First order of business… it’s our once-a-month, special Thrifty Thursday and you don’t want to miss it! We have a new Stacked Photo Cluster set on sale for just 99¢ today and 188 items are marked down 30% for today only!

Today we’re spotlighting the Be Squared Layered Template and it’s marked down 30% off today only!

Our team has done a great job showing you a variety of ways this template can be used as a great way to jump-start your layout!
Kari’s page

Debbie’s page

Lynn’s page

Katrina’s page

and my page

And last week we all had a great time with Kellie’s Tortuga Template No. 97

Have fun with the Be Squared template and share your inspiration in the Template Challenge gallery!

So, this week, I’ve chosen a multi-photo template from Kellie Mize: Tortuga Template #97. This template is great for scrapping all those photos from the beach the other day… or the family BBQ… or all those fireworks on the 4th of July!

This week, all four of us used the template just as Kellie designed it… no twisting or flipping or modifying much! That’s because we all had lots of photos to scrap and Kellie’s composition is perfect: We all got NINE photos on our page!

Bonnie showcased photos from a recent vacation at the beach. I love how the blue background paper allows the photos to standout AND it is perfect with her theme! The corner eyelets also support her nautical theme… so clever!

Aren’t these photos of Paula’s young son cute? And, he’s having so much fun! By keeping the background neutral, Paula allows the photos to take center stage! I love how the photos pop and by adding a dash of red behind her title, our eyes are drawn to the unique title lettering.

Using nine awesome photos of Buddy, our “DD Mascot”, Kathie added a neutral background to Kellie’s template. She also added subtitles to each one of the darling black-and-white photos of Buddy! The little dashes of red are the perfect finishing touch! Don’t you love the elements at the top? So clever!

I had quite a few photos from a walk I had taken in a nature preserve a few blocks from my home. Keeping the background neutral helps all the photos stand out. I added just a few yellow accents, forming a visual triangle which, in this case, helps keep us focusing on the photos.

So… pick up Kellie’s template in the DD store and scrap ALOT of photos quickly and easily! And, don’t forget to post your layouts in the template challenge gallery at DD!

I would imagine y’all have heard the exciting news that Ali Edwards is now a part of Designer Digitals! Yep… great news for sure! And, this week’s template challenge showcases Ali’s first five templates that are now available in the DD store! The Creative Team has had so much fun with all these templates… and you may have even bought one or two (or more!) yourself! As an extra treat, I’ve created a layout using Ali’s “Layered Template No. 6” coming this weekend!

Template #1 is a simple blocked layout, showcasing one main photo and using multiple sheets of paper. Kayleigh took the basic template and reduced it a bit, layering it over a white sheet of cardstock! This allowed her to add word stickers to the right and a new overlay from Ali along the bottom! Such a clever way to use a template!

Using four offset blocks, Template #2 allows for four photos, if you choose! Or, you can copy Lynn’s idea and use two of the blocks for coordinating patterned paper! This helps keep the focus on her two photos, but allows room for some additional color and pattern!

Ali’s third template showcased a great “stamped” grid, alongside three wide photos. But, look at Sarah’s clever take on Template #3... she’s filled part of the grid with smaller, supporting photos! Adding some cute elements to the other parts of the grid finishes off the layout perfectly!

Template #4 includes a variety of paper layers, topped with one square, focal photo. Crissy layered neutral papers, using a pretty floral right under the photo. She added a scalloped frame and replaced the circle accent with a pretty butterfly! All perfect w/her cute photo of her daughter swinging!

Merrilee also used Template #4 to showcase her beautiful floral photos! And, look… she used one of the paper blocks for a large vertical photo of the gorgeous flowers! I just loved that idea! So creative!

I love the simple blocks and clean lines of Template #5. The two blocks, with rounded corners, can be filled with photos or paper, making this template pretty versatile. And, look what Katrina did! She had a horizontal photo she wanted to use (her young son took the photo, so she didn’t want to change it in any way!). Turning the template on its side allowed her to use the photo… she added a smaller, supporting photo next to it. Another clever use of a template!

And, here’s a little sneak peek at Ali’s Template #6, coming this weekend! This is a new double-page layout, showcasing photos, papers, embellishment and journaling. Yet with all of those things, Ali’s template still maintains clean lines and keeps the attention on the photos. I used this template to showcase four photos of my daughter, using the right hand page’s photo block for three photos, not just one. I also moved a couple of the tabs, replacing the flower accents. And, yes… that’s “CK Ali’s Handwriting” font! *wink*

Templates #1 through #5 are all in the DD store already, with three new ones (#6, #7 and #8) coming this weekend! So, there are plently of templates to choose from so you can join in the challenge this week! And, remember to post your layouts in the “Template Challenge” gallery at Designer Digitals! Can’t wait to see your layouts!

This week, I chose a simple, classic 2-photo template from Kellie Mize… Tortuga Template No.17. With a lot of beautiful white space and two flourish brushes, this layout is well-composed and balanced. It’s one of my favorites and it’s incredibly versatile!

Kari and Bonnie both replaced the flourishes with graphic pop brushes for a totally different look from the template. But, look at how different those same graphic brushes look on each layout! Bold and subtle… so cool! Kari used a black background for her journaling to make it pop and Bonnie flipped the template on its side to better accomodate her photos. Clever girls!

Terri used the templates journaling block, but replaced the template icon with a little red crab to emphasize her title and layout theme! It’s the perfect accent!

Margarete and I both used a light neutral background for our layouts, but Margarete has added movement and whimsy to hers with the beautiful brushwork and subtle color. She also added a stitched border and a little tag… both add a bit of texture to the layout. Because my layout is introspective, I chose one simple brush and added a bit of soft color to my wordart title. I also used one of the photo frames for journaling instead, backing it with another subtley-patterned paper.

So, there you have it… five different layouts using the same terrific template from Kellie Mize! It’s always so much fun for me to see how we all use the same template but add our own flair and style!

Now… let’s see what you can do with Kellie’s template! Check out the DD store for Tortuga Template No.l7... and remember, it’ll be on sale today (6/5) only during “Thrifty Thursdays!” And, don’t forget to post your layout in the template challenge gallery at Designer Digitals!

It’s Thursday and that means 2 things at DesignerDigitals…

Thrifty Thursday with Selected Products 30% off
and
it’s Template Challenge time!

This week we’re spotlighting
Speed Byte #44 by Pattie Knox

Check out these pages by our team showing the versatility of this template!

Jill’s page

layout details here

Sarah’s page

layout details here

and Paula’s page

layout details here

Pick up Speed Byte 44 while it’s on special today and link us up with your take on the template!