Album RAK!!!

OK ladies! I think it would be a GREAT idea for you to put these challenges into an album together!
What'cha think?
How about I help you with that, and give away an American Crafts Album to one lucky person??

Just comment here, and you are eligible to win!!

Winner will be chosen next Monday!!
Thanks for playin'!!

CHALLENGE #2

30 DAYS!!
(Inspired by the award winning show, 30 Days, on FX)If you could do ANYTHING for 30 days... Your dream job, experience a culture, be someone famous, volunteer caring for orphaned elephants in Africa... you name it! The sky's the limit!
I LOVE this idea! I could make a ALBUM about all the things, if given 30 days, to do anything!!

Our sponsor this week is Little Yellow Bicycle! A pack of a LOT of fun items!!

Please post your LO's here by Friday, August 8th, at 12 midnight, PDT (Pacific/West Coast)!

Can't WAIT to see what YOU would do!!

From our designers:
Kate is taking a challenge off for moving and settling in! Stop by her mini-book kit blog and give her words of encouragement! Moving is HARD! ESPECIALLY, I presume, with 7 kids!!

Sasha:I could be anyone for 30 days, I would be a SAHM. I would love to p/u my kids and drom them off to school everyday, I would love to be able to maintain my household during the day and not at night when I get home. I would not have to worry about TDY's, short notice deployments. Even if only for 30 days I would love your job. I would not take for granted being a SAHM.


Theresa:
I pretty much never venture far from home, but I have always wondered what it woud be like to be a city girl. I would rent a super cute apartment, drive a taxi everywhere and Starbucks would be right next to me.
Kara:
Ashleigh:Penny: What I wouldn't do... for 30 more days to train... for these dolphins to again be a part of my world! It was worth all the pool scraping, & cutting up fish! If only I could go back... I think 30 days would be enough. But if I could have the fmaily I have now AND "the boys" in my life... Maybe I would give 30 years a try! I miss ya Puka & Primo!! {2008}Candi:Kim:Tina:

If I could do anything for 30 days I would live like a Diva

designer clothes/shoes

private jets

shopping sprees

yachts

beach houses

nutritionist

personal hairstylist

spas

fitness trainer

botox

drivers

limos

parties

Man what a life i will never have but hey I can always imagine

First Challenge Winner!!

Seriously... I hate this!! There were SO many OUTSTANDING LAYOUTS!!
I made the designers pick more than one, and guess what?? The voting was ALL over the board!!
Yikes!
Just know you have ALL won, cuz you have this great page about you-right now!!
Thanks for posting!! That is FANTASTIC!
I got teary eyed thinking that I had anything to do with your creating these AWESOME LO'S!!
OK, without further babbling... the winner will receive this AWESOME stamp set from Pink Persimmon!! HELLO! Isn't this set GREAT!!OK, OK... so the winner is... TANIA!! Visit her blog here... This girls got TALENT!! Email me so I can have that stamp set sent to ya!! YAY!!And I just had to share the rest!! SOOOOO much inspiration!! Ya could to a whole album on just these ideas!!
Thanks ladies!!

Check back tomorrow!! I have a little RAK to encourage you to continue!!! {wink}

I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!!!!!

OK, so the "winner" will be posted tomorrow...
But in the meantime-I am just BRIMMING over with JOY about the GUEST DESIGNERS we have planned!! YAY!

Am I the luckiest girl in the world, or WHAT!!
Hey, wait, YOU GUYS are the luckiest TOO!!!!

First up, the next challenge (that will post on Wednesday) our Guest Designer is EMILIE AHERN!!!
SHUT UP!!! YES!!!
Who is Emilie (you better not ask that, but just in case)? Just look on the cover of your Memory Makers Magazine!! There she is!! Ain't she cute?? :)Thanks Emilie!! (You can also visit Emilie at ScrapFaith-a faith based challenge blog!)

Also confirmed, the AWESOME Kitty Foster!! Hello! Do you have her latest book??And like that wasn't enough FABULOUS-NESS, the always incredible Cindy Tobey is joining us too!! (Got a little "right click" happy here! But I had to share her greatness! This was in the Basic Grey catalog! TOO cute!)
HELLO!! I am speechless!! (Ok, not speechless-that is near impossible.)

The rest, I am keeping secret, until they choose their dates to join us!! I have the calendar of challenges until January made up!! THIS is miraculous!! I can HARDLY stand it!!! YAY!

OK, I feel better having shared!!

Like our Design Team wasn't enough (FAB)!!
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky indeed!!!!

RAK winner!!!!

I used the Random Number Generator (click if you need one yourself) and it picked number 131!!!

Oh wait, that means I have to count down 131 comments... :)

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!! (drum roll)

ALLY said...

Oooo.... lovin' the first challenge ladies!!! Hope you're having fun at CHA! Have a great weekend!

July 18, 2008 8:12 AM

I'm relieved! I was worried it would be one of us and I would have to count again!! :)

Thanks for posting ladies! If I can put together some more goodies, I'll put together another RAK SOON!

Incredible Theresa!

I still can't believe that Theresa said "Yes" to designing for us here at "The Story Matters"!

What an incredible style she has!! I am ALWAY KNOCKED OUT my her designs!
She is a ROCK STAR!! We are SO fortunate!
I asked Theresa a few questions, so we could get to know each her just a little bit better!
Thanks Theresa! Your Story Matters!!

Check her out here on her blog! You'll be knocked out too!
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-What state do you live in? PA

How many states have you lived in total? Well....I have moved 4 times in my life.......NEVER off of the same street!

-You have scissors/cutter, cardstock, pens, and adhesive-what 5 things scrapbooking things could you NOT live without! -Stapler, buttons, ANYTHING RED, paint, and label maker.

-What was your first scrapbooking experience? I began scrapping about 12 years ago off and on, more so in the past 2 years. I can remember I never wanted to cut the picture, so all I did was cut up cardstock with deco scissors and slap a Mrs Grossman sticker on it. Boy...things have changed!

-And is there someone special that introduced you to it? nope, but I did consult my friend that only worked with creative memories....that didn't last for me too long. I do still have the corner rounder though!

-Besides TSM, who do you design for? I design for Red Velvet Kit Club.

-Tell us something we wouldn't guess about you? Quirk, habit, fetish (keep it clean!) little known fact...

Ok, I will give you two....I will not carry an umbrella. Ever. I would rather get soaking wet. The second thing is I will Not EVER go to a haunted hayride/house at Halloween, but I LOVE scary movies!! Go figure.

Thanks Theresa!!
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And keep the layouts comin'! Posting open until Friday at midnight!
I am SO excited about all the INCREDIBLE layouts I have seen comin' our way!
YAY!
THANK YOU for all your support!

I hope, like me, you start an album for this challenge, an album FILLED with YOUR story!
Cuz it MATTERS! :)

{Drum roll!} Challenge One!!

"Me, RIGHT NOW!"

Run! Right now! Save it! Scrap it! Create it!!

OK, so your thinking... hmmmmmm... but really, what could be better than to scrap YOU, and for us to get to know each other?? It was a "duh" moment! :)

Picture, no picture, who are you RIGHT NOW! What would you want someone to know, OR what is it you want to work on? What do you need to be honest with yourself about? Who are you THIS VERY SECOND!! What do you think of YOU!

It doesn't have to be pretty. It just has to be you!

I promise, you'll look back at this layout or mini someday and be glad you took the snapshot!

And from our Design Team:
Kate:
Kim: {Journaling on hidden tag:"I went to have my passpost picture taken and I realized a few things after seeing the results. I need to lose a few pounds, I need to spend some $$ on my hair, and I definitely need a vacation."}
Kara:
Candi:
Theresa:
Penny:

Tina:
Sasha:
Ashleigh:Link us up by Friday July 25th. "Prize winner" will be posted July 29th! Thanks for joinin' in! YAY!

And I think we will START with our sponsor PINK PERSIMMON! Have you SEEN these stamps?? HEL-lo!! EVERYONE needs the banner stamps... and the scotties... and the alpha... and the owls... OH and the deer... ...OHHH-and that ric-rac circle fits inside the scallop PUNCH... OH-FORGET IT! I need them ALL! Great designs!!

AND the RAK on the previous post... your still eligible 'til Monday, July 21st! Keep the comments comin'! We'll also be introducing one of our "Authors" next week!!

And so it starts! {WITH A RAK!!!!}

I had to think... what do I want to say? How do I want to start this?
(Do I add crazy color to the text? Do I ignore my shift key? So many important decisions! {wink})

Well, I just want you to join in! I just want you to tell your story!! I want to be inspired by YOU!

But I want you to tell it... get those pens out... warm up the printer... and TELL IT!

I love challenge blog sites! Sketch sites, eclectic artsey sites, challenges prompted by "one little word"... I love 'em. For two reasons. First, I love to see what everyone else comes up with.
Secondly, I want that prompt. I want that "thing" that gets me up, walkin' across the house to my scrap area, diggin' through my papers and embellishment, that spurs me to create.

So that is what we're gonna do-try to prompt YOU to create, and really tell your story!

What spurred this? Trips to vintage stores were piles and piles of pictures lay in stacks. Separated from their families by estate sales and garage sales because no one told them why this or that person was important, and what their story was! Sometimes there is a note on the back. Rarely there is a note in the margin. Even more rare, an expression of humor! No more! Let's not let the story be lost... let's not end up in that unidentified pile!!

I am not going to try to reinvest the wheel. Nope. Cuz many before me have done a great job... so I am going to take some prompts from them!!

We give ya a prompt, and some awesome examples... you take two weeks to create... post a link here... we pick a favorite (not looking forward to THAT!)... and that favorite wins a little somethin'! YAY!

SOOOOO, before we start, let's have a little RAK!!!

Comment here, and your entered for a prize!! How about some CHA-Yummies?? (that is right, I'll collect some NEW sneakie peekies, you enter to WIN!! YAY!!!) We'll report back during CHA to keep ya updated on the stash!!

Oh, and before I forget... we have some great prizes comin' up from some FANTASTIC sponsors!... AND some AWESOME guest designers lined up!! Seriously! Talent! Like "face-on-the-cover-of-a-magazine, written-a-couple-books, inspiring-so-many-already kinda talent!!

And our Design Team! THE BOMB! Click on their pictures on the right to move on over to their blogs!

Stay tuned!! First challenge will be posted on Thursday!!(And subscribe-so ya know what's up! AND excuse our dust! This, like us all, is still a work in progress!)