbies lol!!
My Design Work is more than a full time job, so if I am lucky enough to have spare time my one and only official hobbie is digi scrapping. If I’m not on the computer though I’ll be watching movies with Simon

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
Title work, I am in awe of scrappers who make such fun and bold titles and make it look so easy! I need more practice there.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?
I’d love to learn more about my DSLR Camera, I’d love to learn to Meditate and I’d love to give driving another go! (Nerves got the better of me and I couldn’t afford the practical test fee again, I think I took it three times)

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
Shows – The Uk Apprentice, CSI, UK X Factor, Medium
Movies – Twilight Saga, Pixar Movies, Classics like Superman, Planet of the Apes, and so much more, I love horrors, dramas, comedies, too many to name!

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
Depends on Mojo If Mojo is flowing I’ll have music on, otherwise it’s a distraction. Cup of Tea or Fizzy Soft Drink and some Chocolate!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?
Flowers and leaves!

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
My nickname in the family is Doris

20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed?
I started making blog freebies in 2009 and was selling shortly after that.

21. How would you describe your design style?

With great difficulty? LOL because it is always evolving!
It’s hard to label it as a ‘style’ as such, because a lot of the time it’s doodly, all of the time it’s fun, some of the time it’s grungey and so on! I really design for the moment and stay true to my emotions and my strengths when I design, but I like to try new things too. If I HAD to label it I’d say Doodly and Unique. I always include original drawings or doodles of somesort, you might notice my current fetish for craft paper, distressing techniques and paint .

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?

I keep a designer notebook with me always, and keep a note of creative ideas or new product lines that pop into my head, I keep an inspiration folder on my computer where I collect colour inspiration and other visuals. Fabrics and patterns from home furnishings or fashion are great starting points for me, I am in Love with Pinterest and love to soak up inspiration from Mail Order Catalogues and anything else I can get my hands on!

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?

It’s a funny question as Purple has never been a huge favourite of mine though it’s been featured a LOT lately in my designs and I’m quite obsessed with it right now! I love opposites in the colour wheel, I get excited when I get to play with a bold colour scheme!

Thanks so much for letting us get to know more about you, Rachel, and your designing routines and styles!!  Be sure to check out Rachel’s store while she is guesting with us!!

Lisa (Kelseyll)

This week we get to learn more about ScrapMatters Girl Jamie (Jamieh)!  Here is what she had to say when responding to our questions! =)

1. Your screen name? Your real name? Jamieh Jamie

2. What is your main job/career? I just quit as an Elementary PE teacher to be a full time SAHM to 2 little ones

3. Are you married/children/pets? Married with a 3 year old boy and 6 month old girl – NO PETS!!

4. Where is home for you?
We live in Orem, UT

5. How long have you lived there? Different places in the same valley for the past 10 years going to school and working

6. What are your 3 favorite foods? Pizza, Sushi, cookies

7. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Cookies and Cream . . . get it everytime!

8. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? I need a little of both . . . but I love popcorn and chips

9. Beverage of choice? water

10. What’s your least favorite food? I don’t remember because I don’t eat it any more

11. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC – PSE 9 (It’s new, I am still learning the tricks of the program upgraded from PSE 5)

12. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I learned to digiscrap from some girls in my spouses club for the MBA program in 2008. After a year of fiddling around and TRYING to learn, one of the girls, who was a designer, invited me to participate in a template Tuesday challenge. She walked me through everything! I was SO nervous to put my first LO on display!! I love the comments and was hooked on challenges ever since!

13. What was your 1st LO about?
I made several LO for my sons first year of life (using the same template for every page) but the first one I uploaded was just a park day with my kiddo

14. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I love sports and exercising. I like playing with my kids and watching movies with my husband.

15. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? TIME – every second I am not with my kids I want to spend with my husband, so I feel like I can’t get time to do what I enjoy doing. I feel like I get more behind with photos every day rather than get caught up with layouts ever!

16. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I wish I were a bit more crafty – like sewing or refinishing things. But I hate the way most of my projects turn out so I don’t think I will learn unless I learn patience pretty darn quick

17. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
I LOL to Modern Family and am addicted to NCIS

18. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? bowl of popcorn, perhaps a movie in the background, no other distractions.

19. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? ribbons (I love ric rac) and stars.

20. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
I have been skydiving in Hawaii.

21. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? Do I have one? I definitely like more than one photo on a page. I change my style a bit based on the different challenges. I really like trying new things with new kits and being challenged to make something different.
22. Favorite LOs that you have done?

23. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Scraps Matter Gang?
I love this place! The community, the challenges, the encouragement, the friends, the love, it is a great place to be and I really feel like I belong here!

24. What is your favorite childhood memory and have you scrapped it?
I haven’t scrapped anything previous to my kid being born. Was there life before kids? (Just kidding) I remember on my birthday my mom would read through our baby books with us in her bed. It was a happy time of her showing us pictures of ourselves and telling us how she felt about them. I hope I can do that for my kids.

Thanks for letting us get to know you better, Jamie!!!

-Kim (kjrogers01)

We have a VERY talented group of ladies that rock the layouts each week on the Creative Team here at ScrapMatters! This week we got a chance to ask one of our CTM’s, Tronesia, some questions to get to know her a little better!  Without further ado…here’s TRONESIA!!!  (Sorry for the weird spacing issues…formatting is NOT cooperating!)

1. Your screen name? Your real name?

Diamndprincz // Tronesia

2. What is your main job/career?

Claims Analyst @ a health insurance company -Being a mom

3. Are you married/children/pets?

Engaged…no rush on marriage ….1 child, Aida (3 yrs old)….no pets

4. Where is home for you?

Alabama

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Chocolate….quesadillas….seafood

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Hi!  Today we are featuring one of our Scrap Matters Girls:  Debby (debbysrose).  I recently got to meet her IRL and she is an amazing person.  So, without further ado, here is debbysrose!

This week I have the pleasure of featuring a newer member to ScrapMatters and she recently became one of our ScrapMatters Girls too!  Read what Shelle (dreamynest) had to say when we asked her a few questions! =)

1.   Your screen name? Your real name?

Screen name: Dreamynest. Real Name: Shelle. My screen name is from my BBC (Before Breast Cancer) blog that I used to have by the same name. Now it’s just sitting out there in cyberspace, waiting for me to come back.

2.   What is your main job/career?
In my “former life” I am a writer, a copywriter. I got laid off in 2009, like a lot of people did. Now I’m a SAHM of three great kids who drive me insane.

3.   Are you married/children/pets?
I’m very blessed to be married to my rock of a husband, Scott. He’s military, so sometimes he’s away for days, weeks and even months to a year at a time, or longer. We’re all very proud of him and he kinda rocks. <3 Three kids (14, 12 and 4) and we just added our newest addition, Dexter, a sweet pug!

4.   Where is home for you?
We live in the South, in Mississippi. It’s home, but I’m ready to move and spread our wings. To me, home is where my family is at, as long as we’re all together.

5.   What are your 3 favorite foods?
Oh man, what ISN’T my favorite food? I love pastas, sushi and breads. Give me all three at once and I’m in heaven. I could live off of that!

6.   What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Rocky Road, baby! Nuts, chocolate and marshmallows! YUM-O!

7.   Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Mostly salty, nuts, crackers and sometimes chips. But then I usually have to add a little bit of sweet to the mix. I love candy!

8.   Beverage of choice?

Dr. Pepper or Orange soda.

9.   What’s your least favorite food?
Crab and lobster and scallops. *shudder*

10.  PC or Mac? What program do you use?

PC – but I really, really want a Mac. I think I’ve almost convinced my hubby to let us get one when our PC dies. *crossing fingers*

11.  How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?

I haven’t been digi-scrapping for long at all. I tried paper scrapping but with kids in the house it was too hard to pull everything out and then put it all back. I really enjoyed it though. But, it was also expensive! I had read about digi scrapping so I started digging into and researching digi-scrapping in November and December last year while I was going through chemotherapy. I was able to get my hands on a PSE 8 software disc and I just started messing around with it and watching a lot of videos. HA!

12.  What was your 1st LO about?

My first layout ever is one about being thankful. My family and I have been through so much in the last year that I wanted to commemorate how special my life is with family. These pictures were taken about 2 weeks after my first chemotherapy round. I had cut all my hair off in anticipation of losing it. I was at a hat/scarf party with family and friends. It struck me how blessed I was to have all of this support. So I had to scrap about it.

13.  Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?
I’m what you might call a dabbler. I’ve tried a LOT of things. Painting, DIY stuff, sewing, traditional scrapping, etc. I love it all! Maybe I should call myself DIY-Jane. LOL

14.  What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
Right now it’s time. I had sooooooo much time while I was going through chemo and radiation but now that it’s over, I’ve jumped back into living my life again and I miss the hours I had to play. I’ve got to find the balance somehow. I mainly want to refine my skills and learn how to do all of the amazing things I’ve seen in the gallery – blending, using frames, clustering, shadowing… the list is endless.

15.  What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?

Uhm, is photography related to scrapbooking? I really would like to take a photography class. I barely ever move my camera off of Auto.

16.  What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
What?! There’s more on TV than Nick Jr.?! No one told me!!

17.  Describe your “scrapping” environment.  Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
I scrap at my PC, which is in the living room, usually after my youngest goes to bed because I hate being interrupted. I’m usually scrapping to the History channel in the background because that’s what my hubby watches.

18.  If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?
I’m falling in love with stitching and fasteners (staples, clips, brads, etc).

19.  Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
I’m a published writer, in magazines and a few non-fiction books. Crazy, huh?

20.  Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style?
I’m still trying to find my style. I know what I’m drawn to, which is clean neutrals. Right now I’m exploring a lot of different kits and finding my way. So far, out of the few layouts I’ve completed, I love my simpler, cleaner layouts best.

21.  Favorite LOs that you have done?

DASHING

This is one of my favorites, mostly because I love the photos, but I also did this layout without a template (first time on my own) and I’m kinda okay with it.

BLACK TIE

I like this one because it’s the first one where I tried to keep it minimal and figure out clustering. I discovered that clustering is an art! And I’m not sure I understand it yet!

DIRT DIVA

This layout is my first where I tried to mix and match kits to create a vision in my head. It’s not the vision I had… LOL But it turned out okay.

22. How long have you been a member at ScrapMatters?  How did you hear about us?

I was a lurker for quite a few months, absorbing information and scrolling through the gallery trying to figure out how you guys did that. I found ScrapMatters doing searches on the ‘net. Everyone’s been so great and welcoming!! I’m really enjoying it here. I even love that no one has pointed out my floating text in several of my layouts.

23. Do you have any suggestions for kits you’d like to see in the SM store?
Wow, I don’t know. So far I’m just grabbing freebies and buying kits that strike me. I haven’t actually sat down and tried to find a specific kit before. I have noticed that it’s hard to find pre-teen and teenage boy kits though that reflect more than sports and in something other than blue and orange. Something like cellphones, facebook, guitars, books, science, microphones, some of the vernacular and texting word art, etc. Grays and blacks and more subdued colors would be awesome. Those kits may exist, but I haven’t exactly gone out searching for them.

How great to get to know one of our newer members that has just jumped right in and has become such an amazing community member!!  Way to go, Shelle!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

We are honored to have Angie as a Designer at ScrapMatters after she tackled task after task in our Design Star Competition earlier this year.  Here is what she had to say when we asked her a few questions.

1. Your screen name? Down This Road Your real name? Angie

2. What is your main job/career? Elementary School Reading Aide

3. Are you married/children/pets? I am Married and we have 2 children. Boston 11 and Brooke 9.

4. Where is home for you? I live in Utah, USA.

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Chocolate, yogurt, pasta

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Dole Pineapple whip!!!! I just found it available at a frozen yogurt bar just up the street from my house. YUM!!

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Both!!

8. Beverage of choice? Water first…Dr. Pepper second

9. What’s your least favorite food? Blue cheese

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC, PSCS4

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? 6 years How did you get started? I stumbled upon digital while looking for clip art for traditional scrapping.

12. What was your 1st LO about? (Pics and links will be needed for the blog post) There is no way I am sharing my first ever layout, but I will share the first layout I posted publicly. LOL!!! It was about my son and this huge inflatable water slide we had in the summer of 2005.

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I love all crafts and traveling when I can.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? time and journaling.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I would like to learn more about fitness and nutrition!!

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? Favorite movie is French Kiss and favorite TV Shoe Modern Family.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? Usually at my computer desk with music.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? flowers and buttons.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I am one of 9 children.

20. When did you start designing? March 2009 What is your favorite product that you’ve designed? Best Wishes

21. How would you describe your design style? I love designing kits that are fun and colorful, I also love vintage and heritage kits too.

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation? My life and family.

23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most? Blast Off

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with? I love bold colors and more on the masculine side.

Thanks for letting us get to know you better, Angie!

Hildur (Hildur)

1. Your screen name? Your real name? kimbob, Kim Michelle Broedelet

We have just saved a little neglected French Poodle from his horrible owners and have two dogs at home ( a Labby and Shei-pei) plus a kitty that rules the roost.

My “official” HOME is in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, but am living at the moment up in the mountains near Hartbeespoort Dam so hubby could start his “dream” business. I travel between the two during the year to make sure my son has at least some food in the cupboards and hasn’t burnt the place down- lol

8. Beverage of choice? COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

I used make a lot of cards/paper gifts for friends and family and came across Digi by accident doing a google search for inspiration. I’ve never looked back and to be honest hardly touch glue these days- lol

Of course it was “family” and the first one was of Hubby and Me- lol

I used a freebie from Shabby Princess but didn’t have a clue about “credits” in those days- so don’t know who’s other extra’s I used on it

UHUM, not many others. Everything revolves “around” my designing or inspiration for Digi-Scrapping.

I love my camara and am always in everyones faces snapping photos-lol!

I do draw and paint (LOVE oils!) – but land up using my so called hobbies these days so I can “create” digi elements and papers.

I admire those that do it so well.

But a good flower and ribbon

That was mid 2007.

To be honest Nautical Nights so far was the most FUN to create for me and I’m busy on something similar at the moment which is taking just as long- and that would probably be my next favourite! lol

Thanks Kim for letting us get to know you better!  How fun to live in the mountains!  Check out Kim’s awesome full store here!

-Vicki (longhorn)