The (paper) Trail Makers Challenge Blog: Meet Our Design Team

Good morning everyone, exciting things going on here at The (paper) Trail Makers Challenge Blog!! We have a brand new Design Team that will be here sharing their projects and inspiration with all of you over the next 4 months! We had so many wonderful applications and it was so hard to pick only 4, so I picked 5 instead which makes us a happy little family of TEN (if you include me!!!)

Today I am posting all of our designer's names and blogs and then over this coming week you will get to meet two per day up close and personal!!

Our Team:

Karen Garbacik - Owner - Karen's Blog
Sandi Johnson - DT Leader - Sandi's Blog
Krystle Thomas - Returning member - Krystle's Blog
Tanya Lamo - Returning Member - Tanya's Blog
Yara Freytes - Returning Member - Yara's Blog
Jessica Goodpaster - New Member - Jessica's Blog
Marilyn Rivera - New Member - Marilyn's Blog
Sara Zenger - New Member - Sara's Blog
Shannon Morgan - New Member - Shannon's Blog
Tenny Kusuma - New Member - Tenny's Blog

Up close and personal with the team:

Karen

Hi, I am Karen Garbacik the owner of TrailMakers Challenge Blog and The Paper Trail Scrappy Store! I have been scrapping for over 13 years and as time passes, my style has evolved as well. I first started scrapping with Creative Memories and would never dream of putting anything on my papers but their products and only used their albums etc. Then in 2005 my mom, sister, aunt and I went on a cruise to Cozumel Mexico and came back with TONS of pictures that I wanted to scrap right away. I went to my local big box chain store and picked up one of their albums with a coupon as well as some fun embellies and went home and started creating an entirely different type of album and pages than I ever had and from that point I became a non-sequential scrapper - I no longer scrap chronologically nor do most of my layouts even make it into an album right away!!! I love the freedom that scrapping this way affords me - it really allows me to be creative with whatever I feel at the moment! The downside is that my twins who will be 21 in October and my almost 16 year old do not have finished baby albums and our family does not have completed albums. I try to make it a goal each year, but...!!!!! I love being a part of this group of ladies. My returning gals are so wonderful and I know that as we all get to know the new members of the team we will find they are just as sweet! I already know they are creative and will definitely give us some wonderful creations!!

Here is one of my favorite layouts that I have done:

This is Sandi Johnson - our DT Leader!!

A little about Sandi:
Hi, my name is Sandi Johnson. I live in a small rural town near Gettysburg, PA. I am a Mom to 3 wonderful children -Gabrielle, almost 16; Katarina, 14 and Jeremy 10. My husband and I have been married for 19 years. We are both teachers. I currently teach third grade in the school district in which I live. We have three dogs in the house: Bentley a Golden Retriever, Stamper a Min Pin/Terrier mix and Gracie a Jack Russell/Yorkie mix.
I don't know if I can truly say that I have a favorite manufacturer anymore. Over the past several months, I have used papers that I NEVER would have picked up and bought. Then turned out absolutely loving what I created. If I had to choose a few, I would say: Sassafras Lass, Echo Park and Webster's pages. I would say my style is classic scrapbooking with an artsy feel to it. I almost always use ink, paint or misting, sanding and sewing on my pages.
I have always enjoyed some type of crafting since I was a little girl. After my son was born I became addicted to papercrafts. When I first started scrapping, it was all about leaving a legacy for my family, but there's also a part now that has shaped into a part of my ME time. The creative side of me which I crave.

This is one of the first layouts of Sandi's that I saw and it is still one of my favorite layouts she has created!