Meet Chelsie
WIFE . MOM . DESIGNER . CRAFTER
Chelsie has been a Covington/Mandeville resident since she was 6 years old. She has been married for 11 years to her high-school sweetheart, Julian Slama. The two have 2 wonderful kids; James (9) and Lillian (6).
2006-2010
Education - BFA
Graduated from Louisiana State University in the spring of 2010 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design.2010-2012
Graphic Designer
Head Graphic Designer at Lakeside Camera Photoworks - Metairie, Louisiana. More details below.2012-2017
Graphic Designer
Senior Graphic Designer at Mele Printing, one of the largest commercial printers on the gulf coast - Covington, Louisiana. More details below.2017- Current
Freelance Graphic Design
Contractional graphic design work.2017- 2022
Designer/Office Admin
Slama Construction - Covington, Louisiana. More details below.2021- 2026
Owner - The Little Llama Company
Custom designed embroidery and handmade gifts. More details below.
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Lakeside Camera Photoworks
2010-2012 Chelsie joined Lakeside Camera Photoworks where at the time they had an in-house graphic design team. The creative bar was open to the public to provide graphic design services to walk-in customers. These customers had great one-on-one access with Chelsie to design personal and business projects. Her work there was not only limited to creating one-of-a-kind invitations, photo creations, but also printed and digital marketing collateral for local businesses as well as establishing new company's branding.
In addition to client work, she managed marketing and promotions for the Lakeside Camera brand and its online store. She led efforts to improve the organization, functionality, and design of the company’s online store using a CMS, ensuring a cohesive visual brand and more user-friendly shopping experience.
Mele Printing
2012-2017 Chelsie served as an head Graphic Designer for local businesses, corporations, universities and individuals throughout the Gulf Coast area. Through Mele Printing's sales team, she was connected with clients to consult on their ideas—transforming rough concepts into professionally designed marketing solutions. Personally seeing the project all the way through to production.
Chelsie was one of the lead Graphic Designers responsible for overseeing the visual direction of Mele Printing's in-house marketing materials. She collaborated closely with various departments to ensure cohesive and consistent branding across all collateral. Chelsie took charge of creating visually engaging materials that reflected Mele's seasonal and yearly themes. Each year, the theme for Mele’s marketing pieces and internal documents was inspired by the design of their well-known desk calendar. (2014, 2016, & 2017 were the years of Chelsie's Designs)
The Little Llama Company
littlellamacompany.com
In 2021 Chelsie launched The Little Llama Company, an embroidery and handcrafted gifts company. Shortly after the pandemic, she purchased a commercial embroidery machine for personal use, sparking a passion for creating products that reflects her unique design aesthetic. This evolved into a platform for her to explore the intersection of illustration, graphic design, and textile art. It began as a creative outlet and quickly grew into a full brand and operation. Chelsie began developing her own product line and is expanded into selling digital embroidery files to other makers. She continues to illustrate original graphics, design layouts, and produce one-of-a-kind pieces.
As the sole owner and operator, Chelsie manages all aspects of the business—including branding, marketing, product photography, and the development and maintenance of the online commerce store. littlellamacompany.com
Slama Construction
slamaconstruction.com
Chelsie married into a family-run residential construction and finish carpentry business, where she quickly became involved in several key areas. She began by developing the company’s brand identity and managing its marketing efforts. While raising young children at home, she gradually expanded her role—helping modernize the business with digital management systems and establishing its online presence. Chelsie also photographed completed homes to build a professional portfolio for the company. Over time, she was consulted on client projects, assisting with space planning, color schemes, and material selections to help create cohesive, well-designed environment.