Hello friends! It's Sandy Allnock and I'm excited to share some fun watercolor with you today - I was asked to talk about the Watercolor Bundle since it's named after me (ha! my 15 minutes of fame?)....it was assembled specifically for the Exploring Watercolor Class but could be used for anything in the Watercolor Courses section. (FYI, classes are on sale now for the 12 Days of Christmas through Dec 12th!)
The bundle's a watercolor package worth $184 for only $120 - that means you pocket $64 that you can spend on other crafty items! It's a great item for your Santa wish list, just saying! It comes with:
DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors, Essentials 5ml Set of 6
Canson Arches French Bound Cold Press Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12
Black Velvet Watercolor Brushes, Short Round 8
Black Velvet Watercolor Brushes, Short Round 12
Black Velvet Watercolor Brushes, Short Wide Wash Blender 1 in
I decided to show you an exercise we did in a class with Jean Haines recently - it makes me feel like a little kid again! And I learned a lot as well as gained four card backgrounds all at the same time! Talk about multitasking. Watch the video to get some tips - and then give it a shot yourself!
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it over on YouTube.
These first two pictures are the "cool" colors from the DANIEL SMITH Essentials set:
They all have a smaller white card border to them.
The rest are the "warm" colors....
And these use a wider white border around them - which I think works just a wee bit better. Which do you prefer?
And the bonus that I snuck in for Ellen - Jasper, the office pup:
I hope you'll try painting some beautiful wash backgrounds when you get your Bundle - be sure to tag me with what you do with them over on Instagram or Facebook, I'd love to see! Sandy
Hello! I'm so excited and very honored to be a guesting here in The CLASSroom for the Ellen Hutson December Watercolor Days. I've loved watercolors since as long as I can remember, in fact, I still have a set that I got at a drugstore when I was in high school. (Not saying how long ago that was...LOL!) Now I've graduated to The Good Stuff: Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors – these paints are so good you all. I've upgraded my brush game too!
Today I'll be working with this BIG DaVinci mottler flat wash 30 and I have a bunch of techniques to share – this brush is just so much fun and there are so many things you can do with it!
Watch the video to see:
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Lisa there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
I just may have gotten a little carried away LOL! Here are some takeaway tips about each set of cards and the techniques.
Bold Stripes
These are so simple and so fun to make and are a great way to get starting using a BIG brush like the daVinci mottler 30. For this batch of cards I used Canson XL paper and the colors in the palette are ALL mixed with Daniel Smith bronzite genuine – ah so pretty! The colors from left to right are: sap green, phthalo green, hansa yellow light, quinacridone rose, and pyrrol scarlet.
Takeaway Tips:
These would be great to mass produce!
To make a border on your card front, cut a template from cardstock or chipboard and lightly trace around it with a pencil, then tape off the edges with artist tape so you'll get a clean edge. I keep my template with my die cuts and use it all the time.
To help with removing the tape, stick it to your clothes before you press it on the paper
When removing tape, pull it away from your project – that way if it happens to tear it won't ruin your watercoloring
Leave a little gap between colors so they don't blend together
Daniel Smith bronzite genuine makes everything better – it's just so pretty and shimmery! I mix it with everything! :)
When mixing colors, if you know you're going to use the color right away then use your brush, otherwise use a palette knife, butter knife, or a coffee stirrer you snagged at Starbucks :)
Here's a closeup so you can see it better!
Northern Lights Background Techniques
In this set of cards I shared tips for making aurora borealis backgrounds. Someday I hope to make it to Alaska to see the Northern Lights in person – until then I'll just dream and paint them instead. I put together a pinterest board HERE https://www.pinterest.com/sideoats/aurora/ for inspiration. I think these Northern Light backgrounds are a great way to play and have fun with color mixing and blending techniques -- they're so unreal looking that the sky is truly the limit!
I used Arches cold press watercolor paper for these as I found it really showed off the granulation in the Daniel Smith blue apatite genuine.
Takeaway Tips
Tilt your paper to let the colors mix and mingle on the paper – it's like magic!
Apply granulating colors like the blue apatite genuine in a nice juicy wash so that they can really do their thing. If the paint is applied too thickly or without enough water you won't get as much of the granulating effect.
Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun, you never know what might happen.
If you don't like how something turned out, don't throw it away – use it for die cutting instead! You can also put a second background on the inside of your card.
Try an inlay die cut technique like the iceberg from scraps. Use gold foil paper for that extra something.
Now for a few closeups so you can see everything better.
See what I mean about saving those scraps? Here I cut 2 Flora & Fauna icebergs from watercolored backgrounds that I didn't like, and then did popped some pieces into another iceburg that I die cut from gold foil paper. Oh and in case you were wondering, that star up there came from the Essentials by Ellen Concertina Tag set and it has a Neat & Tangled Like Magic sequin in the middle! :)
Look at all that granulation from the blue apatite genuine! Oh my. I kept this one clean and simple with the Flora & Fauna polar bear die and the peace from the Essentials by Ellen Holiday Words dies.
And this guy! Yeah I think he's pretty much my fave. I was just playing around with the brush – I love how random it is and I bet I couldn't make this again if I tried. It's the perfect background for that cute lil polar bear from the Flora & Fauna Arctic Starry Night set, right?
Dry Brush Techniques
This big daVinci brush is perfect for dry brush techniques! I prefer to use Arches watercolor paper for this technique as the paper has more texture so the brushwork really stands out. I used quinacridone rose and bronzite genuine on these – just can't get enough of that bronzite sparkle! :)
Takeaway Tips
You'll want to use a dry or just slightly damp brush for this technique
Use your fingers to separate the bristles and then keep them apart by holding them with your thumb as you work
Tap your brush into a puddle of paint, then drag it across the paper – so cool!
Here's a closeup of the Holiday Cheer card. For this one, I used the Essentials by Ellen Concertina tags die to cut out a tag and then the Modern Christmas die set for the holly and the berries. I heat embossed the sentiment with rose gold embossing powder and then added some rose gold sequins to match. Love love love all that granulation on the holly leaves!
See what I mean about saving your scraps? When I don't like something I just save it and die cut it later, as I did with with the Essentials by Ellen Modern Trees. There's no pressure with watercolor – just play and have fun. Experiment.
And last but not least, a closeup of this clean and simple card, filled with Joy!
I hope you'll try some of these fun watercolor techniques with that BIG ole brush, and don't forget that Daniel Smith bronzite genuine really does go with everything! :)
Hi there! Emily Midgett from Sixth Street Sundries with you today. I’m so excited to be joining in the Ellen Hutson December Watercolor Days! I have been dabbling in various coloring mediums for the last few years, and I have to say that the Daniel Smith watercolor line is by far one of my favorite mediums to use. And, luckily, Ellen Hutson has such a great stock of this line (as well as marvelous prices!) that I couldn’t resist making two different projects for today, including a video! Disclaimer: I am completely self taught. I have no formal training, so the terminology or artistic theory might not be absolutely correct. These are the techniques that I’ve found work best for me. One of the great things about watercolor is that you can just play around and get some fantastic results! This post is long, so get comfy haha!
For my first project, I decided to create a holiday card using the Ellen Hutson Mondo Poinsettia stamp and die set and the Exploring Watercolor set.
This set includes some great basics to help you start your watercoloring journey, including great quality brushes and paper, as well as some really versatile basic colors that you can use to create almost any color in the rainbow. I’ve created a video to show my process for creating this card:
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Emily there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
In case you can’t watch the video, here are a few tips that I find extremely helpful when painting with your Daniel Smith colors: Layers. I’ve found that layers are an extremely important element of all coloring mediums. Because of this, it’s very important to have paper that can withstand multiple layers of liquid, which is one of the reasons I prefer the Arches cold press paper for Daniel Smith watercoloring. I don’t have to worry about the paper disintegrating no matter how many layers or how much scrubbing I do. Having good paper also helps because you can more easily manipulate the color, allowing you a little grace when trying to achieve your shading. Don’t be afraid to play with the shading or to go back in after you initially have painted a petal to add some darker color. Watercolor can be a very forgiving medium if you have the proper tools.
I have another card to share with you today using the Daniel Smith Essentials palette and the Exploring Watercolor set. For this project, I’ve included a few stepped-out photos to highlight what a difference adding that second (or third… or maybe more) layer of shading can add to a watercolored image. Here’s the card, using Ellen Hutson’s Mondo Peony stamp and die set:
I started by stamping and heat embossing three of the peonies from the Mondo Peony set onto Arches cold press using some white pearl embossing powder. I mixed three colors to create the custom pinks and purples for these blooms: Quinacridone Rose, French Ultramarine, and Rhodonite Garnet. To create the variations in shading for these blooms, I altered the ratio of red:blue. For the dark purple peony, I added more French Ultramarine; for the fuchsia peony, I added more Quinacridone Rose. (The Rhodonite Garnet adds some lovely shimmer and creates a pretty pink undertone to the final color. It’s very eye catching, but not a necessity.)
After I had created my custom colors, I painted the first layer of each flower. After those first layers had been painted, I went back to my custom color palette and added a touch of what I consider to be an “essential” color: Neutral Tint. This color is great for creating shadows and adding depth to your painted projects. I’ve used it here to add shadows, as well as to create the artsy backdrop for my floral cluster on the finished card. For the second layer of paint for the flower, I’ve added a touch of the Neutral Tint to my pink and purple mixtures to give them a grayish cast, creating a shadowy effect. You can see the difference that the second layer makes make here:
After I had finished adding shading to the flowers, I mixed up some Phthalo Blue and Hansa Yellow Light (both included in the Essentials kit) to create the green for the leaves. The Essentials color selections give a nice variety of possibilities, depending on how much of each color you mix. I could have made these green leaves more teal by adding more blue than yellow. These particular leaves were about equal parts yellow and blue. I arranged all of the flowers in a cluster in the corner of an A2 sized piece of Arches card stock, adhered them all with dimensional foam adhesive, and trimmed off any pieces that were hanging over the edge.
To create the background, I used the Round #12 brush included in the Exploring Watercolor kit. I saturate my brush with water, pulled quite a bit of Neutral Tint from my palette, and added it to the Arches card front, then cleaned my brush and saturated it again with clean water, putting the tip of the very wet paintbrush to the edge of the paint on the paper to pull the color out very loosely. I allowed it to dry, then stamped the greeting from Ellen Hutson’s Amazing Women stamp set onto some pale gray card stock using Altenew’s Purple Wine ink. I trimmed the greeting strips down and adhered them with dimensional foam adhesive. The final step was to add a few Sparkling Clear sequins to add some shimmer.
That’s all for my projects today! If you made it all the way to the bottom, thank you so much!! I hope you’ve learned a few tips from my meanderings in watercolor. I encourage you to play around with your watercolors and develop your own techniques. It’s so relaxing and SO fun! Thank you so much to Ellen Hutson for inviting me to participate this week! Have a fabulous holiday week!!!
Thank you all so much for the love and warm fuzzies last week during the hops to celebrate our 11th Anniversary! We can't tell you how much we appreciate the time you took to share kind words with us and our talented hoppers!
And the winners are...
$100 code for Jackie Parkins who left this sweet comment on Emily Leiphart's blog, "Awwww, that little bear holding a cute kitten! It's so sweet." We love that bear too and Emily's awesome card!
$100 code for Kirsty Vittetoe who told Elena Roussakis that her card was "Fun and fabulous!" which is the perfect description for Elena & her card!
$50 code for Kdennison who commented on Amy Tsuruta's blog, "Great sentiment focus with the leading lady card! Fabulous creations ... thanks for inspiring." Amy inspires us with her fabulous creations too!
$50 code for Julie Steed who wrote "Holy moly...a plethora of delightful cards!!" on Michele Ferguson's blog and we agree! :)
Jackie, Kirsty, K & Julie...please emails us at [email protected] so we can give you your prize!
And don't forget that you can still show us your favorite Essentials by Ellen for a chance to win $50 gift code to the EH store. See all the details here.
Hello everyone! Welcome to Satur-YAY! We're going to celebrate the weekend by getting our craft on. Since the weather is finally feeling a bit fallish here in sunny California, I am getting in a cozy mood and have had a hankering to get in touch with the little old lady deep down inside of me. There's nothing cozier to me than sitting down in the rocking chair, cup of coffee in hand, and cross stitching my little heart out.
Cross stitched details aren't the only way to add stitching to your stamped projects. There are several ways...so don't worry. If you're not down with hand stitching there's something for you here too! I thought I would create a little tutorial featuring three ways to add stitched details to your card projects. Let's just say, it's a stamper's guide to stitching. :) And let's get started.
Don't forget to check out the video tutorial below. I'll walk you through each of these techniques I'm sharing today and give you some tips and tricks along the way.
Add Hand Stitched or Cross Stitched Accents
The first way to add stitching to your projects is with traditional cross stitching. I love this method, because it takes me back to my youth when my grandmother taught me to cross stitch. Lucky for us stampers, many companies are creating dies specifically designed for adding cross stitching to your card and paper crafting projects. Today, I'll be showing you the My Favorite Things Cross Stitch Tag die and the Paper Smooches Cross Stitching die. These are perfect examples of dies that allow for fun stitched patterns. There are other dies available that make it easy to hand stitch your own sentiment too!
I had a great time playing with various stitch patterns and thread colors on the tag for my card project today. And I even created my own custom colored thread using some white embroidery floss and a Copic marker. I snagged this idea from my ever so talented friend Carly.
In addition to using a die to create an entire stitched background for your card, it's easy to add stitched details to your stamped images. I pierced some holes in my holly leaves and adding some simple stitching to these stamped images for another fun stitched touch! You can do this with ANY stamp you may have. Play with what you have. I think you'll find this is a fun technique that you'll come back to over and over again.
Because the stitching is really the star of the show, a simple die cut sentiment and a couple holly leaves finished this card off perfectly.
Add Faux Stitched Accents
There are so many options for stitched dies on the market now. These dies make it easy to add a little faux stitching to any project. These dies add faux stitched accents. Some actually cut a shape with the stitching and some just add the stitching. Make sure you know what kind of die you are purchasing when you buy. The Essentials By Ellen Stitching Lines dies and the Lawn Fawn Stitched Trails are some of my favorite dies in this category. Neither of these actually cut the card stock, but instead just add that faux stitching which can add just the right finishing touch to an otherwise simple card.
If you're looking for a shape with stitches, there are plenty of stitched nesting dies on the market. Circles, squares, hearts, windows....you can find a lot of options in this category. They're great to have in your collection.
For this card, I added a few stitched lines and kept the card very simple. This faux stitching adds detail and texture. And I love the little heart. How cute is that?
I added a simple Copic colored image to my card front. This adorable snowman is from the Avery Elle Frosty Friends stamp set. This snowman has won my heart. I love his adorable cheeks and his retro vibe.
Add Machine Stitched Accents
I'm not gonna lie...this has been a go to for me for years. I love to keep my sewing machine ready to go with some gold thread. Just stitch a line or two down your card front...and voila! Instant charm.
Today I decided to branch out and do my stitching in a heart shape. I used a Hero Arts Heart nesting die as my guide. Now, I'm no seamstress. But I took it slow and let go of my perfectionist tendencies (just for a minute) to achieve the adorable heart on my card front. The great thing about this is that it's meant to feel handmade...so it doesn't have to be perfect. If you're first one is a little messy, add a second line that overlaps. It has a way of making it feel intentional. :)
Once again, with the stitched details, I didn't need a whole lot to finish this card. I added another snowman, a couple holly leaves and a die cut sentiment. Love the way this one turned out.
So there you have it! Three cards, three different ways to incorporate stitching on to your next card project. I'm so addicted, stitching just might find its way on to every card project I make for the next several months. ;)
Oh...and did you all notice that there's not a bit of gold on these card projects? I'm branching out. ;) I thought the silver glitter was perfect to add to the retro vibe that the stitched details and snowman evoke. Nothing like a little silver tinsel to make it feel like a retro holiday card.
So now that I've shared my projects, it's time for you to get your craft on. Be sure you find the time this weekend to do something you love. I can't wait to see what you've created. Be sure to share it on Instagram and use #EllenHutsonSaturYAY so I can check it out.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you leave here feeling inspired! Until next time, happy SaturYAY and I hope you have a fabulous day.
MUAH!
Watch The Video Tutorial
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you don't miss any of our crafty video tutorials!
Ellen Hutson LLC is celebrating our 11th anniversary with a big blog party that has lasted all week! We have 30 amazingly talented makers hopping with us and creating with their favorite Essentials by Ellen sets! In case you missed it, here's are links to the hops from earlier this week...Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
And here's a little sneak peek of today's hop...
Before you head out to hop, let's talk PRIZES!!!
We are giving away two $100 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners! To enter share some comment love at each hop stop on each hop day throughout the week!
We are also giving away two $50 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners. Remember to comment, comment, comment! Tell all the fabulous makers how much you appreciate their ideas - leave a comment on any or all posts this week!
And there might be a few surprise prizes too! So make sure you are following us on Facebook & Instagram!
Winners will be selected randomly from posts throughout the week and will be announced here on Monday, November 27th (so enter until 11:59pm PST on Sunday).
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the amazing makers who have hopped with us to celebrate our anniversary! And thank YOU, our fantastic customers! We love you and we couldn't do this without you!!! Now, before we get even mushier, go have fun hopping with this talented group...
Help us celebrate our 11th anniversary with a 4-day sale at EllenHutson.com!!! Friday through Monday, use the code celebration17 to take 20% off everything*
*Discount is not applicable to new Mama Elephant products (released in the last 90 days) and the BCRF fundraiser set.
Coupon codes cannot be combined and are valid on in-stock items only. Not good on previous purchases. Sale ends November 27th, 2017 at 11:59PM PDT.
Please note, we anticipate that the number of orders will alter our quick shipping time so please expect that your order may take up to a week to ship. And please understand that we will not be able to combine orders. Thanks & have fun shopping!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday to us!!! Ellen Hutson LLC is celebrating our 11th anniversary with a big blog party! We have 30 amazingly talented makers hopping with us and creating with their favorite Essentials by Ellen sets! We have 5 hop days this week and on each day, there are 5 or 6 fabulous stops where these wonderful designers will share what they have created! In case you missed it, here's are links to the hops from earlier this week...Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
And here's a little sneak peek of today's hop...
Before you head out to hop, let's talk PRIZES!!!
We are giving away two $100 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners! To enter share some comment love at each hop stop on each hop day throughout the week!
We are also giving away two $50 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners. Remember to comment, comment, comment! Tell all the fabulous makers how much you appreciate their ideas - leave a comment on any or all posts this week!
And there might be a few surprise prizes too! So make sure you are following us on Facebook & Instagram!
Winners will be selected randomly from posts throughout the week and will be announced here on Monday, November 27th (so enter until 11:59pm PST on Sunday).
Ellen Hutson LLC is celebrating our 11th anniversary with a big blog party! We have 30 amazingly talented makers hopping with us and creating with their favorite Essentials by Ellen sets! We have 5 hop days this week and on each day, there are 5 or 6 fabulous stops where these wonderful designers will share what they have created! In case you missed it, here's a link to the first hop and the second hop.
And here's a little sneak peek of today's hop...
Before you head out to hop, let's talk PRIZES!!!
We are giving away two $100 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners! To enter share some comment love at each hop stop on each hop day throughout the week!
We are also giving away two $50 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners. Remember to comment, comment, comment! Tell all the fabulous makers how much you appreciate their ideas - leave a comment on any or all posts this week!
And there might be a few surprise prizes too! So make sure you are following us on Facebook & Instagram!
Winners will be selected randomly from posts throughout the week and will be announced here on Monday, November 27th (so enter until 11:59pm PST on Sunday).
Today's talented hoppers have got some festive holiday ideas for you and some gorgeous floral ideas too! Have fun hopping!
Ellen Hutson LLC is celebrating our 11th anniversary with a big blog party! We have 30 amazingly talented makers hopping with us and creating with their favorite Essentials by Ellen sets! We have 5 hop days this week and on each day, there are 5 or 6 fabulous stops where these wonderful designers will share what they have created! In case you missed it, here's a link to the first hop and here's a little sneak peek of today's hop...
Before you head out to hop, let's talk PRIZES!!!
We are giving away two $100 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners! To enter share some comment love at each hop stop on each hop day throughout the week!
We are also giving away two $50 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners. Remember to comment, comment, comment! Tell all the fabulous makers how much you appreciate their ideas - leave a comment on any or all posts this week!
And there might be a few surprise prizes too! So make sure you are following us on Facebook & Instagram!
Winners will be selected randomly from posts throughout the week and will be announced here on Monday, November 27th (so enter until 11:59pm PST on Sunday).
Now get comfy and prepare to be inspired by today's awesome hoppers...
We are celebrating our 11th Anniversary this week with a mega 30 stop hop happening all week! The theme of our hop is "My Favorite Essentials by Ellen Set" and 30 fabulous hoppers are sharing their favorite but we want to know what your favorite Essentials by Ellen set is too! And that's where this challenge comes in...
We would like to invite you to play along!
To participate, simply use your favorite Essentials by Ellen product and create! You are not limited to just creating handmade cards. You can create altered art, mixed media, art journaling pages, home decor, scrapbooking layouts, etc... Whatever your heart desires is what we want to see!
We will select one participant randomly to receive a $50 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson store!
You have until December 5th to link up your projects below. The randomly selected participant will be announced on the CLASSroom blog.
To enter, please add your projects to the Inlinkz link below.
It is a very happy Monday as we welcome our friend Amy Rysavy back to The CLASSroom today! You might remember Amy's awesome Mermaid's Tail Shaker Card from this past summer and we are so excited that she is here today to fill in for Miss Julie! Amy has a gorgeous card to share using the newest Leading Lady, Photo Lady.
You can see more of Amy's beautiful work on her blog, Prairie Paper & Ink. And while you are there, show Amy some love and leave a comment there before November 26th for a chance to win a $50 coupon to use in our store!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us Amy! Please come visit again soon!
Check out Amy's video...
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Amy there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Ellen Hutson LLC is celebrating our 11th anniversary with a big blog party! We have 30 amazingly talented makers hopping with us and creating with their favorite Essentials by Ellen sets! We have 5 hop days this week and on each day, there are 5 or 6 fabulous stops where these wonderful designers will share what they have created! And we are starting now!
Here's a little sneak peek of today's hop...
Before you head out to hop, let's talk PRIZES!!!
We are giving away two $100 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners! To enter share some comment love at each hop stop on each hop day throughout the week!
We are also giving away two $50 gift codes to use at our shop to two lucky, randomly selected winners. Remember to comment, comment, comment! Tell all the fabulous makers how much you appreciate their ideas - leave a comment on any or all posts this week!
And there might be a few surprise prizes too! So make sure you are following us on Facebook & Instagram!
Winners will be selected randomly from posts throughout the week and will be announced here on Monday, November 27th (so enter until 11:59pm PST on Sunday).
Now grab a cuppa (or a cupcake because it is a party) and go hop with today's brilliant group...
We are so excited to welcome our new friend Nicole Baez to The CLASSroom today! Nicole is the genius behind Right At Home, the newest line of stamps & dies to join the Ellen Hutson LLC family! We love the sweet & fresh Right At Home designs and we love working with Nicole!
Today Nicole has created a beautiful holiday card using the Right At Home Seasonal Wreath and we are thrilled to share it with you!
Thank you for sharing your talent with us Nicole and thank you for being a part of our family! We hope you will come back to The CLASSroom soon!
Check out Nicole's video to see more...
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Nicole there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Hello there everyone! Laurel Beard here today bringing you our next Pin-Sights Challenge!! Before I get on with today's inspirational photo and challenge, please join me in congratulating Erin T. She was randomly selected to receive the $50 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson Store from our latest Mix It Up Challenge! Congratulations! Please email me at laurelbeard at me dot com to claim your prize!
The Pin-Sights Challenge is an inspirational based challenge held on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The challenge is based on a Color Trend Inspirational Photo chosen specifically for this challenge to spark your imagination and creativity! A jump start if you will... Let's take a look, shall we?
What are you in inspired by in this photo? The colors? The patterns? The images? The shapes??? Whatever speaks to you in this photo is what we want you to be inspired by!
We have several amazing designers here with us today that created projects based on this inspirational photo! If you click on each of the designer's names, you will be taken directly to their blog where they will have more information and details regarding their designs. All of the supplies the designers used will be listed at the end of this post along with the Challenge Link up so you can play along!
How amazing are these projects? I love the different interpretations taken from the inspiration photo! Each project is a work of art! PIN AWAY as they are definitely pin worthy! Thank you ladies so much for joining us today!
NOW IT'S TIME WHERE WE INVITE YOU TO PLAY ALONG IN OUR CHALLENGE!
To participate, simply use any Essentials by Ellen product and create a project based on the above inspirational photo. You are not limited to just creating handmade cards. You can create altered art, mixed media, art journaling pages, home decor, scrapbooking layouts, etc... Whatever your heart desires is what we want to see!
We will select one participant randomly to receive a $50 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson store!
You have until December 5th to link up your projects below. The randomly selected participant will that receive the $50 gift certificate will be announced on the CLASSroom blog.
To enter, please add your projects to the Inlinkz link up at the end of this post.
We are ridiculously happy to welcome our friend Nichol Spohr back to The CLASSroom today! Nichol always delights us with her bright style and fabulous use of colors!
You can see more of Nichol's fantastic work on her blog, Handcrafting Happiness. And while you are there getting totally inspired, leave her a little comment love. Nichol will be drawing the name of one random & lucky commenter to win a $50 coupon to our store.
Thank you for sharing your talent with us Nichol! We love it when you can join us in The CLASSroom and we hope you can come back soon!
Hello! I’m thrilled you are joining me here today in the CLASSroom! The Photo Leading Lady and Cozy Leading Lady images from the Essentials By Ellen collection pair perfectly with some Pretty Pink Posh dies and gorgeous sequins.
To build the rainbow background for the leading lady images, I first trimmed 1/2” from the bottom of a 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” piece of smooth white cardstock using a Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 2 Die. I love the finishing touch a little stitching adds to borders and panels.
I added a pencil mark at the center of the stitched line and then using a bit of post it tape to mask off each section I lightly inked “rainbow rays” across the background using Distress Oxide Inks in Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, and Wilted Violet. I concentrated the majority of color towards the center, lightening up the color towards the edges of the panel.
I spritzed the background with water from a Distress Sprayer for a bit of distressing and blotted it dry with a paper towel.
The Photo Leading Lady and Cozy Leading Lady plus cameras, and camera strap were stamped on smooth white cardstock using Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink, colored in with Copic Markers and die cut with the coordinating Photo Lady Dies and Leading Lady Dies.
The images were adhered along the bottom edge of the panel, with the excess trimmed off with scissors.
Detail was added to the cameras with Glossy Accents and a Stardust Glitter Pen was used on the plaid shirt, a black glaze pen to the eyes to make them pop, and a white pen to add highlights to the images.
Thought bubbles were die cut from black cardstock using the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Speech Bubbles Dies and greetings from the Photo Lady Stamp Set were stamped with Versamark Ink to the speech bubbles and heat embossed with white embossing powder.
The card was finished by adding a scattering of Pretty Pink Posh Limited Edition Lucky Mix Sequins to the background and adhering the panel to a white top fold card base with foam adhesive.
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Nichol there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
The gorgeous Intensity palette from Pantone is inspiring us this November! The foliage hues and unexpected pops of blue & green is perfect for fall & winter cards. And this palette is amazing for creating botanical elements like this card Carly created...
To create this card Carly used Distress Oxides to watercolor die cut leaves and flowers from the Essentials by Ellen Rustic Botanicals and Thankful sets.
On the card front, Carly stamped elements from the Rustic Botanicals stamp set and a sentiment from the Right At Home How Have You Bean set. And then all the elements are layered together.
We've compiled a list of these gorgeous colors in many mediums so grab your favorite botanical stamps & dies and see what you can create!
We are so excited to welcome our friend Nicole Picadura to The CLASSroom today! Nicole is one of the sweetest people we know and we are thrilled that she is filling in today while Miss Julie is off on an adventure! Nicole has an awesome background idea to share, using the new Essentials by Ellen Abstract Paint Strokes set.
You can see more of Nicole's fantastic work on her blog, Scraps & Stamps. And while you are there soaking up the clean & simple beauty of Nicole's cards, leave her a little comment love. Nicole will be drawing the name of one random & lucky commenter to win a $50 coupon to our store.
Thank you for sharing your talent with us Nicole! We love working with you and hope you come back soon!
Check out Nicole's video:
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Nicole there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
All week long we have been celebrating the latest Essentials by Ellen release with hops, videos, guests & more! And we've been having a BLAST! In case you missed any of the fun, we've created a little "roundup" for you.
Are you prepared to be totally inspired? Well get ready because we are hopping again today to celebrate the latest Essentials by Ellen release! We have had an awesome week hopping & sharing, check out this post in case you've missed anything.
And here's a little sneak of some of the amazing ideas that our crazy talented hoppers have for you today...
Our friend Amy Rysavy has a fabulous idea about how to quickly add adhesive to the back of your die cuts to make them into stickers using the Xyron Creative Station Lite! It's such a great way to build scenes with your stamps & dies! Check it out:
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Amy there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Heather there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
We are hopping again today to celebrate the latest Essentials by Ellen release! It's only Tuesday but we have already been busy...we hopped on Sunday and then yesterday, Julie inspired us with "Hello Monday" & Brandi shared the story behind Photo Lady. And would you believe we have more fun to share?! Let's start today with some insanely talented makers who have a hop for you! Here's a little peek...
Hello, everybody! Thanks for stopping by! In today's video, I'm sharing some inspiration and ideas for using the new Abstract Paint Strokes and Totally Random Sayings Stamp Sets--I love mixing and matching and these two work so awesome together, play nicely with others, AND can also stand alone! :)
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE. Thanks for giving us a thumbs' up and for subscribing to our channel!
Hope you enjoyed this in depth look at these two new sets! I can't wait to see what you do with them! If you share on Instagram, please hashtag your creations with #essentialsbyellen and tag me with @jaebersole !
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Brandi there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Did you know that you can create a crafty wish list at Ellen Hutson LLC? And you can share it too, which makes it perfect for holiday gift giving! Check out this quick video from Heather to learn more...
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Heather there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Hello! Hello! Happy Thursday to you all!!!!! Laurel Beard here today bringing you our next Mix It Up Challenge!!!! Let's mix it up with with My Favorite Things, shall we?!?!?! Speaking of My Favorite Things, did you see the adorable United We Flourish stamp/die combo set, Good Friends? This exclusive limited-edition stamp and die set was made by My Favorite Things especially for Ellen Hutson as part of our United We Flourish campaign. It's a limited supply, so get them while supplies last by clicking HERE! Both our guest designer and myself used this new exclusive set in our projects! To learn more about United We Flourish, click HERE.
Before I get on to the amazing project inspiration, let's first congratulate the randomly selected participant from our last Pin-Sights Challenge. Remember, YOU could win a $50 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson store just by playing along. Our randomly selected participant (courtesy of random.org) is: Marge Y. Congratulations! Please email me at laurelbeard at me dot com to claim your prize!
I am delighted to share Karolyn' Loncon's beautiful project with you using the new UWF Good Friends set. It's truly a work of art.
Please be sure to click on each of the designer's links to be taken directly to their blog posts for more still photos and information on how these projects were created! Now it's time where we invite YOU to play along in our challenge! And don't forget to add your entries to our Ellen Hutson Flickr page and Ellen Hutson Pinterest page too!
To qualify, simply combine any Essentials by Ellen product and any My Favorite Things product.! You can create anything your heart desires! A card, mixed media art, art journaling, framed art, home decor.... It's totally up to you what you want to make!
We will randomly select one challenge participant to receive a $50 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson store!!!!
You have until November 14th to link up your projects! You will find the link up at the end of this post. The winner will be announced on November 16th!
We are thrilled to share the newest Essentials by Ellen release with you! Check out the latest gorgeous designs from Julie Ebersole & Brandi Kincaid...
Totally Random Sayings Vol. 1 by Julie Ebersole
Abstract Paint Strokes by Julie Ebersole
Leading Ladies - Photo Lady by Brandi Kincaid
And you know we love a crafty party so we have lots of fun coming up! We are going to kick off the celebration with a hop on Sunday, November 5th so make sure you stop by! Here's a little sneak peek...
