The OCL Design Team Blog Hop!

It's June! Can you believe it? May just FLEW by. I've got a ton of new, fun, exciting things to tell you. I'm sorry this got kinda long, but if you read the entire post, thank you! I appreciate all of you who visit, and comment and email. I hope you can hop around with us today and visit Our Craft Lounge's official Design Team.

Joy and I really weren't so sure we'd ever have a design team for OCL. We have so many amazing friends, who also happen to be the most brilliant stampers EVER... so how do you narrow it down to just a few? It's impossible right? It is impossible. But, we were fortunate to have a small group of good friends who have been helping us all along. They've helped us make samples, they help us with ideas, they help us with sentiments, they help us laugh and stay sane on days when things felt overwhelming. One of these sweet friends, is going to coordinate an official design team for Our Craft Lounge. Let me tell you, she has done an AMAZING job. Please help me welcome our DT Coordinator, Kendra Wietstock! I aspire to your organizational skills my friend!

Before I announce the team, I'd like to send out a special thanks to a couple of friends who, although they are not on the official DT, they have helped and will continue to support us behind the scenes, even if life is keeping them too busy to commit to DT requirements. Bev Barton, who is one of my dearest friends... and one of the funniest people I know, has named many of our sets. She can come up with a whole page of really great names when we can't think of a thing. Lisa Zappa... who is the sentiment queen, is just all around amazing and brilliant in all that she does. Lisa can whip out cards like a machine baby! And, last but not least, my sweet friend Nancy Morgan, who is one of the most talented stampers I know. Her and her daughter Megan have helped me on many occasions come up and make samples. Her cards ALWAYS make my jaw drop. So... I know you will recognize these names, since you've seen them in our hops and give aways. Without further rambling, please welcome (and visit today to see great new projects) the OCL Design Team:

Amber Hillman
Beth Silaika
Carol Halvorson
Charmaine Ikach
Cindy Lawrence
Deb Felts
Denise Marzec
Heather McNally
Holly McMillen
Kendra Wietstock
Kisa Peters
Lila Holgate
Pam Hooten
Valerie Stangle


I know they will keep you inspired! We feel blessed to have you girls! Thanks for all your help!

There are more fun things to come soon. My friend Lila Holgate is working on the OCL blog, and if you signed up for our newsletters, she is the master mind behind those! My friend Heather McNally is organizing a OCL swap and the monthly sketch challenge over in the OCL forums. You can head over and sign up now! My friend Kisa Peters is helping me do local classes and make and takes. Those events are also posted in the forums. We are also featuring a Spotlight Set of the Week! This will be hosted in the forums until the OCL blog is up and running.

I think I covered it all. It was a crazy busy weekend, and I'm not ready for June yet. I'll be back later today to share a little project using the Stamp Set of the Week! :)

One more big thank you to you, and your support! Joy, Kimberly and I appreciate your business, your friendship, and your passion for paper crafts! :)

I'm Off To CHA Baby!

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA, but I was afraid this last week would be crazy. It's been beyond crazy, plus I've had sick kids. Today is Averie's turn to be sick, and I leave in the morning, so I'm going to cuddle as much as I can with her today. Daddy is excellent with the kids, so I don't worry, but five days is a long time for me to be away. In fact, it's the longest I've ever been away from home. Good thing I have my new travel big girl panties all packed. :) My friend Jenn says you always HAVE to get new panties when you travel... it's a rule. I'm SO not a rule breaker!


Speaking of friends.... I get to meet so many online stampin' goddesses this next week! I'm going to be among the best stampers in the universe... how cool is that? Makes me a tad nervous! Okay, A LOT nervous! I hope I don't turn into a blabbing idiot... maybe I'll just keep my mouth shut and just do a lot of hugging? :) We are going to have some guest super stampers that will help us out with take and makes in our booth too. Dianna Gibbs, Cindy Lawerance, Taylor Vanbruggen, and Jami Sibley, to name a few. Oh, I'm SOOOO excited!!


This will be my first CHA ever! I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. Kimberly and Joy have been working like crazy to get things together for our booth. We get to start setting up as soon as I arrive tomorrow. OMGosh, it's tomorrow!! LOL. I will take photos and show you... if you want to see our booth. If you are attending CHA, I hope you'll stop by and see us! We are booth number 2810.

We have 28 new stamp sets! Look for sneak peeks starting on the 28th. We will release on January 30th. I'm so excited about this next release... I think you will love it. I have to say, that one of my favorite sets does have something to do with panties.... but it's totally different than anything you've seen. Let's just say it puts a whole new twist on big girl panties.... Marianne style! LOL.


Okay, I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and tell ya that I'll be back in full stampin' mode soon. Thanks for all the sweet comments and support in this new venture of ours. I need to get busy and finish up some last minute things befrore I'm on way to Annaheim. See ya soon!