Welcome to the Scrapdango Blog Hop Crop!!

It's finally time for the Blog Hop Crop to begin at Scrapdango! If you aren't quite sure what that is, check out the post here at the Scrapdango blog. If you know what this is all about - you can skip down a little ways and learn about me and my fun facts and my favorite scrappy items.

We have a brand new design team and we want you to get to know us while having some scrappy fun along the way. By completing our challenges, you can earn chances to win one of Scrapdango's awesome kits!

If you don't know me that well - my name is Sandi Minchuk. I've been in and around the scrappy scene for at least ten years now and I'm more than honored and excited to be a part of the Scrapdango design team. I've been published in a bunch of different magazines and idea books. I've even won a spot in a pretty big contest. I've been more than lucky. I'm always amazed when I have something picked up to be published. I was beyond floored when Heather picked me to be a part of her team. I used to own my own scrapbook kit club and used to love scrapbooking - but it all got to be just a bit much for me and I stopped, so I could concentrate on kits and shipping and everything that comes with running a business. At the end of last year, I decided that I missed scrapbooking far too much to continue doing what I was doing. So I quit. To make me happy. Looking back, it was very hard but it's been the best decision I've made in a long time. I love scrapping again and can't seem to get enough of it. I've been having so much fun creating with the November Sugar kit Heather sent me- I can't wait to share with you guys on the 15th- during our reveal date. Make sure you grab this kit while you can!

This past November 1st, I celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary with my husband, Jeff. He's stuck by me through think and thin and I really could not have a better guy. I'm very lucky. We don't have any children but we do have one very spoiled Weimeraner named Payton, who we spoil rotten. (P.S. He was named after Walter Payton. Yes, we're die-hard Bears fans.)

Anyway, most people don't know that I'm fluent in French and love anything and everything to do with that beautiful country. I hope to one day go back and explore more of it with someone I love. It's one of the things to do on my "bucket list."

Another fun fact about me is that (until recently) I hated to have my picture taken. Everyone always says I'm so photogenic but inside, I was DYING to have to have my picture taken. I stressed about looking heavy and the light catching too many of my fourteen chins that I'm sure were down there hiding, to come out and humiliate me at just the moment my picture was taken. ;) In the last year and a half, I've slowly (but surely) lost 98 pounds and now I love to have my picture taken - with all of my loved ones. And sometimes I'm brave enough to take one of just me. So, you should look for more pics of me soon - and I'll be using them on my scrapbook pages, so that I can finally be included in them! :)

I have a TON of things that I love to use while I'm scrapping but my favorites are all on this layout, called Winky McGee. It's a layout about my niece, Ava, and me. I took it when we went to a friend's and family day for the Bears a few years back. My current favorite things to use on a layout are #1- Patterned paper (and LOTS of it - as you can see, it's in the flowers and the rolls and in the background and in the foreground and well... just about everywhere.) #2- Flowers - of any kind. I chose to make my own for this layout and use some of my Prima stash. #3- Punches - I'm currently addicted to using my paper border punches. I think I use them on just about every layout I make anymore. #4- Corrugated cardboard - what better way to hide the evidence of a pizza binge than to rip up the box and use it on a layout? ;) And last, but certainly not least #5- Alphabet stickers. I will take alphabet stickers in every shape, size and color but I really cannot get enough of the Doodlebug ones. They are without a doubt, my most favorite. Here's a few pics of my layout:

So, for your challenge, I challenge you to use anything you learned about me in your layout. Use at least 2 facts (I used the fact that I hid behind Ava for the most part in my picture and that this photo was taken at a Bears game - my favorite NFL team.) I also used a whole slew of patterned papers and all my other 5 favorites on this layout. You can either use my 5 favorites or use 2 of my fun facts (you can interpret them any way you choose) OR you can use both and get two draws for the prize!

For the hop part of the crop, here's the order in which you should go:

-Scrapdango blog <----- GO here next

-Audra

-Celeste

-Heather

-Laura

-Lynn

-Sandi (You are here)

Happy hopping!!