Our Daisy Divas

Ronda Palazzari

Design Team Coordinator

Hi everyone! My name is Ronda, like the Beach Boy's song, Help me Rhonda, only "no h.". Seriously have been saying that all my life. I currently live in the burbs of Denver, Colorado with my husband Andy and two teens Lexi & Anthony. My house is ruled by two adorable Chihuahuas, Nina & Pedro. I love being a stay-at-home mom and all things crafty... scrapping, cooking, knitting, sewing, reading, and photography. I love to travel with my family and hope to explore more of this great big world of ours. You can usually find me in my craft room creating with my music blaring in the background or in the kitchen baking for my kiddos.

I have been into art since I was a kid and have always loved it. In high school I was editor of my High school paper and layouts were my specialty. So when my daughter came along, scrapbooking seemed so natural. I got to play with paper, write stories, and capture memories. I love how I get to incorporate all my art loves into scrapbooking. Some of my proudest scrapbook moments are starting the One Little Word Scrapbook challenge blog, being a named a Memory Makers Master, becoming part of the Fancy Pants, Purple Onion, and Cocoa Daisy Design Teams. I have also been blessed in being published in various magazines, Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, Artful Blogger as well as some idea books.

I like to call my style Uptown Antique Brie: a little class, a little vintage, and a lot of good cheese. I love the new, flashy stuff but have an appreciation for vintage items. I love to push the edge of products and use them in unconventional ways. Most of my layouts (if not all) are cheesy, scrapping the emotions and everyday moments. I love using bold colors and combining colors that surprise people.

Anja Wade

My name is Anja Wade and I live in Warren, MA. I've been scrapbooking for seven years. I have a background in chemistry and teach at the high school and college level. I love the creative outlet provided by scrapbooking - it gives me the chance to use my artistic side and helps me to feel balanced. I feel so lucky to have discovered this hobby - it has truly become a passion for me.

When I'm not scrapbooking, I enjoy cooking, reading, running, going to the gym, and spending time with family and friends. I love good food, good drinks and good times with loved ones - and I love to scrap about it!

I especially love doing layouts about my childhood. With no children of my own yet, I scrap about myself and my four brothers growing up in the seventies and eighties. I love using old photos, even if they are less than perfect. I recently co-wrote an article for Scrapbook and Cards Today on this topic. I'm extremely excited to be a part of the Cocoa Daisy team!

Anna Bjorklund

My name is Anna Björklund and I live in Sweden. I discovered scrapbooking when my first child was born in 2003, and it was like entering a whole new world that I immediately fell in love with. Scrapbooking wasn't very well known in Sweden at that time, but it has really grown enormously since then. I am totally hooked, sort of obsessed... I scrapbook about everything - my family, our house, our life... both the good and the bad.

Sometimes it's all about playing and messing around with supplies. Sometimes the story is the most important thing and sometimes I have a beautiful photo that I want to display and preserve. I love that scrapbooking can be done in so many different ways. I love to experiment and to try new material and new techniques. I love challenges and the inspiration I get from everywhere.

Lisa M. Pace

Hi, I'm Lisa and live in Frisco, Texas with my husband and two daughters. I'm the Special Projects Coordinator for Maya Road. My first book, "Delight In The Details," was published in January of 2010 by North Light Books. I recently finished writing and creating projects for my second book "Delight In The Seasons", which is scheduled for publication in January 2012.

In May of 2007, I was picked as one of 5 master scrapbookers in Martha Stewart's scrapbooking contest and August of 2007, was chosen as a 2008 Memory Makers Master.

My work has been published in magazines such as Memory Makers, Scrapbooks etc., Better Homes and Gardens and Scrapbooking & Cards Today as well as numerous idea books like Holiday Home, Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, Paper Creations and Scrapbooking & Beyond.

I teach a wide variety of mixed media classes and workshops around the US and abroad.

Christine Drumheller

I live on the west side of Michigan about 30 minutes from Grand Rapids and 30 minutes from the beach. I love it here, the winters can be long, but I love the seasons. I have a wonderful and supportive husband named Greg and 2 energetic boys, Nate (almost 5,) and Zach (almost 2). They are my constant inspiration. I left the work force after the birth of our first son and have continued to be a stay at home mom.

I have been scrapbooking for about 8 years and have had a number of layouts published in Memory Makers Idea books. I have been a Creating Keepsakes HOF honorable mention for the last two years, and I had my scrap studio featured in the April 2006 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.

My schooling and background are in fine arts and graphic design, this tends to come through in my scrapbooking style: bold and graphic with a touch of whimsy. I love to have all the elements on a layout support it's theme in some way, and to draw people in and have them take a minute to discover all the little details. My journaling is always honest and from my heart.

Being artistic is a driving force in my life - I have to do something creative everyday, whether it's gardening, decorating, sewing or scrapbooking! I am very excited to be a part of the Cocoa Daisy Design Team and hope that I can inspire you!

Kim Watson

"I have been scrapbooking for 3 and a half years and it has been a wonderful creative journey for me. Being a fashion designer for so long, has developed in me a love for colour & texture, which I get to explore daily through my scrapping. Together with life,scrapbooking & blogging...I am doing what I always wanted to....taking everyday experiences to grow & learn and then visually catalog them in a way, that will touch & inspire.

My style in an eclectic one, that morphs from week to week, depending on my mood & what product I am using; this makes for my albums being filled with colourful variety of styles. I try to focus on the little everyday things I experience because it is these things that make up the bigger part of life, rather than waiting for those huge life changing events that are few & far between.

I am SO excited to be involved here Cocoa Daisy. It is going to be a blast getting you know you all. I look forward to being hugely inspired & trust I can inspire in return!" 

Sue Mylde

Hi there Daisies! My name is Sue Mylde and I'm so honoured to be part of the Cocoa Daisy Divas. Our family moves around a lot and so 'where I'm from' doesn't have a straight answer for me.

I was born in Singapore but since I was 17, I've lived in different parts of the world: Italy, England, Canada, and now Norway. Each of these places have made me who I am today, whether in my pasta cooking, or how I say 'eh' A LOT and my ability to speak Norwegian with a true 'coastal' dialect. I'm very content with being a citizen of this world. I've been married to my high-school sweetheart for more than a decade and we have a four year old with a talent for drama and a weakness for princess dresses.

I've always had a need for many creative outlets. Besides my love for scrapbooking and all things bling, I love writing, photography, knitting, crocheting, acting, sewing, and cooking. I enjoy the privilege of staying home and the ability to grow my creativity every day.

I just love how scrapbooking helps the stories of those moments captured through photographs shine through, making our ordinary lives, just a little bit special, at least to ourselves. I'm all about the stories but I don't think I could ever live without bling, buttons, flowers or ribbons on my creations.

My style evolves constantly. I love trying different things, but I often go for elegance, simplicity, a bit of daring and a lot of fun.

I enjoy the social aspects of scrapbooking, and making friends online and in person, teaching and attending classes and crops, and scrappy evenings with 'the girls'. My hobby has allowed me to make new and lasting friendships and I feel so blessed to have discovered this wonderful aspect of life.

On occasion, I may also be found entertaining friends at my own dinner parties, travelling to someplace or another, or, if I'm really lucky, scuba diving with turtles and starfishes under the sea.

I look forward to getting to know all of you! And thank you again Tricia for this wonderful opportunity to be a part of the most talented buch of Cocoa Daisy Design Team Divas!

Jen Davis

Hello! I'm Jen Davis and I live in Northern Wisconsin with my little family of three. I've been scrapbooking ever since I walked into a scrapbook store for the first time almost 8 years ago now, looking for supplies to create centerpieces for my wedding reception. I had no idea all that goodness was in one store like that and became hooked on the spot!

About a year after my wedding I became a stay-at-home mom and scrapbooking became a source of great comfort for me and was therapeutic at times. Fast forward a couple of years and I have been published in some of the industry's leading scrapbooking publications and have designed for various manufacturers. I've also taught many classes and workshops in my local community. It's safe to say that scrapbooking is a part of my daily life.

Scrapbooking to me is an art form; a form of therapy and an outlet for my creativity. A way to record memories, milestones, journal thoughts and feelings and a way to provide my very personal history for the future generations to remember and enjoy. Scrapbooking to me is celebrating my passion for living and life.

I am so excited to share my passion for this hobby with all of you at Cocoa Daisy!

Lisa Saunders

Hello : ) I’m Lisa and I live in the UK with my hubby and 2 small children that are growing up too fast for my liking. That’s what really got me into scrapping. I want to remember all the silly little things that are said and done. As a teen I started my own version of mini books, which then evolved into scrapbooking when my second child was 2 back in 2004. I feel so lucky that my family totally ‘get’ this amazing hobby. The kids love scrapbooking and hubby loves the photography side. All three often come up with ideas and suggestions for LO’s. I love seeing the kids sat together looking through our albums remembering the fun times we’ve had. This makes me so happy.

For me personally it’s mainly about the story telling. I want to remember cute words the kids have said or things that have made us all laugh or like the time I had to give my son ‘Time Out’ at the top of a hill !! I don’t know if I have a style. I call it messy. I love paints, inks, mists, colours and layering. I like my LO’s to be fun. I don’t tend to plan, I just go for it and see what I end up with at the end, usually very messy fingers and more stained clothing. I really should wear an apron. I like using non scrappy items and discovering different ways to use my stash.

I’m so excited to be part of this very talented team and feel very honored to be part of Cocoa Daisy. Thank you xx

Denise Morrison

I am 43 years old and live in Missoula, Montana. I have a large, crazy family consisting of my husband and our two boys (12 and 13 years old), 3 stepkids and 5 grandchildren. I have two jobs and dream of getting more than 6 hours of sleep at night. My life is busy, messy and complicated but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Well, maybe for a nap.

I started scrapbooking in 2001 with a good friend. It didn't seem like the right fit for me then but I kept going and figured out I could make my own rules and not worry about things being "acid free". That's when I really got hooked. Scrapbooking combines all my loves, photography, writing, paint, sewing-you name it. Creating pages and other projects is what keeps me sane.

My other favorite things are teaching art to middle schoolers, kissing my husband, coffee, having just chilling out talks with my sons w/o arguing, junk stores, yummy food, good friends and doing nothing.

Danielle Layton

Danielle Layton is a physician's assistant and military wife. She has been scrapbooking since 2002, mostly her European travels and her dog until the birth of her son. She loves photography and wants to leave behind lots of good photos for her son as she does not have many from her own childhood.

She likes to be busy and therefore, scrapbooks and blogs often
(www.vtpuggirl.blogspot.com). You can find her adamantly researching Chipotle's secret recipe for guacamole by her preferred method: taste-testing.

Danielle designs for American Crafts and Scribble Scrabble in addition to Cocoa Daisy. She has had her work published in Memory Makers, Papercrafts, Simple Scrapbooks and Scrapbook Trends Magazine, as well as some web-based E-zines.

Her guilty indulgence is Grey's Anatomy, when she isn't doing continuing medical education credits towards her medical license. She is thrilled to be a part of the Cocoa Daisy design team.

Alissa Fast

Hi, I'm Alissa Fast and I live in Ferndale, WA. We're in the far NW corner of the state, right next to Canada. My family consists of me , my hubby, Steve, and our sweet little kitty, Stormy. An interesting fact about her is that she's a Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans. I've been scrapobooking as long as I can remember. I have several of those old sticky photo albums full of photos, ephemera and and lettering cut out of magazines. How thrilled do you think I was when I discovered an actual scrapbook store across the street from my workplace 11 years ago? I ended up working at that LSS for several years, until we closed in 2009, and met some of my best friends in the world while there.

My scrapbooking style is a hard one to define. I love using shipping tags, labels, lots of different alphabet stickers and love to layer up my embellishments. Creating mini books is my very favorite style of scrapbooking. I love the little pages, find them so easy to create and the feel of a thick little book in my hands just makes my heart sing.

When I'm not scrapbooking, I love all things vintage. My best friend and I spend a lot of time searching thrift stores, antique malls and garage sales for the perfect little "treasures", which include globes, maps, old mason jars, old cameras, old typewriters, dictionaries and hymnals. I also love knitting, blogging, shopping and watching LOST.

I have a love of photography. I recently ungraded my camera and am feverishly learning all the amazing things it can do. I love taking photos of family, friends, my travels and all my lovely vintage finds. I have a dream to one day have my own photography business and do what I love full time.

I am excited to be a part of the Cocoa Daisy team and look forward to getting to know everyone and sharing this love of "paper and stickers" with all of you!

Nat Kalbach

Nathalie Kalbach is a Mixed Media Artist and Scrapbooker living with her American husband in the second biggest city of Germany, Hamburg. Living in the heart of the city in a neighborhood thriving with art & craft, she gets inspired by her urban surroundings.

Nat loves to design, teach and write — doing all of it wholeheartedly. She has her own column with Somerset Memories (Stampington) called “Nathalie’s Studio” and also writes for the German Scrapbooking Print Magazine “ScrapArtZine”.

Nat designs for several manufacturers — including Tattered Angels, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Vintage Street Market and Basically Bare.

She is a certified Educator, Design Team Coordinator and Golden Ambassador for Tattered Angels. Nathalie is also a member of the Prima Marketing Education Team. She teaches creative workshops in several different countries in Europe, Israel, the United States and Australia as well as online for CraftEdu.com.

Nathalie's style and classes are fresh and unique, she loves to interact with her students and showing them the techniques and experiences she has learned, while pushing them in a subtle way to add their own creative kick to the projects.

Nathalie has been published in several magazines and idea books including Scrapbook Workshop, Artful Blogging, Das Sketchbuch, Somerset Memories, Somerset Home, Somerset Studio, Scrapbook Trends, Simple Scrapbooking and ScrapArtZine. Nathalie is absolutley thrilled to be part of the Cocoa Daisy Design Team.

Sharmaine Kruijver

I’m Sharmaine Kruijver. I live in Tasmania, Australia with my Mister Wonderful, also known as Dave the husband, and our 4 super beings, also known as our daughters. My days are filled with the usual life-as-a-mum stuff, also known as running around after people and, that nasty word, housework. And I love to stop and document these daily things whenever I can.

I started scrapbooking in 2005 with the help of a friend. I am a story teller and each page I create has its own unique way of telling its own story. My journaling is always straight from my heart and I hope it inspires our girls, one way or another, in the future. I love clean and simple pages but am quite happy getting messy with paints to create, what I call, a grungy freestyling simple page. I don’t mind whitespace and would love to learn how to cluster better (only a scrapbooker would say such things lol).

I love to cook, I miss reading, I dream of travelling, I long for sleep-ins, I drink coffee, I want to be a better photographer, I enjoy time with my family and I think that a day with a messy craft desk makes for a better day. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the amazing people here at Cocoa Daisy, also known as jaw-dropping talent!!!