Creative Experts


Some of the industry's hottest creative experts will be joining us this year; many will be teaching workshops, offering demos, and mingling with attendees. Meet your favorite expert for some face-to-face inspiration at ScrapFest 2008!

Teresa Collins

Teresa is a Southern girl—originally from Hickory, North Carolina. In 2002, she began her creative journey into the scrapbooking world. What started out as a passionate hobby lead her into the world of designing product and teaching around the world. She still pinches herself for her good fortune—she never would have imagined she’d start her own company, but here she is, and she’s having the time of her life! Teresa is passionate and loves what she does. She incorporates her interior design background and experiences in many of her designs. She strives to create products that make it easier for scrapbookers to document their story. Teresa and her husband, Tyler, has seven children—three girls (Taylor, Gentry, and McKay) and four boys (Matt, Seth, Zach, and Ty). She leads a very busy—but very lucky—life!

Jennifer McGuire

Jennifer, a 2002 Creating Keepsakes Hall of Famer, has been scrapbooking and stamping for about five years. Previously an engineer, she left her job in order to scrapbook full-time. Jennifer has had numerous designs published in Creating Keepsakes magazines and idea books, Autumn Leaves’ Designing With books, and several other publications. Her work can be seen each month in Creating Keepsakes’ “Tool Time” article, where she shows many things you can do with one tool or product, along with a bi-monthly article on creatingkeepsakes.com. A book based on this article, 101 Things To Do With Your Scrapbook Supplies, was released in June 2007. Jennifer also works as a designer for Hero Arts, contributing to their designs, catalogs, and website. She most enjoys traveling the world teaching stamping classes. Jennifer lives in Cincinnati with her husband Ken, son Colin (2), and sweet step-daughters Kay (13), and Audrey (10).


Layle Koncar

Layle has been scrapbooking in one form or another for the past 11+ years, starting when her first son was born. Three years ago, she jumped at the chance to scrapbook for a living! She recently accepted a job with BasicGrey and is thrilled to be working for such a great company with great products! Layle has been teaching for the past five years, and enjoys the traveling and connecting with other scrapbookers that comes with it. Her work has been published in Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks Etc. Memory Makers, Paper Crafts, Legacy, Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, and Pinecone Press. She authored and contributed to the book Memory Art and is a regular contributor to Paper Crafts books and special issues. In addition to scrapbooking, she loves interior decorating, skiing, reading, traveling, shopping, going to flea markets, and spending time with her husband, Nick, and rambunctious boys, Jack and Sam. Learn more about Layle on her blog at http://laylekoncar.typepad.com.


Julianna Hudgins

As an innovative expert, TV personality, author, and designer, Julianna has turned millions of people on to the joys of crafting. A spokesperson for the Ellison Prestige and Sizzix brands, Julianna travels the country and abroad teaching unique die-cutting techniques for paper-crafting, home décor, jewelry, and fashion. She has appeared on television programs like HGTV’s Carol Duval Show, PBS’s Scrapbook Memories, DIY Scrapbooking, Discovery Channel’s Home Matters, Shop at Home TV, QVC, and the Home Shopping Network. Julianna was also recognized as one of the “Top Eight Scrapbooking Authorities” by the DIY Network and has penned four books on crafting. In addition, her work and words continue to be featured in popular hobby publications. She also represented the Craft & Hobby Association at the Japan Hobby Show in Tokyo, where she presented the latest trends and techniques for paper-crafting. Julianna lives with her husband, Rich, son Josh, and boxer dog, Billybob.


Shari Carroll

Shari began stamping for Hero Arts in 1989 as a replication artist. As years passed, she found her own style through exploring and developing techniques with inks, papers, and rubber stamps. Her work has been featured in magazines such as Somerset Studio, The Gallery, Take Ten, Stampers Sampler, The Rubber Stamper, Paper Crafts, Creating Keepsakes, and Memory Makers. Shari has also contributed to Autumn Leaves’ Designing with Stamps and Designing with 2006 books. In 2006, her book, Layers, a 128-page book of step-by-step projects for scrapbookers, paper-crafters, and rubber stamp enthusiasts, was released from North Light Books. Shari lives in Illinois with her husband of 21 years, Tom, sons Brooks (20) and Scooter (18), their friend Chris (19), and the family German Shepherd, Cede.

Sharon Ann

Sharon lives in a beautiful small town in Colorado with her husband of 19 years, Kevin, and their four children, Jordan, Kori, Kacey, and Keaton, where the family owns and operates organic orchards. She works out of her home, part-time, on the product development and design team for Déjà Views, specifically designing the Sharon Ann Collections and Wonderful Words hand-lettered rub-ons and stickers.

She is inspired by her husband, whose support and love always inspire her to achieve her goals and dreams; her mom, who has always encouraged her through word and example to exercise and utilize God-given talents; and friends that she is blessed to be able to work with through her job. When she is not designing for Déjà Views, she enjoys gardening, photography, cooking, traveling, shopping, and reading.


Kelly Purkey

Kelly lives in New York City, where there is inspiration around every corner! She feels lucky to scrapbook for a job—designing for American Crafts, as well as her roles on the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team and Two Peas in a Bucket Garden Girls. Besides scrapbooking, she loves traveling, curling up with a good book, laughing with friends, and enjoying cupcakes (with lots of icing!). This is Kelly’s third year at ScrapFest!


Julie Comstock

Julie is the President and founder of Cosmo Cricket. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Utah State University. Her passion is design and she especially loves designing paper and innovative products. Before Cosmo Cricket, Julie worked as an art director in the world of advertising, working for brands including Coca Cola, Lagoon Amusement Park, and Hilton Hotels. She is the mother of four children, which doesn’t leave her a lot of free time! However, in the bits that she finds, she enjoys painting, gardening, walking, and music.

Lisa Falduto

Paper has always fascinated Lisa! In her childhood, she used to it make pretend meals with her toy cookware and create many projects for school assignments, and as an adult, uses it to create bulletin boards, games, puzzles, and more for her preschool classroom. About 15 years ago, she discovered stamping and began creating cards—and was quickly hooked! She made the natural progression into scrapbooking, and then to altered items, which are all now part of her daily life. She enjoys sitting down with a pile of paper, embellishments, stamps, and tools to create something memorable. Paper-crafting is her passion! This is Lisa’s third year at ScrapFest, teaching for Cosmo Cricket. She enjoys meeting each and every one of her students and sharing that same passion for paper with everyone!

Kimberly McCausland, Cambria Turnbow, and Joy Kennedy

Cambria, Joy, and Kimberly founded Our Craft Lounge in 2009. Each designer’s collections showcase fun, classic, and fresh designs specifically for stampers and scrapbookers! It’s their mission to continue to design top-quality products that express your creativity. Our Craft Lounge has lots of cool products on the market—including rubber cling stamps, clear stamps, and popular Sparkly Fluff flocking—and strives to provide not only amazing products, but great customer service, too. Happy crafters are their business!

Marianne Walker

Marianne has worked for the past nine years as a product specialist for Copic Markers in North America. She teaches technique-based training classes using Copic Markers to paper-crafters, art schools, and to comic artists all across the U.S. Marianne is also an illustrator for Our Craft Lounge and does illustration work for the Oregon Asian Celebration as well.

Andria Gibson

A graduate of the University of Iowa Business College, Andria has been a passionate scrapbook artist for over eight years. Her love of scrapbooking became the inspiration behind the Reminisce retail store, located in Coralville, Iowa. Together with her husband, Matt, they launched the Reminisce brand of products in 2003. Andria has shared her scrapbooking passion with thousands at conventions, women's organizations, and classes. She has a love for learning and an even greater love for teaching people to preserve their family legacies for generations to come. Most importantly, Andria loves spending time with her husband, Matt, and her daughters Ella and Vivian. She enjoys distance running and has completed two marathons.


Kimberly Roberto

Kimberly is an accomplished scrapbooker, crafter, and business owner. In 2003, she founded Scrappy Cat—a scrapbooking and stamping company. Over the past several years, she has developed new products, taught numerous classes at industry events, and still makes time to create personal scrapbooks and projects to celebrate family and friends. Kimberly’s work has appeared in many magazines, including Simple Scrapbooks, Memory Makers, and Creating Keepsakes. She has been recognized for fun, innovative ideas, as well as photography, and is always exploring new ideas to share with the scrapbooking community. Kimberly lives in Ohio with her husband, Chris, and their three children, Jenny (9), Jacob (7), and Jordan (5).


Erin Madsen

Sometimes great opportunities present themselves when you least expect them—just ask Erin! She was working as a bank teller when she met Nancy Hill, founder of Die Cuts With A View, and the rest is history! Erin has been with Die Cuts With A View for more than four years now, working as a designer and instructor. She loves scrapbooking and card-making, and loves the opportunity to share them with others. Erin has two children, Troy and Colt, and an equally time-consuming pug puppy named Jack.


Joey Otlo

As a previous scrapbook store owner and mother of two, Joey has over 12 years experience in the scrapbook industry and has called Bazzill her "home away from home" for the past six years. She infuses her own personal style into every page she creates, and is also inspired by photography, home décor, and home improvement projects. She sees herself as a "simple scrapbooker", sharing the stories of those who live in her photos.


Pat Niemuth

Pat is the owner of Northwoods Rubber Stamps, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year! She is an avid stamper and has taught classes both locally and nationally for 20 years.


Stephenie Hamen

Stephenie is a lover of all things paper-craft related! She started playing with paper as a child, going through reams of it at a time. It wasn’t until college, however, that she started scrapbooking. After a trip to Colorado in 2001, she was hooked. She began scrapping everything from a trip with friends to our local hangout, to pictures of her own city. Once her boys were born, the passion truly enveloped her life. In 2005, Stephenie started teaching classes at her local JoAnn Fabrics and in 2006, became one of the four lead and founding Fiskars Fiskateers. She served a two-year term and then took a new leap, becoming the Design and Consumer Education Manager for Fiskars in 2008. Her job gives her the opportunity to educate, motivate, and inspire crafters from a much larger vantage point, which is amazing. Crafting is her life and Fiskars is her home! Stephenie is also a special education teacher by trade, and has served 10 years in that field.



Jennifer Wohlenberg

Jennifer began scrapbooking after the birth of her second daughter, in 1997. She was inducted into Creating Keepsakes’ Hall of Fame in 2002 and has been a teacher at Creating Keepsakes University and other scrapbooking conventions for the past six years. Her favorite part about this hobby is mixing her two great loves—photography and journaling. Jennifer lives with her husband and three daughters in Southern California, where she runs a photography and custom scrapbook business. When not scrapbooking, taking pictures, or teaching, Jennifer loves quad shot mochas, bargain-hunting at Target, and rooting for the Dodgers!


Cynthea Sandoval

Cynthea is the Creative Director and owner of Doodlebug Design. She has been designing and creating fresh, whimsical product for the scrapbooking and paper-crafting industry since 2000. She lives in Utah with her husband Andy and their four children. This is her second year at ScrapFest and the first year Doodlebug Design is offering Create-it! Workshops. Please visit their booth and check out all the fun stuff they offer!


Laura Weed

Laura Weed has been a rubber stamp artist and instructor for 29 years. She’s been involved in the craft stamping industry since its early days in every possible capacity from stamp manufacturer, company owner, and retail store manager to artist and teacher. She’s taught stamping and scrapbooking classes in her home and through the Community Services departments of a variety of southern California community colleges and cities. She now serves as the Graphics Coordinator for one of the oldest and most respected stamp manufacturers in the world, Stampendous. At Stampendous she oversees the production of design samples for store displays, classes, workshops, and print materials. She’s closely involved in the design process for everything from packaging to new product. In addition, Laura is responsible for the content on Stampendous’ website, blog and other internet presences. A second generation, southern California native, Laura resides with her husband Kevin, daughter Rebecca (20), and son David (11) within 5 miles of Disneyland.

Lori Marek

Lori remembers having her first “creative scrapbook moment” in 1993 and has been hooked ever since. Her passion for creativity and her desire to photograph and record everyday moments with her children ultimately led to beloved keepsake albums and a fabulous career in the industry. Lori loves putting her own artistic stamp on each collection and does her best to live each day aware of the ordinary and wonderful things around her that inspire her work. She understands the need to step outside the demands of motherhood and career and the importance of creative expression. Other than scrapbooking, Lori enjoys traveling, skiing, reading, and spending time with her new husband and three wonderful children.