Give a warm welcome to our NEW DOLLIES!

WOW, folks, the response to our Design Team call was overwhelming for your Founding Dollies. We figured we'd start by saying we were looking for a couple of fun people, hoping that we might get a COUPLE of applicants (and we crossed our fingers and toes that they'd be crafty, enthusiastic people with PERSONALITY!). Well we had a TON of applicants, and we thank you ALL for your interest! Getting into this blog challenge thing was brand new to us, and all we wanted to do was share stuff and inspire and see what others would think of our ideas.

And NOW, we're all feeling rather awestruck, because we're nearing 100 followers (in just two short months!), and the Design Dollies name is popping up around the blogosphere more and more, and we are just thrilled that the response has been so much more than we ever could have imagined.

Anyway, here's me, getting all warm and fuzzy because it seems that you really do like us! So we can't wait to show you the excitement around the corner! First, we decided on THREE new Dollies to join us for the first three month term. But in addition to that, we ALSO selected a Guest Design Dollie for each of those months. And we were tickled pink that they ALL said yes!

We are very pleased to announce the new Design Dollies line-up, debuting January 4th, 2010....

Nicole Terry (of Pink Nickels)

Ellen Ogata (of Scrapbookland)

Heidi Myers (of ARTiQL8 - Not Busy Enuf)

WELCOME, LADIES! We are so pleased to call you Design Dollies! And folks, we're SURE you're going to be amazed by all the brilliant work (can we call it work if we love it so much?) these new Dollies will be sharing.

For example...
Heidi's layout, featuring a VINYL RECORD embellie she made herself (grooves and all)... (and OH, I spent many high school evenings cutting rugs to that very song!)


and a couple of her other handmade embellies, fashioned from bubble wrap, duct tape, and dryer sheets (used, i'm sure):


I firmly believe that she could make something out of the chicken bones from tonight's dinner, had I saved them.


Then we have some funky, fresh elements from Ellen, who impressed the socks off us with THIS stunner of an "altered" item:


Now THAT is what I call a shadow box! And check out some of the embellies she likes to use (we love this cutesy approach, and her attention to detail):


This girl has such a unique flair, and we can't wait to see what she'll do with our challenges. We're SURE they're going to inspire you (and us, too!).

And Nicole, who has been showing the Dollies love for a long time (long before the blog's inception)... She does things with black and bright colours that just make her photos go POP! Check this out!


She's also an environmentally friendly kinda gal, who does things with leftovers that will wow you! For example:


Have you ever used the entire sheet of negatives from your alpha stickers or chipboard and created a background for your layout? How about plain ol' masking tape as a base for your title/journalling? Didn't think so! :)

We'll be back to share the dirt on our fabulous Guest Design Dollies tomorrow (er, later today!)... For now, please give a happy hello to our new blood, and visit their blogs to see WHY we think they're going to be such a great fit for Design Dollies!

It's wonderful to have you on board, Dollies! :)
And folks, don't forget to play along with this week's challenge, and be on the lookout for little additions and improvements to our blog over the next few weeks!