Christmas Market Pictures

And the Winner Is.....

We are pleased to announce that the winner of our Grand Prize Basket draw is:

Oona B.

Thank you to baby Lee who selected the winning entry from our glass fishbowl! We'd also like to extend our sincere thanks to our lovely vendors - Fiona, Robyn and Kelly (with a special thanks to Brian for setting us up with hours of wonderful Christmas music).

Again, a big thank you to all of you who came to the studio. It was nice to meet you all and we greatly appreciate your support.

Sneak Peak...

Here is a little sneak peak of our grand prize Gift Basket that YOU could win tomorrow at our 1st Annual Gift Market. We are enjoying an afternoon of making the studio a little Christmas wonderland.

Also shown is the December EllyKids Mini-Star Album that we will have kitted up and available tomorrow to compliment our popular EllyKids Saturdays.

We couldn't resist making another Matchbook album, this time with a Christmas theme. It showcases cute ice skating and hot chocolate papers as well as red snowflake paper that makes me think of the warmest of winter sweaters.

See you tomorrow!

Final Touches

You should see the studio now!!! We have been busy kitting up, well, everything we know you will love to make including Explosion Boxes, Star Albums, Recipe Albums, Babushka Albums, Coaster Albums plus interesting paper packs with embellishments galore.

We are featuring the Basic Grey Calender Kit this month and I must say, it is really satisfying to put together. The kit contains all of the pieces you need to build your very own calender. Each month they feature a different design from the wonderful Basic Grey line to coordinate with each season. All you need for supplies are a glue stick, scissors, black marker and ink. This kit would be fun to do with friends on a weekend afternoon, or while having your favourite Christmas movie playing in the background.

Remember, all of these items will be available on Sunday. See you soon!

1st ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GIFT MARKET!!

Is happening this weekend!! Sunday, November 22nd 1-5pm! I'm sure you'll love the selection of gifts at our market!! Hope to see you there!

(Click for close-up)

GIFTS, GIFTS, GIFTS!

I'm excited. Only 4 more days until we open our studio for our 1st Annual Christmas Gift Market. The weather is chilly and blustery outside and we are warm and cozy in the studio putting together our final kits we'll have for sale on Sunday (November 22nd 1-5pm).

Kits are a wonderful as all of the supplies are present - you just have to clear some time, brew a cup of something hot and get busy putting the pieces together. Kits can be a great gift too, either for yourself (because we deserve it!) or for a friend or family member. One could get multiple kits and have afternoon of paper crafting - think of your fave Christmas tunes, a cozy atmosphere and good friends all sitting around your kitchen table.

We'll have Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses Card Kits plus their wonderful Calender Kits for sale on Sunday. These cards are super cute (we are also featuring them in our upcoming Christmas Card Workshop on Nov. 29th). Our little House Album is kitted up for you and your Autumn/Thanksgiving photos. A favourite "Explosion Box" Album that we featured for Nov. EllyKids will also be available. If cooking is your thing, then check out our Recipe Album kit (also an upcoming Dec. workshop). It is showcases traditional Christmas colours staring a gingerbread man and many Prima poinsettias. There is ample space to document your favourite holiday recipes too. Plus each album comes with it's very own mini cookie cutter. Too cute!

Please, save the date and we'll see you on Sunday.

FRIDAY NIGHT FUN! MINI-WORKSHOP!

Another night of fun here at EllaBella Designs studio!!

November's Mini-Workshop: Chipboard Coasters

We love working with these favorite chipboard coasters! We will create one coaster in this mini workshop, then stay and make as many coasters as you wish! The creative opportunities are endless! Make magnets, post-it note holders, desk calendars, wall hangings, or even an entire album!! Remember, Christmas is just around the corner and these would make wonderful gifts!

WE have the supplies and samples and YOU choose the embellishments & decide how many to make!! All at a very reasonable price!

For more information on our * New * Mini-Workshops, click here.

Date: Friday, November 20th 7-9PM
Cost: ONLY $3 per coaster! (pre-registration required)

These mini-workshops sell out fast, so hurry and reserve your spot today!

Click here to register through our secure on-line server or by calling Ann at 250-751-8932.

We accept cash, cheque, Visa, MasterCard & PayPal!!

Design Team Member, Sue, decided to use hers to complete a cute chipboard coaster album!Photo below...

*NEW* EllyKids at Home

November EllyKids at Home kit!

Subscribe your child to receive monthly EllyKids at Home kits! These are fabulous PaperArt kits especially made with your child in mind! They will look forward to the parcel in the mail every month!! Kits include full step-by-step instructions including color photos of the project.

These subscriptions also make fun & unique Birthday or Christmas gifts!

Subscription Options
Sign up to receive 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions at $10.00 per month
You will be billed monthly and your kits will be automatically shipped every month for the duration of your subscription.
* Fully pre-paid subscriptions save 5% at $9.50 per month *

Month-to-Month payment plan also available at $10.00 per month
You will be billed monthly and your kits will be automatically shipped every month until you cancel your plan.

The above options will guarantee a kit delivered to your child each month.

One-time kit purchases are available at $10.00 per month
Upon receipt of payment, we will ship out your kit.

Prices do not include shipping and/or applicable taxes.

EllaBella Designs is a Scrapbook Studio located in Nanaimo, BC. In November of 2009, we expanded our services to include a subscription-based EllyKids, called EllyKids at Home. These kits are based on our popular EllyKids Program which we have been running since May of 2008. We enjoy seeing kids explore their creativity and are thrilled to offer this service to our out-of-town customers.

Click here for more information on EllyKids at Home!


To view our EllyKids projects, click here!

Q & A for Ann

I am at the beautiful Harrison Hot Springs Hotel on a scrapbook retreat and thought it would be a good time to answer some Q&A Questions about me! (Sorry it's so long!) Enjoy...

EIGHT QUESTIONS FOR ANN

What product do you make and sell?
I love the challenge of designing new projects, whether it be layouts, mini albums, altered items, home décor, etc.!! I love to add my own twist to the projects and I will then incorporate these projects into kits and/or workshops for customers. Thanks to Karen, I have expanded my horizons and have added mixed media elements and have learned to see product packaging in a different light instead of in the recycling bin!

How long have you been creating/selling your product?
I have been playing with beautiful papers and embellishments since 2002, when I decided to make a memory album for my Mum. I became addicted after my daughter was born in 2004. Then I met Karen…and in May of 2007, we started selling our pre-made products at the Nanaimo Farmer’s Market; we then added the Parksville Street Market, Randerson Ridge/McGirr Craft Fair & Kris Kringle Christmas Market in Qualicum Beach to our market circuit.

We opened up our studio in May of 2008, after receiving positive feedback at the markets. We now offer workshops, project kits, fun crop nights as well as an EllyKids Program (just this month we have added EllyKids at Home to our line of services, which is a subscription-based EllyKids offering monthly kits mailed to your child). We do offer a small amount of scrapbook supplies as well to supplement our workshops and kits.

This year we are hosting our very own market! Our 1st Annual Christmas Gift Market, Sunday, November 22nd 1-5pm! We will be showcasing other local “Mom-preneurs” as well!

You all have families... when do you set aside time for your creative work?
I have just recently set aside Saturdays as my creative time, this is when I will actually sit down to create the projects I have had in my head all week! LOL! I have a very supportive and loving husband, who has helped me out so much! (Thank you!) I am a night-owl by nature (and much to my husband's chagrin), so during the week you can find me in the studio once the kids are in bed; I use that time to catch up on blog posts, computer work, organize kits, as well as do some creative & business brainstorming! LOTS of work! LOL!

What or who are your influences?
Hands down, the most influential person in my life was my Dad . He had the most impact on me and the most amazing positive outlook on life! This is also where I get my entrepreneurial spirit from!

How important is it to have a creative outlet in your life?
It is absolutely a huge part of my life! Whether it be fondling paper late at night or creating a stunning layout, mini album or other project, it is very satisfying and it adds just the right balance to my life. After my son was born in January, I took some time off and after a few months I found I was really missing that creative part of my life and ready to get back into the swing of things here at EllaBella Designs. I found I missed interacting with our customers as well.

Does your background relate to your current endeavours?
I have a Diploma in Office Administration then pursued a career in travel and was a Certified Travel Consultant for nine years.

My Diploma in Office Administration helps greatly with running the business and computer aspect of what I do. The creative side seemed to have taken years to grow inside of me. I was one of those people that thought I never had a creative bone in my body, but when I took on the memory album project for my Mum, then when my daughter was born, I knew I had it inside of me waiting to be unleashed! LOL! And now I can’t imagine not having this creative side to me!

What other activities do you enjoy?
Time is not something I have a lot of at this point. My “new” baby is already 9 months old (and I am enjoying him so much), so having a baby and a busy 5 year old doesn’t allow much time to enjoy other activities!

Photography is a huge passion of mine as well as travel! Our favorite destination is Kauai, though would head back to Punta Cana (DR) in a heartbeat given the chance! :-)

Future plans....goals?
To enjoy life, travel, and watch my children grow. Scrapbooking allows me to capture and hold life’s little moments which I would have otherwise forgotten, and I just love to share this with other people!

Business-wise, there are a lot of avenues I would like to explore. I would love to offer our services at other locations on Vancouver Island, such as instructing my workshops and offering my project kits at crops, retreats, & fundraisers.

I have been published in print as well as on-line, and would love to go that avenue again in the near future. I think designing would be something I’d like to pursue at some point as well.