flattering our very own MARIA!!

GOOD DAY everyone!!

It's Eryn posting today....and I AM EXCITED!!!

WHY???

Because I get the honor of introducing you to our {ippity} DT Member
MARIA GURNSEY!!

I want to start out by saying what a WONDERFUL person Maria is. 
I am honored to work side by side with her...she is...
UBER TALENTED.
SUPER SWEET!
Outragiously ORGANIZED!
and
FABULOUSLY  FUN to work with!
{and her & I share a "little" love for NKOTB member Joe McIntyre! LOL!}

Maria is one busy chick...I can't believe she finds the time to create such outstanding work...must be those organizational skills she chats about below...

SO with out further a do...here is a BIT ABOUT MARIA!

Tell us a little about yourself...
I’m a stay at home mom of three wonderful kids (Macy 8, Mattea 4, and Miller 3) and have been married to my husband Mike for almost 8 years (yep we are all M’s)! We live in a small town in Colorado and love it here. Both of us were raised in Colorado and my family is here so it suits us well! In addition to my paper crafting hobby, I also attend school online to finish my elementary education degree. My husband has to travel quite a bit for work so I joke that I am a single parent most of the time ;) With all my obligations I’m a busy girl but I’m super organized so I can usually get it all done without too much stress.

{Maria & husband, Mike}

{Macy, Miller, & Mattea} 

How did you first get involved in stamping?

When we moved to a new town I wanted to try and connect with some local scrapbookers so I checked the internet to see if there were any local scrapbooking clubs. I found a Stampin’ Up demo’s blog and knew I wanted to be a crafty blogger. I placed my very first stamp order and the rest is history.

What is your stamping style?
I’m not sure. I’m drawn to vintage and shabby (my house is proof)!! I love all things old, worn and comfy. I think I’m influenced by these styles but I also love a bit of bright colors and bold styles. I guess you could say my style is eclectic. I try to just use what I love and then my creations always reflect me.

Tell us about your creative process...
My best designs come to me in my sleep or the moment’s right before I fall asleep! I’m constantly jumping out of bed to sketch out an idea…too bad I don’t have more time to nap ;) I have more success with a card when it’s been thought out ahead of time. I very rarely go into my craft room without an idea. When I do craft from a blank slate, decorative paper is usually my jump of point.

What is your favorite {ippity} stamp set and why?
That’s so hard. I’m torn between the scrapbooking kits (Love in Return and Life’s Little Moment’s) and Music of my Heart. I really love scrappy stamps on cards or layouts and all three of these sets work great for both. Plus I love the large size of the stamps in these kits!

How often do you stamp?
I used to stamp daily but now that I’m back in school it’s more like every other day.

How long does it take you to make a project you are happy with?
If I have the idea in my head before I start I can usually make a card in about 20 minutes. If the idea is working quite like I thought it would I can take up to an hour. Scrapbook layouts usually take longer.

What does your craft room look like?
Clean and organized!!! I’ve always said, if I’m not stamping I want to be organizing my stamps and supplies. I love having a place for everything and I have a severe crush on binders and sheet protectors….slightly nerdy I know but I LOVE to be organized!

What is your biggest paper crafting challenge?
Time and new techniques. With three kids, school and stamping I have to budget my time which is very limited. I’m also not a “try new things” kind of person…sometimes I feel “stuck” in the same thing and need something to jolt my creativity. I don’t work well under pressure which is why I work ahead on both my schooling and stamping obligations. If I’m not ahead…I’m behind!!

What is the name of your Ippity Sales Blog?

http://salesbym.blogspot.com/

What made you decide to start selling Ippity?
I feel head over heels for Unity stamps once I got my first KOTM. My style just clicked once I found their stamps and I really, REALLY wanted to be a part of the fantastic company. The day {ippity} was revealed I signed on as a chick. I couldn’t wait to share my enthusiasm for these stamps!

Tell us about your experience selling Ippity...
I’ve been pretty successful selling {ippity} through my blog. I think if you can show someone a fabulous design using the stamps they sell themselves. I also try to talk about “stamps” with anyone who will listen...hehe. I actually sold four sets to our tax preparer once she saw my business info. My poor husband had to sit through an extra 45 minutes of “stamp talk” but he forgave me once I made a sale ;)

What song best describes you?
I don’t think I could pick just one. Everyone always teases me that I’m a walking jukebox…I LOVE music!! People call me all the time singing a melody or they text me lyrics to find out what the song is. If I don’t know I have to find out…then it always sticks with me. Plus, it depends on my mood…somedays I’m a little rock n roll other days I just want to feel sentimental…I love that music has a way of evoking emotion.

If you were stranded on a desert island what are the three things you would bring?
My family…my WHOLE family, my iPod, and suntan lotion.

What is your favorite quote?
My all time favorite quote is from the Nicholas Sparks book The Notebook:

“I’m a common man, with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten, but I have loved another with all my heart and soul and for me this has always been enough.”

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
Three bottles of Hazelnut coffee creamer, milk, lots of cheese and sandwich stuff.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
She’s not a superhero but I would want that cool nose twitch thing that Samantha on Bewitched had. I would love to be able to twitch my nose and have my house clean!

What would your dream vacation be?
A tropical island getaway! I think those hut things in some place like Fiji look amazing.

Yes, we will be EXTENDING the sale and the option to purchase the newly released kits through mid next week. Please be patient with inquires...we will be responding to everyone's questions & concerns as soon as we are able to. From everyone at Unity...HUGE apologies for the inconvenience!!

It was so enjoyable to get to know more about Maria...now I just can't WAIT to meet her IN REAL LIFE!!

One last FABULOUS {ippity} creation by her....

HEY...before you go...

did you know that TODAY is National Scrapbooking Day?!?!?

Maria is the talented one behind the creation of our SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES in honor of today's celebration:

how FUN are these!?!?

Please join us in creating a layout using

ONE or TWO of the sketches above for your chance to

WIN the NEWEST {ippity} Scrapbooking Kit!

{it's releasing on May 13th!}

CLICK HERE for more details and to participate.

NOW just in case you are STARTING here for the day...

Please check out the Unity Blog for MORE of today's FUN details.

THANKS so much for stopping by...ENJOY your day...and

GO GET CRAFTY!!

:)