Christy Farneth-Kerr

As a child, Christy remembers wanting to express herself in whatever she was doing. She considers herself  a self-taught artist with a little raw talent inherited from her dad, “who was always tinkering with something,” Christy says. “I may be what you call a multi-media artist. I’ve been coloring, drawing, painting, making pottery, stitching and pretty much creating things since I can remember.” She is quick to pick up new artistic techniques and she uses paper crafting as a way to express and preserve memories. A few years ago her oldest sister’s got bitten by the scrap booking bug while Christy swore she would not get involved. Then when her eldest sister got SUPER involved (her sister is Stacey Caron, President of Spellbinders and Co-creator of the Wizard…) “It, well, sucked me in,” she says. “It was a great revelation that I needed to get back into art again.” Outside of creating with family, Christy, lives in Mentor, Ohio and is married to Brian Kerr. They have two Beautiful little girls.  Christy has been working as a hair stylist full time for the last twelve years and the Design Team has adopted her as their own personal stylist. Check out Christy's Creative Journey: http://www.Christyfarneth.blogspot.com

Debbie Seyer

Hailing from St. Louis, MO, Debbie started rubber stamping and card making in 2000. When her best friend had a Stampin’ Up! Party, she signed up to be a demonstrator (for the discount.) She says she loves all kinds of crafts but has never stuck with one craft/hobby for as long. “Stamping, paper crafting and scrapbooking are my favorite things to do. I really feel like I am missing something if I don’t stamp every day. It’s a great way to relieve the stress of day-to-day life!” Debbie’s accolades include winning the 2008 PaperCrafts Stamping Royalty contest in two categories and having her work published in major magazines. The Stamping Royalty contest brought her various opportunities and has changed the way she views her paper crafting, “as a really fun job!” Debbie is a stay-at-home mom to three girls (ages 15, 13 & 8) and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Keith, for 18 years. See Debbie at A Peek Into My Stamping Room http://www.debbieseyer.com/

Heidi Blankenship

Heidi has been doing some type of crafting since she was a little girl. She was introduced to stamping in 1988 and over the years, has taught many classes at the local stamping and scrapbooking stores. Just like Spellbinders, Heidi loves to create a large spectrum of projects with a broad range of styles, but she leans towards the vintage, artsy style. She has always had the ability to think outside the box and come up with creative techniques and projects. She says, “One of my favorite moments in teaching is taking a “Wow” project and teaching people of all skill levels how to recreate it.” She has also inspired others through being published in national magazines. She lives in Minnesota with her loving husband Eric and two children, Dusty and Evan. Before her youngest son was born she was a florist and also enjoys painting and jewelry making.  Heidi shares her talents with us for the second year and is looking forward to working with the wonderful ladies of the 2009-2010 design team. Visit Heidi at Embellished Dreams:  http://www.embellished-dreams.blogspot.com/.

Holly Simoni

Holly lives in a small rural Wyoming town with a fabulous husband that “supports my late night hours in my art room,” she says. Some describe her art as a bit wild, grungy, distressed with a graphic feel to it. “I have always enjoyed and had a passion for photography, and can't get by without my Nikon D80.” Like many of us, srapbooking became a hobby for her when her two girls were born. Then Holly turned hers into an artistic expression.  Photography, scrapbooking, altered items and other forms of mixed media are fortes in Holly’s artistic endeavors.  “I currently teach altered art, altered books, stamping, Photoshop Elements and scrapbook classes in Wyoming.” Holly is returning as a Spellbinders Design Team member, having served on the 2006 and 2007 Teams. In her spare time, Holly gives from her heart by volunteering with Stars in Heaven, a group of parents who have had a child die and want to make memory albums, journals, ornaments and altered art as a form of therapeutic expression. Check out Wild Wyoming Girl: www.hollysimoni.typepad.com

Janine Blackwelder

Janine is a stay at home mom, a loving wife to her husband Hal (25 years), and mother to Brandon (13 years old). She has been paper crafting for about 15 years and the journey began with a simple, handmade Christmas Card. “Immediately I wanted to learn how to make my own cards. I drove three hours away to find supplies and I was hooked instantly!” Within two years of receiving that card, and tired of driving so far away to get what she needed, she opened a scrapbook/rubberstamp store called Memories in the Making Inc. in Greensboro, NC. She developed and taught classes in scrapbooking, rubberstamping and paper crafting during the nine years of operation. Janine says, “I love to ‘share techniques and meet people,’ and that's where my web site/blog name came from My S.T.A.M.P. Club” She still demonstrates, shares ideas and teaches classes related to paper crafting. She also enjoys reading, making jewelry, digital scrapbooking, working in her yard, volunteering at her son’s school and attending his motocross races. See Janine at My S.T.A.M.P. Club: www.mystampclub.com/blog

Jennifer Davis

In order to stay home with her newborn son, Jennifer quit her job as a science teacher six years ago and began scrapbooking. After letting her creative side loose, she absorbed as much paper-crafting knowledge as possible, quickly branching into stamping and cardmaking. In early 2004, just after the Wizard’s debut, Jennifer met Stacey and worked with her to create sample projects, develop techniques and teach classes all over the country. She also designed extensively for Fiskars, taught a variety of classes and has been published in several magazines, including Memory Makers, Creating Keepsakes and Scrapbooking & Beyond. Over a dozen of her projects have been featured on the PBS show, Scrapbook Memories.  Over the past three years, Jennifer has been learning graphic design and digital scrapbooking. “I loves to combine the digital and traditional paper-crafting techniques and considers myself a hybrid paper-crafter,” she says. Jennifer has been married for ten years to her amazingly supportive husband Adam and they have three beautiful children, Isaac (6), Maiah (4), and Hannah (1). More of Jennifer at Preservation Arts: http://www.preservationarts.com

Julie Overby

Julie says, “I am a MSAHM (mostly stay at home Mom!)” When working outside the home, Julie substitute teaches at her children’s school and ministers with her husband in their hometown on the Oregon coast.  “He is more supportive of my passion than I’d ever dreamed he would be. He has even incorporated some of my ‘crafty’ stories and projects into some sermons!!” Like many of us, her source for project inspiration comes from her 3 beautiful children, A.J. (9), Ashley (7) and Kelsey (4). Having been a paper crafter for over 12 years, Julie spends much of her free time expressing herself in her craft room while preserving important memories. “Of course, as with most obsessive paper artists these days, it has now become more of an addiction to play with all my favorite tools and paper,” she says. Find another adventure from Julie at Mini Moments:  http://www.joverby.blogspot.com

Karen Hunsaker

Karen can’t remember the beginning of her crafting interests, but then, she says she’s at a stage of life where it is a challenge to remember anything. Through her life, she has dabbled in many different crafts. When her children were small, she enjoyed sewing all their clothes, her own and even some for her husbands. “He loved that caftan I made for him in the 70’s! I have the pictures to prove it.” She has also enjoyed crochet, counted cross stitch, tole painting, wood crafts, decorative painting, macramé, flower arranging and most anything else that came along. She says “I was a Jill of all trades and a master of none…until I found paper crafting.” Now she’s found her niche. She enjoys the challenge of looking at the obvious and giving it a new spin. Karen makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she wears oven mitts instead of driving gloves, but she loves it. She has been married to her sweetheart, Allen, for 36 years and is the mother of three wonderful children and the grandmother of five of “the most beautiful and intelligent humans ever born.” Click on over to Karen's Kreations: http://www.karenskreativekreations.blogspot.com/

Karen Taylor

Karen, nicknamed Betty Boop by the Design Team, lives in Bolivar, Missouri. “Creating has always been a part of my life. I was raised by my grandmother who taught me the love of creating. One of my favorite past times as a child was to sit with grandma looking at her wonderful 1930's scrapbooks. The bits of vintage tissue paper, the black and white photos, the handmade invitations to a dance, all facinated me so much,” she says. She cherishes those first toys. When she’s at home you will find her in her studio creating very special layouts or mini pieces of art. “There have been times in my life when I just did not feel content, I realized it was then that I was not creating.” Karen is married to the love of her life, Andy. She is the proud mother of two grown children, Douglas who lives here in Bolivar and Jessie, married to Mark. She says, “We are thankful that in the Spring of 08, Marc returned home safely from an 18 month tour in Iraq.” The family reunion brought her to a new, exciting life title, Grandmother! See her work at Creative Yearnings:  http://www.creativeyearnings.blogspot.com/

Kazan Clark

Kazan was first introduced to scrapbooking when she and her husband immigrated to the States from South Africa 11 years ago. It took a while for the scrapbooking bug to bite but after her first child was born, there was no stopping her. Things really took off in a big way about a year ago when she started blogging, “I started blogging and cardmaking at the same time and now it has become my daily therapy.” Kazan’s work can be seen on her personal blog: Nunutoolies and the challenge blog she co-owns called 2 Sketches 4 You. Her style is not limited to a particular genre because she loves to experiment and learn as she creates. Kazan enjoys a good challenge and continuously pushes herself to try new tings. Her scrapbook pages and cards have been published both in the United States and Overseas.  She loves sharing this wonderful hobby with her family and most often you will find her in the craft room with her two little girls making cards and projects together. Skip over to Nunu Toolies:  http://www.nunutoolies.blogspot.com

Kimberly Crawford

Kimberly has a love and passion for paper crafting. It all began with her soon-to-be husband suggesting this “stamping thing” for their wedding invitations. Who knew that innocent comment would lead her to so many creative edeavors including Spellbinders Design Team. (She, of course, never lets her husband forget that!) Before she began staying home with her son, Kimberly was an elementary teacher. This makes her particularly suited to teaching scrapbooking and stamping classes locally. About Spellbinders, she says, “I love the limitless possibilities with the dies and how they give my students the inspiration to be creative and to achieve amazing results.” Kimberly has been published numerous times in many of the top paper craft periodicals. She has been married to Greg for almost 10 years. They have an adorable 3-year-old son. Catch Kim over at Paper Possibilities  http://www.fortheloveofpaper.blogspot.com/

Lesa Rapp

Born and raised in and now raising her own family in Idaho, Lesa has always loved creating. “As a child I loved making homemade cards but I didn't even know what a stamp was. I found stamping in 1996 and was a Stampin’Up! Demonstrator for 11 years,” she says. In July 2004, Lesa found Splitcoaststampers.com and has spent many hours there learning new things (like what Nestabilities are!). Her favorite toys are her Spellbinders die templates, her Wizard and her Copic markers! Last year, she decided to try out for some design teams. She first made “All That Scraps” team in January of 08. Then, after some encouragement to try for Spellbinders, she made that too. She says, “I am so thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful group of talented women.” Follow this talented woman at Paper Possibilities:  http://www.paperpossibilities.blogspot.com/

Mary Pfaff

Mary has been crafting most of her life, doing projects with her mom when she was young and continuing until today. Her two greatest passions are family and crafting. Her crafting forte is to make something beautiful from something simple or even unwanted, such as a toilet paper roll or empty coffee can. She can look at something and see its potential. “I love to make inexpensive, thoughtful gifts for people. I have taught classes showing others how they can make things too.” Mary’s drive to create gifts, brought her to the realization that she needed an outlet for them. She and a few friends, opened a successful boutique in CA. “Spellbinders Design Team is a dream come true. I will be able to do what I love at home without limits. I can apply my skills with purpose, to give others ideas and share what I know.” She and Steve will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary August 2009. They have two children, a son Zac, 24, and a daughter, Holly, 19. Other things she enjoys include: spending time with friends, having parties, being outdoors, camping, motorcycle riding, gardening, and occasionally relaxing at home with family. Be a fan of Crafty Cabin:  http://www.crafty-cabin.blogspot.com

Terre Fry

Terre is a great addition to the Spellbinders Team as she works at the World HQ AND is a teriffic designer. She has been crafting since she was a child but her true creativity has blossomed in the last 10 years. She says, “I love creating layouts as well as doing altered projects. I look forward to letting my inner child shine through over the next year as being a member of the Spellbinders Design Team.” She has been married to Michael for almost 20 years. She has a 23 year old daughter, Dominica, a 5 year old grandson, Rylie, “who just happens to be the love of my life, my own little ray of sunshine.” The newest addition to my life is my 14 month old daughter, Leahandra Danyelle. She has the bluest eyes and she changes from day to day. We spent our early years (10 to be exact) in the United States Air Force, stationed here in Arizona, Florida and Michael spent a year away in Korea. I miss the military life but I do not miss my husband being gone. God Bless Our Military! Don’t miss any of the fun at Terre's Scrap Therapy:  http://www.terresscraptherapy.blogspot.com

Special Teams

Beth Pingry, Community Coordinator

Beth’s experience in paper arts started as a child. “I kept scrapbooks for as long as I can remember and I always had a camera nearby,” she says. (Her first was a Brownie Hawkeye!). Her four years in high school were filled with art classes, and she earned a marketing degree in college. Until the births of her children, she worked in the business world. As a stay at home mom to her two sons, Michael and Jonny, Beth reconnected with her creative muse when she discovered a scrapbook store. Beth is a member of Spellbinders’ marketing team, she writes for the website blog and teaches classes at consumer and trade events. Steve, her college sweetheart and husband of 18 years, supports her habits cheerfully. She loves heritage, timeless, traditional styles in her crafts and home. Beth is an avid paper crafter with a new-found passion for altered items. In between family, scrapping and an occasional jaunt with the girls, she teaches at local scrapbooking stores. Have some Cookies for Breakfast:  http://www.bethping.blogspot.com/

Cathy Chlebana, Design Team Coordinator

For as long as she can remember, Cathy has been involved in one type of craft or another. Her introduction to mixed media paper arts began about 13 years ago when she purchased her first rubber stamp. As her passion grew, she began to try her hand at a number of paper arts, including bookmaking, collage and altered art. For the past few years, she has been working on an altered scrapbook, journaling her many trips to England and Scotland. “It is my never-ending work in progress,” she says. Cathy is married to Ron, an architect. They have one grown daughter, Stacey. “They give me limitless encouragement to pursue my passion and are my biggest fans,” she says. A former travel agent, her love of paper arts is matched only by her love of travel.

Eli Harlan, Community Communications Specialist

Elizabeth Shaffer Harlan or Eli, as most of her friends call her, (It sounds like feline.) has been scrapbooking most of her life. At five, she remembers taping birthday cards into an old fashioned grey-paged album.  Fast forward to 1997, she got married and has pursued scrapbooking wholeheartedly, thankfully with the aid of new found products that are acid free and new tools to make the job easier and more fun. In 2002, Eli began working as a freelance writer for Memory Makers Magazine and Books. She says, “I learned a great deal from all the artists whose pages I wrote about. That’s when I became addicted.” In 2006, she became a part of Spellbinders Design Team. Half way through that year, she was hired as a writer for Spellbinders and she has thoroughly enjoyed the journey with the company so far. Eli writes or edits most of the text that you see around the website, on packaging, in the instructions, and she supports Beth with the Spellbinders Blog. She has taught paper arts around the US and has been published numerous times with her writing and artwork. Visit Frizzy Lizzy Frumple Dumple:  http://www.writingeli.blogspot.com

Kim Hupke, Education Director

Kim never dreamed how quickly her passion for paper arts would change her life! She says, “My enthusiasm and excitement for this industry cannot be contained; it just has to come out!” On her way to this position, Kim served three years on the Camp Memory Makers Advisory Council and was published in numerous paper crafting and scrapbooking magazines. She joined the Spellbinders family as a designer and is thrilled to be able to reach out to other enthusiasts through her position as Education Director. Kim currently works with the design teams, teaches internationally and has presented on Scrapbook Memories and HSN in the US and TSC in Canada. Kim loves to share her passion and inspire others to let their creative side take over. Kim resides in Iowa with her husband Brian and recently she became a very proud grandma.

Linda Duke, Special Designer

As a child, Linda always had a pencil and paper in her hands and she doodled whenever possible. Her father was a very talented artist and was her first teacher. “I would sit and watch him make beautiful creations of landscapes, objects around the house, or anything that caught his eye,” she says. “I would then try to duplicate what he created”.  In school, art was her favorite subject and she decided at a young age she wanted to study animation. Fourteen years ago, Linda attended a Stampin’ Up! Party and has been stamping ever since. This medium now trumps all her other art interests. She is a several year member of Splitcoaststampers.com and feels that her stamping abilities have improved tremendously through the talented artists that share their work there.  In April 2007, Linda became part of the Splitcoaststampers Design team, a.k.a the Dirty Dozen. For six months, she truly loved being a part of this elite team. Currently, she is a Redevelopment Specialist in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley. She can’t wait to retire in a couple years and concentrate full-time on paper crafting. Cheer on Linda at Linda’s Works of Heart: http://www.lindaduke.typepad.com