Challenge #4 Who's in that Family Tree?

Promise me something... you don't let this one scare you away!!
Don't make this any harder than it has to be!

Family Tree: Are you related to someone famous? Do you have a story about someone in your family you know hasn't been written down yet, and now is the time? Is there something interesting in one of the "branches"? Are you adopted and have found your bio. family (I am, and wish I had that story!)? Do you have a real "character" in your family? Has someone in your family been a movie extra, modeled, sells cars and puts out original ads :)? The stories are ENDLESS!!!! I think I really was pushing my designers with this challenge, so I am giving you more ideas than I had them!

Our Guest Designer this month is Kelly Peterson. Kelly has been scrapbooking FOREVER! OK, not that long-but since Creative Memories was the driving force in scrapbooking. She was selling insurance, and one of her friends kept shamelessly bothering her about opening a scrapbooking store! :) She is create and fun, enthusiastic and compassionate! Kelly has been published in two Pine Cone Press books, and teaches every WEEK! She really knows the meaning of customer service! When they talk about Scrapbooking's Funniest-she's it! Her sense of humor is... well, she's a HOOT! Scrapbooking is her passion! She is partner in the ownership of Scrapaganza, a store in Davenport Iowa! Scrapaganza is ALL about service! They don't just want you to buy a tool, or product, they teach you how to use it... There are many classes each month, including the largest "Scrapbooking Club" of a single non-chain store with over 120 members! If you are ever in the area, be sure to check them out! Be sure to check out their blog here!

The designers of the store include a Rusty Pickle "chef", they have all contributed to a book for Pine Cone Press, two have designed product, one has had layouts in Scrapbook Trends, several have won online and national contest and been published in online "ezines", a couple are on manufacturers design teams, or online publication design teams, AND a couple are on challenge blog design teams including (ya saw it coming) The Story Matters!... who knew such talent could come from this "small" brick and mortor store (in Iowa none-the-less)! Scrapaganza hopes to move at the beginning of the year to a larger storefront!

OK, enough about that! :)

Layouts are due (post a comment with a link or a C&P-able link in this comment section) by midnight PST (CA time) Friday September 5th!

From our Guest Designer Kelly Peterson:
(I posted the angled picture cuz those darn mirrors (embellishment) are so hard to photograph! :) )
What a great way to include a large amount of journaling!

Journaling: The funny thing is….I always knew that

I was a princess. Turns out that might not

be so far from the truth. My grandmother

(my mother’s mother) is a direct descendant

of Charlemagne, “Charles the Great,” King

of France. He was born April 2, 742. Until

the 1800’s, every branch of the Stewart family

was royal. Our family tree goes back to the year

609 AD with Arnold, St. Arnuf of Metz. Royals

married royals in those days, and the list of my

relatives are amazing. I was always told that we

were direct descendants of Charlemagne, and

Charles Stewart, the “Bonny Prince.” I was

surprised to learn that other relatives include:

Sir Robert Howard and Lady Margaret Mobray of

The house of Albinia, 1387. (Charlemagne’s direct

Descendents.) Prince Thomas Plantagenet, son of

Edward I, King of England. Then there is Edward I,

“Longshanks,” King of England born June 17^th, 1239.

Henry III, “Lackland,” King of England who was born

December 24^th, 1166. Shifting from England to France,

Louis VI, King of France to Philip I, King of France.

The list goes on and on. Our “House of Stewart” book

is several volumes thick. WHO KNEW!!!!! We joke

that we should walk up to Buckingham Palace and

knock on the door, and say, “HEY COUSINS!!”

(We could be arrested though.) After learning

this information, I do feel like a princess. What am

I saying, I’ve always BEEN the princess. Anyone

related to me who is looking at this page, take a look

in the mirror. Do you see royalty? I do!

From Our Designers:

Theresa:

Ashleigh:

Penny:

Journaling: I often wondered and even dreamed about knowing about my "branch" of the family tree. Sure, I'm included in my adoptive families tree, but what about those people I don't know that are my "blood"? Adopted, or not, we don't choose the families we are born into. We DO get to choose who we "carry on" with.! I choose to dwell on what the future holds & on the children I love and adore. Not those who gave me up. Sure, O would love to know... I would. It's and odd things to dwell on... But knowing where and by who I came from. But I have a father I adore and a husband I adore, and the result of that are children I adore... One of which is adopted. History repeats itself. But she is part of our "tree"! Just like me!

Kim:

Tina:Journaling: James and I started dating in 2001. I was 18 and he was 20. we got married in 2004. Had our first child Summer in 2004. We have been married for 4yrs. Now were thinking of adding one more to this family. But for now it's the 3 of us facing this world together.

Candi:(...wait for it... a couple more examples coming very soon! :) )