Welcome to March - our third month for 2009 and one that is generally filled with all things related to Spring and anything you need to get ready for Easter in April. Fresh colors and tons of florals are all over the designer's latest creations signalling that our favorite season of the year is here! While we always love our monthly highlights, this month's treat has us jumping for joy because we finally get to reveal that Samantha Deschamps better known in the community as "Sammi" has joined the Sweet Shoppe's SugarBabe Team! That's right - Sammi is now officially a Babe here at the Sweet Shoppe and we have a whole month to celebrate and welcome her!

Sammi lives in Northeast Kingdom in Vermont with her family. Her beautiful photos are taken with a Canon Rebel XT EOS and she uses Photoshop Elements 5 to create her wonderful layouts. Although Sammi has only been scrapping for a little over seven months, she has definitely shown how truly talented she is as an artist. Her layouts exhibit such warmth and love as you look through her extensive gallery. Sammi also incorporates very intricate and beautiful extractions on some of her layouts that help create a whimsical feeling about her pages. Truly you will be hard pressed not to fall in love with her entire gallery! We know you will enjoy reading our interview with our newest Babe, Sammi and we look forward to seeing the pages you create this month in our TOTM gallery! Enjoy creating pages of happy memories this month!

Sweet Shoppe Designs: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

Samantha Deschamps: I am 34, married for almost 9 yrs. Full time Mom to Natalie 6 1/2, Hillary 4 and Sophia 22 months. We live in a very small, rural area of Vermont. We love having a lot of space so the girls can explore and learn to love the outdoors. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to travel country roads looking for wildlife in the summer after getting ice-cream, something I did as a kid.

SSD: What's your scrapping story? How did you begin?

SD: A few years ago I started paper scrapping. I am so un organized and didn't have enough space, so I gave up. Also, I ruined many photos trying to get certain shapes from them, I couldn't just scrap square photos. When I was pregnant with Sophia, I joined Baby Center and discovered "siggies" I was so curious as to how these girls learned such skills...I wanted to make my own so bad. I picked up PSE and spent the next few months learning every aspect of the program, determined to be good at something. After losing interest in signatures, I was actually sad my whole interest in photoshop was disappearing. Hearing a little about digital scrapping, I stumbled upon the Sweet Shoppe Gallery and would spend time lurking and falling in love with the pages I was seeing. I was a little intimidated, but uploaded my first page, and was hooked!!!

SSD: Did you declare any new resolutions for 2009 and if so, how are you doing with them?

SD: I don't really ever do resolutions, simply because I usually let myself down. But as we are going into the third month of the year, more than ever, I want to appreciate what I do have. A beautiful family, a wonderful home with a supportive husband. Oh, and the amazing opportunity and skills to scrap memories for my girls.

SSD: Do you have any Scrapping Goals for 2009?

SD: I want to incorporate more journaling into my pages. I get so hung up on the overall design, journaling is usually an after thought. I am going to be looking at my pages in 20 years, wondering what specific pages were about.

SSD: Tell us about your scrapping environment. What's your workspace like, do you listen to music, watch tv?

SD: I have an armoire in the living room, stacked with pages of PS techniques I have printed over the last year or so, quote books(nothing is organized). So thankful I can just close the doors...lol.. The TV is usually on in the background.

SSD: How would you describe your own scrapping style? Is there any type of layout style you like to do but haven't?

SD: I love extractions, but I don't know what I call my style. I have very classic taste and I would like to think my pages reflect that. I let the photo inspire me, photo editing is a big factor in all my pages. Is there any type of layout style you like to do but haven't? I would love to be more edgier...it's not in my personality, so I have no idea how to pull it off digitally.

SSD: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one designer's products with you, whose would you choose and why?

SD: Kristin-Cronin Barrow...her style has always caught my attention since day one. It's like she is designing for me...kidding!

SSD: If you could choose one scrapper to scrap a page for you, who would you choose and why?

SD: That is easy...SeattleSheri! Holy cow, is there anything she can't make absolutely beautiful? I have been stalking her forever...lol...

SSD: What's your all-time favorite layout? Why?

SD: I have always love this one. I think it has more to do with the kit. The moment I saw it, the layout popped into my head and the photo/extraction couldn't have been more perfect!!

SSD: Do you have a favorite snack you keep handy while you scrap?

SD: Nope, scrapping is about the only thing keeping me from snacking..lol..

SSD: Just for fun - what is your favorite TV show you love to watch and do you have a favorite TV show you are too embarassed to admit you just love and can't give up?

SD: I am still in my 20's at heart...I love the Hills and the City. My guilty pleasure is the Real Housewives...they are so tacky, but I still can't stay away.

Sweet Shoppe Designs also asked Sammi to share some of her favorite creations with our visitors. It's fascinating to look through someone's gallery with our own eyes but seeing what an artist particularly enjoys from her own collection is always intriguing...