New Elle's Studio Projects + New Video

Hi all. I'm here to share my new projects for Elle's Studio, that went live this morning. I've been loving the new collections, both are so beautifully designed. I've been dying to share. Seriously. Hardest thing I've done. Another thing I have to share is a video I made while creating the first layout.

First things first, my projects...

This was my very first project. I've been waiting & waiting to scrapbook my most favorite photos from last year, & the You & Me collection was absolutely perfect for the photos. For my first project I wanted to step out of my scrapbooking box, so I did that a few different ways on the same layout. First, I decided that I had to do an 8.5x11 layout, to go further, I made it a double page layout. Both are so out of the ordinary for me. Then, just one step further, I decided it was necessary to make the background papers different from one another. I really like the way it turned out & surprisingly, I've been scrapping more and more 8.5x11 pages since then, & I'll be sharing those soon. :)

  

2012 was a HUGE year for Instagram, especially for me. This is almost all of my photos from last year. I only eliminated a few doubles, from places we've been & things we've eaten. I'm sure someone will wonder how I made this collage. I used Picasa, a free program from Google. I put in a custom size ratio, when I created a tile collage. Then printed through Photoshop Elements after cropping it in half & moving it to an 8.5x11 canvas. I love this technique, because I can create awesome sized collage prints & still use my standard sized photo printer. 

    

This layout makes me smile. I've never been good at grid layouts. Most of my pages have TONS of layers & I love doing that. The LOVE card inspired the grid design because I didn't want to cover any of it up, since the word is so important, but I also didn't want to layer it over my photo either. So, in comes a grid. I really love the way it turned out & I will definitely be making more in the future. 

Ok. So there you have it. My very first Design Team Gallery. Now as promised. A new video. This is  the process from my very first gallery project!!

New at Elle's Studio

Today is the launch of the new collections at Elle's Studio. I'm so super excited because that means just 1 more day & I can share my projects with you.

Here's a peek at the new collections, first up is You &Me

& next up is Day to Day

I hope you stop by there & check it out, because both collections are truly amazing. I love everything Elle made for the new lines & I can't wait to see what's next!!

December Daily

I'm here to finally share my December Daily. It's really not a "December Daily" it's more of a holiday mini album...

I used the Simple Stories Teal Sn@p album & mostly Crate Paper Sleighride Collection :)

I started on Thanksgiving, so that I could include all of the holiday season.

my college graduation ceremony was a super important event this December, so I had to include it. So glad to be done, & not have a  20+ page research paper looming over me anymore!

this year, Ryan & I went simple with our Christmas Tree. I decorated it with gold ornaments & clear lights + our ornaments from each year we've been married, so far there aren't very many randoms on there, but eventually it will be PACKED with random ornaments that mean something to us. 

my mom & I spent the majority of our winter break with my dad in FL. A few days after my graduation, he had a stroke & had to be hospitalized. He was in FL when it happened, so we had a LONG drive & hard few days. But he's doing well & we are blessed that he recovered so quickly. 

Since I wasn't at home, Ryan and I didn't get to watch our favorite holiday movies together, but my dad & I did catch Home Alone on TV one night after he was released from the hospital. 

I was totally missing my kitties & Ryan the whole time I was in FL with my dad, so Ryan kept me updated with TONS of picture messages :)

my dad's doctors recommended him to start exercising more, so we started walking everyday after dinner, before the sun went down. 

these 2 pages are bittersweet for me. It is the last night before I had to come home to GA & the morning I left. After I pulled out of my dad's driveway I wanted to cry. I missed him immediately. There's no one like a dad, I love him SOOOO much. 

one thing I LOVE the most about winter break, is one of my BEST friends, Megan, has more free time, so we got to Skype. It's been such a long time since I've seen her, it was awesome to catch up & share some crafty projects.

at the end of the album I decided that I wanted to choose a few of my favorite photos from the year. It's a super random mix & in no particular order. 

I'm so excited about what is coming for Elle's Studio. I've been holding onto the secret for about a week & it was a pleasant surprise when I opened my first DT box. 

Elle's Studio is going be releasing 12x12 patterned papers that coordinate with their tags & stamps for the first time!! It's so exciting. Trust me. You'll want to be on the lookout for the new products. They are all so lovely & very much Elle's style. 

Another thing I'm excited about is the new Tabbed Tags!

I've already used a few of the new ones in my first 2013 PL spread, they are perfect for tucking behind a photo that you have alot of journaling about :) I'll be able to share once all of the fun products are revealed and available. 

I can't wait for y'all to see ALL of the new surprises in store from Elle's Studio, & I really can't wait for y'all to see my first designer gallery. 

I've got HUGE news!

I've been holding onto this little nugget of a secret for a few weeks now. I've wanted so bad to post it here & everywhere, it's been practically torturous not being able to tell anyone. So today's the day I can finally spill the beans. I'm so extremely excited to say...

I'm on the 2013 Elle's Studio Design Team!!!! Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest. I will be participating on the DT from January to July 2013, my first projects will go live on 1 February on the Elle's Studio Website!

If you don't know what Elle's Studio is, it is a small scrapbooking company that specializes in journal and embellishment tags, as well as stamps!Everything is of the best quality & made in the USA. I have been in LOVE with Elle's Studio products for quite some time, especially since starting Project Life, so this is a DREAM team for me.

I can't wait to post my first projects for you to see. I hear there is ALOT of BIG surprises coming this CHA for Elle's Studio I can't wait to see & share them with you.

Check out the rest of the talented team members over at the Elle's Studio Blog!

Another Layout Share

Today I wanted to share a layout I made the other night while Skyping with my good friend Erin from Sweet & Simple. Every once in a while we get the urge & free time to Skype with each other. Since she lives all the way in TX, this is the only way we can see each other, for now. 

I had a TON of Elle's Studio tags that I wanted to use & a layout idea that would work together perfectly. I made a kind of puzzle with the tags on the right side of the page & a large photo collage. So I put them together with the highlights from my year as 24. 

It took a while to figure out the exact placement of the tags, but I love the way it turned out.

To make my thickers glittery I put a layer of mod podge on top, then sprinkled on the glitter and let them dry. It's a great way to alter the thickers. Since they are more pricey than your average letter stickers, being able to change them to fit into any project really makes them worth the price!

I made my photo collage in Picasa, a free photo editing program from Google. I created a custom size, then printed it. I love making collages for layouts and Project Life. 

Layout Share

Okay, so like I promised, I'm here with a layout to share.

I've had a photo of my dad holding me on the day I was born for a long as I can remember. I've been wanting to get it scrapbooked, but I did't know how I wanted the story of it to go, especially since I only know stories of that day, & I don't actually remember it. Well, I finally figured out I would just let it live in perspective of today. So a few weeks ago, I turned 25. That's a big deal, a quarter of a century! So I got my dad to take another photo with me, & I made a page with the 2 photos together. I have to say, honestly this is my favorite page I have made to date. I didn't do any journaling or anything, I let the title tell the story. I'm a serious Dad's girl, so this page really means something to me.

I was getting kind of nervous about the page as I was starting. I didn't want to mess it up, so to speak. Then the 2 photo sizes and finishes kinda freaked me out. But my friend Erin set me straight. She was over at my house for a crop and she challenged me to use the photos as is. No editing. & I'm so glad she did. It gives me the perspective of not only the change in my dad and I but also in the era of photography. Polaroid vs. DSLR. I'm really glad I have these photos and memories to cherish. I know some aren't that fortunate. I love my Pop, with all of my heart & I can't wait to spend 25 more years with him!