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Emily Midgett has some great tips for creating this stunning & simple watercolor card! Check it out:
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!
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Hey everyone! It's Carissa here today. I hope you are having a fabulous Satur-YAY! I'm celebrating the weekend by getting my craft on and I hope you'll join me in my celebrating by getting your craft on too!
Today I'm going to be playing with the Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors. These watercolors may look like reinkers, but don't let their appearance fool you. They are so much fun to play with and the colors are just so yummy!
I'll be showing you a couple of ways to make quick and easy watercolor backgrounds using these watercolors, using what I've dubbed, the drop method. It's so easy....dare I say it? Nope. Gonna leave it right there and let you see for yourself in today's video tutorial.
These watercolors are available in 10 colors, giving you a great range without the need for mixing. The colors coordinate with the Avery Elle pigment inks. So you know they're colors that you're going to love!
Since these watercolors are already liquid, they are quick and easy to use. They're ready to go and can be picked up from a palette or an acrylic block and taken right to your paper. I love that I can grab them and start creating right away with a color palette that I love.
Once I create my backgrounds, I'll be using the Avery Elle Splash stamps and coordinating dies to turn these beauties in to some quick and easy cards.
I hope you enjoy this look at these fun watercolors. And I hope you'll join me and get your craft on this weekend. If you do, be sure to post it on social using #EllenHutsonSaturYAY so we can see what you're up to!
Until next time, happy Satur-YAY and I hope you have a fabulous day!
XOXO
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there!
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We are so excited to be celebrating National Craft Month today with our sweet friend Nicole from Right At Home Stamps! Nicole is hosting a week long celebration of our favorite hobby! Each day there is a different challenge, guest designers, and prizes up for grabs for those who participate. In order to join in on the fun you must make a project inspired by the challenge and post it to one of the following forums:
For today's challenge, I've tested out three new watercolor techniques...
#1. Alcohol
Adding rubbing alcohol to wet watercolor creates pretty blooms, similar to effects you can achieve with alcohol inks.
#2. Water Droplets
Droplets of water & liquid watercolor are spread with air and a pipette for a fun abstract look. Very fun to play with!
#3. Plastic Wrap
Plastic wrap pressed into wet watercolor and left to dry, creates a fun texture.
See a little bit more about how to achieve these looks in this quick video...
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love & a thumbs up and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
To turn all these fun backgrounds into cards, I die cut them into stitched rectangles. I added a hand-cut slope of watercolored "grass" and then the Right At Home Holidays Are On The Way car filled & topped with watercolored flower die cuts.
Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure to head over the the Right At Home blog to see what Nicole has created!
Hugs!
Carly
Supplies:
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Hello friends! I'm excited to share some fun watercoloring with you today - especially for those who panicked without a brown watercolor in the sweet new Avery Elle watercolor set. (If you do people or animals, you might have noticed that quickly!) But after today - you're gonna be equipped to deal with any hair or bear that might come your way!
First, a little factoid about color: Brown is made from yellow, red, and blue! In equal parts (which is nearly impossible to manually mix) you'd get a very middle of the road brown, nice and rich and even. Add extra red and you have a ruddy brown. A little more yellow and it'll push it more toward a sand color. More blue and it may get deeper/darker, or turn more grey (which can also be a useful color!)
So let's get started and I'll show you how to play around with mixes. Ready?
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Sandy there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
Fun and easy, right? Well, okay, I get it. It would certainly be easier if I could say "Dip once into the Fizz, once into Sapphire, and half a dip each into Cherry and Celery!" But...alas, that's why they call it art, not science, right?
To put the finishing touches on my card, I used a dotted border die (links to all the supplies are at the end of the post), and popped it up on some dimensional adhesive. That's it! Here's the chart I made with the colors - feel free to pin it for reference to decide what colors you'd like to try out. Lemon Grass, Sugar Plum, and Aquamarine are kinda my favorites so far!
I hope you'll be daring and try mixing some unique colors - it's fun to experiment!
Supplies:
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Good morning! Emily Midgett here with you today sharing my thoughts on the new Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! I have used a different brand of liquid watercolors several years ago, and I have to say, these are very similar in quality, but at a much more affordable price point, especially for a beginner! I’ve created a video showcasing a few different techniques that you can easily do with these pretty colors, including an ombre background wash and some tips on no-line watercoloring.
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, I will share some of the process, as well.
To create the subtle wash on the background panel, I used Avery Elle’s Liquid Watercolors in shades of Sugar Plum and Sea Glass mixed with some Shimmer Spritz and my 1” Silver Black Velvet wash brush (try saying that three times fast!). I started by taping my slightly-larger-than-A2 Arches Cold Press watercolor panel to a cutting board, then propping it up at an angle against some washi tape, used my wash brush to add concentrated color to the top of the panel, then after cleaning my brush and leaving it very wet, pulled the color down into a subtle ombre. I flipped the cutting board and repeated the process with the Sea Glass, as well. The sparkle of the Shimmer Spritz cannot be captured accurately in a photo… this background is super subtle and super sparkly. Gorgeous.
Next, I began work on the Hydrangea blooms from Avery Elle’s Floral Bouquet stamp and die set. I started by die cutting the main blooms and some leaves from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper, then stamping the images using my MISTI and some very pale blue ink. I then began watercoloring the images using Sugar Plum and a Sugar Plum/Sapphire mixture for the flowers, then Celery and a Celery/Sapphire mixture for the foliage. As I mention in the video, one of the main elements to remember is to keep the wet sections away from each other. So, I start by watercoloring one petal, then find another petal that is not right up against that wet petal. As long as you keep the wet petals apart, your individual elements will remain distinct and crisp. I also mention in the video that watercoloring is all about layers; use the Sugar Plum as your first layer, then add a drop of Sapphire to several drops of Sugar Plum to add your second layer to create shadows and depth. (This is one of the nicest aspects of the liquid watercolors; you can create a formula for your colors and always be able to recreate the same color just by knowing how many drops you use! The possibilities are endless!) Repeat the process with the leaves using first the Celery, then the Celery/Sapphire combination.
After the watercoloring has been completed, it’s time to assemble the card. I first die cut the My Favorite Things Vertical Cover Up frame from some white card stock and mounted it to the ombre watercolor panel with foam adhesive. I added the watercolored hydrangea and foliage using both foam and liquid adhesive to the corner and a Many Thanks die cut from the Essentials By Ellen line to the frame using liquid adhesive. Some lilac Nuvo drops added some texture.
A few thoughts about the Avery Elle Liquid watercolors:
~Watercolor paper is important. If you use good quality watercolor paper (I’ve used Arches Cold Press here), the colors move and blend beautifully. You can even reactivate the color after it’s dried a bit on the paper. If you’re like me and you can’t resist the urge to stop fussing with your projects, this is especially helpful haha!
~They mix like a dream. You can always recreate a custom color because you can measure exactly how many drops you’re adding to your palette. Perfect for those of us who are slightly OCD in our cardmaking!!
~If pan paints overwhelm you (by virtue of the sheer volume of colors available or the cost), then the liquid watercolors are a great place to start. You can mix and match to create almost any color imaginable, and the price point is fantastic. You can get a very inexpensive palette from Wal Mart or your local big box craft store, add a few drops of color, and you’re good to go!
~You can very easily create deep, vibrant color or super subtle pastel colors by adding a little or a lot of water to your paint pans.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my quick overview and initial thoughts on the Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! They are all available in the Ellen Hutson store right now, so head on over and check them out! You won’t be sorry!
Supplies:
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(click on the pics to enbiggan)
All you need is a little piece of plastic and a mister bottle for this fun and easy watercolor technique featuring the Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors!
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Please like & subscribe! We appreciate it so much!
I love the sparkle the tiny star sequins and Stickles give each of these!
Thanks for stopping by today and hope you have a muy Happy Mundane! ;)
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Are you curious about the pretty little bottles of Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors? Learn more about them for Heather in this quick tip video:
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!
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These little cuties had us at G'Day! The United We Flourish G'Day Mate set designed by our sweet & funny friends at Avery Elle, makes us smile with it's weird...we mean limited edition critters!
Hear the story behind the stamps from the amazing artist herself, our sweet Heather Campbell...
And check out some one of a kind creations from our talented team and sweet friends (just click on each little picture to see more)...
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Long time, no hello! I've been down with flu, followed by bronchitis/laryngitis. ACK! Today I'm sharing an interactive card inspired by my dear friend Jennifer McGuire! When I first saw Avery Elle's "Splash" set, I was smitten (like, ran-into-a-light-pole-SMITTEN!) and immediately thought, "I just GOTTA make a floating image card with this AWESOME set!
I pulled the color palette for today's card from the above Color Trend Badge--just raided my colored pencils and went to town! ;)
Please pardon my hoarse voice in today's video--my case of the flu evolved into bronchitis, which then induced laryngitis and my voice still isn't all back yet. :(
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for liking and subscribing! :)
(click on the pics to enbiggan)
Happy Mundane!
SUPPLIES:
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Hey everyone! Welcome to Day 7 of the 12 Tags of Christmas with a feminine twist! Today we're playing with Avery Elle and creating tags in a pink, mint and gold color scheme.
To create my tag, first I die cut a tag shape die and then stamped and colored in my christmas-y birch trees with copic markers to match the color theme!
Next, I added a snowdrift to the bottom of each tag cutting with a die to create a pierced border.
Then, I stamped and die cut a deer, coloring him to match as well.
Then I colored the bear and placed him on the tag with some dimensional foam. I did the same with the deer.
Finally, to tie in the gold, I die cut a gold border with a die and some gold foil cardstock.
I added the die cut gold foil to the bottom of the tag and then pulled some of my favorite mini gold star sequins to sprinkle across the card.
To tie my ribbon I folded a piece of ribbon and threaded it through the tag hole.
Then, through the loop, I tied some gold thread around the ribbon to secure it. Here's what it looks like from behind.
And here the tags are completed. Super sweet and very feminine!
Thank you so much and now be sure to scroll to see what Elena has created too!
Heather's Tag Supplies:
We are so happy to have Elena Roussakis back in the CLASSroom today! Elena's work is always a show stopper!!! Her coloring is perfection and she crafts the cutest parties! We know you are going to love her tags and make sure you check out more of her work on her blog, Just Me.
Elena's Tag Supplies:
Thank you for joining us once again this year for the seventh day of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist series! Simply leave your appreciation for the beautiful tags of today's dynamic duo, Heather and Elena, and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment here before noon on December 18th to be included (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return tomorrow to see what our next team will have to inspire you!
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Hi everyone! It's Carissa here today. I'm so glad you've stopped by. I have some pretty little packages to share with you today. These particular projects have been designed with a holiday theme (it's not too early to start working on those holiday gifts now). Keep in mind, these gift ideas are great for any occasion. Just change up the patterned paper to make it work for you. I'll show you how to do that below.
Today's little gifts were created by the talented team at Bramble Berry. These handmade Nail Polishes and Iridescent Pearl Bath Bomb are simply adorable. I love the idea that they've been handmade by a different kind of crafter...and now I get to doll them up using paper crafts! The polishes are adorable with fun and sparkly colors. And that bath bomb? To die for! It's got a beautiful iridescent shine all over it. It's sure to have the recipient feeling their inner mermaid as they soak the stress away!
I'll be using some dies from Avery Elle and Lawn Fawn today to create the adorable little boxes and bags for these little gifts. I love the flexibility that these dies offer. I can create a bag or box from just about anything, allowing me to make the perfect little coordinating gift.
I've cut all of my bags and boxes from the Essentials By Ellen Woodgrain card stock. I love the texture that this adds. This card stock is also available in kraft. Either one is perfect for the holidays, or year round. It's an easy way to add texture to your project and make it stand out.
The Avery Elle Treat Tag and Box Die is perfect for the bath bomb. It's often a little more difficult to find a die that will accommodate a larger item like this bath bomb. This fits the bill perfectly. And I love that there's a coordinating tag die with the die set!
I created tags for my gifts by layering up several die cuts and stamped sentiments. I used patterned paper from the 6X6 FaLaLa pad. These modern holiday designs have me absolutely giddy. Nothing like some adorable holiday patterned paper to inspire the crafty mind.
To package up my pretty little polishes, I used the Lawn Fawn Goodie Bag die set. This fun little bag is great for packaging items like nail polish, along with a little mini nail file. Or put a small hand lotion, lip balm or necklace in it for a lucky recipient. You can even use this for a fun way to give a gift card.
I used a variety of sentiments from the Essentials By Ellen line for my projects today. I used the sparkle theme throughout because the polishes and bath bomb are so sparkly. I used the Season To Sparkle stamp set, Sparkle die and Spread The Sparkle stamp set to create various sentiments for my projects today.
To embellish another one of my gift bags, I used the Lawn Fawn Put A Bow On It die set. I cut this from Taylored Expressions felt. This made the most adorable felt bow for my little bag. I'll show you exactly how I put this together in the video tutorial below.
When you have that adorable felt bow as your focal point, you need very little embellishment to finish your project off. I made another fun tag with a glitter die cut to make this shine.
For the third polish, I wanted to create a bag with a window so that the recipient could get a peek of what's inside. I used a heart die from Hero Arts to die cut a window on the bag prior to assemble.
To keep the stuffings from falling out, I placed a small piece of clear window sheet on the inside of my bag. This keeps all the basket filler, nail polish and mini nail file safely inside.
Finally, I wanted to show you the adorable variation I made for the bath bomb. Just like I said, with a quick change of patterned papers, I was able to take this holiday themed gift to girly girl birthday in a snap.
I love the patterned paper from the Girl Squad 6x6 patterned paper pad. Combined with the same sentiment die cut and stamp set as before, this project quickly becomes perfect for any occasion. I can't wait to make more to have on hand for fun little gifts for friends!
So there you have it! Several Pretty Little Packages perfect for the holidays. They're filled with handmade products that anyone is sure to love!
Don't forget to check out the video tutorial below to see how these all came together. I'll share some tips and tricks along the way!
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
XOXO
Carissa
You can watch this video in HD at our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there.
For other soap making tutorials please visit Bramble Berry's Soap Queen blog.
| DIY Nail Polish Tutorial | DIY Bath Bomb Tutorial |
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Good Tuesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. My project today was made using the Essentials By Ellen Diagonal Window Die paired with the Avery Elle G’Day Mate Stamp and Die Set, Impression Obsession Branches Corner, Grass, Grass Border and Small Grass Border.
I used the Diagonal Window Die to make a Surprise Thank You card for the CLASSroom a couple of years ago. I wanted to do something different with it for my project today. I did a search in the CLASSroom looking for inspiration and I found Julie’s great post and video showing how she created a collapsible style shadow box card. I love using frames for my scene cards and loved the idea of creating a frame using the window die that would add dimension without the heaviness of mounting tape. I attached most of the elements of the scene flat to the card base and they created noticeable dimension yet could still allow the card to be mailed in a regular envelope.
Start by scoring an additional set of score lines to each section 1/4” inside the original score lines. Check out Julie’s video to see this step more clearly.
Use a craft knife or scissors to cut where the diagonal lines intersect.
Turn the paper over and fold back each triangle section along the main score line and create a firm crease with your bone folder. Do you own a Teflon Bone Folder? It’s a wonderful tool and doesn’t leave a shine on your cardstock.
Fold the triangles forward on the 1.4” score line and firmly crease with your bone folder.
Sponge in a cloudy background with Tumbled Glass ink using an ink blending tool and cloud template. I love this small cloud template made by Inky Antics. I flipped it from front to back repeatedly as I worked my way down the page so my clouds wouldn’t look so uniform.
Apply glossy accents to the back of the grass border and attach to the card base.
Apply 1/8” double stick tape to the back of the small grass border and attach to the card base.
Cut off the extra grass border on both sides.
Apply double stick tape to the back of the branches corner and attach to the card base.
I stamped the kangaroo image twice on Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper using Black Versafine and embossed with Ranger Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder. I’m sorry I failed to get photos of that step.
I used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo inks to watercolor the images using a Zig Waterbrush.
I cut the pouch and baby section of the image off to paper piece over the base to add a bit of dimension. I fussy cut the images out with my snips instead of die cutting so I could eliminate the outer edge for the paper piecing.
I used rolled up 3/8” glue dots to attach the baby pouch section over the base image.
I stamped the butterflies twice using the versa ink and embossed. I cut the little front wing section off and pieced over the base butterfly to add a tiny touch of dimension. Yes…..my fingers were too large to cut those tiny pieces well and my eyes are too old to see well…but I just couldn’t help myself. I had to do it. LOL! I attached the butterflies to the base using glossy accents.
The kangaroo was tucked in behind the grass and attached with a piece of mounting tape. I added the taller grass sections to add interest to the scene and attached with glossy accents.
I attached a piece of 1/2” inch of double stick tape to each triangle section, set the scene base inside the opening and secured in place with the taped triangle sections. I used ATG adhesive to attach the framed scene to a green A2 card.
I hope you enjoyed seeing the new G’Day Mate kangaroo image used with the Diagonal Window Die in this collapsible scene card. It’s lots of fun.
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We are definitely keen on the sweet animals in the new United We Flourish G'Day Mate by Avery Elle set and we can't wait to share! Check out these awesome projects by some of our team (just click on the picture to see more):
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Friday!
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We are thrilled to welcome 3 of our super talented friends and their adorable creations using the latest United We Flourish stamp & die set, G'day Mate by Avery Elle!
Check out these amazing cards by Janette Kausen, Alice Wertz & Amy Tsuruta (just click on the picture to see more and click here to learn more about United We Flourish)...
Thanks for stopping by and a MONDO thank you to Janette, Alice & Amy for sharing their talent with us!
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Hear the story behind the United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo G'Day Mate by Avery Elle from the amazing artist (& our good friend), Heather Campbell...
Link: 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!
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Today the crazy talented Avery Elle team is sharing their one of kind creations with the new United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo set, G'Day Mate! Get ready to give our mates a round of applause for these beautiful cards!
Outstanding right?! See more over on the Avery Elle blog (and click on each photo above to see more from each designer)!
In case you missed it, learn more about United We Flourish & G'Day Mate here! And hop over to see an awesome Hello Monday video from Julie here!
Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure to visit again later this week for even more inspiration!
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This month our featured United We Flourish partner company is Avery Elle! The set features a "down under" theme with lovable critters that hail from Australia.
(click on the pics to enbiggan)
For a direct link to the G'Day Mate set, please click HERE.
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE and thanks for giving us a thumbs' up and for subscribing!
TIPS:
Hope today's video gives you a good jumping off point to making even more fun cards with this new set!
Happy Mundane!
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Have you heard about our United We Flourish campaign? Well, let us tell you a little bit about it...
Last November we began celebrating our 10th anniversary with the theme United We Flourish. What does United We Flourish mean? It means that our company would not be here without the amazing companies we work with, the designers who create stunning projects showcasing the wonderful products being created AND you, our fabulous customers! YOU are such a vital part of our creative community - you inspire & encourage us! Your response to United We Flourish was overwhelming and heartwarming. We heard repeatedly from you that you appreciate how our little company works together with the other manufacturers we carry to bring you their products and education showing how to use those products. To thank you for your constant support and encouragement, we have partnered with some of our friends to offer exclusive limited edition stamp & die sets!!! It is our goal to release a new set each month for the next few months. These sets will be available for a limited time (most likely 3-6 months) after each release, depending on how quickly you snap them up. The theme of these stamps sets are uplifting and fun.
We are thrilled to present the second United We Flourish set to you...G'Day Mate by Avery Elle exclusively for Ellen Hutson LLC.
Avery Elle has been an important part of our EH family since 2013. We love their adorable cast of characters and their sweet & sassy sentiments. And we really love when we get to meet up with them at trade-shows, go out to dinner and laugh until we cry! HUGE THANKS to Jamie, Heather and the whole Avery Elle team, we think you are one of a kind!!!
Greetings from Down Under! The Australian animals are here to say G'Day! The adorable koala in the tree with a baby koala, the kangaroo with her joey and the unique platypus, will help anyone feel special! The fun sentiments are the perfect finishing touch for your card from the outback!
This 4 X 6 set contains 13 stamps, 9 images and 4 sentiments along with 9 matching dies.
The set comes packaged in the Essentials by Ellen durable clear envelope and magnetic sheet for easy storage.
This week our team, together with the Avery Elle team and some special guests, will be showing many different ways to use this set! Be sure to come back to the CLASSroom throughout the week for links to all the different spots where you can see these adorable weirdos in action and be certain to join Jamie and Ellen on Friday, July 28th at noon PDT as they go Live on Facebook! We will be sharing the recorded video here in the CLASSroom once it wraps up for those who do not have a FB page. Thank you so much for your incredible support - we appreciate you!
United We Flourish, because we're better together!
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(click on the pics to enbiggan)
Today I'm sharing how I use Copic Markers to quickly color and shade images!
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE. Thanks for giving us a thumbs' up--and for watching & subscribing, too! :)
Today's project features very basic coloring techniques and only two hues of similar colors (one lighter, one darker). This is primarily the way I tend to use alcohol markers, but there are other fun, more advanced techniques you can explore.
After coloring and assembling my card, I coated the smoothie cups with Pico Clear Embellisher, added some Stickles, Washi Tape, and made my own enamel dots by applying Black Ebony Nuvo Crystal Drops directly to the card.
Happy Mundane!
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Hello hello! Happy Wednesday! Are you enjoying embellishment week yet? I sure love these themes - they're great! For today's card - I'm using sequins and twine. Immediately, I thought shaker card. I just can't get enough of them!
First, I cut out and arranged ballon dies in the shapes letters.
Then, to keep them put - I used some washi tape.
Then, I ran the letters through my Big Shot.
I cut it once with my card base and three times with other card stock to create depth for the shaker. By using the wash, it kept my die cuts perfectly positioned so I could create my shaker.
Next, secured all the layers and added sequins. All sorts of Pretty Pink Posh. I love these sequins.
I kept with a rainbow theme to add the sequins.
I added a layer of cardstock behind the shaker.
Finally, I added my layer to the card base and added some clear sequins to the front.
I added a bit of twine to the top.
Finally, I added white gel pen accents to the front of the clear acetate.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me! I hope you have a marvelous day!
XOXO!
Heather
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(click on the pics to enbiggan)!
Interactive cards--especially easy ones (LOL!) are among my favorite to make and this circle spinner is a winner--all you need is the Circle Spinner Channels die by My Favorite Things, a cut image to spin, and a penny! ;)
Keep everything else relatively simple, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly and effortlessly you can put this fun little ditty together!
LINK: Enjoy the video in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for watching, giving us a thumbs' up & subscribing!
Happy Mundane!
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Hello all! I'm thrilled to be here for ink week! How fun is this? I'm here to share about Pigment Inks!
First of all, a little education on Pigment Inks! Pigment inks are some of my favorite inks because they cover great, stamp beautifully and the colors are amazing. Because of their thicker feel, they work great for stamps where you have a solid image or fine detail! Also, because the ink "sits" on top of the paper, the lines stay very crisp! It's very important when using a pigment ink to turn you stamp up and then bring the ink to the stamp - pigment inks don't work well for smooching the stamp into the ink pad - which is a reason the MISTI is a great tool for Pigment Inks!
Today, I'm using both Avery Elle inks and Mama Elephant inks. Both inks are very similar and compliment each other very well! Some pigment inks can be a little slow to dry but both of these dry very fast - which makes them much easier to use!
The cases are great because the color you see on the pad is the color that you get when you stamp an image!
You can tell by looking through the lid that the ink is very spongy!
Here's what I mean! Check out this coverage!
This was a two stamp process - but look at that amazing coverage!! Crisp and solid!
I couldn't use my MISTI for this TINY stamp but check out how great it stamps!
Now for a fun technique that you can do with Pigment inks! I used my MISTI and stamped the first color of ink.
Then, after using the stamp once with the lightest color ink, I lightly pressed against the edges of the stamp with a slightly darker ink color. This gives a little shading - but all accomplished with ink.
Check it out!!!
I kept working my way around the cat with the balloons.
I love the texture and shading this technique yields! Also, do you notice how crisp those letters are?
Next I stamped the strings.
Then the mouse.
Now, another fun technique that you can use pigment inks for - daubing! I used a small finger dauber to add the appearance of grass. I simply stamped the image I wanted to cover up in the green ink, trimmed it out and then covered my card front. Then, I daubed the finger dauber sponge into the pigment ink pad and lightly added in some grass.
Check it out when I removed the mask!
Finally I die cut a border.
Then, I used a scalloped rectangle die to create the scalloped card front.
Lastly, I added sequins and stamped the sentiment.
I'm so glad you stopped by to enjoy ink week and learn about Pigment inks! Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!
XOXO,
Heather
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As we end the week celebrating Avery Elle and Heather Campbell here in the CLASSroom, I wanted to share one of the things I love about Heather's images: the variety -- from sweet, cute and sassy, to beautiful and classy! For my project today, I'm using Heather's Peonies clear stamp set:
I've combined the stamp set with Julie's Essentials by Ellen Many Thanks die, to create this much-needed-after-the-holidays thank you card:
To create the card, I placed a 5.50" x 4" panel of Ranger Watercolor Paper in my Misti so I could stamp the images in Versamark ink a couple of times. With the textured surface and absorbent qualities of watercolor paper, I wanted to be sure to get excellent ink coverage for my heat embossing. Next, I positioned all the stamps I wanted to use face down on the watercolor paper around the die sentiment, then closed the lid of the Misti to pick up the stamps. After inking and stamping the images twice, I heat embossed them with Ranger Gold Super Fine Embossing Powder.
Next, I used my Black Velvet Short Round 8 Watercolor Brush and Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36 color set to watercolor the images. Please allow me to talk a minute about this fabulous watercolor brush. For convenience, I had always used a water-fillable waterbrush but recently decided to give this wonderful professional watercolor brush a try and boy, I sure am glad I did! These brushes are made of a unique blend of natural squirrel hair and black synthetic filaments. Squirrel hair holds large amounts of color and is highly responsive to your touch, which allows for creating shapes beautifully while it releases color with great control. By itself, squirrel is delicate. Blending it with a synthetic helps it to resist wear and maintain a wonderful snap (snap is the ability to retain its shape) and spring. This soft blend allows multiple layer glazing without disturbing previous colors, yet it’s firm enough to lift color with a gentle scrub. There are many sizes available, but I think this Short Round 8 will be very versatile and my favorite go-to!
I used No. 34 Dark Pink and No. 37 Deep Pink for the Peonies:
Then I used No. 53 Mid Green for the leaves:
And by the way, this green looks to me to be very close to Pantone's new Color of the Year 2017, Greenery -- What do you think? :)
To finish the watercolor panel, I used a little No. 50 Pale Aqua around the bottom edge. Then I masked off the colored images with a few sticky notes, and used No. 91 Bluish Gold to flick some golden dots over the top part of the panel. You'll notice in the photo below, the bottom three watercolors in the Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36 color set are No. 95 Silver, the Bluish Gold I used, and No. 90 Gold, which are all pearlized/metallics -- SO pretty!
To finish the card, I also watercolored the 1/4-inch strip I had trimmed off my 4.25" x 5.50" watercolor panel with the Bluish Gold color, then adhered it to the bottom of my Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White card base. I like using X-Press It High Tack Double-Sided 1/2" Tape to adhere heavier cardstock such as watercolor paper. After adhering the watercolor panel to the card base, I die cut gold foiled cardstock (swoon!) with Julie's Many Thanks die and adhered the pretty sentiment to the card.
I hope you will take the opportunity to browse the Avery Elle Clear Stamps and ELLE-ments Dies by Heather Campbell and all of Avery Elle's products in Ellen's store while they are still on sale thru Sunday, January 8th . . . Thanks so much for joining me today!
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Hip Hip Hooray! It's Avery Elle week!!! Someone pinch me - I can't believe the sweet and amazing ladies at Ellen Hutson are spending a week focusing on my stamp designs. Seriously. So grateful for the tremendous love and support.
For my card, I wanted to play with one of my favorite Avery Elle Stamp sets - Be a Unicorn.
First, I stamped the images in black ink and used the coordinating die cuts to cut everything out.
Then, I colored the images in with Copics.
To get started on the card base, I used my distress inks and created an inked background.
Then, to create a frame I used these Avery Elle dies. I love how they create the perfect window.
I used my dimensional foam tape to pop it up.
I secured all of the images using dimensional adhesive.
Next I added sequins and a bit of Wink of Stella. I how the soft glitter of the Wink of Stella pen compliments Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling clear sequins!
Lastly, I touched it all off off with a white uni-ball gel pen! I love this accent!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me! I do appreciate it!
XOXO,
Heather
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Hi there, my friends, and Happy 2017! I, for one, am more than happy that 2016 is out the door. Are you already making resolutions? Any of them crafty related? Getting more organized? Buying more from Ellen Hutson? ;) (I just had to.)
Well, today I'm super excited because I get to feature one of our very own team members here on #TexturalTuesdays. AND she also happens to design super awesome stamps for Avery Elle. She is the über talented Heather Campbell! I'm using the ridiculously adorable stamp and die set of Hedgehugs and I can't wait to show you what I made!
I know. Too cute, right? Those little hedgies are just the sweetest things ever.
I stamped one little hedgie with black ink onto Neenah Solar White Cardstock and (wait, for it) I colored it in with Copics. I sold most of my Copics, but I had just enough to color this little cutie pie in. Below are the colors that I used -- the top colors are the ones I used for his cute belly and face and the bottom colors I used for his prickly hedgie quills. Then I used the matching die to cut him out.
I then shifted my attention to the heart balloons. Instead of Neenah, I switched the paper to Bristol and my coloring medium to the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers (set of 60).
After I colored the heart balloons (and the little fringes of grass) and die-cut those out, I knew I'd need some sort of base or background for the hedgehog and the sentiment that I had picked out. I knew that I happened to own an Avery Elle-ments Die called Burst that would be just great for this card. So I set to making the background.
I wanted the background to be mostly pink, red, yellow, orange, and a hint of lavender. So, I'd need my Distress Inks for this. I die-cut a circle mask to fit exactly over the center of the "burst". This way after I color the center will be perfectly clean (I hope.)
As long as you start off the paper with Distress Inks and blend inward keeping the foam at a slight angle (to keep from leaving foam "circles" on your project) you'll do just fine. Blending the colors is super easy. And colors you'd never expect to blend and look nice? DO!
For the center I wanted it to look sort of look a blue sky, but not. I know, super helpful. The best way I could think of to achieve what I had in my mind was to take 3 Distress Inks and "smoosh" them into my work surface. Spritz very lightly with water so the inks pool. THEN with the tiniest acrylic block I have, tap that randomly into the colors so the ink transfers onto the block. Then tap that onto the center of the circle. Confused? Look at my photos below.
SImply? You're stamping using using the smooshed Distress Inks to create the background.
Be very careful not to overdo this since the paper here is the Bristol. While it's great for using with the Zig Clean Color Markers, doing techniques like this tends to warp the paper. (Although? As I'm typing this...there's nothing that says you couldn't use watercolor paper. As long as the balloons are on Bristol.)
Once you have all your colors for the inner circle then you can start adhering the hedgehog into place. Since I'm a hug fan of dimension, but I didn't want too much on this one I used the Thin 3D foam squares in the mixed pack from Scrapbook Adhesives. The larger size can go behind the hedgehog and the smaller ones fit nicely behind the sentiment and fringes of grass.
The card is 4¼" square. I didn't want to overdo it with patterned paper but I did want to add a touch of color between the black and white cardstock. I used a bit of color from the Avery Elle 6"x6" paper pad Everyday Collection. So many fun colors in this collection.
Adding embellishments of sequins always comes last, if necessary. I added the sequins and a little sparkle with the Wink of Stella pen.
I hope you enjoyed this sweet Hedghog and check out some more closeups below. Heather has more of her designs in the shop, too. Be sure to look for all of her wonderful work all over the Internet!
One more...
Thank you for joining me today and enjoy the rest of the week as we celebrate Avery Elle and Heather! ♥
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We all love mail don't we?! As long as it doesn't contain bills! In this internet age sometimes we lose the art of staying in touch by snail mail but I'm guessing that if you're here today, you just might be a paper crafter who values making things and sending them the old fashioned way.
Today's project has two parts, a card and an envelope combo that will be fun to create and also receive. I'm reminded once again that everything pretty doesn't have to be inside the envelope. Why not decorate it as well? And while you're at it, why not MAKE the envelope out of some paper you have on hand. It's really not hard at all!
I'm crushing on this Technique Tuesday stamp set called Snail Mail. Aptly named, it is soooo cute! I just knew I had to have it and it has inspired today's project. I adore Technique Tuesday and today I'm giving them a little love. Some of my very first stamps were by Technique Tuesday when I started scrapbooking years ago. Fabulous quality and style!
With all these cute stamps, I wanted to stamp them onto an envelope and thought, why not make my own? I pulled out my Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers and decided to make the 4.5 x 6" size. It's perfect for fitting in an A5 card, especially if you make them a little bulky like I do. To create the envelop you check the sizes and cut the card stock to size, then follow the punching directions.
I wrote a post awhile back on how to use this board with all the steps and if you haven't seen it done, I have all the step outs here.
You'll end up with an envelope like this...but don't adhere it together yet! It's so much easier to stamp on when you leave it open.
So here's where the envelope magically turns into Kraft! Actually, my design idea went a different direction and I decided instead of a plain white envelope I could get anywhere, I'd love to have a Kraft one! So I made one, quick as a wink!
Now what I wanted to do was create a box for the address area so that I wouldn't stamp where I wanted to write. The Tim Holtz Ruler is amazing for this and I simply lined the ruler up with the edges of the envelope and then drew a box in pencil. Use light pressure so that it is easy to erase later!
Next I started stamping. I stamped some of the Snail Mail sentiments on the envelope in Jet Black Archival Ink.
And then, using the pencil marks for placement, I stamped a floral and leaf frame using another Technique Tuesday stamp set, Garden of Life by Cath Edvalson. Avery Elle Pigment Inks are some of my favorite inks and they are wonderful for stamping on Kraft!
Don't forget the envelope flap too! And just before you move on and put the envelope together, heat set the inks with a heat tool to prevent smearing.
Isn't the envelope cute?! Next step...make a pretty matching card!
I wasn't quite done yet since it came to mind that a sweet little envelope on the card front would make a great place to stamp another card sentiment and also hold a little gift card for the recipient. This one is the 3"x4" size and is created from a 6"x6" sheet of patterned paper. Once I put it together I sanded the edges to define them and add a little shabby vintage look.
Once the envelope is adhered to the front of the card, I added in some pretty coordinating die cuts from the Garden Leaves by Cath Edvalson die set. They are cut from both card stock and felt for lots of variation in texture and then adhered along with some sweet buttons from Lilac Lane and a little paper flower from Maya Road.
You can find all the supplies listed below to make things easy.
Do you love happy mail? I'm busy sending Christmas cards right now but this one is going out soon after the holidays.
Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom!
Julia
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Hello and welcome to day 7 of the 12 tags of Christmas with a feminine twist. This is always, by far, my most favorite of Ellen Hutson CLASSroom posts all year!
For this project, I had the pleasure of work with Melania Deasy! She's fabulous. For both our tags, we used this sketch...
I went with a very loose interpretation of this sketch - using the lines for images and blocks of color.
To start, I die cut my tag and ink blended two colors to create the top two stripes from my sketch.
Next I colored in my images.
I wanted to jazz up the list so I stamped some fun snowflakes in Avery Elle silver fox ink.
I die cut my cute elf out and added some white gel pen accents.
Next, I added a snowdrift and also die cut some mountains. These form the bottom two stripes on my tag.
Next I assembled. Can you see the stripes?
Lastly, I added a sentiment using my MISTI. Genius tool. I couldn't live without it!
I added more white gel pen accents in the sky!
Finally, I added the ribbon!
I didn't get a pic of it, but I added some last minute sequins for sparkly snow drops! I love how creating a simple sketch can by such a springboard for ideas!
We are so excited to welcome the amazingly talented Melania Deasy back to The CLASSroom today to help us celebrate Avery Elle! We are sure you have seen Melania's colorful & happy work for companies like Avery Elle, Mama Elepahnt & MFT (just to name a few). We love Melania's interpretation of the sketch! Her tags are sweet, sparkly & sophisticated! Make sure you head over to Melania's blog to see more over her beautiful work!
Melania's Tag
Thank you for joining us once again this year for the seventh day of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist series! Simply leave your appreciation for the beautiful tags of today's dynamic duo, Heather and Melania, and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment before noon on December 17th to be included (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return tomorrow to see what our next team will have to inspire you!
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(click on the pics to enbiggan)
There are times when you can eyeball it, and times when if you do, the probability of botching the whole project is high. This project is definitely the latter.
Evenly spaced repeat stamping is a task best handled with a stamp positioning tool, like the MISTI.
Although I used the same beautiful color of ink (Avery Elle pigments), you could easily clean the stamp each time and use a different colored ink for each impression to create a rainbow effect. Cool beans, eh?!
LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for giving us a thumbs up and subscribing to our weekly video series!
You can see our selection of Winnie & Walter all right HERE.
Happy Mundane! :)
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Hey there #TexturalTuesdays friends! It's Lisa AAAAAND it's Tuesday so it's time to fill your heads with something fun. :)
First, I want to make sure that you've all had time to enjoy the Essentials by Ellen Holiday 2016 Release Hop and all the beautiful new designs by Julie Ebersole and Brandi Kincaid. TODAY is the very last day to leave a comment on any of the posts in the HOP to be eligible for prizes, so be sure you do!! This post is not eligible for goodies -- sorry. Oh wait! You get to see what I made! And that's pretty cool.
What I did is I used the Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Holiday Words by Julie Ebersole and left them attached together. I die-cut them out of acetate to use as a.....STENCIL!!! Yep. Awesome, huh? And keep those left-over acetate bits and use them on another card! YIPPEE!!
I die-cut the beautiful plaid paper into an oval and positioned my new stencil on top to make sure I could align it properly. I used an older washi tape to secure the patterned paper to my surface and a stronger tape to secure the stencil. (This was so I was certain not to tear my patterned paper with the washi tape.)
Then using any type of texture paste and a craft spatula (or flat end of a credit card, gift card) very gently scrape some of the paste over your new stencil. Just be gentle as you scrape. It's easy for the paste to get under the stencil. Got it? But before it has set up, it's still easy to scrape some of the remnants away.
Gently lift your stencil straight up and off. Before it dries and sets up, generously sprinkle the texture paste with the light colored glitter of your choice. Let the glitter become one with the texture paste HAHHA!! ;)
Cool, huh?
From this point on it's just building the card. I created the card base out of Bazzill Card Shoppe Caramel Apple Cardstock. I then cut a smaller panel out of Bazzill Card Shoppe Wax Lips Cardstock. This piece was run through my Big Shot Plus with the brand new Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies Stitches Cover Plate by Julie Ebersole. I also distressed the edges for a little extra funkiness. Between the oval and the red I added just a little square of vellum to soften the color palette. Some snowflakes, twine, and pearls (colored with Copics) finished this card. I hope you like it!
Here are some different views:
Look at that sparkle!!
This is a really weird angle for a card, but I wanted to show the dimension of the texture paste! It's really fun.
Just think of ALL the amazing stencils you can make from the wonderful Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies!! Has your mind blown yet? You will only be held back by YOUR imagination.
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Ready for another creative project? This week has been a busy one here in the CLASSroom as we feature some fabulous We R Memory Keepers tools, some sweet Avery Elle, kick off a new challenge and of course...an amazing new release! Today I'm combining three of the four for a fun and festive holiday party theme.
This project is in three parts. The fringe garland, the fringe gift tag and the coordinating peace holiday card. You can pick or choose what you make or be inspired to create them all.
First up is the fringe tassel. I've seen these popping up everywhere and especially on Pinterest. They are so fun and festive that I want to throw a party! I chose a few ombre glassine papers from We R Memory Keepers in blue and green shades. This makes it perfect for the holidays but also for using for birthdays. In my house there are a LOT of boys so green and blue is always safe and it really doesn't hurt that they are my favorite colors to decorate with.
As I mentioned above we are featuring We R Memory Keepers tools in the CLASSroom and I was really excited to try out the DIY Party Fringe and Score Board. It is seriously cool!!! You can make things like paper lanterns, fringe, rosettes and more! I'm focusing on the fringe aspect of the tool for this project so let's get started.
First of all, I want a fine fringe so I set it to 1/2" spacing on the cutting tool. Isn't it cool that you have OPTIONS?!
Next up I'm using the 12x12 ombre glassine paper and it's been folded in half with the folded edge at the top of the tool. Along the left side there is a marked area for placement. I'm using 1/2" fringe so the left side of the paper goes there.
The top folded edge of the fringe butts up along the top of the tool. Then before cutting you need to set the stop bar or guide. I set it at the 1/2 inch mark. If you leave the stop off, you'll cut all the way through and it's MUCH easier to keep all those pieces together.
To cut, slide the fringe cutter to the top of the cutter. Press DOWN to punch through the paper and then slide towards you in the channels.
Now raise the top of the tool and this is what you'll get. A sweet fringe. But it's not done yet. Slide the paper over, lining up the last cut section with the 1/2" marking and repeat the steps until the entire sheet is fringed.
I know this sounds like a LOT of instructions but it is seriously SO quick! Boom, boom, boom, done!
And here's what they'll look like! Some lovely fringed paper.
Note: I've used glassine paper here. This works best with lighter papers. Try mylar, glassine, tissue paper or very light patterned paper for different looks!
Next open up the 12x12 paper and start to roll up in the middle.
Once rolled fold in half to form your tassle.
Aren't these fun?!
And finally, place the folded section of the tassel over the twine or ribbon for the garland. Then wrap tassel top with twine.
I also thought it would be fun to have a tassel with a tag on a gift bag. I love die cuts and the new Avery Elle Ornamental Set is amazing! The detail is so beautiful!
To color the ornaments after die-cutting them I sponged them with Avery Elle Ink in Seaglass and Lemongrass Pigment Inks. If you start at the edges and sponge the color lightly inwards you'll get a pretty rounded effect in the shading for the ornaments. Inking white die-cuts is a great way to make any color you wish and is often a softer look than die-cutting from colored card stock.
I created a tag from the bracket edge die in MFT Stamps Blueprints 13 Die-namics and then arranged the ornaments over the white card stock tag. To add a pop of color the sentiment is die-cut from Wax Lips Card Stock using the brand new and stunning Holiday Words Die Set by Julie Ebersole in the Essentials by Ellen line.
Punch a hole in the top of the tag with a Crop-a-dile and tie tag and fringe tassel together with twine.
I think this is going to be a fun gift wrap this Christmas!
And for the last project, the Peace card...I've used many of the same products to tie it all together. To create the main panel layers I die-cut a large stitched rectangle from the Blueprints 13 Die-namics set again. But I didn't stop there. To add some diagonal interest, I used the same die AGAIN and laid it on an angle over the die-cut rectangle.
Once it's cut you'll get two pieces that fit together.
I pulled out the same inks and sponged on my color to create a perfectly matched background.
And then the ornaments make another appearance...this time left perfectly white as they are so lovely that way as well. Some words from the Ornamental set add to the Peace sentiment.
For a few embellishments I hooked a sweet little white tassel from Maya Road (see that tassel theme again?) and then some red sequins from Taylored Expressions finish it off.
I hope you'll be inspired to get creative and try out some of these techniques. And remember, you can use them for a festive holiday this year but also throughout the year for other celebrations as well!
Happy creating and have a fabulous weekend!
Julia
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Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. Halloween is just around the corner and is a time for fun treats and party favors. I have two products to share with you today that help make fast and easy bags and containers. First is the Avery Elle-ments Treat Tag and Box.
Cut two box sections.
Fold and score along the score lines.
Apply double stick tape to the bottom of one box section and adhere to the second box section.
Apply double stick tape to the right side of the four corner tabs and secure them in place to the
The box is three inches square and the perfect size for candy and cupcake Halloween Treats.
I filled mine with candy and decorated the tags with with assorted Impression Obsession Halloween dies.
My second set of projects were made using the We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag Guide. The gingham paper pattern for the bags was printed on printer paper. You could use printed designer paper, glassine or vellum.
The guide is made up of four sections that allows you to make various size bags. You can make the length of your bags as long or short as you would like.
I used section A and D for my six inch wide paper. My finished pencil bag is 5.50” long and my finished pen bag is 3.00”.
Lay the guide over the paper and lining the edges up on both sides at the six inch mark. Press firmly on the guide to hold it in place and begin tearing the paper slowly and gently and work your way to the center.
Go over to the opposite side and repeat the tearing process until you work your way to the center.
Move the guide straight down the paper to the length you would like your bag to be, keeping it in the same position and repeat the tearing steps working from the bottom of the paper.
There is a special notch on both sides of the guide that signify the scoring line for folding the bag. See the arrows on the photo. Line the guide up on both ends of the paper and fold and crease it against the guide. Repeat on both sides of the bag.
Line the guide up on the bottom of the bag and allow a small portion on both sides of the paper to be included in the fold.
Apply double stick tape to one side of the bag and attach to close the sides together.
Apply double stick tape to the bottom and fold up to close the bottom. Note: I folded up a little more on the bag in the photo than I had originally planned to make it fit my pens.
Have fun decorating your bags.
You can check out the Oh Goodie Bag Guide video tutorial on You Tube for a closer look. Thanks for coming by and I hope these projects have inspired you to make your own Halloween treats.
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(click on the pics to enbiggan)
It's cooling down 'round here in the PNW; the air is feeling crisp and the leaves are turning... and falling...
This Savvy Stamps Leaf Tree die is one of my all-time favorites--perfect for the card idea I had in mind for DIYing my own watercolor chipboard embellishment, using Craft-a-Board! You may or may not need it, but with the calibration on my die cutting machine, I found a metal shim to be helpful for cutting all the way through the Craft-a-Board.
Normally, to make faux chipboard, you have to layer about 5 piece of card stock but when you swap in Craft-a-Board, you really only need one or two, beneath your main layer--which in this case, happens to be watercolor paper because I recently got some new watercolor pencils and wanted to try them out.
In the video, I show two ways to use them; I used the 2nd method on this project.
After it was all dry, I gilded the leaves just a tad with some scrap leftover Deco Foil I had--I love spot-foiling--always looks so chic!
LINK: View in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE and give us a thumbs up! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Happy Mundane!
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