The scenery has changed some over the last few months in the Creating Garden at Two Peas in a Bucket. We have had some fantastic talent leave the team, they are truly missed by everyone. I notice that people are posting about them all the time on the boards, looking for them and asking after them. We miss them too. It is so nice to see some of them still around posting now and then. thank you girls, for everything you have done for us. Miss you!

As a result of a few people leaving, I decided to add some new people to the Creating Garden team. And instead of just filling the empty spots, I decided to take the number of team members up, from 35 to 40. It is always a nice change to add new talent to the team, it always gets everyone all reved up again. The new Garden Girls always bring in a new sense of excitement, the thrill of the new challenge. and we love that. It gets everyone all excited and eager to participate. Its like the Creating Garden gets a little jolt of electricity, and sparks start to fly. I am so glad to have the new girls on the team and give them a warm welcome to the design team at Two Peas.

You may have heard that I still have 2 spots open yet. I made this public knowledge a few weeks ago on my blog. I kind of did this on purpose. I knew what would happen----I received at least 100 emails from people wanting to be considered. I did this because while I can run through the gallery here at Two Peas and see so many talented people, there are a ton of people who don't post often, or who I miss in my wanderings. Some of you commented on me cruising through the gallery and posting praise, thinking that I was searching for the next team members. this actually had nothing to do with it, but happened to occur at the same time. I wasn't even thinking about adding new girls when I was looking through it one day and decided while I was there taking the time to look, I might as well post some praise too. Anyways. back to talking about the last 2 spots. I took a couple of week off from when I added the other new girls before I started to think about the last 2 spots again. It is going to take me some time to go through all of the emails that I have recieved. I want to be sure to give each person who contacted me the time that they deserve, look at each person's work and evaluate what is right for the company. I am sorry to keep everyone on pins and needles waiting to see what I am going to do. please forgive me.

If you have not already heard about the big Sale and Crop coming up here in Madison, you need to hear about it!! We are having a huge event here in our city, a crop hosted by the Garden Girls----at this time it looks like we are going to have about 10 Garden Girls in town for this event. We are also holding a huge sale at the same time. We are bringing in huge amounts of stock from all over to mark down for this sale. You really should try to get here for this event. its going to be awesome!!

We just returned from attending the huge CHA Summer show. Although we did this show quickly, we still brought home all kinds of great product info. I am excited as usual to order it all and get it into Two Peas. Nothing like a great show of new products to get one's creativity going.

In prep for the trade show and the new products, I have been marking things down like crazy within the store. I am planning on quite an inventory switch over, so be sure to check out the sale sections here at Two Peas. You will find some great deals.

Rub Ons are a huge hit again. They are everywhere. And every company is making them. I remember having a ton of Provo Craft cute country borders and stuff in my stash a long time ago, for some project I was working on. My daughters have discovered them in the scrapbooking stash that I keep for them to play with, and have decided that the "rub offs" are really cool. Since they have discovered them, my oldest has been asking me if she can use the ones that I have in my office. Of course, I don't let her use my "good" ones. She knows this, but it doesn't stop her from asking anyways. I wrote on my blog a couple of weeks ago that I am rub on challenged. I have the hardest time with them. They are always coming off on to my projects where I don't want them to. they are always stuck to my fingers and everything else around me. I hate the sound and the feeling of using the popsicle stick to rub the image or letter off----it makes my teeth hurt, like someone running their fingernails on a chalk board. I have this great tool that Ross from C-Thru Ruler gave me---Its hard white plastic, with a pointed curved tip on one end and a rounded ball on the other end. Its awesome!! Even though I armed with the best tools, I still am rub on challenged. When I wrote about this on my blog that day, so many people posted all kinds of great ideas, and I am so thankful for all the tips and tricks you guys shared with me.

As you can see, by looking through the Creating Garden, I may be the only rub on challenged person on the design team... the Garden Girls have done a super job showcasing Rub Ons this month!!

Lisa Schmitt (username 13lisa) was selected as our Guest Garden Girl for this month. Lisa joined Two Peas in April 2005.

When did you start scrapbooking? How were you introduced to it?
Way back in 1995 I met a CM consultant at a craft fair and booked a workshop for my woman’s group as an activity. I purchased the basic tools and supplies and made a few pages. I put it aside for awhile, but then my sister, Anne Heyen, who had been admiring my “scrapbook” started scrapping. She quickly became addicted and encouraged me to start up again. She and I shop and crop together and then she turned me on to 2 Peas in a Bucket. That was in 1999. The rest, as they say, is history.

What are your sources for inspiration?
I get my inspiration from the usual places, scrapbook and rubber stamp stores, magazines like CK & Scrapbooks, Etc, idea books. I also like to browse in card stores, gift shops, home décor stores, dollar stores -- pretty much any place you go you can gather inspiration and ideas. It’s amazing that I get any scrapping done, as I seem to be out gathering inspiration so much!

How do you get started on projects (layouts, etc)?
Most of the time I start with my photos, matching colors from the photos to my favorite patterned papers. Sometimes I start with the papers and supplies. There are just so many beautiful papers and cool embellishments, it’s hard not to collect them. If I do buy something I really love without a specific project in mind, I will find photos to go with it and keep them together in a plastic organizer, kind of like a “kit” to create the scrapbook page later.

What things do you like to communicate through your work?
I always read about how scrappers are doing it for their families, to have the memories saved for future generations and at the most basic level I agree with that. But primarily I want to express myself for myself. If my kids or progeny want to save my scrapbooks and treasure them, that’s great. But when I go, you can’t take it with you. I want to enjoy them while I’m here.

What have been your biggest achievements or greatest layouts or moments with this hobby?
If I didn’t admit that being asked to be a GGG ranks high at the top of my list of achievements, every Pea out there would think I was crazy. I literally cried like I had won the Miss America pageant! I’ve had some small success in the “business” and I am definitely proud of that too. The thing that I love most about this hobby is the great friendships I’ve made through it. In real life and in cyber space, scrappers everywhere are supportive, friendly and willing to share ideas and supplies (especially my sister, which is really cool!). It’s a beautiful thing!

What kind of goals do you have with your scrapbooking?
I just want to use up all my supplies before I die.

Where do you scrap? Do you attend crops or conventions?
I have a little scrap “area” in my bedroom that I just redecorated/organized to blend in a little better with the space. I do go to crops, maybe once every 3 months or so. I love to get out with my scrapbook friends and socialize. I can manage to squeak out a few layouts even though I find it a little stressful to pack for crops, even with my planned pages. I love going to expos and conventions for the shopping and classes. Also because you get to hang out with the girls and when you squeal with delight over patterned paper or a new stamp set they totally get you.

Where does scrapbooking fit into your life? Do you scrap in the morning, evening, late night? When do you do your greatest work?
Since all three of my children are in school full time and I’m currently not working, I like to scrap during the daylight hours. I’m really not a night owl like a lot of scrappers. When I think about it, I find that my of my best work is done over the weekends when I don’t have a hectic schedule of errands and appointments.

What does your family think of your scrapbooking?
They are completely are supportive, although I do get some ribbing from my husband and teenage sons sometimes. I’m getting my daughter into it gradually. Right now she is into making cards with her friend. They have a little business going, it’s so cute. She must have the creative gene because she’s going to have one of her creations published! My husband is supportive in that he never criticizes or complains about scrapbook supplies taking over half of our bedroom and he always pays the credit card bill. As one of my scrapbook friends says with regards to shopping for scrapbook supplies, “He’s in charge of the inputs, and I’m in charge of the outputs.”

Do you have a favorite product line, paper, sticker, or cardstock color?
I am a patterned paper addict I love them all! Currently my favorite would have to be the new Daisy D’s and the latest KI collections. I am also addicted to rubber stamps and can’t get enough of them. Now that I’ve discovered a great unmounted system, I can indulge without worrying about storing them. And who doesn’t love ribbon?? I have yards and yards of it in every color of the rainbow, every style and width. It’s hanging all over my scrap area and stored in jars and boxes. It’s one supply I can’t get enough of.

What do you want the peas to know about you?
Some of my favorite things to do are; dancing goofily to the loud dance music in between sets while working out with my trainer at the gym, singing loudly to Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson while driving in the car with my daughter and making my teenage sons giant sandwiches for school lunch even though I know they are probably selling them to their friends for money to buy computer games. My favorite date with my husband is to get up early on the weekend to go grocery shopping together. I love it when my dog Chauncey cocks his head to the side when I ask him a question, it doesn’t matter what I ask and the way Hershey starts getting excited because she knows we are going to go for a walk when she sees what I’m wearing that day. Even though my family drives me crazy and keeps me busy, I don’t know what I’d be without them. They…complete… me.

I’m also just a regular gal who loves to scrapbook. I’m enjoying the process and know that I’m not going to break any ground with new techniques or styles. I am just happy that once in a while I get picked out from the crowd (like being asked to be a Guest Garden Girl!!! Thank you so much for this awesome opportunity).

Carrie Owens:

Thanks for taking a peek! Here is my new and improved space, we just moved into our new house and I took over the formal dining room as my new office spave. I love the room because it sits at the back of the house, giving me great views into the backyard to watch the kids play, it's right off the kitchen...so I can scrap and cook, and it looks onto the living room and out to the front yard. :)

Photo 1: This photo shows the main guts of the room. When ordering the furniture, I think that I thought that I might have had more room than I really did, but having the two tables is really perfect for me since I spread out so much while I scrap.

Photo 2: this shows the bookcase (an old Ikea purchase) that has perfectly sized shelves for 12" paper. I scrap with my back to this bookcase as it houses all my papers right at eye level. I have bins for specific product lines as well as many totes for all of my photos. For now, there is also room for some of my completed albums.

Photo 3: A closer shot of the bookcase.

Photo 4: This photo shows the back corner of the room where my computer equipment is stored.

Photo 5: Another shot of the computer cart and the door opening to the living room which will eventually have french doors.

Photo 6: THis is a close up shot of my work surface. I like to see all my tools so I use baskets and bins for my items that I use all the time and the other items can be stored out of sight.

Photo 7: this shows the corner cabinet that I designed and built when I was in college. I never really had a good use for it until now - it fits perfectly in the room and has just the right sized drawers for storing 12 x 12 items. I also have a couple bulliten boards around the room for products that I like that I need to keep in view to remind myself to use :)

Photo 8: A close up shot of my desk with the drawer for my often used items.