the CLASSroom

Boo-tiful Bookmarks by Heather Campbell

I made a commitment to myself to be more involved in my son's school this year. I love volunteering once a week during my lunch break in his 1st grade classroom and getting to know each of the kids and their teacher.  The next day I'll be in the classroom is Halloween and I thought it would be fun to give each one of the kids a fun bookmark!  So yes, I made 24 of these suckers!

I recently got my hands on a few new goodies - the new Mama Elephant Tags a Lot die set and the Lawn Fawn Monster Mash stamp and coordinating die set.  The new Lawn Fawn Monster Mash stamp set is extremely versatile - not specifically a Halloween set but it lends itself to birthdays, Valentines, Get Well too!  I love when I can get a lot of bang for my buck. 

Mama Elephant dies are always packed full and designed perfectly!  I thought it would be fun to pull this one apart and show how much is in this set.  They snap apart easily by twisting or using some snips.

To create the base of my bookmark, I used one of the tag shape dies.  I wanted a little bit smaller canvas to work with since the images are a bit smaller. 

To create the background for the monster to be in front of, I die cut the cloudy shaped border from the Landscape Trio die.  I simply cut 4 strips from one piece of 8-1/2x11 cardstock to create strips to work with.

Then, I simply ran them through my die cutter again using the tag die to create the stitched border.

I did the same thing with the medium grey to create the ground.

Then I assembled all the layers to create the bookmark base.

Next, I stamped a bunch of the monsters.  I didn't get pictures of it because there would just be so many is the coloring of all the different monsters.  Since there were so many, I just played with my Copics and found color combinations that I liked.

I die cut the monsters out and then stamped a cute sentiment on each one.

To finish each one off, I punched a hole in the top of each tag and ran bakers twine through each one.  Then, to each monster, I added a little glitter and some white gel pen accents.

Here they are in a book - too cute!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me.  Have a great day!

xoxo, Heather

Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Monster Mash	Lawn Cuts Dies, Monster Mash	Mama Elephant Creative Cuts, Tags a Lot	Mama Elephant Creative Cuts, Landscape Trio
Doodle Twine Spool, Beetle Black	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	COPIC Sketch Marker G00, Jade Green	Copic Sketch Marker, B00 Frost Blue
COPIC Sketch Marker B000, Pale Porcelain Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker BG13, Mint Green	COPIC Various Ink Refill BG57, Jasper	COPIC Sketch Marker BG45, Nile Blue
COPIC Sketch Marker B23, Phthalo Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker Y17, Golden Yellow	YR04 Chrome Yellow copic Marker	COPIC Sketch Marker Y38, Honey
COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia	COPIC Sketch Marker YG03, Yellow Green	COPIC Sketch Marker YG17, Grass Green	COPIC Sketch Marker YG25, Celadon Green
COPIC Sketch Marker YG06, Yellowish Green	COPIC Sketch Marker YR09, Chinese Orange	COPIC Sketch Marker R05, Salmon Red	COPIC Sketch Marker RV09, Fuchsia
COPIC Sketch Marker RV14, Begonia Pink	COPIC Sketch Marker RV29, Crimson	COPIC Sketch Marker R24, Prawn	COPIC Sketch Marker R35, Coral
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Rock Candy, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 25 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Nesting Paper Punch, Circle 1/8"	Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent

InLinkz.com

 

Hello, Monday 10.27.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

I had a plan when I started this design, but then when I got to the embossing, I started to doubt myself... Cuz Versamark is clear... and you can't really see where you've stamped, especially on light colored papers... Oy, vey! I was able to get the greeting stamped in the right spot, BUT...

Here's what I learned:

The next time I do this, I'll heat emboss the scribbly circle, do the watercolor resist, and allow it to dry. Then I'll prep the surface again with the anti-static pouch, and then stamp the sentiment over the top and white emboss it.

Yes. That would be a hecka lot easier! And, hopefully, if you try it, it will make it easier for you! LOL!

 

You can watch the video in HD over on YouTube and we appreciate you taking a moment to give it a thumbs up! Also appreciate that you subscribe to our channel and tune in every Monday.  :)

If you're interested in making your own Peerless Portable Palette like mine in the video, check out this InTouch newsletter article HERE.

How's your holiday card-making coming along? I think I've actually got a head start this year!  WOOT!!!

Happy Mundane!

 

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SUPPLIES:

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Bokeh Dots by Julie Ebersole	Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Brushstroke Christmas by Julie Ebersole	VersaMark Ink Pad	Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag
Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Clear	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Distress Ink Pad, Festive Berries	Peerless Water Color, Small Bonus Pack, Set of 40
Peerless Water Color, Bonus Pack, Set of 40	Peerless Water Color, Complete Edition, Set of 15	Peerless Water Color, Joanne Sharpe Edition, Set of 15	Waterbrush, Small
Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Broad Brush Nib	Grumbacher Watercolor Brush Set	Ranger Artist Brush Set (7 Piece)
Watercolor Paper, 10 pk	Elizabeth Craft Designs Watercolor Paper, 4x9, 10 pk	Elizabeth Craft Designs Watercolor Paper, 9x12	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4" Squares (1/16 Thick)
String by the Spool, Natural Burlap	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	EK Craft Tweezers	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"

InLinkz.com

In Detail: Product Reviews & News – Distress Ink Spray Stains by Jean Manis

Welcome! In this In Detail segment, I’ll be discussing the recently released Ranger Distress Ink Spray Stains.

The In Detail posts on Spray Mists, Make-Your-Own Mists, and Stencils may be of interest. The topics “Misting Basics” and “Spraying through Stencils” are covered in the Spray Mists post.

The Distress Spray Stains (1.9 oz.) are available in 24 colors, including white and 3 metallics, from the Distress color palette. These water-based dye inks, also water-reactive, are intended for use on paper and porous surfaces. The white and metallic bottles include a mixing ball, whereas the other colors do not.

Spraying through Stencils

To test one of the color sprays, I sprayed Ranger Distress Mustard Seed Spray Stain through the Crafter’s Workshop Chunky Chevron stencil. 

The spray provided an even mist with a few large drops. The formula for the color sprays is more like that of the Dylusions sprays than the Studio Calico or Hero Arts sprays, (these products were reviewed in Spray Mists). The Distress Spray Stain saturates the paper rather than sits on its surface.

To test one of the metallic colors, I sprayed Ranger Distress Brushed Pewter Spray Stain through the Tim Holtz Stars stencil on red cardstock. 

Again, the spray provided an even mist with a few large drops. Due to its opacity, the metallic spray sits more on the surface than the color sprays.

I sprayed the Distress Picket Fence Spray Stain through the Tim Holtz Holiday Knit stencil on red cardstock. 

Yet again, the spray provided an even mist with only a few large drops. Like the metallic sprays, the white spray sits more on the surface than the color sprays.

Adding Splatters

My next test was to remove the nozzles of the sprays and tap the product onto cardstock squares.

The drops from the Tarnished Brass, Brushed Pewter, and Picket Fence stay on the top of the paper, while those from Barn Door, Mowed Lawn, and Mustard Seed spread considerably and soak into the paper. 

Emboss Resist

On #5 Manila tags, I stamped and heat-embossed a sentiment from the Essentials by Ellen Brushstroke Christmas by Julie Ebersole. I sprayed three tags with Distress Spray Stains in Mowed Lawn, Evergreen Bough, and Barn Door and swiped with a paper towel. 

The sprays provided good coverage without soaking the tag too much. 

Combining Mists

Just as I did in the Spray Mists post, in which I used Dylusions sprays, I sprayed two Distress Spray Stains–Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers–onto a manila tag and rolled with a paper towel roll. This is an easy way to create a background. The key is to avoid combining colors that are opposites on the color wheel–red/green, blue/orange, yellow/purple–because the color created with the combination will muddy.

Painting with Sprays

I used the Barn Door and Mowed Lawn Spray Stains to paint a stamped Tim Holtz poinsettia image. I simply sprayed the colors into small disposable cups and used a Tim Holtz water brush, without any water, to apply the sprays full-strength to the image. While I wasn’t using the spray to watercolor, but rather just to color, the image, the spray stains could be used for watercolor.

Stamping with Distress Picket Fence Spray Stain

Since the Picket Fence Spray Stain is opaque rather than transparent, it can be used for stamping with the Dylusions Ink Spray Pad. I heavily sprayed a section of the pad with the Picket Fence Spray Stain. I concentrated the spray in one section, slightly larger than the stamp I was using, as I didn’t want to use the entire bottle on the ink pad! I stamped the same image with Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink and with the spray ink on black tags. 

Although I would not use this method on a regular basis, the Picket Fence Spray Stain can be used for stamping.

Custom Blends with Distress Picket Fence Spray Stain

In the Make-Your-Own Mists post, I discussed the ability to mix Dylusions Ink Spray White Linen with other sprays in the Dylusions line. I wanted to test the mixability of the Distress Picket Fence Spray Stain. With a Studio Calico eye dropper, I added two droppersfuls of the Picket Fence Spray Stain and one-quarter dropper of Distress Peacock Feathers Spray Stain to a Mini Mister bottle to make a light teal spray. 

The resulting mist, which I sprayed through the Dylusions Floral Medley stencil, yielded a subtly-colored, opaque image. By design, the Distress Spray Stains coordinate with the Distress color palette and therefore lacked the vibrancy of the Dylusions mists.

Creating "Watercolor" Backgrounds

For my final test, I sprayed Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Spray Stains onto my craft sheet and swiped a panel of watercolor paper through the sprayed areas. (I use a similar method to apply Distress Ink to watercolor paper for a background by smooshing the Distress Ink pads onto the craft sheet and misting with water. By the way, the Dylusions sprays can be used in the same manner.)

While I wouldn’t purchase the Distress Spray Stains specifically for this technique, it’s nice to know it’s an option.

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you've enjoyed this exploration of the new Ranger Distress Spray Stains. 

--Jean

 

Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Tarnished Brass	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Peacock Feathers	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Mustard Seed	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Picket Fence
Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Mowed Lawn	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Evergreen Bough	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Brushed Pewter	Ranger Distress Spray Stain, Barn Door
Inkssentials Surfaces, Black Tag #5	Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #5	Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #8	Crafter's Workshop Templates, 6x6 Chunky Chevron
Tim Holtz Stencils, Stars	Tim Holtz Stencils, Holiday Knit	Dylusions Stencil, Floral Medley 5x8	Tim Holtz Cling Stamps, Handwritten Holidays 2
Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Brushstroke Christmas by Julie Ebersole	Tim Holtz Cling Stamps, Mini Blueprint 7	Watercolor Paper, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Peppermint, 10 pk	VersaMark Ink Pad	Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, 1 oz. Clear	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black
Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Studio Calico Mister Huey's Droppers	Mini Mister, Individual

InLinkz.com

 

Stenciled Tag Trio by Julia Stainton

Tags are fun projects to create. I love how they are perfect for trying out techniques and nothing says special like a custom handcrafted tag on a gift. Today I'd like to share a trio of tags that I've had fun creating lately. Each tag has been stenciled and then embellished. I love creating with stencils. Right now they are super popular but I've been a huge fan of them for years. They make the most beautiful backgrounds!

To create these tags I've used some great Ranger Manila Tags. I've used the #8 size which is 6 1/4" x 3 1/8". It's a nice large size for creating on. If you prefer smaller or larger, Ellen also stocks various other size Ranger Manila Tags. Since I was creating a trio of tags, I wanted them all to coordinate in some way so I've focused on using a similar ink palette throughout the tags. Ranger Distress Inks work really well with stencils as I love how well these inks blend together. The Distress Inks I've used are Squeezed Lemonade, Crushed Olive and Barn Red with Brushed Corduroy to ink the edges.

The first tag I create was this lovely poppy tag. In Canada we celebrate Remembrance Day on November 11th each year. The poppy is a prominent symbol of remembrance and the gorgeous Poppy Fragments Stencil is just so stunning!

You'll notice this stencil is not a full background but rather, a single image. To use it just hold in place and carefully sponge ink over and around the poppy stencil. I've repeated it three times on this tag.

The softly inked poppies are just so pretty I wanted to keep this design to the minimum. Buttercup Liquid Pearls make the perfect subtle accent to the flower centers and add a pretty sheen and dimension to the design. Simply squeeze dots of Liquid Pearls where you want them and allow to dry.

Next up is the second tag I created. I love this Woodgrain Stencil by Tim Holtz. Woodgrain is such a perfect and timeless pattern and just by changing the color you can make it masculine or feminine in style. For this tag I've sponged on Crushed Olive and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks. I usually use at least two colors of ink when stenciling as it gives it more depth and interest.

Finally, my last tag. I love this Memory Box Pop Dots stencil. So pretty! I've taped this stencil down as it's much easier to stencil if you do so. I'm not sure if you can tell in the photo, but this stencil does not quite cover the bottom of the tag.

You can see better here once I've removed the stencil. It leaves a white section at the bottom of the tag. The challenge was to figure out how to deal with this section as I didn't want to just cut it off and make it smaller than my other tags.

I ended up tearing off the bottom white section and rolling up the edge. The tag was then adhered to another tag as it's base and then stitched on the sewing machine.

This tag was pretty as is but I wanted to add in some stamped accents. I've used the Avery Elle Laurels stamp set to add in a floral spray and the sentiment. The flowers and leaves are stamped in Avery Elle pigment inks so that they stand out well over the dye ink stenciled background.

 Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you're inspired to try your hand at creating some tags and using some stencils!

 

Supplies:

Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #8	Distress Ink Pad, Barn Door	Crushed Olive Distress Ink by Ranger	Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink
Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Jungle Ink Pad by Avery Elle	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Lemon Grass
Papaya Ink by Avery Elle	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Raspberry	Poppy Fragments Stencil by Rhonda Palazzari	Pop Dots Memory Box Stencil
Woodgrain Stencil by Tim Holtz	Neutral Hemp Cord	Gold Glitter Fitzgerald Thickers	Doodlebug Sprinkles, Gold Dot
Buttercup Liquid Pearls	Vintage Edge Mum by Maya Road	Gold Foil Chevron Washi Tape	Sponge Applicator, Sponge Dauber 3 pk

InLinkz.com

Clean and Simple Holiday Card by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome o the CLASSroom.  Have you fallen in love with Julie’s designs in the new Essentials by Ellen sets? I sure have.  I especially love the die cut sentiments.  My project today was made using the Merry and Bright die and stamp sets, the Prize Stag die and the Impression Obsession Border Duo 2 set. I wanted to create a card that allows the images and sentiment to brightly pop against an all white background.  This is my tribute to Julie’s wonderful and creative clean and simple style.  She is definitely the queen of “less is more”.

Apply ink to the holly stamp with a crushed olive marker, stamp on white cardstock and hand cut a couple with scissors. 

Punch a few 1/8” circles and attach them to the holly with glossy accents. Hint:  Using your paper piercer to pick up tiny pieces makes placement really easy.

Place the decorative border and cardstock on the magnetic platform and cut. I love how the platform holds the die perfectly in place.

Attach the red and white border to the card base with mounting tape.

I want to share a new trick I learned from Mitra Friant, owner of Impression Obsession.  You may already be familiar with Soowang double stick tape but I had never heard of it.  I know!  I must keep my head in a bushel basket.  LOL! Mitra showed me how to roll the tape and use it to pop up tiny thin pieces of die cut. 

Attach a piece of tape to the work surface.

Roll the tape into a thin strip with your fingers.

Cut tiny pieces with scissors.

Grab the piece with tweezers and apply it to the back of the sentiment.

I applied several pieces in key places.

Attach the sentiment to the card base. My tweezers are a help to attach delicate die cut pieces.

Attach the holly and berries to the sentiment with glossy accents. Using the tip of the paper piercer helps hold and secure the piece in place.

Apply mounting tape to the back of the stag and attach to the card base.

The red popped up sentiment and stag with the touches of green holly are so bright and festive against the white.

I hope you have been inspired to use some of Julie’s wonderful dies and stamps to create a clean and simple holiday project.  Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you next time.

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Merry & Bright by Julie Ebersole	Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Merry and Bright by Julie Ebersole	Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Prize Stag by Julie Ebersole	Impression Obsession Dies, Border Duo 2
A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Peppermint, 10 pk	Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors	Nesting Paper Punch, Circle 1/8"
Accents, Glossy	Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4")	Sizzix Accessory, Tool Kit inspired by Susan Tierney-Cockburn
Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Teflon Bone Folder	Distress Marker, Crushed Olive

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 10.20.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

I'll admit it: I am not a colorer. At least, not when it comes to mass production.

The thought of coloring images individually on a mile-high stack of cards used to make me turn and run far, far awaaaaaaaaay. Until I figured out this would work pretty slick, and the color would be "built-in", so to speak.

BOOYAAAAAH!!! *fist pump*

Oh, it's the little things that make us happy, eh?!

Watch the video here or in HD on our YouTube Channel!  Thanks for taking a moment to give us a thumbs up, and we hope you enjoy the series enough to subscribe! :)

 

Whaddya think? Are ya' up for watercoloring your holiday cards this season?

Happy Mundane!

P.S.  You know about the packaging of our stamps, right? How they come in a durable clear envelope? Without any adhesive on the flap? With an index label on the upper right corner? To make your crafty life easier and more organized? :)

•••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Christmas Scribbles by Julie Ebersole	Distress Ink Pad, Barn Door	Distress Ink Pad, Mowed Lawn	Distress Ink Pad, Vintage Photo
Stampendous Embossing Powder, Detail White, 0.78 oz.	VersaMark Ink Pad	Distress Ink Pad, Black Soot	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4mm Cupped, Marshmallow	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Marshmallow	Little B Tape, Black And White Stripe, 3mm	Elizabeth Craft Designs Watercolor Paper, 9x12
Distress Watercolor Cardstock	Watercolor Paper, 10 pk	Elizabeth Craft Designs Watercolor Paper, 4x9, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 25 pk	Tweezers, Stainless
Pitt Artist Pen, Black, Set of 4	Junior T-Square, 12"	Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss Mini, 1/2 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Mini, 1/2 oz.
Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Jar, 4 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss Jar, 4 oz.	Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed
Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4" Squares (1/16 Thick)	Glue Glider Pro Tool w/ Pro Plus PermaTac Cartridge	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'

InLinkz.com

Scrappy Fall by Sharon Harnist

Hi, everyone, and happy weekend! It's finally cooling off down here in the deep south and I happened to get a decent photo of my girls at the end of last month, so I thought I would scrap it for my seasonal entry table display.  I have a wrought iron easel on that table, which usually holds a seasonal art piece.

(Click on any photo for a larger view)

Julie's fantastic new Autumn Acorns stamp set was used to create the "patterned paper" look to my 8-inch page. Here's how I created it:

1. In one corner of the 8-inch Neenah Desert Storm cardstock I stamped My Favorite Things Woodgrain Background with Versamark Dazzle Champagne Ink. Then I stamped the large solid leaf from Julie's set in Memento Love Letter and Pear Tart inks:

Something to keep in mind when stamping onto a non-white cardstock is that the colors may appear a little darker than they normally do on white or ivory, so be sure to test them out first.

2. Next, I stamped the large leaf again in Potter's Clay and the smaller leaf in Rhubarb Stalk:

3. Then I stamped the small leaf in Bamboo Leaves and the large solid acorn with the Versamark Dazzle Champagne:

4. Finally, I stamped the berry outline in Delicata Golden Glitz and let it dry for a few minutes. Then I stamped the solid berries in Rich Cocoa:

Here's a close-up of how the berries turned out -- I love that sparkly gold ink! Hopefully you can also see the pretty shimmer in the acorn's Versamark Champagne ink, too:

For a little accent in the lower left corner of the page, I die cut two of the hole reinforcers from MFT's Blueprints 9 Die-namics (the large tag shape from that die set is what I used to frame the photo, which I'll get to in a moment), and then tied some of Lawn Fawn's Golden Sparkle Hemp through them and into a bow. Above you'll also see a tab from the same Blueprints 9 die set that I cut from Ellen's beautiful Curious Metallic Gold Leaf Cardstock and added to the bottom of the photo tag -- I'll do a little personal journaling on that later.

Next, to create a little divider between the woodgrain stamp and the leaf pattern I created, I wanted to use this pretty Little B Thin Gold Stripes Tape but it was thinner than I wanted and it disappeared into the background more than I wanted, so I did this: I placed two rows of it onto Neenah Solar White cardstock and got a thicker 1/4-inch fun look I was going for!  

By NOT lining up the stripes perfectly, I created a new checkerboard-like pattern AND now the pretty gold shows up on the white background (and page!):

The page title was created with the stitched rectangle from the Blueprints 9 Die-namics set (I trimmed the fishtail out of it), cut from more of Ellen's Curious Metallic Gold Leaf Cardstock. The words were created with MFT's Little Letters Uppercase and Little Numbers Die-namics, cut from Bazzill Card Shoppe Peanut Fudge and Candy Corn cardstock. To adhere small die cuts like these, I like to use Copic's X-Press It Glue Marker:

And now you can get a good look at that pretty, large tag I used to layer the photo on to. It measures 4" tall (in the sideways orientation I have it shown) x 5.25" wide and was cut from Bazzill Red Hots cardstock. Then I added the month with MFT's Accent It-Months of the Year Die-namics set and popped it up on Copic Foam Tape.

Thanks so much for joining me today!  ~Sharon

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Autumn Acorns by Julie Ebersole	My Favorite Things Cling Background Stamp, Woodgrain	MFT Die-namics, Blueprints 9	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Little Letters by Laina Lamb Design
My Favorite Things Die-namics, Little Numbers by Laina Lamb Design	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Accent It - Months of the Year by Laina Lamb Design	Memento Ink Pad, Love Letter	Memento Ink Pad, Pear Tart
Memento Ink Pad, Potter's Clay	Memento Ink Pad, Rhubarb Stalk	Memento Ink Pad, Bamboo Leaves	VersaMark Dazzle Ink Pad, Champagne
Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz	Memento Ink Pad, Rich Cocoa	Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Gold Sparkle Single Cord	Little B Tape, Thin Gold Stripes, 3mm
Curious Metallic, Gold Leaf Cardstock	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Red Hots, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Peanut Fudge, 25 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Candy Corn, 10 pk	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Copic X-Press It Glue Marker	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

InLinkz.com

Copic Airbrushing with Operation Write Home's Sandy Allnock

I am thrilled that Sandy Allnock is joining us today here in the CLASSroom. It is my good fortune to have met Sandy not long ago and to have her living nearby is a double blessing! Over the past couple of months it has been my honor to get to know Sandy better - her loving kindness, immense talent, wonderful sense of humor and giving nature are so appreciated! 

Sandy is the founder of Operation Write Home and has been responsible for sharing over 2.75 MILLION, YES MILLION, handcrafted cards with our troops who have been deployed around the world. There is a current call for help - the deadline is October 18th - so if you have any high quality Christmas cards please consider getting them into the mail pronto! You can find full details here. The images that Sandy has created together with Hero Arts for Operation Write Home are simply adorable - your purchase of these images helps to support this worthy organization! I fell in love with her latest images when attending Hero Arts event this past September and can hardly wait for them to land in our store - it should be any day now!

The Copic Markers for Card Makers at Online Card Classes in which Sandy was one of the primary instructors has wrapped up, but it is not too late to garner LOADS of information and sample materials to improve your coloring skills! With lifetime access to all the projects and files this is a class definitely worth taking! The wealth of information there makes my jaw drop!

Sandy's blog is also full of Copic colored treasures! This special lady can color to WOW you! Her posts are so informative and packed with fabulous tidbits to help you color better AND she has a video channel! I would like to invite you to head over to Sandy Allnock's blog now and help us thank her for sharing her creativity here in the CLASSroom with us! As our way of thanking you for taking the time to visit Sandy's blog we have a package of goodies awaiting you there. Please leave a comment on her post about being a guest here by October 20th to be included in the random drawing she will be hosting on her blog. You know you are in the right place if you see the following picture of our giveaway.

Thank you so much Sandy for sharing your talents with us here in the CLASSroom today and even more importantly thank you for your friendship! -Ellen

---

Hello everyone! I'm Sandy Allnock, and I'm excited to bring you a tutorial today using brand new fundraiser stamps by Hero Arts - your purchase of Arrow Messages and The Fox Says Stamp & Cut Sets generates a donation to Operation Write Home. I'm the founder and Executive Director of the organization...so I especially appreciate your help in fundraising!

In the video below, I'm sharing the Craft Assistant and Magnetic Masking Material exclusive here at Ellen Hutson LLC. I'll be using them with my Copic Airbrush System (made up of the ABS3 and a compressor), but you can use these tools for all kinds of masking with sprays and other ink applications.

There are so many uses for the masking products, I'm excited to explore more! Keep an eye out for more videos with ideas.

A few other things I mentioned in the video that I wanted to link you up to:

• Stamp storage: I showed you my stamps in Stamp Storage Pockets. I love this system - all my stamps are now in consistent, clean and tidy, sortable matching packaging. Brilliant! And I also wanted to make you aware that Ellen Hutson LLC now has Storage Envelopes - these are the same size as the stamp pockets, but are way thicker. If you've ordered anything out of the new line of Essentials by Ellen, then you'll know just how fabulous these are.
• Copic Airbrush Buyers Guide: Great info to help you decide at what level you want to jump into Copic Airbrushing.
  • Copic Airbrush Buyers Guide video
  • Copic Airbrush Buyers Guide blog post
• Operation Write Home: If you've not heard of the charity before - we send beautiful handmade cards to deployed service members so they can keep in touch with home. Our website is filled with all you need to know -- guidelines, holiday deadlines, accepted themes, packing and shipping your cards, and even info on writing AnyHero letters <-- a way that anyone can join in and encourage a service member.

Hope you enjoyed what I've shared...please feel free to leave questions and comments. And be sure to click that "like" button on YouTube in honor of my Ciara :)

Hero Arts Stamp & Cuts, Operation Write Home, The Fox Says	Hero Arts Stamp & Cuts, Operation Write Home, Arrow	Copic Airbrush System Starter Kit 1N	Copic Airbrush Kit, ABS-3
Sparmax Airbrush Compressor, TC-501N Achieve	Essentials by Ellen, Art Magnetic Masking Material	Essentials by Ellen, Craft Assistant	Essentials by Ellen Storage Envelopes, 25pk
Avery Elle Stamp Storage Pocket, 25 pk	Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	3M Post-It Labeling Tape, 2 in x 36 yd	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
Hero Arts Dye Ink, Black	COPIC Sketch Marker B23, Phthalo Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker B37, Antwerp Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker FV2, Fluorescent Dull Violet
COPIC Sketch Marker RV29, Crimson	YR04 Chrome Yellow copic Marker	COPIC Sketch Marker YR09, Chinese Orange	COPIC Sketch Marker Y17, Golden Yellow
COPIC Sketch Marker YG06, Yellowish Green	COPIC Sketch Marker YG17, Grass Green

InLinkz.com

Happy Thanksgiving by Heather Campbell

Hello friends!  Can you believe we're mid-way through October?  Honestly, I can't.  However, I am so ready for the holiday season I almost can't stand it.  I've got the orange lights and pumpkins in place.  Really, I cannot wait to break out the Christmas nutcrackers.  With the fall spirit running through my veins, I thought it would be fun to play with the new Essentials by Ellen Autumn Acorns and create a Thanksgiving card using a fun little technique.  

First I stamped all the leaves and acorns at the bottom on my card design. 

While there are stamps designed perfectly to stamp inside these lines, I wanted to make them a little messier looking.  I love the messy look but I like effortless mess!  So, I simply flipped the stamp so that I stamped with the back of my clear stamp.  This gives a bigger, solid stamped image that's not quite perfect but exactly for the look I was going for - perfectly imperfect and without the mess!

All of the inks I used for this technique are Hero Arts.  Hero Arts inks work great for this technique because the colors are gorgeous, smooth and allow that black stamped line to show through!

Here I used Hero Arts Forever Green. 

Even if the back side stamping doesn't line up perfectly, like it does here with the pumpkin pie ink leaf,it still looks great.  

I always wait to finish the accent stamps to know exactly where I want them to go.  Here I've added the berries with Hero Arts Red Royal ink. 

I stamp my way through a project like this slowly, depending on how I like the colors, I might save something for the end like I did here.  I wasn't sure what color I would want that acorn, so I saved that for the end. 

Then, to give it more painted interest, I stamped the berries in Golden Glitz Delicata ink in the leaves, acorns and event he white space.  

Stamped a sentiment.  (Don't get attached, I changed my mind next!)

To fill in the white, I stamped a background stamp over the top of everything.  After stamping the background, I realized it was a little too much for the sentiment so I went to work re-working the sentiment. 

I used this Paper Smooches Frame die to create the perfect mat. 

Then, I used my Die-namics Doily die and a Lawn Fawn banner die to create a mat for the sentiment.  Does it remind you of a table setting?  It does to me - pleasant surprise fitting for the occassion!!! I also added a little stitching along the bottom with my new Pretty Pink Posh border die!  Again I made a last minute change, I ended up taking off the gold thread bow.  I felt like it competed with the sentiment.  

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Autumn Acorns by Julie Ebersole	DesignBlock Envelope Pattern	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Dainty Doily Duo-Circle	Pretty Pink Posh Dies, Stitched Borders 2
Lawn Cuts Dies, 4x6 Stitched Journaling Card	A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Butter Mints, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream
Chickaniddy 12x12 Foil Paper, Goldie Lox	Hero Arts Dye Ink, Black	Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz	Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone Just Rust
Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone Pumpkin Pie	Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone: Forever Green	Hero Arts Dye Ink, Brown Bark	Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone Dark Quartz
Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone: Red Royal	Distress Ink Pad, Tea Dye	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Sizzix Tim Holtz, Vagabond Cutting Machine

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 10.13.2014

 

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Die cuts, and watercolor and sequins, OH MY!!! :)

Red and green are tradition. But, it's fun to shake things up with a twist on tradition, eh?! 

It's also fun to try a different layout--I've got a wonky panel here to showcase the new Laurel Wreath die! I was *this* close to adding glitter to this card, but I really loved it with just the sequins... so I sat on my hands... ;)

You can enjoy the video here or in HD over on our YouTube Channel. Thank you for taking a moment to give us a thumbs up, and for watching and subscribing--much appreciated!

Happy Mundane!

••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES: 

Designer note: Patterned paper was from my stash; hoarded for too long.. Muy old now.

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Cozy Christmas by Julie Ebersole	Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Laurel Wreath by Julie Ebersole	Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 20pc-5.5" x 5.5"	Distress Ink Pad, Shabby Shutters
Distress Marker, Shabby Shutters	Distress Ink Pad, Mustard Seed	Distress Marker, Mustard Seed	Mowed Lawn Distress Ink by Ranger
Distress Marker, Mowed Lawn	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 10pc-8.5" x 11"	Distress Watercolor Cardstock
Elizabeth Craft Designs Watercolor Paper, 9x12	Watercolor Paper, 10 pk	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4mm Cupped, Metallic Gold
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped Mix, Sweetheart	Bamboo Cord Spool, Black	Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss Mini, 1/2 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Mini, 1/2 oz.
Ranger Multi Medium, Matte With Brush, 1 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss With Brush, 1 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Jar, 4 oz.	Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss Jar, 4 oz.
Glue Glider Pro Tool w/ Pro Plus PermaTac Cartridge	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Runner & Refill	Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Refills, 2 pk
Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4"	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4" Squares (1/16 Thick)
Tweezers, Stainless	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

InLinkz.com

In Detail: Product Reviews & News – Sequins and a Shaker Card by Jean Manis

Welcome to another In Detail post. This week I’m talking about Sequins and Shaker Cards.

First I’ll take a look at a selection of the sequins available in the Ellen Hutson shop, including those that are pre-blended and those sold individually, which can be custom mixed. (You'll find sequins as a category under Embellishments in the storefront.) Then I’ll put together a shaker card from start to finish, using the Impression Obsession Christmas Tree Cutout die set and a sentiment from the just-released Essentials by Ellen Merry and Bright by Julie Ebersole die set.

To begin, I looked through the storefront searching for a variety of sequins considering color, shape and size. With the upcoming holidays in mind, I focused on metallic and holiday colors.

If you’re interested in a sequin set that has already been “blended” for the holidays, consider the Pretty Pink Posh Classic Christmas Mix with 6mm flat sequins in red, green and gold.

With Halloween on the horizon, there’s the Taylored Expressions Hocus Pocus mix of cupped sequins designed to coordinate with the Hocus Pocus collection including a 6 x 6 paper pad and kit.

Looking for some variety in terms of shape? The American Crafts WOW! Christmas 1 Glitter Shapes set includes four tubes containing evergreen trees, snowflakes, gingerbread people and candy canes. There are two colors for each shape. For example, there are white and red candy canes and silver and white snowflakes. The Christmas 2 set (not shown) includes presents, stockings, lightbulbs and reindeer.

Moving onto non-blended sequins, the Doodlebug Rainbow Assortment offers sequins in twelve colors; there are six shades of color in matte, clear and opalescent finishes in each of the containers. 

Let’s make some mixes. For the first, I’ve combined Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Flat Silver Stars with red and green sequins from the Doodlebug Rainbow Assortment.

For the next, I mixed the Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Flat Silver Stars with the Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Gold Circle Confetti sequins.

I mixed the trees from the American Crafts WOW! Christmas 1 Glitter Shapes set (the trees come in two shades of green) with sparkling clear sequins in 4mm, 6mm and 8mm from the Pretty Pink Posh Exclusive Ellen Hutson Mix.

Finally, with a color scheme that could work for New Year’s, I mixed Pretty Pink Posh 4mm and 6mm gold cupped sequins with purple ones from the Doodlebug Rainbow Assortment.

As you can see, it’s easy to mix color, shape and size for unique combinations. 

Before we get started on the shaker card, I want to show you the die set I’ll be using. The Impression Obsession Christmas Tree Cutout die set includes three tree designs, a star and a tree outline.

The three tree designs do not cut on the outside line. The outline die cuts on the outside.

The tree designs can be cut with the outline die or can be used for the knock-out technique, as described in the In Detail article on Die Cutting Techniques. 

I wanted to use the knock out technique on the interior of my shaker card. While I could have simply backed the die cut with a piece of cardstock, I was concerned that the edges of the die cut could trap sequins, so I chose the easiest of the three patterns to create an inlaid background. Inlaid die cutting is also covered in the aforementioned In Detail article on Die Cutting Techniques.

To begin the shaker card, I die cut a rectangle with the Stitched Rectangle die (4" x 5 ¼"), from the My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 set. (I discussed this die set in this In Detail post.) I then centered the tree outline on the rectangle and die cut it.

Next I cut the tree design from green cardstock and again from a white cardstock panel, into which I planned to inlay the green pieces.

A section at a time, I replaced the white pieces with the corresponding green ones. I taped the back of the panel to secure the pieces at each step.

Once the tree was fully inlaid into the white panel, I adhered an acetate panel (from a Hero Arts Acetate Card) with Be Creative tape to the card front panel cut with the tree outline die.

Next I adhered 1/4" Foam Mounting tape along the perimeter of the tree outline in order to form a container for the sequins.

I added red candy canes and silver snowflakes from the American Crafts WOW! Christmas 1 Glitter Shapes set to the inlaid panel and then carefully placed the card panel on top.

Before we finish the card, I want to show you the signature packaging for the Essentials by Ellen Stamp Sets and Dies, which includes a durable clear envelope and labeled card stock backer for convenient storage and organization. The die storage features an attached magnetic sheet, to ensure that even the smallest of your dies is stored securely!

The Essentials by Ellen Magnetic Die Storage can be purchased separately in packages of 25.

To finish my card, I used the merry die to cut a sentiment for the card front panel out of gold foil. I also cut a star (included in the Christmas Tree Cutout die set) from the foil to put on top of the tree. I attached the completed card panel to a card base made from Neenah Heavy-weight Cardstock.

I hope you've enjoyed this exploration of sequin options, as well as this tutorial on how to make an inlaid shaker card!

--Jean

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Flat Mix, Classic Christmas	Taylored Expression Sequins, Hocus Pocus	American Crafts WOW! Glitter Shapes, Christmas 1	Doodlebug Sequins, Rainbow Assortment
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Flat, Silver Stars	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Circle Confetti, Gold	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Exclusive Ellen Hutson Mix (4mm, 6mm & 8mm), Sparkling Clear	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4mm Cupped, Metallic Gold
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Metallic Gold	Impression Obsession Dies, Christmas Tree Cutout	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Blueprints 13	Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Merry and Bright by Julie Ebersole
Essentials by Ellen Magnetic Die Storage, 25pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Wax Lips, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Gumdrop, 25 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk
Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, 12x12 Gold Foil	Hero Arts Folded Cards, Acetate	Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4")	Copic Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4-inch
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies

InLinkz.com

Announcing the Winners of the Essentials by Ellen Stamps & Dies

It's time to announce the winner of our Grand Prize Giveaway, as well as the winners of the individual bloggers' giveaways!

 

************* Drumroll, if you please *************

THE WINNER OF THE ENTIRE

HOLIDAY 2014 ESSENTIALS BY ELLEN COLLECTION IS:  

 

Congratulations!!!  Please check your inbox for an email from us! :)

We would also like to share the winners of the individual giveaways held at each of the designers' blogs:

• Teri Anderson     - JanTink
• Laurel Beard - Kit Cochran
• JJ Bolton - wwilloww
• Heather Campbell - Richard Breaks
• Kittie Caracciolo - Richard Richmond
• Darlene DeVries - Casey Thrush
• Julie Ebersole - Jean Cross
• Sharon Harnist - Regina Hamilton
• Amber Kemp-Gerstel - Sabrina Radican
• Cristina Kowalczyk - Mel M. M. McCarthy
• Karolyn Loncon - Geri G
• Nichol Magouirk - Carla H
• Jean Manis - Lynn
• Jennifer McGuire - Jamie Vanskiver
• Chari Moss - byulgzr
• Paulina Nakamura - Denise G
• Jocelyn Olson - Carol Doggett
• Catherine Pooler - Jackie Stowe
• Miriam Prantner - Kim Heggins
• Julia Stainton - Vicki Smith

 

Congratulations to all of you, and thank you to all who entered!

Wish you could see all the beautiful projects shared by these talented bloggers in one spot? We've got just the thing! Just click here:

Essentials by Ellen Pinterest Board

Be sure to follow the board so you will always have those inspiring ideas close at hand!

Thank you so much for the enthusiastic reponse to this first release of the Essentials by Ellen line of stamps and dies! We are so SO happy to know you like them!!! :)

 

Watercolor Autumn by Julia Stainton

I've been so excited to see watercolor back as a huge design trend. It seems like it's been forever since I've done any watercoloring and when I saw this beautiful stamp in the shop, I just had to have it. A mason jar bouquet sounds soooo lovely!

 

This actually such a classic stamp that I can see it being used for more than watercoloring. It would stunning in Copics, colored pencils, even just stamped and not colored at all!

This was the first time pulling out my new Kuretaki watercolor set and the colors are stunning! I must admit I was quite giddy when it arrived! Besides all the beautiful colors, there's an opaque white watercolor paint and three beautiful shimmering tones of white, gold and bronze.

Each of the watercolor cakes comes in it's own removable rectangular dish that is individually wrapped. Just pull them out to remove the wrapping.

To start my project I first stamped the image onto watercolor paper using Jet Black Archival Ink. This is my favorite ink for just about everything (except Copics). This is the most amazing black ink that is waterproof and stamps so crisply on almost every surface.

First I start off by painting in the background using a wash technique. First wet the area you want to paint (around the image) with clear water on your brush. Then pick up paint and add in the color. The color will spread within the wet area for a lovely watery look. I like to make sure the background is very dry using a heat gun after this stamp so that your main image won't bleed out.

Once I've added in the flowers, I paint the green stems in the jar and dry them well.

Then you can add in the blue watercolor of the jar overtop. It mutes the greens of the stems so that they look like them are in water.

Once your painting is complete, you may find that the paper has warped. I especially find this when I use a heat gun. Simply flip over the paper and heat from the reverse side and the paper should mostly flatten out.

Trim the image to size and distress the edges of the watercolor paper with the distresser tool. It adds a nice border and always looks beautiful on watercolor paper. To finish up your design, adhere the watercolor paper with strong adhesive to your card base.

Quick Tip: Use extra heavy cardstock when using watercolor paper or lots of embellishments to support the additional weight.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

Supplies:

 

Autumn in a Jar Stamp by Pink Ink	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Distress Watercolor Cardstock	Kuretaki Gansai Tambi Watercolors
A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk	Ranger Artist Brush Set	Tonic Tim Holtz Paper Distresser	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'
Neutral Hemp Cord	Glue Dots, 3/8"

InLinkz.com

Classic Truck and Snowy Trees by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. Snowy scenes with Christmas trees is one of my favorite kind of holiday cards to make.  And I love throwing in a beat up old truck in the mix with a load of trees in the back. I think adding some rust and dings to the truck adds a little more interest.

My project today was made using the Impression Obsession Classic Truck, Evergreen Trees,  Holiday Top Edgers and Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Rectangles.

Here are the pieces of the truck.  It is fast and easy to assemble. I used glossy accents to attach the pieces together.

Apply vintage photo ink to the wooden gate with a mini applicator.

Apply small patches of ink to a few key places on the truck with a black artist pen to create dings and distressing. 

Apply rusty hinge ink of the distress marks with a mini applicator and blend.  Continue to apply the rusty ink over the whole body of the truck.

Lightly apply Crafter’s Pick glue to the edges and body of the crimped trees with an old paint brush.  Hint:  the glue will wash out of the brush and can be used over and over to apply glue but it can’t be used for painting again. Beware not to use a good brush.  

Lay the tree face down in flower soft.  Hint:  I keep my flower soft and glitter in plastic containers with lids for easy application.  This eliminates the need to apply over paper and trying to get it back in the small jars.

Rub lightly to remove excess flower soft.

Lay the dies down on the magnetic platform, line up and cut to create the frame. Hint:  If you do lots of precision die cutting then you definitely need to get the magnetic platform to use with your Big Shot.  It is a tremendous asset, paper and time saver.

Attach the die cut sentiment to the back of the frame with 1/4” double stick tape.

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame.

Attach the frame to the white background, apply adhesive to the back of the background and attach to the card base.

Ooops!  I failed to put in my snowy ground section before I attached the white background so I cut one to fit and inserted from the front.

Tuck the snowy trees in behind the ground snow piece and attach with rolled glue dots.

Attach three trees (or as many as you like) to the truck bed with glue dots and apply mounting tape on both sides of the trees. 

Attach truck to the frame. I was a little sad that the trees in the truck bed don’t show up well in the photos because of being in front of one of the background trees.  They would have shown better if I had a larger white space behind them.

I really like how the die cut sentiment is popped up above the frame and makes a statement without overpowering the scene.  I think this card would be perfect for any man or little boy who loves trucks (or for me).

I hope you have been inspired to get your snowy card makings out and create a snowy holiday scene of your own.  Thanks for coming by and I’ll look forward to being here with you next time.  

Impression Obsession Dies, Classic Truck	Impression Obsession Dies, Evergreen Trees	Impression Obsession Dies, Holiday Top Word Edgers	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Rectangles
Fiskars Paper Crimper, Straight	Flower Soft, Polar White	The Ultimate Glue, 4 oz.	Distress Ink Pad, Rusty Hinge
Distress Ink Pad, Vintage Photo	Pitt Artist Pen, Black, Set of 4	PanPastel Sofft Mini Applicators, 12 pk	Accents, Glossy
Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Teflon Bone Folder
Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Tim Holtz Tonic Retractable Craft Pick	Nesting Paper Punch, Circle 1/4"	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Caramel Apple, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Wax Lips, 10 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk	Studio Artist Brushes	Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4")

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 10.06.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

 

Today I'm sharing a beautiful faux watercolor technique that I hadn't tried until recently--I guess it's been around, but apparently, I not only live on a rock, but I live under it as well! ppppffffffttttt!!!

Anyway, I thought it would be particularly suited to the leaves in the Autumn Acorns set! Let me warn you, tho... Have plenty of paper ready to stamp up--this is a fantastic way to make your own background papers or do quite a few cards in one sitting.  The baby wipe will eventually dry up, of course.  You can rejuvenate it with more ink, but i don't know that the wipe itself is worth "saving" once you've finished.  Perhaps if you had the right container, but I didn't have anything handy.  It doesn't require a lot of ink anyway, so I didn't bother trying to figure out a way to save my "amazing technicolor pad". ;)

 

I love how easy it makes getting a watercolor look with solid stamp images, and you don't need watercolor paper or a brush to do it!  WOWZA!!!

Enjoy the video here or in HD on our YouTube Channel, and we so appreciate your taking a moment to give it a thumbs up! Thank you also for subscribing and watching!

 

 

Happiest of Mundanes to ya'!

••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

 

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Autumn Acorns by Julie Ebersole	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 10 pk	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Memento Reinker, New Sprout	Memento Reinker, Lulu Lavender	Memento Reinker, Tangelo
Memento Luxe Reinker, Lilac Posies	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")	Teflon Bone Folder
Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	Tweezers, Stainless	Elizabeth Craft Designs Tweezers	Adirondack Dye Reinker Brights Set
Adirondack Dye Reinker Earthtones Set	Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Runner & Refill	Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Refills, 2 pk	Glue Glider Pro Tool w/ Pro Plus PermaTac Cartridge
Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'

InLinkz.com

HAPPY WCMD! DEBUT: ESSENTIALS BY ELLEN STAMPS & DIES

Welcome to the Essentials by Ellen Blog Hop!

We’re so excited, on World Card-Making Day, to unveil an exclusive, brand new line of high quality Clear Stamp Sets and Designer Dies, created by Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson LLC.

This collection reflects an eclectic mix of images, sentiments and art styles that are sure to appeal to a wide range of tastes!  Just in the nick of time for your holiday crafting, the entire release is now available at Ellen Hutson LLC.

All Essentials by Ellen Stamp Sets and Dies arrive in our signature packaging with a durable clear envelope and labeled card stock backer for convenient storage and organization.  Our die storage also features an attached magnetic sheet, to ensure that even the smallest of your dies is stored securely!

To celebrate, 19 industry friends and talented designers are joining us for an AMAZING hop, so grab a cuppa, and get ready to oooh and aaaaah!

Oh, and there's more! *cheeky grin*

How'd ya' like to win the whole kit n' kaboodle?  

 

 

Well, we figured as much! *wink*

To enter the drawing for this Grand Prize Package, please leave a comment by October 8th! A winner will be announced October 9th.

That's not all, folks!  Each participating designer in our hop is also giving away a favorite stamp set from the release! WOOT!!! Please leave a comment at each of their blogs by October 8th to enter their drawing! Those winners will also be announced October 9th.

••••••••Ready? Set? ENJOY!!!••••••••

 

HOPPERS:

• The CLASSroom -  < You are here
• Teri Anderson
• Laurel Beard
• JJ Bolton
• Heather Campbell
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Darlene DeVries
• Julie Ebersole
• Sharon Harnist
• Amber Kemp-Gerstel
• Cristina Kowalczyk
• Karolyn Loncon
• Nichol Magouirk
• Jean Manis
• Jennifer McGuire
• Chari Moss
• Paulina Nakamura
• Jocelyn Olson
• Catherine Pooler
• Miriam Prantner
• Julia Stainton

Thank you for joining us, and thank you to the talented bloggers who are sharing their fabulous designs!

 

Merry & Bright SNEAK PEEK by Sharon Harnist

I'm so stinkin' excited to be sharing a preview of some of the brand new Essentials by Ellen Stamps and Dies that will be released TOMORROW, October 4th on World Card-making Day ... I'm so proud of both Julie and Ellen launching these fabulous new products!  

My 5" x 7" framed home decor project features the Merry & Bright Stamp Set and Merry & Bright Words Die Set:

The four 1-inch tall "wood planks" that make up the rustic tree were cut from Ellen's White Woodgrain Embossed Cardstock and graduated in lenth beginning with 2.50", 3.50", 3.25" and 3.50". The tree trunk is the same cardstock, .75" wide and 6.50" tall. Each of the "branch" cardstock strips were trimmed with the Angle Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper and sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink, to help them look more like real dimensional wood.

The beautiful Merry & Bright handwritten words were die cut from gorgeous AC Gold Glitter Cardstock (so much prettier in real life than I could capture in photos!).  I would highly recommend adding the Memory Box Metal Adaptor Plate to your die cutting sandwich stack when using intricate dies such as these, as this cardstock can be difficult to get a good, clean cut (due to the backing) but is SO worth the gorgeous glittery goodness you will get out from it!

The background behind the tree was created on a 5" x 7" piece of Bazzill's heavyweight Cotton Candy Card Shoppe Cardstock using the cord/string and light bulb from the Merry & Bright stamp set, stamped in Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink (let throroughly dry or heat set with your heat embossing tool), then colored with these Copic Sketch Markers: YG23 (green), RV09 (dark pink), RV55 (medium pink), RV63 (light pink):

I'm happy to report I had no problems with either the Copic markers reacting negatively with the pigment ink or wicking with the Bazzill cardstock! Once the coloring was done, I adhered the glittery words to each of their wood pieces using Copic X-Press It Glue Marker and adhered each of the wood pieces to the tree trunk using Copic X-Press It 1/2" Foam Tape:

The starburst circle from the Merry & Bright stamp set was stamped behind the tree topper star (from the Essentials by Ellen Home & Hearth die set). Here's a closer look at the finished framed piece:

I know you are going to love this fabulous release of top-quality made-in-the-USA clear stamps and designer dies as much as I do and I can't wait to share more projects with you tomorrow and over the coming months!  ~ Sharon

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

JULIE'S SNEAK PEEK: 

Loving all the glittery golden touches of Sharon's framed art piece--and using the holiday lights as a backdrop is such a spectactular idea! So much shimmery, glimmery goodness!

I'm chiming in, too with a quick share featuring Brushstroke Christmas:

Shakin' it up the night before the release! WOOT!!!

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Cotton Candy, 10 pk	Essentials by Ellen: Woodgrain Embossed #110 Cardstock, White, 10 Pk	American Crafts Cardstock, Gold Glitter, 12x12, 2 pk	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner	Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz
Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Antique Linen	Ink Blending Tool, 1 Round	COPIC Sketch Marker YG23, New Leaf	COPIC Sketch Marker RV09, Fuchsia	RV55 Hollyhock Copic Marker
COPIC Sketch Marker RV63, Begonia	Memory Box Dies, Metal Adaptor Plate	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Copic X-Press It Glue Marker	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"
Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")

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SNEAK PEEK: Essentials by Ellen Stamps & Dies Preview

I have a fondness for the simplicity of Nordic/Scandinavian design--to me, it is so clean and straightforward--ADORE!!! And, it was the inspiration behind the Cozy Christmas Stamp set as well as Hearth & Home die set that compliments it.

The dies are stand-alone, so they can be used independently of the stamps, but they can be so fun combined together! 

The houses and trees were die cut from my favorite Smooth Bristol and then watercolor washed quickly with Peerless Watercolors.

Here I have a cozy little village peeking out a window, rooftops glistening with Dazzling Diamond Ice Stickles... SO cute I can't take it!!!

Only 2 more sleeps until the full reveal!!! EEP!!!

See you on October 4th!!!

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SUPPLIES:

 

Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 20pc-5.5" x 5.5"	Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream
A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Peerless Water Color, Bonus Pack, Set of 40	Peerless Water Color, Small Bonus Pack, Set of 40	Peerless Water Color, Complete Edition, Set of 15
Peerless Water Color, Pretty In Pink, Set of 6	Peerless Water Color, Joanne Sharpe Edition, Set of 15	Essentials by Ellen: Woodgrain Embossed #110 Cardstock, White, 10 Pk	Waterbrush, Small
Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Broad Brush Nib	My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Circle Set 1	Ice Stickles, Diamond
Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

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Bokeh Joy to the Word by Heather Campbell

Hello and HOORAY for October!  October is a pretty darn exciting month around here for all of us because it's the official launch of the Essentials by Ellen exclusive stamps and oh my gosh are they amazing!  Seriously, they're incredible folks!  In fact, I used 100% Essentials by Ellen products in my post today!  Today I'm sharing a card that I made with the new Bokeh Dots stamp set accented with the Brushstroke Christmas stamp set and a Joy die. 

 

To start my card, I used my distress inks to create a gradient cardstock.

Here is what the panel looks like when I'm all done with my Distress Ink background.

Then, I started stamping my bokeh dots from the new Bokeh Dots stamp set in various shades of ink.  I cannot get enough of the bokeh effect these days! 

I love all of the various sizes of dots in this set!  They are so fun to overlap and layer!

To say I love these new word dies is probably the understatement of the century!  I die cut it from black cardstock and adhered it to my panel.

The second understatement of the century is how much I love the Brushstroke Christmas stamp set that compliments the new word dies perfectly!  I stamped the coordinating sentiment finisher and some accent to my card front.

Then I adhered my boken panel to my card.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me!  I hope you're as smitten with the Essentials by Ellen products as I am! 

Oh and one last thing... here's another teaser for you! :)

Have a great day!

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Julie poppin' in here to say how much I adore what Heather has done with the Bokeh Dots set and her choice of dreamy color scheme!

I have another quick share from the upcoming release--this one features the Christmas Scribbles set!

Only 3 more sleeps!!! EEP!!!

 

 

Avery Elle Ink Pad, Mimosa	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Sea Glass	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Aquamarine	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Pixie
Avery Elle Ink Pad, Raspberry	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Lemon Grass	Distress Ink Pad, Broken China	Ink Blending Tool
Ink Blending Tool, 1 Round	Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent	A Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Robin's Egg, 25 pk	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Teflon Bone Folder	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

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