Challenge | Create A Multi-Photo Layout

It’s time for a new challenge!  On the first and third Wednesdays of each month, we’ll be issuing you a challenge and then asking you to create a project.  
Here’s how it works: We will give you a layout example and a short description of what to do/use for the particular challenge. Complete the challenge and upload it to our member gallery to be entered  and then post a link to the specific challenge post as a comment for your chance to WIN! The winner will receive a $10 Elle’s Studio Gift Certificate to use in our shop (winners will be announced during next Challenge post). 

CHALLENGE | Create A Multi-Photo Layout.


Small or large photos, it doesn’t matter!  We’re hoping you’ll dig into your box or hard drive of photos and put them on a layout!



Contributing Team member Melissa Mann created this colorful layout using three horizontal 4×6 photos.  I love how the machine stitching pulls all the layers together!
Are you ready to play along?  Entries are due February 4, 2014 and the winner will be announced with our next challenge, February 5, 2015.  Here’s how to enter:

  • Complete a project based off our challenge
  • Upload your project to our member gallery
  • Tag all Elle’s Studio items used when uploading to our member gallery
  • Write in the description that this is for the January 15th Challenge (very important so we see it’s an entry)
  • Come back here and post a link to your project in this post.

Congrats to our winner of our last challenge lorabailora! Please contact michelle@shopellesstudio.com with the following info:
  • Name :
  • Contest : January 1, 2014 Challenge
  • Prize : $10 Elle’s Studio Gift Certificate

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Guest Designer Spotlight: May Flaum

I am happy to introduce you to our January Guest Designer, May Flaum!

I have followed and admired May’s work for a long time.  She is an incredibly talented designer and educator. When she agreed to guest design with us, I was so excited!  I know you will enjoy getting to know her better!  Be sure to check out her full gallery here.  Thanks for joining us this month May!

name: May Flaum
location: California
blog: www.craftwithmay.com
twitter: @mayf
instagram: @may_flaum
3 favorite elle’s studio products: January 2014 kit, Penelope bits and pieces, and Penelope tabs

Why did you start scrapbooking and how did you get started?

I have scrapbooked for as long as I’ve been able to write! I have always loved the creative fun of creating books full of stories and photos.  In 2002 after discovering scrapbook stores and beginning 12×12 scrapbooking, I found myself managing a store, teaching classes, and the rest, as they say, is history!

What are the three products you can’t live without?

I can’t work without kraft cardstock, a black pen, and my Tim Holtz scissors.  I can make just about anything work as long as those three products are in my stash!

What do you listen to/watch while scrapbooking?

I like to have movies and TV on, but the “what” depends greatly on my mood!  I love classic musicals, Dr. Who, Alias, Parks and Rec, and so much more!  I tend to just watch streaming shows on my Kindle Fire so I can keep clicking “next episode” if I’m in a good groove.

Do you record every moment or just special ones?

In order to scrapbook every moment, I’d spend so much time here in my studio that real life would be missed.  At the same time, if I only scrapbooked special things, I’d miss out on a ton of everyday moments that I want to capture.  I just focus on finding + telling stories, as time and inspiration allows.  I know that whatever I do capture, I will treasure and enjoy in the years to come.

What are three facts about you that others might now know?

1. I usually get 8-10 hours of sleep every night.  People often think I must not sleep much– the truth is I sleep a lot, which makes me able to be productive while I’m awake!
2. I was named after my great-grandmother, not the month.
3. I competed in horse shows throughout my childhood and teen years.

We are giving away May’s favorite Elle’s Studio products!  Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win!

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Project Life

This week’s Project Life covers the first week (well, wednesday until Sunday) of 2014!
Even though this was a short week with New Years Day being mid-week, enough happened that I felt I could create a full spread.
For this spread, I used our January Exclusive Kit.    I love the soft colors with the splash of red in this kid.  I played up on the red color by using red accents, alphabets, and the red January 1st card (found in Becky Higgins Holiday Project Life Core Kit) 
I included a photo from the first moment of 2014 during our New Years Eve party.  I also included some reflections on some hopes and goals for this year.
We had an excited football game here in Indianapolis.  We also has a birthday, a snow storm, and a 15 hour blackout with subzero temperatures (all on the same day).  Yes it was worth documenting it all. 

It’s great to start fresh with a new year documenting using Project Life!

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Capture Life – 01.13.14

Capture Life – Getting in front of the camera

While recently attending a visitation for a friend’s mom (who left this earth way too young) I sat along side my mom and two of my sister’s watching a scrolling video of photos. There were hundreds of photos; photos that held so many memories for their family. As each photo of my friend’s mom came across the screen; showing her smiling face, enjoying her grandkids, or her along side her many sisters there was one major thought filling my mind and my heart: I NEED to get in front of the camera more often.
I’m like many other fellow scrapbookers and moms. I’m the “picture taker” in the family. I opt out on handing over the camera because my hairs not fixed or I need to lose 30 lbs.; we all know the excuses.
Well today, I am challenging you to turn the shutter on yourself.

Whether it’s instagram – selfie style ….

… or handing over the camera to someone else.
Get in the shot!
Have fun!
Do something silly in a store and get a photo of it just to embarrass your kids!
Or simply hand over your camera and ask someone to get a photo of your family (with everyone in it)!

It’s so important.
While we want to keep records of our kids as they grow up I think it’s just as important for them to see what you looked like at this time in their life as well!

I’ve created a layout with a Date Night selfie that my hubby & I took last summer. I used a combination of the January Tag Kit, along with the two new CHA releases : Everday Moments and  Love You More!

And incase you miss it, there is a special new add-on this month!
Stamps!!!

May your 2014 be filled with captured moments that include your smiling face!

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Project Spotlight – January 12th

Congrats to this week’s Project Spotlight winner, Kat! Check your email for your $10 Elle’s Studio gift certificate to use in our shop! Kat’s layout features layering with our Serendipity Lil’ Snippets, which makes the perfect embellishment around her great photos! Head on over to her gallery to check it out and you can even add it to your favorites by logging into your account and clicking on the “I (heart) this!” button. 

You never know when your project will be chosen to be spotlighted! Each week we pick a new project out of our member gallery to spotlight. For your chance to be spotlighted and to win a $10 Elle’s Studio gift certificate, just upload your project to our member gallery and tag the Elle’s Studio item(s) used!
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Contributing Team Highlight: Limited Edition ES January 2014 Kit

So excited to share projects from our super talented team of contributors today using our limited edition January 2014 kit.  Have you purchased yours?
Contributing Team member Daniela Dobson used this month’s kit to document her wishes for the new year on this layout.  Lots of layering, lots of texture!
Not sure where to start your next layout?  Take a cue from contributor Meghann Andrew and use a single tag as a jumping point!  Meghann first selected a star tag for her layout, that she then used as a cue for her theme and other products she selected.
Contributing Team member Angie Gutshall used our January kit to create this awesome mini album.  She’s ready to document her family’s year in style!
Contributor Kay Rogers used a large 4×6 card from the kit – perfect for Project Life! – as the title and base behind her photo for this layout.  Love the white space that she used to let each element shine!
Each of our monthly kits is so versatile!  Here, Contributing Team member Jennifer Chapin uses our January kit to document her daughter learning to ride her bike.
Last but not least, contributor Melissa Mann chose her favorite tag in the kit – “Just A Random Thought” – to contain her journaling on this layout.  Perfect!
We hope our Contributing Team members have inspired you to reach for your January kit – or reach for your favorite method of payment to grab one before they’re gone! – and can’t wait to see what you create!

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Design Team Highlight : Limited Edition January 2014 Kit

Have you snagged your limited edition January 2014 kit, yet?  What are you waiting for?!  Today only, the kit is $9.99.  Get it before the price jumps tomorrow!  Our exclusive kits are available in limited quantities – once they’re gone, they’re gone.  You don’t want to miss it!

Our NEW design team definitely worked their magic with this month’s kit – take a peek!

DT member Patricia Roebuck utilized tags from our January kit to help her layout come together quickly, using the larger kraft tag for her title.  
What an awesome idea!  Design team member Jenny Evans used our January kit to create this amazing mini album documenting her family’s goals for the new year.
DT member Becki Adams also put our January kit to work.  It’s easy to document an adorable conversation for this layout with the tags in our kit!
You can check out these and other projects using the limited edition January kit in our design team gallery.

We’d love to see what YOU create with our January kit, too!  If you share your projects online, don’t forget to use hashtag #ellesstudio so that we can see them!
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January’s exclusive kit is here, along with a fun exclusive stamp!

The year is off to an exciting start! We could hardly wait for you to see January’s kit – it is full of fun exclusives to help you document the start of the new year, the ones you love, and more! This month we have a fun surprise – we also have a fun stamp in the shop that coordinates with January’s kit!

Here’s a close up peek at the 25+ tags that come in your January kit:

There’s even some new shapes! Check out this fun frame:

You can find our exclusive kit for January in the shop, and you can find the stamp here! These kits are limited and once they sale out we will not be restocking! Look for a new kit each month on the 10th, and as a special bonus to celebrate launch day, kits will be on sale for $9.99 for today only, regular price after that will be $11.99. These kits can ship first class: shipping for USA residents will start around $2.00 and go up from there, depending on the weight of what is in your cart. For overseas, it will run about $6+ depending on your location.

We also have coordinating cut files again this month and these might be my favorite of all time! These cut files coordinate with our January kit and as you can see, some of the designs where pulled right off the tags! Our cut files include .png and .svg files. Here’s a peek at the January cut files:

We also have a special announcement! Our Day to Day and You & Me collections are retiring and quanities are getting LOW!

Once these collections sell out, we will not be restocking – so stock up now, while supplies last!

Alright, are you ready to be inspired by our new design team?! Since it is January 10th, that means we have some new inspiration in our Inspiration Gallery, from our amazing and incredible Design Team and special Guest Designer this month, May Flaum! Look for a special blog post all about May, coming soon! Here’s some sneak peeks of what is in store and in the gallery now:

This is our new design team’s first Inspiration Gallery – so make sure you log in and leave them some love on their projects! We felt so inspired by them and hope you do, too!

See even more inspiration at each of our Contributing Team Member’s blogs, today too! Make sure you stop by the following: Angie Gutshall, Daniela Dobson, Jennifer Chapin, Kay Rogers, Meghann Andrew, and Melissa Mann!

Thanks for stopping by today and checking out all the new items and inspiration!

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Sketch Thursday


Today’s sketch is inspired by Vee’s Joy layout from last month’s DT gallery. 
Our new design team is awesome and already hard at work! Lilin created this colorful and artsy layout:

“I love this sketch and knew I wanted to use one of the frames in the cameron collection to frame this photo of my little boy. For the small triangles, I cut various papers and arranged them according to the sketch. I created ink splatters with Mr Huey Mist and added the title using a silhouette die cut and Cameron alphabet stamps.” Lilin

Valerie switched the triangles with snowflakes and created this super cool layout 😉

“I was inspired by the white space with splashes of ink across the middle and the continuous pattern above and below the photo!” Valerie

Are you inspired to create? For a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Shop create a project inspired by it, upload it to our Member Gallery and post a link here. A random winner will be selected and announced with next week’s sketch.


Our last sketch winner is…nachtschwinge with her layout Winter Pleasures.

Congratulations!! Please email michelle@shopellesstudio.com the following info:

Name/Address:
Contest: Sketch 01.02
Prize: $10 Elle’s Studio gift certificate


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Project Spotlight – January 5th

Congrats to this week’s Project Spotlight winner, Nicolemartel! Check your email for your $10 Elle’s Studio gift certificate to use in our shop! Nicole’s layout is fabulous…just like the title says! Love how the photo stands out next to our Tags & Die Cuts! Head on over to her gallery to check it out and you can even add it to your favorites by logging into your account and clicking on the “I (heart) this!” button. 

You never know when your project will be chosen to be spotlighted! Each week we pick a new project out of our member gallery to spotlight. For your chance to be spotlighted and to win a $10 Elle’s Studio gift certificate, just upload your project to our member gallery and tag the Elle’s Studio item(s) used!
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