Designer Spotlight with Paige Evans: Elizabeth Sarah Free

When I first came across the immaculately stitched pages created by Elizabeth Sarah Free I instantly became her biggest fan and I am so excited to share some of her amazing scrapbook layouts with you today, including a brand new work of art!

Name: Elizabeth Sarah Free
Location: Yorkshire, England
Instagram: @elizabethsarahdesigns
Pinterest: @elizabethfree

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started crafting: I am the fifth of seven children – with a highly academic teacher mum and an architect/bookworm dad. When we were small it was definitely a case of education, education, education! But we were also encouraged to pursue as many interests as possible. Music was a main feature of childhood: we all learned at least two instruments, but we were also kept busy with church activities. I always felt that our childhood was quite old-fashioned – with a real emphasis placed on good behaviour/manners/duty. I slightly resented that at the time – but now I look back and realize that it was a good start to life and I certainly expect to work for everything that I have. I have been a High School music teacher for 27 years now. It is a rewarding, but thoroughly exhausting profession, and I have always needed to have an outlet for my stress. Music has been a great source of relaxation over the years, but I always hankered after doing something more artistic in my free time. I had always done crafty activities – cross stitch, tapestry, and knitting have been firm favourites, but I wanted to do something new. My sister, Caroline Free (aka @tillyandarthur) had recently started paper crafting and encouraged me to give it a go. At first I was all about cards, banners, and books, but 10 months ago I finally gave scrapbooking a go and I haven’t looked back!

Favorite thing to create: Anything with colour! I never feel as though I’m good at design, but I absolutely love colour. My two current favourites are aqua and coral, which you will be able to tell from my layouts. Scrapbooking is definitely my thing at the moment, but I also love to include elements from my other hobbies – especially needlework.

5 fun facts about yourself:
1. My Austrian great grandfather was a flautist in the New York Philharmonic. When in the States he became good friends with Albert Einstein (a fellow Austrian) and they often played duets together (Einstein was a violinist).
2. My father and uncle were architects, my uncle also wrote books, my older brother, who sadly passed this summer, was an amazing artist and author/astronomer, my mum and her brother are outstanding pianists and my siblings are also artistic, too – including my sister, Caroline.
3. I play three instruments to a high standard: piano, cello, and bassoon. But I also play other instruments to a lesser level: trombone, recorder, and classical guitar.
4. Housework? What’s that?
5. Can’t cook/won’t cook!

Here is the beautiful, new layout Elizabeth Sarah made for her spotlight:

GOOD TIMES by Elizabeth Sarah Free

Having been a card maker for so long I have hundreds of dies. This layout features tags and butterflies die cut from ombré aqua and coral watercolour swatches which I had pre-prepared.

DON’T FORGET by Elizabeth Sarah Free

I heart doilies – what else can I say? I can’t crochet, so how else could I create a doily, but to use a crochet pattern and stitch it instead?!

MUM’S ROSE GARDEN by Elizabeth Sarah Free

I wanted to feature my mum’s rose garden. Since she was the one to teach me to cross stitch I decided to use that to create a rose design.

HAPPY TODAY by Elizabeth Sarah Free

My Cameo and I don’t get on. I don’t understand my Cameo and my Cameo doesn’t understand me. However, I did manage to cut out a mosaic heart design and I used it as a stencil for embossing paste which I had coloured with an ombré effect.

LOVE by Elizabeth Sarah Free

My favourite colour, and an easy string art template from Pinterest. This layout makes me happy!

Thank you for stopping by today and getting to know Elizabeth Sarah Free! See you again next time!