Allow me to introduce myself...

Hello everyone, I'm Leigh Ann Baird aka Annie B aka Annie21211 on most forums.  I'm a southern girl and have lived in East Tennessee all my life.  I have a husband of 12 years ( I still like him well enough) and 2 daughters-- Elizabeth just turned 9 and Natalie is 6.  I worked in mortgage lending before deciding to stay at home with the kids 7 years ago.  When I am not stamping, I am avoiding housework by reading.  I'm also a Sci-Fi nerd and enjoy horror and action movies--yes, I ENJOY them!   I don't watch much TV since Battlestar Galactica went off the air. *sigh*  Oh, and I used to be an excellent speller until I had kids, quit work and my brain turned to mush! LOL

I'm happy to be part of this group and look forward to our challenges and getting to know everyone.  I've met so many wonderful people through this hobby of mine and hope to meet many more.

Hello, My name is LeAnn . . .

     I go by sillyleann just about everywhere I go on the internet whether crafting related or not.  I am married to the absolute love of my life.  We are celebrating our 10th Anniversary the sixth of May.  I am a SAHM with 2 delightful children.  I have a 6 year old boy and a 3 year old daughter.  They seriously light up my life and are so precious.  I think I could write a book about the conversations we have and the crazy concocted things they say.  I have a 7 year old boxer.  She is a great dog, but at times we have a love/hate relationship (it's the snoring, whining, . . . )  I am a huge Survivor fan.  It is the only must-see show for us - although I thoroughly enjoy Dancing with the Stars, the Bachelor, Biggest Loser, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution . . . can you say reality junkie!  I am a Mac fan.  I am a snob about it.  I do not like Windows anything and don't want to discuss it.  My husband says it is an obsession and I should seek counseling.  I am willing but, I am afraid it would bring up all my neurotic tendencies and that is a scary place to go.  :)  Speaking of neurotic, I am a self diagnosed obsessive compulsive.  Again, my husband says I should seek counseling but read above.  I think I have a somewhat twisted sense of humor and that is okay as long as you laugh with me and not at me.

     I have been crafting most of my life.  I started "scrapbooking", so-to-speak, since I was around 7.  My dad bought me a camera one day around my 7th birthday (I don't even remember why).  It was a 110 (not a 35mm) and took that funny long skinny film thing (it sounds like I was born in the 20's, but I really am 32).  I began taking pictures and putting them in photo albums.  I would find magazine pictures, make construction paper titles, create overlays, etc to put in the photo sleeves and around the photos.  I didn't know about real scrapbooking, so this is what I dreamed up.  When I first learned that scrapbooking was a thing, I fell instantly in love.   Years later, I got a digital camera for college graduation and realized that it seemed silly to print the pictures and then scrap.  So, I thought I was clever to make these collage things - the predecessor to digiscrap.  Oh, looking back they were horrible.  I thought everyone should be doing this and thought I had invented something.  Well, about 4 years later a google search turned up a whole new world - digital scrapbooking.  Oh, technically I had been digiscraping, but nothing like my new discovery.  That was 6 years ago and I haven't gone back.  Although I knew I would never scrapbook again, I was having paper crafting withdrawals.  I made a few digital cards (before hybrid was a word).  But I never really got the same satisfaction from it as I did digital scrapbooking.  So, I pulled out my dusty scrapbook stuff and went to work.  I was hooked!  I bought my first stamp (does anyone remember when stamps came on wooden blocks?) and haven't looked back.  After exhausting my local Hobby Lobby of anything cute, I went looking in other places.  Viola - PTI!

     I am super excited to be a part of the Papertrey Chicks.  I love, love, LOVE making cards.  My dream is to someday get published.  But, I enjoy it and find it extremely rewarding.  My husband and I started a letters ministry.  It sounds fancier than it really is.  We just go through the church directory and/or our personal contacts and send real, handwritten letters inside the cards that I make.  It has been so interesting to see the response.  I am blown away how such a simple act can be so significant to others.  I do sell my cards at a local store.  Trust me when I say - don't quit your day job.  I put all my earnings back into PTI (and a few small places here and there).  While I currently wouldn't be able to support my family on it, it does support my hobby (cough . . . addiction).

Introducing: Carrie

Hey there, Papertrey Chicks! My name is Carrie and I live in Gaithersburg, MD. I've got these two lovely girls you see to your left and a great husband of 13 years!

I got my degree in Health Sciences and a minor in Secondary Education. I taught Health Education for 5 years at the high school I graduated from. I met my husband through a blind date my first year of teaching. We married and then two years later, we bought the company he worked for since 1990.

So now I'm co-owner of a Turf Grass Seed & Supply company. Man--quite a career change!

I'm the Executive Director of a Non-Profit Seed Trade Association that keeps me traveling a few times a year and in touch with some of the most wonderful people around the country. (Who knew Seed People would be interesting and wonderful??)

My husband and I are co-leaders of our local Community 4H Club and I am a mentor at the middle school where my oldest goes.

I've always wanted to be naturally crafty ever since I was little. I'm not talented in terms of drawing or color matching, etc. My brother is a great artist! I think I've perfected the art of CASE'ing...though...

I started scrapbooking in high school...and that carried through to when my Bird (one on the right) was born in 2001. Then, I met my best friend in the entire world, Suzanne--my craft crazy sister.

I met Suzanne through our neighborhood book club. Our book club is very close and Suzanne & I's relationship grew from there. She's very CRAFTY!! She was a hobby seamstress, but I would've considered her a professional.

She introduced me to the world of paper in 2002. At first, we said we'd NEVER stamp. We'd make cards withOUT stamping. Well, then we got introducted to SU....and then the tidal wave began! We absolutely LOVE PTI.

Now, our conversations are mainly of cards...who's blog we visited...and...if you pop to my blog, you'll see how we've been using our PTI colors in REAL LIFE!

I'm looking forward to this--may not get this long of a post every week...and I'm SO GLAD I've got until August 16th until I've got to show a technique! I'm up for it though...

Intro: Gayatri Murali

Hi everybody,

My name is Gayatri Murali, procounced as Ga-yath-3. I live in Australia with my husband of 12 years and two children. My son Siddarth is 10 years old and daughter Aditi is 8years old. I am a Mental Heath Professional but currently a SAHM. Its a deliberate decision so kids get more quality time from me and I too have some time for myself ( to craft, of course! lol!). I am enjoying it.
 

I have been doing craft since my childhood, cross stitch, embroidery, tin embossing, soft toy making, carving, jewellery making but since 4 years, I have been scrapbooking and cardmaking. I enjoy craft and the idea of making something new excites me.Love giving out handmade gifts. I have done guest designing and designing for scrapbooking stores on and off. Cardmaking has taken over scrapbooking recently. Looove stamping.

I am a SU demo (well!, until the end of this quarter) but PTI stamps and DT cards have inspired me a lot. I think PTI stamps are unique and I love their style. So addicted to PTI that I am not going to last as a SU demo any longer. lol! I also teach school kids to make cards once a week. Its very fulfilling.

I am thrilled to be part of Papertrey Chicks group and can't wait to start on challenges and get inspired, hop blogs and make friends. Thanks for having me in the group. Looking forward to knowing all of you.

Gayatri

Introducing: Bethshaya

Hey Chickies!

I'm Liz or Beth (I answer to both). This is the downfall to having a name that has many nicknames. I've been called Elizabeth, Liz, Lizzy, Beth, Bethy, Betsy, Betty, Lisa, Lucy...just call, I'll answer to something.  I grew up in the same area I am in and have been blessed enough to travel all over the world growing up.  I am an only child to two of the best parents in the world who celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year (Big Party!).

I turn the BIG 4-0 this year! I live in Fairfield County, CT with my fiancee, John, my son, Jonathan and two Pomeranian pups; Callie, our 10 yr old “mamma”, and Bella, our 6 mo old, better known as “Sweet Pea”.   John has 8 brothers and sisters, so I am marrying into a foreign world of lots of siblings.  Oh, the drama...I am so not used to that!  I work full time at Mercer, a division of Marsh & McLennan as a Senior Admin.  We are a Human Resources consulting company and are hoping busy now with all these health care changes.

I was married for 10 years, divorced for 12 and have met the man of my dreams now.  We're engaged and our wedding date has been set for October 1, 2011. It has been a long, long time coming. We've been dating for 9 years and engaged for 2. John is from Tennessee, so this is definitely a North and South Union.  Oddly, I'm the one that is "A Little Bit Country" and he's definately the one that's "A Little Bit Rock and Roll".  We may be opposites, but he is my soulmate.

My son is 16 and has “special needs”.  He has a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome. He does well in school, usually making honor roll, but has social and motor skill difficulties. He's just transitioned back to the local High School from a private school for kids with autism and he is doing great!  Lots of new friends and he's involved in a lot of activities.  He had such a rough go when he was little, but now he is a dream as a teenager.  I am so proud of him and how far he's come. 

I enjoy reading Christian Historical fiction and role-playing games. I love slipping into a character and playing that role out. I can be anything I want to be. This is where the name Bethshaya came from. Olde English nickname for my real name. I've been a master sleuth detective with OCD on a crime laden paradise island, an adviser to King Arthur in Camelot, and a medic on the planet of Naboo among others. I met John in “Camelot” and he became my “Knight in Shining Armor”. You can find out about my “Alter Egos” on my other blog: The Alter Ego.

I'm the newbie papercrafter of the group. Santa brought me all of my supplies this past year when I decided that I wanted to have a hobby other then online gaming. So be gentle on me, I'm still learning. I think my style is clean and simple, and I love my copics. 

As a newbie, I've been looking for ways to create and try new things to get better.  Since John's family is so large (I now have 30 nieces and nephews and 8 sets of in laws) I have plenty of occasions to create for.  We have 4 nephews in the military with 1 on active duty in the Pacific and 3 waiting for deployment orders, so we also have plenty of care kits going out all the time. (Cards are always welcome if you are interested in sending too).

I'm inspired by a lot of different design team people, but mostly the Papertrey Ink Design Team, Suzanne Dean, the Copic Queen and Becca Freeken from Amazing Paper Grace.

I'm very excited to join the Papertrey Chicks! I'm really looking forward to having challenges that will push me to try new things. I'm looking forward to "meeting" my fellow Chicks!

I can't wait for our first official challenge! Thanks for including me in the group!

Beth

Week #0 Inspiration Challenge: Argyle!

Aye, bless yer wee 'lil souls, Lassies! 'Tis time to do a Challenge with ARGYLE!

The argyle (occasionally argyll) pattern is made of diamonds in a diagonal checkerboard arrangement.

The argyle pattern is derived from the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in western Scotland [1], and from the patterned socks worn by Scottish Highlanders since at least the 17th century.

Let's Get Inky!

So now that we know what argyle is, and where it came from, lets see what we can do with it!

Break out your stamps Chickies! It's time to get inky!

If you have the new Argyle stamp! Great! If not, lets see what you can come up with for some sort of Scotish inspiration (plaids, colors etc).

Use Mr. Linky below to link to your card.