Biographies

Jan Radu
Hi! My name is Jan Radu and I live in Ellenbrook Western Australia. I work part time as the Product Manager for fashion label "intangible". I actually have a Bachelor of Arts in double major History and Anthropology from the University of Western Australia, and before you ask "Where did that get you?", My boss says I wouldn't have gotten an interview back in 2001 if I didn't have a degree!

I've been married for 7 years to my supportive and hardworking husband and have two very boisterous boys, Laurenz (6) and Kyan (3).  My life is erratic, fun, wonderful, busy, frustrating, a juggle (did I mention busy) and incredibly fulfilling…

I have been scrapbooking off and on for 5 years, and stamping and card making for a little under a year - but I was born to love this craft! I attended my first Stampin' Up! worskhop Mid 2009, and by November I had signed on as a demonstrator myself!

This is the first time I have reserved time and space JUST FOR ME since having children and in the process I feel like I have re-discovered myself. The part I love most about holding workshops is introducing other busy Mums or working women to this craft and convincing them by example that If I can make time during my busy week for stamping... So can they!

Have fun stamping and creating…and maybe rediscover you in the process!


Patrice Easton
Hi, my name is Patrice Easton and I live in Canberra, ACT. I have one son Connor (almost 10) and a four legged fluff ball we call Lilli (4). I grew up in New Zealand.
My mother was a very good needle crafter and seamstress and taught me, for which I am very grateful now. I left all crafting behind for the decade of my 20’s while I traveled and became more worldly and wise :o)

I am relatively new to stamping, having not ever heard of SU! until I attended my first SU! workshop in late 2007. I have been hooked ever since! I love that everything coordinates and matches.

I tend not to scrapbook, although would love to. I find that 12x12 space a little daunting...cards have a much smaller surface area to cover and I get a relatively quick and gratifying result. I love that my handmade cards give my friends a smile and happiness that shows I was thinking of them whilst creating it.

I have met the most incredibly beautiful, kind and generous people since joining the papercraft world. Some of which I know are going to be lifelong friendships.

Some of my other interests are ice cream, movies, music and I also LOVE books and make time to read every day!

I am flattered to be chosen as part of the new look JAI design team. I am also quite nervous to be amongst such a super talented group of women. I hope I can offer just a little of the inspiration I have gained from many of you in the past two years.


Jo Eades
Hi my name is Jo and I’m a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. I’m SO excited to join the Just Add Ink design team. It’s my very first time on a DT and I’m excited, nervous and in shock all at once.
 
I’ve been stamping for about 7 years (I think), having been introduced to it by one of my very good friends.  I’d always admired the cards the she made and one Easter, instead of watching her create, I joined in.  The first thing I tried was heat embossing, and with that, I was hooked.  I discovered Stampin’ Up! through an American stamping magazine, where I’d seen the most beautiful stamp that I just HAD to have.  So I joined up on the day they opened in Australia (April 2006), before even seeing or using any of their products.  Funny thing was, the stamp never even made it into the Australian catalogue.  I did end up getting it though and it will be a stamp that I have forever.

I’d describe my stamping style as clean and graphical.  I think that comes from making LOTS of guy cards – not many girls in the family, so it was a case of sink or swim J

When I’m not stamping, I work full time as the Office Manager for a software development company.  I also enjoy cooking (currently being inspired by Master Chef), photography (I was lucky enough to receive a fantabulous digital SLR for Mother’s Day) and I also have my retired show pony sitting in the paddock waiting for my nearly 4 yo to jump on board.


Mae Collins
I live in Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, which is a seaside town just South of Hobart. My husband Gary and I have been married for almost 25 years and we have two teenage children (Dylan 19, living with his fiancé, and Emily 17 still at home). I am a carer at home for my mother-in-law who moved in with us last September (2009).  I am about to commence 2-3 days/week work as a casual tax preparer with H&R Block to get some mental stimulation and time away from home for a few months of the tax season.  

I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since October 2006 and really enjoy using their products and especially the colour coordination with cardstock, ink, accessories etc.  I have a small team of demonstrators called Tassie Inkydinks, although this has come about more through chance than trying to build a business, as I am more of a hobby demonstrator.  I hold a stamp class at my home once a month and try to hold an outside workshop once a month as well, which allows me to be self-sustaining in my hobby and to maintain my demonstratorship easily.  

I make a few items to assist a friend in handcrafted items sold in her shop in town (not always SU! products though!) and also create with another friend for market stalls that we mainly hold during the summer months (last summer was our first!).  
Some of my favourite craft items that I can't live without are my sponge daubers, ribbons and of course my paper piercer!  I use my paper piercer for pin-pricked borders, for faux stitching and to help insert brads into cardstock.


Gardenia Pepworth
Hi, my name is Gardenia and I am a Stampin' Up! demo. I live in a remote part of Western Australia with my hubby and our three energetic kids! We love where we live and I find inspiration around me all the time! I can never run out of scrapbook pages to make with the scenery that we have here!

I have always been a crafty person and have dabbled in everything at some point in time. Just over a year ago after drooling over a Stampin'Up! Catalogue for a couple of days, I decided to jump feet first (and blindly) into the stamping world and see where it would take me. The ride has been super fast, with lots of ups and downs and learning curves and now it has landed me here at Just Add Ink, one of my favourite challenge blogs EVER! I am chuffed to be part of the Design Team for the next 6 months! YAY! 


For me paper crafting means a lot, its that five minutes relaxing inbetween the house work, its down time when the kids are sleeping, its coffee and chats with friends, its meeting new wonderful people and friends every day. I love the the journey that I am on and am glad that I get to spend some of it with you all here at JAI!

My main passion is for cards, I love that they are so personal and heartfelt, and I love that in a short space of time I have accomplished something! The world of 3D  papercraft is amazing! 


Preserving memories is a passion of mine and I dabble in scrapbooking whenever  I get a chance! I dabble in all different styles and have times when I just cant get away from a colour combo, or a theme, but my style is always evolving and changing the more I look and learn. Ernest Hemmingway said "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master"



Jodene Tripp
 I have been stamping for 14 years now and scrapbooking almost as long. Although my scrapbooking has really taken a back seat the last few years to stamping, but it is something I hope to dive back into this year.

I finally became a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator earlier this year, and although I am really only a ‘hobby demo’ at this point I am open to growing my business and possibly holding workshops in the not too distant future.

I have been married for 15 years (16 this September!) and have two gorgeous daughters who are 12 and 14. I was born and bred in Sydney but we moved to Kalgoorlie, WA  two days after we got married, and lived there for 15 years before relocating to Perth last July. So far we really love it, although I am quite isolated as I don’t have any family and very few friends here in Perth.

My hubby is a Geologist working mainly in Papua New Guinea where he travels for weeks at a time on a regular basis. This can be quite a challenge sometimes, but it does give me a lot of time for my hobbies. However I must say, I don’t like being on my own so much, and always look forward to him coming home.

I look forward to being a part of the Just Add Ink Design Team and look forward to seeing all of the challenge entries each week and hopefully providing some inspiration along the way!

Kim Badelt
Hi everyone, well I am absolutely delighted to have been asked to be part of the JAI team – it’s super exciting. Here’s a little background about me…I have always been craftily inclined – but for many years it was mostly knitting and embroidery.  

My introduction to paper craft was actually through Stampin Up! when a good friend became a demo and held her launch party – I was hooked and my poor embroidery has hardy seen the light of day since then.  That was back in Jan 2007.  I finally joined SU! as a demonstrator in my own right in May 2009.   

Participating in challenges is a real mainstay for me as I love the challenge – sketch, colour or whatever – its great to stretch your limits and I really enjoy what everyone else comes up with too!  I squeeze in some stamping whenever I can find a moment but usually only have one dedicated night a week to “stamp” as the rest of the time I am flat out balancing work and family.  
Family consists of my lovely husband of 10 years, our two children (Miss 5 and Mr 2) and our Burmese cat (he considers himself the first child!) and we live in Canberra.


Paula Dobson
I live in Upper Hutt, New Zealand and have been married 18 years this year.   We have one Daughter, who is now sixteen years old.  I work part time as a Personal Assistant for an Accountant.  The reason for part time?  Stampin' Up!, of course.  I need the extra days to grow a business I am so passionate about. 

I discovered paper craft really by chance.  After going through a pretty tough time in my life, I needed something that would take me out of myself, but my attention span was short, so it had to be quick too.  I started making cards and discovered a real passion for it.  I started selling them to worksmates and then began getting orders for them specifically.  When I was approached to join the Stampin' Up! family, I was hesitant at first.  I can now honestly say, it has been life changing for me.  I love teaching people the art of papercraft, be it card making, scrap booking or 3D work.  I have found my ideal job!
I am so excited to be part of the Just Add Ink Design team.  I have never been on a design team before and was thrilled to be chosen to join.  I was joining in on the challengs most weeks anyway, so this is a natural step up for me.  Thanks once again for the opprtunity Girls!  Bring it on............