Elizabeth Carpenter grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and graduated early from Princeton High School. She attended both Carnegie-Mellon University and Rhode Island School of Design, where she studied painting. Her first significant employment was with India Imports of Rhode Island.

At the age of twenty, Elizabeth Carpenter relocated to Gambia, Africa where, as co-director of West Africa Exports, she began designing clothing. She went on to work for Mast Industries as part of the initial design team for the Limited. In 1984, Carpenter became the Fashion Director of Foxmoor, the juniors' specialty store division of the Melville Corporation. From 1985-1996 she founded Elizabeth Carpenter, Inc., an independent garment design studio employing a team of designers, whose clients included the Associated Merchandising Corporation, Ups 'n' Downs, Paul Harris stores, Victoria's Secret, and Palmetto's Jean Company. During this time, Carpenter was also the Fashion Director for Brooks Fashions, and provided fashion-trend forecasting for Shop Shots from 1994—1996, at thich time she left the fashion industry to begin a career in writing.

Elizabeth Carpenter co-authored two family guide books with her son, Samuel Freund: Kids Eat New York and Kids Eat Broadway, in 1997 and 1999 respectively. She also began developing an original art style that weaves a maze path through original line-art illustrations. Carpenter's first book of mazes, DinoMaze: The Colossal Fossil Maze Book, was published with the American Museum of Natural History in November 2001, by Workman Publishing. She was approached by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and designed her second maze book, Mummy Maze: The Tomb Treasures Maze Book in 2007, which earned the Bronze Award in the Children's Interactive category at the 2008 IPPY Awards. Both books weave history, problem solving, and art into a story intended to make learning fun.

In 2007, Elizabeth Carpenter founded the company, Mazeology LLP, to expand the concept of maze art to include games, toys, and diaries. Her first venture into board games, Senet: The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game, features an adapted rulebook that modernizes the ancient game. The game has earned the Mr. Dad's Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy's Play and Learn Award, the Parents' Choice Award, and the Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center in 2008.

• 2008 Parents' Choice Award for the Senet: Ancient The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game.
• 2008 Independent Publisher's Book Award for the Mummy Maze; The Tomb Treasure Maze Book.
• 2008 Mr. Dad Seal of Approval for Senet: Ancient The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game.
• 2008 Dr. Toy's Play and Learn Award for the Mummy Maze; The Tomb Treasure Maze Book.
• 2008 Dr. Toy's Play and Learn Award for Senet: Ancient The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game.
• 2008 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award for the Senet: Ancient The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game

(Classic Board Games category)

• 2008 Creative Child Seal Of Excellence Award for the Mummy Maze; The Tomb Treasure Maze Book.

(Activity Books category)

• 2008 Creative Child Seal Of Excellence Award for the Fairy My Invisible Diary & the Merlin My Invisible Diary

(Creative Play category)

• 2008 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center