CT spotlight: Amy

I know you know it's Tuesday. To me, that means it's time for another spotlight. This time, we're looking at one of Elise's creative team members, Amy. She's just a down-to-earth woman with a family, three jobs, and a clean look. To her layouts, I mean. I don't know what her desk looks like. Without further ado, I'd loooove to introduce you to Amy!


1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I have been married for almost 9 years to my wonderful husband, Scott. We don't have any kids, but we have 2 dogs, Tanner and Toby. I am a teacher for my day job, and a Thirty-One Gifts consultant on the side. I love photography, which goes quite well with my addiction to scrapbooking. I really enjoy traveling during my time off in the summer.

2. How long have you been digital scrapbooking?
I don't remember exactly, but I think I started digital scrapbooking about 4 years ago. It was a slow transition from paper scrapping, which I started about 11 years ago. I am pretty much all digi now!

3. What are your favorite types of products to work with?
I really like textured papers that look realistic, stitching, buttons, word art, templates and distressed edges.

4. How would you describe your scrapbooking style?
I love layouts with a clean look to them. I also have to have the pictures be the focus of my layouts. I can't really think of a name to describe my style!

5. Which pattern fits you best: stripes, plaid, polka-dots, paisleys, or splatter?
I would have to say stripes or plaids - but it would depend on the color! I think it must have something to do with the symmetry and the lines - because they just "feel" better! I am so not splatter, polka dots or paisleys!

Time for Layout Inspiration! Now, I personally love how Amy can switch from serious to whimsical in style, but still using all the same basic elements. Her placement of the embellishments and the way she puts the focus on the photo are the biggest significant chances, and... well, you'll see what I mean below. I hope you figure out what I mean after looking at the next four LOs, all from Amy.













When I asked Amy what her favorite kit from Elise is, she said it was Happy Camper. "This kit is one of the reasons I applied to be on Elise's CT in the first place. I think it is just the cutest!"

So, in honor of Amy's spotlight, Elise's store is selling Happy Camper for 40% off - only $3! Grab it before Friday, because it'll be going back to regular price then.




Elise is also selling the beautiful Happy Camper Quickpage album for only $2, which means you can get this and the full designer kit for a 5-spot! Remember, the sale on the Happy Camper collection will continue through Thursday evening, but then we're going back to regular prices on Friday, so don't forget!

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Happy Thursday-- Introducing Boyish Charm!

I have a great new kit to share with you this fine Thursday-- it's called "Boyish Charm".  I have three little boys and am always on the lookout for simple, easy-to-use boyish kits and that's what inspired the creation of my own boyish kit.  I kept things pretty neutral in this one, so you won't find a lot of themed elements or patterns.  I tried to keep things a little more versatile, so that you can use this kit to scrap the everyday.   Boyish Charm is 20% off today and tomorrow-- and only at The Digichick!

Here are some gorgeous layouts from my gorgeous CT:

And we have some winners from our little contest yesterday!  How about TWO winners?!  Woo!!

Congrats to Jennifer (Comment #2):

Jennifer,  April 20, 2011 10:41 AM  

Ooo...I have THREE boys, so I'm definitely going to need this kit. :) Can't wait to see the whole thing!!

 And congrats to So~Inkin~Cute (Comment #5)

So~Inkin~Cute,  April 20, 2011 6:45 PM  

Super-awesome! Thank you sooooo much for the chance to win! :)

 Please send me an e-mail to elisehansen1@gmail and I'll send you your code!  Yippeee!!!!

If you didn't win this week, don't worry-- there is still a way to win a $10.00 Gift card to my store.  Just play along with Heidi here at TDC!!  Plus, you'll definitely want to get my newsletter (I'll send it out this afternoon!) because it has a fun little gift inside that I think you're going to LOVE!  And be sure to visit here on Wednesdays-- chances are, if I've got something new, you'll have a chance to win it!  Happy Thursday!!

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Sneak Peek

Heidi here with you sneak peek for this week and if you have a boy, you are going to L.O.V.E. this kit! Ready?!? Here is your peek:
It just wouldn't be a Sneak Peek Wednesday without a chance to win, now would it?!  How would you like to win this new release for FREE???!!!!???? Just leave a comment here by 11:55 PST tonight (4/20). Be sure to check back tomorrow because Elise will pick a winner from random.org and announce it with the reveal of her new kit! YIPPEE!!!!!!! Good luck! :)

See you at The Digi Chick tomorrow when it is on sale!!! :):):)

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Seasoned Kit Spotlight: Neutral Basics Papers

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you've been having a great day. I'm here to bring you another seasoned kit spotlight, when we focus on some of Elise's products from previous months or years to give you a peak at the best and greatest stash-stuff she has to offer.

Lately, I've been reading a lot about neutrals - including white, cream, and browns on layouts to allow our colorful pictures and embellishments really pop of the page. For that reason, I wanted to remind you that Elise has a two quality collections of neutral papers in her store - Neutral Basics: Solid Papers and Neutral Basics: Patterned Papers. Take a look at a preview below!




Right now through Thursday night, these papers are going to be on sale for 40% off, for only $1.50 each! How could you miss out?

And are you looking for some idea of how versatile and complementary these paper packs can be? Our CTMs came up with a few LOs to share with you, and I'll know they'll give you some great ideas!

from Mendy

from Stefanie

Don't forget - now through Thursday you can get both of these paper packs for $3 total!
Go! Now!

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Friday Freebie: Doodle Date Tabs

Oh, how fun!  Twelve doodled date tabs with little punched-out paper numbers to match.  These fun tabs match my latest kit, Blue Skies Ahead, too-- don't forget, the kit is only $2.49 through April 30th!  Happy Friday!

Download here

** Please note:  my TOU applies to my freebies-- thanks! **

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Blue Skies Ahead & A Bunch of Buttons!

Winners & Specials announced-- be sure to scroll all the way down!  ;)

It's a very special Thursday for me-- I'm celebrating my TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY as a Designer at The Digichick!!  I love being at TDC-- it is my favorite online spot.  I adore all of the designers and creative staff there, and I've felt so at home the last two years.  The best part of being a designer, though, is my wonderful customers-- I love hearing from you and being able to take part in your scrapping experience!

To celebrate, I've created a new kit, "Blue Skies Ahead", inspired by Springtime and a happy outlook on life.  Designing truly makes me happy, so this kit perfectly expresses my feelings about it.  I love the way these colors work together and I really like how soft and shabby the kit turned out.  Don't you just adore that pinwheel?! 

** As a special Thank You to my customers, Blue Skies Ahead is specially priced at only $2.49 through April 30, 2011!  **  This kit contains 16 gorgeous papers and a huge collection of elements, so it's a fantastic deal. 

My super talented CT has some lovelies to show you, too:

One of the cute CT members at TDC, Heather, requested some buttons to go along with my Project 365 packs-- so I have those today too.  I had fun going through my button bin and picking out some fun ones.  Buttons are such a great add-on to any layout, so I hope you find these little guys handy!  Grab a Bunch of Buttons here!

We've got some winners!!  Yesterday Heidi posted a call for comments to win my new releases.  Since there were only three comments, and since it's a special anniversary day, I'm giving these two new products to all three of you!  So congrats to Jen, Heather & Lor-- just e-mail me at elisehansen1@gmail and I'll send you your code!  Hooray!

You'll want to keep an eye out on the TDC forums the rest of the month-- I have some fantastic give-aways planned.  In fact, Heidi posted one today:  a chance to win $10 to my shop!!  And one more thing-- if you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, you should... like, TODAY!  I've got something really special especially for newsletter subscribers!  

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Sneak Peek Wednesday!

Hello Elise fans! Heidi here with a sneak peek of what is coming tomorrow at Elise's store at The Digi Chick.

I have a little surprise for you faithful readers! How would you like to win this new release for FREE???!!!!???? Just leave a comment here by 11:55 PST tonight (4/13). Be sure to check back tomorrow because Elise will pick a winner from random.org and announce it with the reveal of her new kit! Wheeeeee!!!!!!! Good luck! :)

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CT spotlight: Cheryl

It's still Tuesday (in my time zone), so it's time for another CT spotlight. This week, we'll be paying closer attention to the very talented Cheryl.

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I'm thirtysomething, married for 16 years, no kids but we have two very spoiled kitties, and I have the coolest job in the world! I work as a sign language interpreter for Deaf students at our local community college. I get to go to school every day for a living, it's the best!

2. How long have you been digital scrapbooking?

I started digi scrapping in November of 2007. I put together and printed a small photo/scrapbook for my Dad for Christmas that year. I never was a paper scrapper.

3. What are your favorite types of products to work with?

I love richly textured papers! That's what I'm drawn to the most but I also have a thing for worn and realistically shadowed photo frames.

4. How would you describe your scrapbooking style?

I have a pretty simple and uncluttered style. I like to choose a great paper and one or two terrific elements and really let them have room to shine.

5. Random question: what are three things that you always have in the car (that are not car accessories)?

A pillow, a blanket, and a teddy bear - for real! I spend a lot of time waiting around with my job and if I have a two hour break between classes I'll go to my car and take a nap or read.






As if you couldn't tell, one of Cheryl's favorite kits from Elise is Fall in Love Again, which she used on both the iPhone wallpaper and the page about her faith above. In her own words, "I love the richness of this kit not only with the colors but also the elements themselves have a great texture and richness."

So, in honor of Cheryl's spotlight, Fall in Love Again will be discounted in Elise's store today through Friday for only $3 - that's 40% off! (The preview below is clickable, too.)

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Friday Freebie: Graph Papers!

I love graph papers-- in fact, I am pretty sure I've been putting at least one graph-like paper in each recent kit I've made.  I just think they're so versatile and classic, kind of a patterned paper that works like a solid.  For today's freebie, I have a sweet little set of graph papers that coordinate with my A Stitch in Time Kit.

 I made a layout using one of these papers, this kit, and my silly son, Gordon:

Download your free graph papers here   ** Please remember-- my TOU applies to my freebies **

Have you signed up for my newsletter?  If not, you should-- newsletter subscribers get the best goodies!  Subscribe today!  :)

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My scrap evolution

A Wikipedia article on scrapbooking says that the person credited with starting the scrapbook industry opened the first store in 1981, but I didn't really discover scrapbooking myself until I was in college in 1997.  I did have photo albums in high school, though, and I consider these my first scrapbooks.

I bought a cool, vintage-looking album when I was a senior in high school and, on those terrible acidic and lignin-filled sticky pages, I made pages for myself and each of my family members.  This trend continued in college, where I used some of those Crayola stampy markers and some construction paper to make my pages.  There was a small crafting section at the campus bookstore where I picked up some stickers and my first pack of colored cardstock, but I was still using a standard gluestick to secure my photos to the paper. 

 Shortly after Chris and I were married, I went to a Creative Memories party where the demonstrator showed some pictures that had been stored in an album like mine-- they were terribly yellowed and some had faded past the point of recognition.   I saw the error of my ways and painstakingly removed all of my stuck-on pictures and re-made new pages with them.  The pages are pretty simple-- I used solid cardstock with a few acid-free stickers here and there-- but they are archival safe and they're still in the albums today.

By the time my first son, Thomas, was born, I was scrapping on a regular basis.  Tom has two complete albums now, each with around 200 pages.  I had also moved past the basic solid cardstock and sticker combo-- I collected stamps, huge bulk packs of patterned scrapbook paper, fancy scissors, embossing tools, buttons, eyelets, ribbon... you name it!  In one of our apartments, I had an office set up with a craft table that remained perpetually messy, but until our second son, Gordon, was born, I was caught up with my albums.

My birthday is just month after Gord's, and that year that he was born, I was given my first digital camera.  This took my scrapbooking into another realm because instead of going through a 36 exposure roll of film every month or so, I could take 36 pictures in one setting.  I still printed my pictures at Snapfish or Shutterfly, but having so many more opportunities to whip out the camera meant that the pictures of Gordon's first year are significantly more than with Tom's.  That isn't usually the case for the second child!  :)


With two little kids, a small apartment, and a full-time job, my scrapbooking time and space was pretty limited.  I've gotten to Gord's third or fourth month in his paper album, and I hope to complete his full first year-- still in paper-- this year.  We also had another baby boy, Neil, who has only an empty album and page protectors at this point.  Since Tom's first year album is so precious to me-- it has his announcement, a lock of hair from his first haircut, the tags from his hospital bed-- I have decided that the other two boys need a full paper album for their first years, too.

Gordon was a year old when a friend of mine e-mailed with a link to her new blog-- I immediately knew I wanted one.  Blogging was a lot like scrapbooking-- telling a story with pictures-- and I loved the way I could preserve my memories almost immediately.  I hadn't blogged long when I came across blogs that looked like scrapbooks and I finally had the nerve to ask someone how she did it.  The answer was digital scrapbooking and it only took one look to know that I would love it.

I had Photoshop for work, so I purchased kit from Little Dreamer Designs and made an album for my in-laws.  This is one of my first pages:

I had the album printed at Shutterfly and it turned out amazingly well.  Even though I still haven't parted with my paper supplies-- and may never-- I knew that I was hooked on digi.

Digital scrapbooking is different for me, though.  Because I can re-use, re-size, and re-color so many things, I am not as conservative with the number of pictures or elements I use on my pages.  With paper, I would NEVER use only one picture on a page and I'm pretty careful with how many elements I use.  I'm also very concerned with getting the whole story on my one page and include a lot of journaling, where I'm not really thinking about the artistic side as much.  My digi pages, though, use a lot of elements and often just have one picture.  Here's one I made today-- my little guy, Neil, with a new kit "One Step Closer" by my friend, Ale (Madame Wing), and a fabulous template by Digichick newbie Melissa aka Cluster Queen ("Gimme Layers vol. 4"):

Now, instead of collecting stamps and embossing powder, I collect fonts and digital kits, templates and photoshop styles.  And if I can't find what I'm looking for in a digi store, I just design it myself!  More on my evolution as a digital scrapbook designer in another post.  :)

I love scrapping-- it's an outlet, a way to preserve memories, and an affirmation of a happy life.  My beautiful CT member, Mendy, has a quote in her signature that I just love:   

A Birth Certificate shows you were born…
A Death Certificate shows you died…
A Scrapbook shows that you LIVED.

 I couldn't say it better than that!

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Seasoned Kit Spotlight: Ready for Spring

I know the seasoned kit spotlight it due on Tuesday. I hope you forgive me for posting this so late, but I think you'll be happy for the wait! Without any more delay, let's get into the spotlight!


This week, in the hopes that it encourages the weather to change (or at least the attitude you have about the weather not changing), we're highlighting Ready for Spring, a collaboration kit between Elise and Jude at Lil' Digi Bits.

This seasoned kit is soft, with lots of little motifs between the papers and the elements. There are half a dozen varieties of flowers, a few little insects, some rain-related bits, and an adorable sticker-like alpha! I'm sure you're going to love it -- especially because it's on sale now through Friday for 45% off!



And, to offer a little extra for the tardiness of this post, I'm also putting the QP collection that goes with Ready for Spring on sale for 45% off. It's a great little way to celebrate spring and all it means to you. Why not make today and put it out with your spring/holiday decorations in the future?



And, as always, I have a few inspirational LOs for you. I hope they get you in the mood to scrap!

from Stefanie

from Ashlie

from Debbie

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The Eyes have it!

Do you follow The Daily Digi?  If not, you really should-- this place is jam-packed with amazing and super helpful ideas for the digi scrapper.  I subscribe to their e-mail newsletter, and recently Steph sent out a link with one of their most-searched posts:  She's Got Her Daddy's Eyes.  In this post, Janet Phillips explains how to run a quick sharpen on the eyes of your photo subject, making them sparkle and pop.   I've been doing this on some of my recent photos and I just love the way they are turning out!

Check it out-- my 2-year-old, Neil, looking uber adorable:

My niece, Brynn, with a sassy little smirk and some absolutely breathtaking baby blues:

I just love the way this action draws your view right to the eyes and seems to add more of the subjects personality as well.  Love TDD and love this great idea!

Speaking of e-mail newsletters, do you subscribe to mine?  ;)

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Saturday Gems

Just browsing through the lovely gallery at TDC tonight and found a few gems I'd like to share.  Click on the photos for the credits page.  :)

Look at this totally adorable layout by ScrapperJade.  I totally love the bright colors mixed with the black and white picture.  And this fabulous wave template by Amanda Heiman is to die for!

I also love this one by shawnbear-- that background paper is too cool.  I also like the white space and the corner clusters.  

And finally, a literal "gem"-- some sweet hybrid action by CristinaC.  I LOOOOOVE this pendant!  I'm really feeling the hybrid love lately-- I just wish my stupid Epson printer didn't run out of ink so quickly.  :{

Hope these lovelies have inspired you as much as they have me!  Happy Saturday!

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Friday Freebie & New Animal Prints!

Happy Friday and Happy April 1st!!  Spring is on its way here in Idaho, and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Do you get my newsletter?  If not, sign up right away-- newsletter subscribers get the good stuff!  ;)

I have a little freebie for you on this fine Friday, but first I want to share my latest paper pack:  Wild Child: Animal Prints!  There are six funky hand-drawn papers inside and I've been thinking about some fun hybrid stuff to use them for.  My sister's birthday dinner is tomorrow-- wouldn't that zebra paper look awesome teamed up with this awesome box by Kelleigh Ratzlaff and some pink flowers?!  So cute! 

Wild Child: Animal Prints are on sale for 20% off through today.

Okay, on to our Freebie!  My husband is completely in love with college basketball.  He has a yearly ritual where he reads a book written by a former coach, fills out multiple brackets, and watches every game in the NCAA tournament with complete dedication.  I can't admit to having quite the same obsession, but I do enjoy filling out the brackets and watching the games.  There is just something amazing about college ball!

I've been wanting to create a March Madness kit for a while, and finally got around to it this year with "It's Madness, Baby!"  (just a little homage to Dick Vitale there!)

I love the greys-- they provide a perfect neutral background and leave plenty of room for pictures and colorful elements to pop.  I'm also loving the way those fun little paper pom-poms and the tiny square buttons turned out-- so fun!

To coordinate with "It's Madness, Baby!", your freebie is this fun little word art pack.  There are two word art PNG files-- and they're not specific to basketball, so you can use them on a variety of layouts.  Hope you enjoy!  Download here.

 

I made a layout with "It's Madness, Baby" and one of the word arts-- it's my little guy, Tom, playing Junior Jazz a few years ago.  One of these days, I'll catch up on my scrapping!  Ah!

Have a great Friday!!

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