Woohoo! We have some exciting news to share with you today! We have a wonderful new Rock Star in our midst! Please help us in welcoming Melissa Cash to the Repeat Impressions design team.
I asked Melissa to tell us a little about herself and this is what she had to say…
“Hi there, my name is Melissa Cash and I am a stampaholic! There, I have said it….don’t you feel better? I sure do! I have been stamping for 20+ years but have always been crafty in one form or another. As a child, my Dad worked for an office supply company and I was lucky enough to have every color of paper/cardstock/crayon and pen available and you can guess, I still like it that way!
I live in a small community near Yosemite National Park and am lucky to work a couple of days a week at my local stamp store and teach a class or two a month. I have been married to my husband, David, for 27 1/2 years and we have two amazing sons who are 26 and 22. We are also the proud parents of 2 furbabies, Wags (Parson Russel Terrier/?? mix) and Molly (Cairn/Westie mix) and 2 grand furbabies, Dozer (English Bulldog/Pitbull mix) and Duke (Blue Merle Queensland Heeler).
I have been published in Stampers Sampler, Take Ten, and Stamp and Scrap magazines in the past and have done design work for several companies. I currently design for Repeat Impressions and Tombow. I have a blog called INKclinations.”
Welcome aboard Melissa! Myself and your fellow Rock Stars are so excited to have you join us. And I’m sure our readers can’t wait to see all the great things you’ll be creating for us in the coming months either. Luckily we only have to wait until next week! 
Until then, everyone help yourself to a little sneak peek at Melissa’s work… please visit her blog, INKclinations, and be sure to leave her a little love on your way out!
Before I sign off… We have one other great change coming your way in September. If you have been a regular reader, then you know that Mondays have always been Stamp of the Week day here. After three years I’ve decided that it’s time to shake things up a bit and try something new. So starting next Monday we be will be bringing you a new feature. The Rock Stars will be working their magic and bringing you a new Project of the Week each Monday. It should be a lot of fun and I think you will really enjoy what they have lined up for you so please stay tuned!
Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks so much for dropping by. I’ll be back Monday to kick off our first Project of the Week with something extra special from RI Rock Star, Brenda Turner. Can’t wait!
Wendy
Repeat Impressions
You know how I love Wednesdays… Well today is an extra special Wednesday. Not only do we have a new challenge to share, we’re also introducing a new Rock Star today too. Woohoo! Please help us in welcoming Brenda Turner to the Repeat Impressions family. I asked Brenda to tell us a little about herself and this is what she had to say…
“I am happily married for 23 years to Brain and Mom to one son, Kody. I happen to be lucky enough to live in the prettiest part of Northern California. I have the ocean a five minute walk from my home and the beautiful and majestic Giant Redwoods a 15 minute drive away. I work as a food service director for a local school district. It is my dream job which I really enjoy and find very rewarding.
For me crafting has always been a part of my life. I have tried many different types of crafts, stamping and paper crafts are my favorite. My cardmaking journey started about 7 years ago. Paper crafting is a wonderful way for me to take some time to myself and allows me to express my creative side. I find it very therapeutic.”
The Rock Stars and I are all so thrilled to have Brenda join us and I can’t wait to see what she will create with our stamps.
And now, on to our latest challenge… Today’s Designer’s Choice Challenge is another fun theme challenge. Repeat Rock Star, Joyce Morien is challenging you to create any sort of critter card with fur, fins, or feathers.
Check out this fantastic card Joyce created to get us all started. Gotta say… Her OMG really made me LOL! Love it!
“DCC522″ card created by Joyce Morien.
So a few days ago Joyce shared this card with her fellow Rock Stars and asked them to create their own critter cards. Check out all these wonderful cards the Rock Stars and our guest artist, Sarah Preston, came up with to inspire you this week!
“DCC522″ card created by Brenda Turner.
“DCC522″ card created by Kecia Waters.
“DCC522″ card created by Karen Hasheck.
“DCC522″ card created by guest artist, Sarah Preston.
“DCC522″ card created by Deonna Bemish.
“DCC522″ card created by Joy Hadden.
“DCC522″ card created by Cheri Weston.
And now it’s your turn. Here are all the details…
1. Create a critter card with fur, fins, or feathers. And remember, your creation does not have to be made with Repeat Impressions stamps, but if you would like to include our designs we would reeeally love to see them! 
Plus, there’s an added bonus… you will get an additional entry in our random.org drawing for using our stamps in your submissions!
2. Post your DCC creation on your blog or online gallery and be sure to reference Repeat Impressions DCC522 ~ Fur, Fins, or Feathers. Then link it here with the inlinkz widget below. (Please provide a direct link to your post, not the entire blog.)
3. Submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, June 4th at 5PM EST.
4. On June 5th we will introduce a new Designer’s Choice Challenge (DCC) to play along with and announce our winner for May. For this challenge the winner will receive any one unmounted sheet of stamps of their choice!
Don’t forget that we also have a fun Sketch Challenge happening now too. There is still another week left to get in on this one and an opportunity to win a $25 Repeat Impressions gift certificate! Please follow this link to my WHAT IF? Wednesday ~ Sketch Challenge M1513 post to see my sketch layout and all the fabulous cards the Rock Stars created to get you started.
Thanks for stopping by today. We hope you’ve found lots to inspire you and look forward to seeing your critter card linked here soon.
Until then… happy stamping!
Wendy
Repeat Impressions
It’s Rock Star Spotlight Day here again at The House That Stamps Built. It’s always so much fun to learn a little bit about the women behind the art. This week we’re shining the spotlight on Cheri Weston. Here are Cheri’s responses to our game of 20 questions…
1. Tell us a little about your family. My husband, Carl and I live in West Gardiner, ME on farmland once owned by his grandparents, with our calico kitty we call Bobbi (she was born with a bobbed tail) and a German Shepherd puppy we call Allie. We have two adorable grandchildren who live in the Adirondacks of New York State, Philip is 5 and Alexa is 4.
2. How did you get into stamping? It was five years ago, when I offered to make baby shower invitations for my daughter-in-law’s baby shower. Without my knowing how it happened it morphed from a hobby into a lifestyle….I can’t go a day without crafting something.
3. What is your favorite technique? I love to try all techniques, but I especially love those using inks and heat embossing.
4. What is your favorite tool? I couldn’t live without my Score Buddy, my punches, my embossing folders, my dies….these are all my favorites.
5. What are your favorite embellishments? The simple ones like ribbons and buttons.
6. What is your favorite coloring method? I love coloring with Copic Markers.
7. What is your favorite color combo? I like the combination of Black/White/Red, it’s a no fail classic combination and can be used with over 50% of my stamps.
8. If you had to describe your stamping style with 3 words, what would they be? Clean and Simple. I struggled with this for so long, but once I caught on I find I’m really comfortable with it and now struggle with layering.
9. Do you always send the cards you create? No, I don’t! Unless I make a card with someone special in mind or for Repeat Impressions Show Boards….I keep my cards. When I’m over loaded with cards, I select a bunch to send to Operation Write Home or put together gift packs for special gifts.
10. For which occasion or holiday do you create the most cards? Hands down, Christmas. I love making Christmas cards.
11. What is your favorite stamping magazine? Paper Crafts and Paper Creations.
12. What are your favorite Repeat Impressions’ designs? I love the Christmas and Holiday stamps. They are some of the best I’ve seen.
13. What are your other interests besides stamping? Reading, gardening, walking, hiking, kayaking, target shooting, waterskiing, playing ice hockey.
14. Name your favorite food and one food you can’t stand. I don’t think I have a favorite food, but I for sure, I don’t like fish.
15. What is your guilty pleasure? Red wine. I love a nice glass of red wine…okay, two glasses of nice red wine.
16. Do you have any pet peeves? Yes. I have no patients with people who blame others for their own problems.
17. Tell us one random thing people may not know about you. I once worked for the FBI.
18. Name 3 things on your “bucket list”. I don’t really have a “bucket list” but I would love to sky dive, visit these countries: Australia, New Zealand, Iceland and Scotland and hike a portion (I’m a realist) of the Appalachian Trail.
19. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which 5 books, 5 movies, 5 people and 5 foods would you take along?
• 5 books: Gone With The Wind, Celia Garth (or any book by Gwen Bristow), Far From the Madding Crowd, Return of the Native, A Walk in the Woods.
• 5 Movies: Gone With the Wind, The King’s Speech, Dirty Dancing, Sweet Home Alabama, Sleepless in Seattle.
• 5 people: My husband, son, daughter-in-law and both grandchildren.
• 5 Foods: Tacos (anything Mexican), potato salad, broccoli, Swiss cheese and chocolate brownies with walnuts.
20. If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be? “Sleepless in West Gardiner”.
Thank you, Cheri, for sharing your responses here with us. It was fun learning a little more about you! And I know you’ll all want to keep up with Cheri’s latest creations too so be sure to visit her blog, Stamp’n Boomer.
And before I sign off… a friendly reminder. If you haven’t created a card for our latest Sketch Challenge yet, we sure hope you will soon! Submissions are being accepted until Tuesday, May 28. Please refer to my WHAT IF? Wednesday ~ Sketch Challenge M1513 post for all the details. Play along with our sketch, upload a link to your card here on the RI blog and you’ll automatically be entered to win a $25 Repeat Impressions gift certificate!
Happy Friday everyone and thank you for stopping by.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wendy
Repeat Impressions
Surprise! It’s Rock Star Spotlight Day here again at The House That Stamps Built. It’s fun to learn a little bit about the women behind the art isn’t it?! This week we’re shining the spotlight on Geri Utterback. Here are Geri’s responses to our game of 20 questions…
1. Tell us a little about your family. I’m married to my best friend and we have been married for 36 years. I have two daughters from a previous marriage. They gave me two wonderful grandchildren and are in college. My DH retired this year and we are still trying to adjust to him being home all the time.
2. How did you get into stamping? My daughter Brenda introduced me to making cards. We started getting together with my other daughter Theresa and making cards together. We had so much fun and the next thing I knew I was hooked. Some of you may know my daughters, Brenda Turner - Stamp It Up and Theresa Momber - Crafting The Web.
3. What is your favorite technique? The thing I really love about creating cards is the coloring. I could spend all day coloring and often have many images colored before making the card itself.
4. What is your favorite tool? Dies
5. What are your favorite embellishments? Ribbons
6. What is your favorite coloring method? Copic markers and Prisma pencils.
7. What is your favorite color combo? Teal and peach for now, it changes.
8. If you had to describe your stamping style with 3 words, what would they be? Not really sure if I have a stamping style. Hopefully I’m versatile and artistic.
9. Do you always send the cards you create? No, I often make cards using a sentiment for a challenge that I don’t have a need for. Sometimes I send extra cards to OWH.
10. For which occasion or holiday do you create the most cards? Birthdays and Christmas.
11. What is your favorite stamping magazine? Cardmaker
12. What are your favorite Repeat Impressions’ designs? This is a hard one. I love a lot of them, but I really love the cat images and the Blue Heron.
13. What are your other interests besides stamping? Reading, spending time with my family and going for walks, especially along the beach when we can.
14. Name your favorite food and one food you can’t stand. I love chicken and I can’t stand okra .
15. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate anything!!
16. Do you have any pet peeves? Bad drivers
17. Tell us one random thing people may not know about you. I can make a really good pie crust.
18. Name 3 things on your “bucket list”. To do more traveling, start playing the guitar again and lose some weight.
19. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which 5 books, 5 movies, 5 people and 5 foods would you take along?
Books: Harry Potter series, a cookbook (for the cook), The Lake House
Movies: A River Runs Through It, Steel Magnolias, When Harry Met Sally and any James Bond movies for my DH.
People: My husband, too many to take all my family, so a doctor, a cook, a gardener and a carpenter to build me a ship so I can get off this Island!!!
Food: Fruit and vegetables that have seeds (so the gardener can grow more), chickens, and chocolate.
20. If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be? Steel Magnolias
Thank you, Geri, for sharing your responses here with us. It was fun learning a little more about you! And I know you’ll all want to keep up with Geri’s latest creations too so be sure to visit her blog, Geri’s Cards.
Before I sign off… a couple of friendly reminders… If you haven’t created a card for our latest Designer’s Choice Challenge yet, we sure hope you will soon! Submissions are being accepted until Tuesday, April 23. Please refer to my DCC410 ~ Clean And Simple Cards post for all the details. Play along with this challenge, upload a link to your card here on the RI blog, and you’ll automatically be entered to win a full sheet of rubber stamps… any sheet of your choice!
Also… Bill and I are busy today getting our booth set up for the StampScrapArtTour show in Rockford, IL. We’ll be at the Clock Tower Resort this weekend, April 20 & 21. If you’re in the area we hope you will come visit with us. We have lots of new stamp designs to show you since our last trip to Illinois!
Happy Friday and thank you for stopping by.
Here’s wishing us all a wonderful weekend!
Wendy
Repeat Impressions
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