Introducing Karen Motz and Announcing a Sketch Swap!!

Hi everyone!  We're already busy behind the scenes prepping classes and organizing the details of our upcoming stamping get away!!  To get everyone really excited about all that is planned, we wanted to begin to introduce you our instructors!  

Introducing Karen Motz - The Paper Playhouse

Up first is my friend, Karen Motz, did you know she's practically my neighbor? We met this summer thanks to an introduction from Emily - that's right, Stamping Bella herself!  Right away, we were fast friends - she'll be my room-mate at Stamp New England! 

 

Karen blogs just about daily on "The Paper Playhouse" and has been featured as one of Taylor's Van Bruggen's Cupcake Samplers for her weekly Sketch Challenge!  

Karen will be leading our Friday night make and take with her "Bella Bind-It Book."  This will be a fun and casual project, a great chance to meet all the other Stamp New England stampers and create an adorable sketch journal!  Here's just a peek of what she's got planned for us!

Here's a little bit about Karen in her own words....

"I started out as a scrapbooker, many years ago. Nothing serious, just dabbling in it with photos from occasions and events. Then, in May 2003, I attended a Stampin' Up! party and was completely amazed at the beautiful things we did with rubber stamps and ink. I was HOOKED right then and there. I had never stamped before in my life, but I was completely smitten with rubber stamping. Needless to say, I dove in head first, signed up as an SU demo and built a thriving business. In addition to that, I worked for a couple of years as a rubber stamping instructor at two local scrapbooking stores. Then a fabulous change in hubby's career had us moving from Ontario, Canada to Massachusetts, USA in June 2008, and I had to let go of my SU business.

 
Very shortly after we moved, I met a wonderful stamper, Joanne Basile (who's blog I'd been lurking on for quite some time) thanks to an introduction via email from Emily (Stamping Bella). We became fast friends and for that I'm very thankful. I knew I wanted to continue stamping and start a blog to keep me motivated. After all, I'd been lurking on so many wonderful blogs and Splitcoast, checking out the beautiful creations and gleaning sooooo much inspiration that I decided I wanted to share my creations too. So I started my blog on November 26, 2008. 

I can be found on most days, happily stamping away, using any and all products that catch my fancy, participating in challenges on both Splitcoast and blogs. I also love taking classes, both for the social aspect and because I learn a little something at every class I've attended."

Want to swap sketches? 

Since Karen's project is a sketch journal, why don't we start the festivities with a "Sketch Swap!!"  Please bring your favorite sketch to share with the group.  It can be your own original sketch, or a "go to" favorite.  If you've borrowed a sketch from somewhere, please just be sure to give credit as to where you discovered it!  If you'd like to swap sketches, please bring 36 of them to share.  They should be printed out no larger than 3x5  so that they can be added to 5x7 sized journal pages leaving a little room for notes.  Also, please be sure to print to regular copy paper versus cardstock or else the books will be too thick!! 

Be sure to hop by Karen's blog to see even more of her work, and get searching for YOUR favorite sketch to share with the group!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Joanne