ella inspiration

Lately I've been talking about books and thinking about my summer reading list. I'd love to keep the book talk going... but I have a whole different kind of book to share with you today!


 
I recently purchased my first e-book for scrapbooking and I am super inspired! I was skeptical at first, trust me. As much as I visit blogs and galleries for inspiration, I've never really thought much about e-books. And when it comes to paid inspiration, I've always preferred a copy I can touch. So although I had heard of Ella and was curious about the concept of e-books, I never really looked into it.

That is, until I heard that Studio Calico had put together an e-book for Ella. The book is called 8 is Enough and the concept is to create using any eight supplies and tools you have on hand. Less is sometimes more! All I had to see was this little sneak peek of the supplies Stephanie Howell used for her layouts in the book and I was sold!


  
There is a ton of great inspiration in this Ella e-book. Since the designers had to make four layouts from their set of eight supplies, they had to get creative with how to use and split up their items. Each layout comes along with design information and tips for stretching your supplies; some layouts have bonus tips, too.

If you're a Studio Calico subscriber, you'll love seeing new ways to use and combine their kits, too. And if you're not a subscriber, I think you'll still get a lot out of this book, but you may not have as many of the items on hand if you want to make an exact replica of any of the layouts. 

I decided to take the "8 is Enough" challenge and make one layout with just eight items. Using one of Stephanie Howell's layouts for inspiration, I made this layout about my birthday barbeque last weekend with Rocco.

 

In case you're keeping count, my eight supplies are:   
 
1. Die-cut Cardstock Accent Pack (K&Company)
2. Yellow Damask Patterned Paper, double sided (October Afternoon)
3. Brown Numbered Patterned Paper (Sassafras)
4. Blue Striped Patterned Paper (October Afternoon)
5. Paper "Lace" Doily (Wilton)
6. Chipboard Woodgrain Alphabet (K&Company)
7. Scallop Border Punch (Fiskars)
8. Pink Mist (Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels)

If you are looking for inspiration and have never purchased an e-book before, it's definitely worth a visit to Ella.  This book is just one of many interesting titles I noticed on their website. I will definitely be going back to check out more in the future, especially considering they are comparable to the price of a magazine.

What are your thoughts on e-books? Do you have any Ella e-books in your collection?