August Inspiration Gallery is LIVE!

The Inspiration Gallery is now LIVE! But, before you head on over, I wanted to give you a little peek at one of each of the designer's creations! It's impossible to pick my favorite one from each gallery - because they are all amazing and really each project is awesome! But, I wanted to highlight a few that we enjoyed!

By: Valerie Allen

Valerie rocked our Mix & Match Vintage Numbers! Love how she made a little collage with them. She also added in our hybrid tabs!

By Sheri Twing:

Sheri amazed me with this mini album! She used our hybrid Seaside tags and tabs - and each page is a pocket that the tag pulls out of! Love this idea!!

By Melanie Blackburn:

Mel did such a cute job on this layout! Plus, I love how she used our "The Story" tag to journal the story behind the photo - so fun!!

By Lisa Andrews:

Lisa used our Mix & Match Vintage Numbers to create a Top 10 list for her love of traveling... brilliant!! Love how she journaled by each one and included those little photos!

By Jennifer Findlay:

Jennifer really inspired me with this page - love how she used our Family Vintage Flashcard, Chic Note Tag and Date & Place Strip. So much fun! And, the journaling on this page is so special!

By Ann-Marie Morris:

Love this color combo on Ann-Marie's page and how she incorporated our Mix & Match Vintage Numbers, Chic Date tags and Sweetheart Flashcards! She also made an amazing mini book, too!

By Anne Jo Lexander:

This little birthday card by Anne is so sweet! Love how she put it together and used our Birthday Journaling Circle Tags - simple but amazing!!

By Amy Heller:

This mini album that Amy made is amazing - there is a page for each month and some month's even have extra pages between them and she incorporated a ton of our tags, too! She put it together using our 4 x6 calendar as a base!

Each gallery is so, SO amazing - there is a TON of stuff to see, so head on over there now and check it all out!

Thank you so much, ladies, for creating such amazing and inspiring things! We are so thankful for your inspiring projects!
xo, Elle

Inspiration Gallery Sneak Peek!

We have a sneak peek of our Inspiration Gallery for you today!!Don't they look amazing?! I can't wait for the full reveal tomorrow!! When I was putting the galleries together I just keep saying, WOW!!!!

And, this little guy has been keeping us busy! My sister's baby is now three weeks old and he is such a doll! Seriously, he only cries if he's hungry and doesn't mind having his photo taken!
The other day she brought him over with this little bear hat on! Love him!!

And my little one has been so good with him! I feel so blessed :) She has taken on more of a "protector" roll with him and just watches him while he's sleeping, if he cries she looks around like "someone, help him!"
It's been the best three weeks, ever! Thank you all, so much, too for the extra order processing time during these last three weeks - you've all been so sweet and understanding!! We've decided to add back one more day, so we are shipping Monday's and Thursdays now :)

Lot's of fun in store for this week!
xo, Elle

Journaling: In your own words | Winners!

We have a TON of winners to announce tonight from our August Blog Challenge, our Journaling Class Sponsorship Giveways and the Clip-It giveaway! Thank you all for stopping by and entering our drawing! If you are a winner, please email us at info@shopellesstudio.com, along with the prize you won, as soon as possible!

August Blog Challenge winners - $25 gift certificate to Elle's Studio! Huge thanks to everyone who posted the banner on their blog!! xoxo
Rhonda at August 2, 2010 6:49 AM
Photographing Mom at August 2, 2010 2:31 PM
Kristine at August 11, 2010 4:58 AM
Nicole at August 9, 2010 7:02 PM

Journaling Class Sponsorship Winners:
Apron Strings July Kit:
Manhattan Mandie at August 9, 2010 11:13 AM

3 Scrappy Boys August Kit:
Lisa C. at August 13, 2010 4:44 PM

BIC Mark-It™ Permanent Markers:
~ Jane ~ at August 8, 2010 2:40 PM
Kelsey Peterson at August 11, 2010 8:39 AM
tinkartist at August 20, 2010 11:55 AM
Candace H at August 8, 2010 10:52 AM
jeffo 'n lisa at August 13, 2010 1:30 PM
Ginger at August 9, 2010 7:49 AM

Northridge three winners:
Grand prize: Gracie Ann Tan at August 9, 2010 7:29 AM
Second prize: Gabrielle at August 24, 2010 6:23 AM
Third prize: KristenRobAidenKiaBaileyJakeMason at August 8, 2010 12:43 PM

Scrapbook Circle August Kit:
Cathy H. at August 8, 2010 1:27 PM

A seat in May's class “Adventures in Scrapbooking: Use Your Stash”:
Teresa at August 11, 2010 6:09 AM

With a Twist kit from Tara:
" M "on August 9, 2010 7:14 PM

The Granny's Attic Kit & The Chalkboard Paper Collection Kit from Danielle Thompson:
Kim Strother on August 12, 2010 9:31 PM

Helmar Adhesives:
calamity jane on August 15, 2010 9:47 AM
Mindy Miller on August 28, 2010 10:43 AM
scrappyjacky on August 8, 2010 8:26 AM

ScrapScription Sumertime fun kit:
Jennifer Rzasa on August 13, 2010 12:09 PM

Clip-it and Elle's Studio tags:
Joyfulmomofmany at August 27, 2010 7:36 PM

Congrats to everyone who won! If you are a winner, please email us at info@shopellesstudio.com, along with the prize you won, as soon as possible! We had so much fun with this journaling class - it truly was an amazing and unforgettable experience!

And, thank you all who have taken our survey already! We've been blown away with the response and the notes you have left us have been so sweet and nice! We appreciate each one of you SO much!!

Love you all!
so, Elle

P.S. We'll be back tomorrow with a sneak peek of the new Inspiration Gallery that will go live this Monday and a couple pictures of what we've been up to during the last three weeks! :)

Journaling: In your own words | Wrap-Up

It has been an amazing three weeks - Seeing the way others journal has really opened me up to trying new things and looking at the process differently. I've gained a new respect and it's put an entirely new perspective on my creations. Huge thank yous to all the lovely ladies that participated in this project and to each one of you that stopped by everyday to check it out! It was so much fun reading each of your comments everyday!

We have another surprise for you today!! We've turned the entire 3-week class into a pdf booklet that you can download for free and keep forever! Print it out and keep it handy so the next time you're stuck, you can just open it up and be inspired! You'll never find yourself without words, or the courage to write them down, again!
Just click here to download the pdf file. Please click "Save" when prompted. You must have Adobe Reader to open this file, if you do not have Adobe Reader, you can download it for free, here.

We also would like to invite you to participate in a survey we put together about the journaling class and our blog in general! We had a ton of people ask us if we are going to be doing a similar class next year, so we are taking a survey to see if that is something everyone would like! We have also been playing around with some other fun ideas for things on our blog and this survey would really help us decide if these things are the things you'd like to see here!

Click here to take our short survey - huge thanks to everyone who does! We really appreciate it!

Thank you, again, for a wonderful time! We will be posting the winners for the Clip-It and for each one of the giveaways on the REALLY big giveaway post tomorrow morning! If you haven't entered, please do so now!

And, remember! It's never too late to start journaling your story on those scrapbook pages!
xo, Elle

Journaling: In your own words | Debee Campos

How do you decide how much or little of the story to tell? My stories are almost always very brief. I don’t pressure myself to write everything out. I miss somethings but most of the time I almost always write about the few details I want to remember. these always trigger a smile, a sweet memory. I am more of a visual person anyway, I guess for me it’s not so much about the journaling specifically. My words + my pictures + my art process= love. I don’t have any children yet, but I know that they will later on look over our art pages I’ve made and very well see that I have loved being a wife to mr.handsome. I have loved documenting our lives for them and for us. xoxo
Does every layout you create contain journaling? Not really. I often find myself journaling on the back of my pages. More for some added privacy. And for the mere fact I really don’t like my handwriting. :) I make the most of my cute typewriter and journal free style onto my page. I allow myself the freedom to make mistakes and scribble stuff up. It’s part of the art process. I embrace the mess :)

What do you find the most difficult about journaling? I hold back. I tend to be a very private person. And with anything that I make, I really try to make each page meaningful. I don’t force myself to make anything I’m not invested in. When I do journal I try to keep it positive and real. And then there is also the very fine line between what i allow myself to share on the web. I allow myself to keep things just for me. So sometimes I will share a page but all the journaling will be on the back :)
Take us through your journaling process: As with this page, i had the journaling weighing heavily on my heart for quite some time. It just needed to be spilled out onto paper. Visually embraced. I had been thinking of the journaling: “whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable— excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” I decided I would give these words a home. I just free styled it onto the background of my page. Nothing to complicated or “clean”. I never worry about those things. Paint is messy and I love that about it. So these words however messy looking, they mean more to me having written them out with my carefree writing. Just a paint brush and paint. it’s art :)
Supply list: Elle's Studio journaling spots, acrylic paints (variety), white gesso, black india ink, paint brush, stencils (random), water mug, spray paints (variety), white card stock paper, typewriter, fine point sharpie and sewing machine
ABOUT DEBEE: Hello, I'm Debee and I'm an art lover :) I am married to my most favorite person in the whole wide world, Mr. Handsome. I love making art in my studio and enjoy spray painting anything I can get my hands on :) Life is a sweeter place with pretty paper, starbucks and some modest mouse blaring through the speakers. I often frequent thrift stores, anthropologie, and take pictures for added inspiration. I'm a daydreamer at heart and enjoy pouring out my passion for art onto paper. xoxo

Visit Debee's blog, etsy shop, and flickr!

Journaling: In your own words | Jennifer Johner

Why is journaling on your layouts important to you? As much as I try to capture the story with my picture taking.. the mood, the feel, the sights... the whole story can’t always be told through a photo. I look at my journaling a little bit backwards I suppose, I start my journaling where the photo leaves off.. the bits and pieces that the photo doesn’t tell. My journaling is usually fairly short, but I feel it will be the connection to the photo when looking back on my pages years down the road. Sometimes I like to do random journaling.. that doesn’t always go with the photo, that is usually my favourite kind! I love that this hobby is the prefect way to document those random fun things about my kids.. those things that are there one minute and gone the next. Journaling on my scrapbook pages is a way for me to document all of those little things.. and that is priceless!
Do you try to include all the details in your journaling? Since I do so many pages, and those pages are usually one one photo pages.. in most instances, a series of photos get spread out over several pages. So, if I take 40 pictures of the kids playing in the backyard.. chances are, I will end up with at least 3 or 4 (or sometimes more) pages of that alone.. so the story gets spread across those pages. One page may end up being just a ‘who and when’ type page, another might be more about what they were doing, another might me about what we did that day in general.. and one may even be about something entirely different, with the subject going along with what the photo may represent. So no, most times I am not too concerned about including every single detail in my journaling, because I know in the end.. between all of the pages, the story will be told.

Does every layout you create contain journaling? No, definitely not. A lot of times I will only include a date. Sometimes I feel the photo tells enough of the story, or I appreciate the photo as it is and just feel like being artsy and making a page. This kind of elaborates on the previous question.. chances are I will end up making an accompanying page that will contain some journaling that the one without was lacking.
What do you find the most difficult about journaling? Honestly, finding room! lol I usually save my journaling for last, and sometimes get carried away in the creating process, and don’t end up thinking too much about where I am going to add the journaling! So alot of times, I end up looking at the page and saying to myself “where oh where am I going to add that?” ..that is why I love handwriting my journaling, it is so much easier to make it fit in! The Elle’s Studio tags are the perfect solution to this for me! I find when I plan to journal on a tag.. I plan the spot for that tag during the creating process... and that is a good thing!!

Any tips or techniques you’d like to share with us? SInce I do the majority of my journaling in my own handwriting.. my tip is to lightly journal in pencil first! lol I continually learn this lesson the hard way! I find if I have a light pencilled in guide to follow, it is so much easier to stay on track!
Supply List: Elle's Studio Tags (Sweet Summer Scallops, Sweet Summer Tiny Tags, Sweet Summer Large Circles, Sweet Summer Journaling Tags), Elle's Studio Stamps (Sweet Summer Stamps), KI Memories (Wild Life gems), Pink Paislee (Dream Big patterned paper), Dear Lizzy (crochet flowers, Tickled Tulip fabric paper), October Afternoon (Picnic Table patterned paper), Martha Stewart (3 in 1 butterfly punch), American Crafts (brown pen and white cardstock)
ABOUT JENNIFER: Hi, my name is Jen! I love to scrapbook and play with anything crafty! I am happiest when I do something creative every single day! This summer I hope to read many many books, play with my 2 munchkins, spend as much time outdoors as possible, take a road trip (or two).. and craft up a storm of course! I am a stay at home mom, and married to my bestest friend.. we have two kids, Laine (age 8) and Harley (age 3)... these three are my everything!

You can visit Jennifer's blog here: www.jenniferjohner.typepad.com

Journaling: In your own words | Journaling Tips!

We've got some journaling tips to share with you today! These tips are ones we've used over and over again, so hopefully they will help you as much as they've helped us!

When you're stuck: Sometimes, the hardest thing to get past is when you're stuck on the writing part of your layout - Next time you get stuck, use one of these suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing again:

-Use a quote, song lyrics or Bible verse
-Ask someone else what their favorite part or memory is from the event you're scrapbooking
-Make a list
-Write it as a letter, addressed to someone
-Tell it from a different person's point of view
-You don't have to write full sentences! Just write down the words that come to your mind

Weren't there when the photo was taken? This can be hard because you weren't there to record all the details. For these situations, if you are keeping the layouts, ask the person who gave you the photos what went on, what were the important and memorable moments, who said what, etc. If you are giving the layouts back to the person who took the photos, leave a space for them to journal and when you give it to them, let them know it's their job to finish the layout!

Where are my journaling tags? If you're journaling tags aren't handy when you need them, they are easily overlooked and forgotten about! Keeping your journaling tags organized and handy will make them easier to access! We LOVE Clip-It's for keeping things in full view.

Don't stress about it: Sometimes it will be too hard to find the words to express how you feel. It's okay to have a couple layouts with no journaling. Don't be too hard on yourself for letting a couple layouts slide :) When you stress out about things, it makes it harder to go back and do them the next time. So, every now and then, give yourself a break!

And, since we are talking about organizing... we decided to giveaway a Clip-It with some Elle's tags!
We are super excited to be giving away one Clip-It Up Mini and some extra clips, along with a couple packs of Elle's Studio tags!

To enter, just leave a comment below, sharing your favorite journaling tip with everyone! We'll pick a winner this Saturday, August 28th, along with all the other winners from our really big sponsored giveaway! If you haven't entered that giveaway, please do so now!

Winner from our Apron String's giveaway!

We have a winner to announce from our Apron String's giveaway! The winner of the August kit is:

perezmom said This journaling class has been the best - I've always struggled with telling the story and now I feel better about using my handwriting and writing exactly what I want! Thank you Apron Strings for the terrific give away!

-Kristin on August 22, 2010 8:34 PM

Congrats! Please email me as soon as possible!

If you didn't win, don't forget that they are still offering 20% off your entire order! Just use coupon code: ELLES at checkout! Offer expires August 28th.

Our journaling class will continue today, with another post, very soon!

Journaling: In your own words | Melissa Mann

What is the most important thing about capturing the story? The small things. The little details. The smell of something; the emotion I felt at that time. Typically short, small phrases detailing the details. I like to capture the small things that make up the big picture.

Do you try to include all the details in your journaling? No. I usually only journal the highlights of a particular memory. Sometimes [actually, most times], I will only use complimentary adjectives or nouns.

Such as the journaling on the “a Florida summer” layout: “Summertime in Florida means so many things: beach-time, sandy feet, sunburns, flip-flops, ice water, shorts & tank tops... love to smell the scent of the ocean, the smell of freshly mowed grass...this is summertime to me...sunny skies, thunderstorms, bare feet...good times”.

All of these things in this list remind me of summertime in Florida.

Also, I did not journal about the particular day that this photo was taken. I used to be under the assumption that you MUST journal about what surrounded that very photo. Not necessary. I used to hate journaling on my layouts. Hated it with a passion and most times, skipped doing it all together. I instead took a photo that symbolizes a typical summer day and used it as a jumping off point for the description of a Florida summer.
Does every layout your create contain journaling? No. But, probably about 70% of my layouts do include some type of journaling though. As I mentioned before, I used to despise the journaling part of scrapbooking. One, because I always felt like I had to journal about that particular picture. And when I scrapped a self portrait that I had taken of myself or a picture of my dog, I felt trapped by the journaling process because what am I supposed to say about a self portrait? Oh, I took this on a Saturday in June because I was bored. Not so much. Two, I always felt like journaling had to be my own words. Also not necessary. I am a quote addict. I love them. I keep an on-going word document that I copy & paste quotes into all of the time. One day it hit me, why don't I use one of these quotes on a layout. Well, hello! Sometimes, that's all you need! Or song lyrics. Many times, the lyrics say exactly what needs to be said – nothing more, nothing less. And three, I always felt like I had to do the journaling in my own hand-writing. I hate my handwriting. It's never the same. It's ever evolving – if there is such a thing. And then one day, I saw someone online had used a typewriter to do the journaling on their layout. Before too much time had passed, I had my own typewriter. And as weird as this may sound, I enjoy journaling SO much more now that I don't feel like I HAVE to do it in my own handwriting.

What do you find the most difficult about journaling? The most difficult thing for me is to sit down and actually do it. To sit and think about what I want to say whether it be a quote, or a list of some sort – I have to force myself to sit down and actually do it. Once I get going, it pretty much just flows – but that initial point where I have to think about what I'm going to say gets me every time.

Take us through your journaling process: Typically, my journaling is always the last thing I do. Unless, I'm going to type my journaling directly onto the base page of my layout, I always save it for last. And about 99% of the time, my journaling is always typed out. It may be on a tag, on a strip of ledger paper, cardstock – but it is easier for me to type everything rather than hand write it out.

I personally do not care for journaling that is printed off from a computer. It is just too perfect and clean looking. But that is just me. I prefer the grungy, non straight lines from my typewriter. I don't ever do a rough draft of my journaling. Ever.

And again, like I stated earlier, a lot of times, my journaling is written out more in the pattern of how I think – more list like by using nouns or adjectives.

Any tips you'd like to share with us? One last thing I'd like to share – don't be intimidated by journaling. I was for a very long time. And I may not be the best at journaling – but, I know that years down the road, when I look back at the memories I have preserved, the journaling is going to be the thing I cherish the most. Because it will open a small window in time to where I can see exactly what was going through my head at that particular moment.

Supply List: Cardstock – Kraft; Patterned Paper – October Afternoon, Studio Calico; Stamp – Studio Calico, Elle's Studio; Tags – Elle's Studio Vintage Notes, Cut Outs, Summer Journaling Tags, Moment to Remember tags; Ink – Ranger, Stazon; Thread – Unknown; Embellishments – Making Memories; Typewriter; PopDots

ABOUT MELISSA: Hello! My name is Melissa Mann. I currently reside in beautiful Pensacola, Florida – about 15 minutes away from the Gulf of Mexico. I grew up in the South and after a 6 year stint in northern Maryland, realized that I would never be cut out for cold weather! I'm married to a wonderful guy named Troy; we have 2 dogs & 1 cat. I like books, my camera, cooking, & chapstick. I don't like spiders, humidity, fireants, & perfume.

I first started scrap booking in 2005 when I got a sudden urge to document all of the paraphernalia I had collected while planning our wedding. I had a bag full of receipts, lists, party favors, tags, napkins, cards, etc. I quickly discovered a vast world of paper, glue, albums, & stickers...

...And the rest is history. :-)

You can visit Melissa's blog, twitter, facebook and flickr to see more!

Journaling: In your own words | Becky Novacek

Why is journaling on your layouts so important to you? I always go back to my experience with my mom. She was in a debilitating car accident when I was in my early 20s, and lost the ability to speak or communicate. When I find something in her handwriting and especially heartfelt notes she wrote, it means SO much to me. I just think that journaling and particularly in your own handwriting is vitally important. It's so personal and such a tangible piece of you that you can leave for your loved ones.
Does every layout you create contain journaling? Yes, even if it's short and sweet. I would rather have a handwritten sentence than a title...if I had to pick : )
What do you find most difficult about journaling? I have to be prepared to feel emotion. It's rare that I journal and don't feel something. Plus, I try to remember to go a little deeper than basic facts. I know that my words are a legacy to my loved ones and I don't want to stay just on the surface all the time. Sometimes that's fine, but I think you need to go a little deeper to the emotion if you really want to "say" something to your family.
Take us through your journaling process: Journaling is always the last thing that I do on a page, other than maybe a little machine stitching. As I put a layout together, I try to think about what I will say or sometimes I've already journaled in a notebook what I want to say about certain photos/events. If I'm going to be writing a lot, I will jot it down in a notebook, so that I know that I have room, but many times, I just start writing right on the page. Sometimes, if I make a mistake, it forces me to be even more creative and find a way to cover up my boo-boo and do something "out of the box".
Supply List: Journaling Labels: Elle's Studio; Pattern Papers: October Afternoon, Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin, KI Memories; Stickers: October Afternoon, American Crafts; Vintage Ledger Paper; Black Thread for machine stitching; Gems; Tools: Fiskars Flower Punch, Fiskars Pinking Scissors
ABOUT BECKY: She was always drawn to paper and photos, so when Becky Novacek was first exposed to scrapbooking, she was hooked. In 2004, life changed and paper crafts became much more than a hobby, it became a daily creative endeavor. Although life has changed yet again, and now photography plays an important role in her life, she still finds time to scrapbook and play with paper. Becky has been published in BHG Scrapbooks Etc, Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbook Trends, Memory Makers, Cards, Legacy, Somerset and back in the day, Autumn Leaves Books. Currently, Becky serves on the design teams for Jenni Bowlin and Fiskars, and is honored to be guest designing this month for Hambly Studios.

Becky lives in Fremont, Nebraska with her husband Tom. They have 4 grown, married children and 8 grandchildren. She enjoys photography, paper crafts, flea marketing, reading, lunching with friends and spending Sunday afternoons in the summer around the pool with her whole family.

You can visit Becky's site and blog, here!

Journaling: In your own words | Happy or sad, they are still your stories!

Although we wish all stories could be happy and perfect, the truth is that some of them aren’t. But, the imperfect stories are still important ones that are apart of us and have helped shaped who we are. These imperfect stories shouldn’t be over looked.

As scrapbookers, we tend to dismiss these stories and ignore them, when in fact, scrapbooking them and expressing our feelings on paper is actual very therapeutic and can be helpful in these situations!

I know for me, most of the time I avoid the imperfect stories is because I don’t really want people to read what I have journaled – the journaling is more of a personal story, for my eyes only. I don’t want anyone to be able to just pick up my scrapbook and open to a page and then start asking questions like “why didn’t you tell me about this? When did this happen? I didn’t know you felt like this or where going through this!”

It’s taken some time for me to realize that these imperfect stories are still apart of me and something that is okay and important to scrapbook about. I've learned some of these stories I should share and maybe sharing it can help others who might be going through the same thing.

Here are some tips that I’ve used, so instead of feeling like I can’t scrapbook these moments in life because I don’t want others reading the story, I now feel like I CAN! And, most of the time, I’ve found it helpful to get these emotions out, and leave them behind on a page.

Just scrapbook it: Like I said above, you never know how much your story will help someone else, or just feel good to get out and express in writing! Don’t worry about how others will look at you after they read your story – everyone has something imperfect about their lives.

Hidden journaling: You can turn any photo into a secret pocket that holds your thoughts! Instead of gluing the entire photo down, just glue on the edges of three sides. The side where you didn’t glue becomes the opening to your "pocket". Leave the journaling tag popped out of the top just enough so you know it’s there. Most people won’t take the time to pull the layout out of a page protector to be able to reach the journaling tag – and more than likely they won’t even know it’s there!

Journal on the back: This is a great way to really hide your journaling. No one looks at the back of layouts and only you will know it’s there. This method can really give you piece-of-mind and allow you to be more open and honest with yourself about your feelings.

Keep a separate book: My friend keeps a separate book, tucked away in a special spot, that is just for her. That way, her other books can be on display and she doesn’t have to think twice about someone stumbling upon something that maybe she doesn’t want them to see or she isn’t ready for them to read.

We hope these tips about capturing the imperfect story will help you realize that it is okay to scrapbook and journal them!

We have another amazing giveaway for you today from Apron Strings!
Summertime. Laid back (or less crazy anyway) schedules. Time relaxing by the water source of your choice. Plenty of photo opportunities and stories to be told. The August Bigger than a Breadbox Kit from Apron Strings will help you document everything from cool ice cream celebrations to picnics in the park or anything in between. A no-commitment membership in Apron Strings’ Autoship ensures you’ll get new papers to play with each and every month. You’ll enjoy unlimited, penalty-free skips, flips or substitutions so that your Autoship works for you. You’ll also have access to the monthly newsletters which have plenty of inspiration from the design team and plenty of challenges and contests on the blog to inspire you to use your kits.

“I used to think a kit club was limiting, I mean I wanted to shop for my papers. Then I bought an Apron Strings kit and my mind was changed. I’m getting papers I can’t find at my local stores and some of my favorites are from companies I didn’t know about. The kits keep me on budget and I’m having a ball, and actually creating layouts. I love the thrill of getting a line I may have passed over if I was shopping on my own – those sometimes become some of my favorite layouts. Thanks for the inspiration.”

COUPON CODE: During this 3-week class Apron Strings is also offering the Elle’s Studio participants a 20% savings on purchases. Drop by, check Apron Strings out, sign-up and then stock up and save. Enter: ELLES during checkout. Coupon expires August 28th and is not applicable towards autoship memberships.

GIVEAWAY: Apron Strings is giving away one August Bigger than a Breadbox kit! To enter, just leave a comment below! We will draw two winners (one per kit) on Tuesday, August 24th. *One entry per person!

Also, if you have not entered our other big giveaway here, hop on over there and enter that one, too!

Journaling: In your own words | Stephanie Howell

Why is journaling on your layouts important to you? I want my girls to have a unique piece of me after I'm gone. This is why I hand write my journaling. I want them to know the feelings, fears, thoughts i had. What was hard about being a mother. Amazing about being a mother. Why and how I fell in love with their daddy. What I love about each of them. These things will be invaluable one day.
Do you try to include all the details in your journaling? I always include the date (month and year). Beyond that, I make sure to talk about the emotions, thoughts, and/or feelings that the photos evoke in me. I don't write down every single thing that was happening in that photo. I don't write "event" type journaling.
How do you decide how much or little of the story to tell? This sounds silly, but I write from my heart. Very stream-of-consciousness type journaling. I look at the photo or photos on my layout, and then write what I'm feeling, what I want my family to know. I never pre-plan my journaling or practice it. I just write until I feel like I need to stop. Sometimes this means paragraphs of journaling, sometimes just a sentence.
Does every layout you create contain journaling? Absolutely. I completely value those who do layouts to be artistic, but that isn't me. I do layouts to share photos and words.
Any tips or techniques you’d like to share with us? Be authentic. Don't be scared to tell a funny, even irreverent story. Write like you speak. Imagine you are telling the story to a loved one...how would you phrase it? Don't force yourself to write a big, long, journaling block if the photo(s) doesn't need it. Write what you feel.
Supply List: cardstock: we R Memory Keepers; patterned paper: sassafras; punches ; EK Success (star), Martha Stewart (butterfly); journaling cards: below layout, above layout Elle's Studio; stamps: Elle's Studio; butterflies and stars: punched from elle's studio packaging; ink: colorbox; pen: american crafts; doilies: martha stewart; jewels: prima

Growing up with a ridiculously artistic mother, Stephanie tried and abandoned many crafts in frustration before she finally stumbled onto scrapbooking and fell in love. She made a few scrapbooks (in the loosest sense of the term) when she was in college, but truly became obsessed when she was pregnant with her first daughter. Scrapbooking is her therapy and has gotten her through six of her husband’s overseas deployments.

Stephanie has been published in Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook and Cards Today, Scrapbooks Etc., Memory Makers and Scrapbook Trends magazines. She designs for Studio Calico and Jenni Bowlin Studio and has guest designed for a multitude of wonderful companies.

Stephanie lives in Georgia and is married to Jimmy, who is a Major in the army. She is also a stay-at-home mom to Harper Elizabeth, who is four, and Sadie Caroline, who is two. In the fall, the Howell family will welcome identical twin girs.

In her spare time, she loves antiquing, reading, and watching reality tv (her dirty little secret). She dreams of learning to sew, embroider, knit, quilt, and cook (well). But most of all, she loves just being together as a family, and she relishes those moments…as they are few and far between.

You can find Stephanie at her blog.

Journaling: In your own words | Dina Wakley

Why is journaling on your layouts important to you? Journaling is important to me because I want my boys to have no doubt about what I think and feel about them. Lately I've been scrapping older photos, and I can't remember every detail about what was going on at the time. But I do remember how I felt about them then, and of course how I feel about them now...so I include that.
Do you try to include all the details in your journaling? No, I don't try to include every detail, but I do include what stands out to me. I especially try to record my feelings on the page, so there's a record of my thoughts & emotions, too. I also love to give advice in my journaling. I'm not sure if my boys will appreciate that, but it makes me feel better when I write it!

How do you decide how much or little of the story to tell? Well, this is bad, but sometimes how much of the story I tell depends on my page design. I love to capture humorous things, personality quirks, and everyday life.
What do you find the most difficult about journaling? Telling a comprehensive story. That's not my strength at all--I'm more of a "moments" journaler. I keep a journal (both regular journal and an art journal) where I do a lot of writing, so the journaling on my pages tends to be fairly short.

Take us through your journaling process: My process is very organic and not well thought out. I always journal last, and I never ever practice first or write it out first. I write from the heart and just let what comes out be enough. Often I have glued or sewed down my journaling block, so I have one shot to write and make it fit. It usually works out fine! Of course, there have been a few times when what I have written hasn't made sense, or I've made a writing error. In that case, I just shrug my shoulders & start over.
Supply List: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, vintage music sheet, Bazzill strips; cardstock: Bazzill; tape: 7Gypsies; alphabet: American Crafts Thickers; embellishments: vintage buttons, Prima felt vine shape; journaling tag: Elle's Studio; Ink: Maya Mist; Paint: Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic

I'm Dina Wakley, and I live in the hot Arizona desert with my husband and 3 boys. I love everything about the paper arts, including stamping, scrapping, and art journaling. My style is messy and grungy and imperfect. My favorite supply is spray ink--I have about 100 bottles! I love to travel, eat good food, and hang out with good friends. Teaching is another passion of mine. I love to spread the love of art and scrapping! I teach both online and in-person classes. I'm a docent (tour guide) at the Phoenix Art Museum. I love to give tours to school groups. It's so fun to introduce kids to art and to see it take root in their souls. Let me know if you're ever in Phoenix, I'll give you a tour!

You can find Dina at her blog, Facebook, and on Twitter.