I just joined the MM staff as an assistant editor and wanted to take a moment as the “newbie” of the team to introduce myself and also share with you my “Wings Challenge” creation. My name is GinaMarie (yes that is my whole first name, I don't have a middle one :) and I moved down here from Norwalk, a small town in northern Ohio. I went to Capital University and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Professional Writing, and was previously working at a horse and carriage specialty magazine as an assistant editor. After working for almost a year for a scrapbooking retail store in my hometown...I became addicted to scrapbooking and making cards. When the opportunity presented itself, I happily accepted this new job, excited that two worlds I deeply enjoy would become intertwined: editing and scrapbooking.

As for the challenge, my title is “My Wings Are Made of Grace,” because I know it is God alone that has given me the grace and strength to become the woman He’s created me to be, and without Him I would have nothing. I emphasized each word using a different medium and tried to add as much texture as I could to the page without making it seem too crowded or busy. My favorite details on the page are the My Mind’s Eye transparencies and the acrylic blocks I used to add depth and dimension to the page. The dragonfly transparency was from My Mind’s Eye Bohemia 2 Boulevard collection, and I attached it to the page using a brad and another acrylic block to add depth and allow the dragonfly to “swing” freely over the page. I love using many techniques on one page, and the challenge was fun because it made me think creatively within the bounds of structure.

How will you handle the “challenge”? Click here to see what amazing things people have created in the forum, and download your page to join in the fun!

Meet GinaMarie Reda, the newest member on the Memory Makers Magazine editorial team. She’ll begin blogging soon, and I’m sure she’ll want to introduce herself, so for now I’ll just say that we’re thrilled to have her on board.

A new team member means a reshuffling of responsibilities, so last week I was told I’d be moderating the Tips and Techniques forum. This is the place to go for advice about a tool or technique. Start exploring, and it’s hard to break away.

My favorite find in my recent exploration was a reference to a thread on another forum giving 34 ways to make chipboard pop. The list is summarized in the first message, but if you read the whole thread, those techniques really come alive with tips and ideas.

Let’s revive the chipboard thread. Take a look and add a technique or suggest a tip for a technique already mentioned. And don’t forget to post a photo of your embellished chipboard.

Holly Davis