the CLASSroom

Lots Of Layers - Satur-YAY! 5.26.18 Featuring United We Flourish Stitched Together

Hi everyone!  Happy Satur-YAY!  It's Carissa with you here today.  I'm so glad you've stopped by today.  I'm celebrating the weekend by getting my craft on.  I have a project featuring lots of layers and the beautiful new Stitched Together United We Flourish stamp set from Waffle Flower and Essentials By Ellen.

It was my goal to create a lovely layered effect, without my card getting too bulky for mailing.  I did this by layering directly on my card base.  I also combined stamping and patterned papers in to my layering, which are great ways to add layers and not increase the bulk of your card.

The Stitched Together Stamp Set is a stamp layering stamp set.  There are several stamps that, when layered together, give you a beautiful stitched floral globe image.  I love that these stamps are easy to line up.  In fact, I didn't even have a layering guide when I stamped this and I was able to nestle these stamps right in to each other and create a beautiful layered stamped image.

I did add some dimension to my card by stacking up several plain white die cuts behind my stamped globe image.  This is a great way to add dimension and give your stamped piece a very substantial feel on the front of your card.

Be sure to check out today's video tutorial below.  I'll be walking you through the creation of this card and give you some tips and tricks along the way.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you've enjoyed this project and I hope it has inspired you to create something handmade on this beautiful Satur-YAY!  If you make something today, be sure to tag us and use #EllenHutsonSaturYAY so we can see what you're up to.

Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!

XOXO

Watch The Video

You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.  Don't forget to like this video and subscribe while you're there so you don't miss any of our paper crafting video tutorials.

Supplies

 

Tips For A Perfectly Stamped Layered Background with Lydia Evans

Lydia Evans demonstrates some great tips for spacing & stamping layered images to create a perfect background!

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Hello everyone! It's Lydia here and I'm so excited to be sharing my very first video here in the Ellen Hutson Classroom! So today I'm sharing a card made with the very pretty and EXCLUSIVE United We Flourish Stitched Together Stamp & Die Set with Waffle Flower. The set is so pretty and unlike anything I have in my stash.

To start I drew pencil lines all over a card panel so I could get my images spread out evenly. I also create a 'guide', by stamping the world image onto a piece of cardstock and cutting around it, this really helped when positioning stamps on the first layer. I then placed my gridded cardstock panel into my Misti, placed the guide where I wanted to stamp the image, placed the water layer in place over the guide, removed the guide and then stamped the image into position. I used Altenew Mountain Mist Ink for the water layer.

Once I had stamped all of the water images I moved on to Flower Layer 1 which I then stamped using Pinkalicious Ink. Next up I went onto Flower Layer 2 which I used Rubellite Ink. The Leaves layer was the easiest to stamp as this just goes where no other ink colour has been before, I used Olive Ink for this.

To fill in some of the white space on the background I used the 3 little images on the stamp set to create sweet little stitched roses, I used the same colour combo as I used for the flower and leaf areas on the globes. To finish I added a sentiment from the same stamp set that I white heat embossed onto some black cardstock. For a full step by step on how I created this card please check out the video below:

Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Lydia there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!

Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you again soon!

Hugs, Lydia

Supplies:

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Stitched Together by Waffle Flower

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (8-1/8 X 10-1/2)

Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad, Mountain Mist

Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad, Pinkalicious

Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad, Rubellite

Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad, Olive

Two Minute Tips: United We Flourish Stitched Together by Waffle Flower

Have you seen the new United We Flourish stamp & die combo set, Stitched Together by Waffle Flower? It's an adorable cross-stitch-style layering set. See it in action...

Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Laurel there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!

4 Ways To Use Stitched Stamps with Kelly Griglione

Kelly has 4 gorgeous ways (and a bunch of tips & tricks) to use the new United We Flourish stamps & die combo, Stitched Together by Waffleflower.

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Hello! Kelly Griglione here to share several tips and tricks to stamping with the newly released Stitched Together stamp set. This is the newest in the United We Flourish line, where Ellen Hutson partners with an amazing company and creates a unique stamp and die set. What makes these sets really special is that they are only available at Ellen Hutson, and only for a limited time. This particular set will make you look like an expert cross-stitcher, as once you've followed all the steps, you end up with a five-color floral globe! Talk about unique, I've never seen anything like it! I just love it, and I can't wait to show you more ...

 

 

The stamp set contains one stamp for each of the 5 colors that will make up the globe. To help you build your masterpiece in the easiest way, the stamps are numbered in the order that you stamp them.

 

 

Before I started stamping I got out the five ink pads I wanted to use, and put the coordinating blocks of stamps on top of the ink. This made it easier for me to make subsequent globes, as I already had everything laid out. The first stamp is the ocean, which I stamped in Catherine Pooler Ink's Mint To Be. This one is easy because you don't need to line anything up. Now it gets a little more detailed, but I'm going to walk you through what worked for me.

 

 

The lighter colored portion of the flower is next (Catherine Pooler Ink's Sweet Sixteen). I picked two areas that left no question where the cross stitch should go, since it was surrounded by ocean from the first stamp. These two areas are highlighted with the arrows on the left. TIP: Initially I only used one area to line up my stamp, but found that if you didn't have your stamp block completely horizontal, stitches in the other sections would be off. Using two areas to line up your stamp helps avoid this issue. 

 

 

Now it's time to add details/shadows to the flowers with a darker color, Sugared Lavender. To line this one up I focused on the main rose area with the circular pattern. When you hold the stamp over the image, the stitches visually fill in the rest of the flower, making it easy to position.

 

 

The leaves, stamped in Green Tea, will complete the world. I focused on the two larger clusters of leaves to line these up. I thought this one would be a little easier than it was because the leaves should be filling in the only remaining spaces, but since my ocean color is so light there wasn't a ton of contrast to help guide me. Just make sure you choose two different areas to line up your stamp with.

 

 

Finally, you get to stamp the base of the globe. The important thing to remember on this step is to make sure to allow an even amount of space all the way around the semi circle. The first time I stamped this I lined up the stand so that it was touching the bottom of the globe. Well, that doesn't make sense because a globe should be suspended so it can spin. You can line up the stand with the bottom of the globe to start with, but make sure to then move it away from the globe one row before you stamp.

 

Now you're done! Let's take a look at some finished examples, and then I have a few more tips before you go.

 

 

Didn't this globe turn out so well?! The beauty is that since the main image is so interesting and impactful, you really don't need much else to complete the card. You'll see this in all the examples. For this card I wanted everything else to be white so the cross stitch really stands out. The panel is sewn onto the card base with a piece of lace from a tablecloth that had a hole in it (25 cents at a garage sale!) in between.

 

 

I was really excited to find this sentiment from Up the Happy, as it actually has the word "world" in it! Score! I split up the sentiment and stamped part of it above the globe, part of it embossed in gold below the globe, and the rest of it stamped below that. 

 

 

This card is for my most fabulous friend in the world, but it could also be for the most fabulous mom in the world (especially if your mom cross stitches), or teacher in the world (globes are educational!) I stamped the globe on a cream base to give it a more homespun feel. The word "most" is handwritten on a piece of black cardstock. Remember, if you don't have the right stamp, sometimes you can just write it yourself! "Fabulous" is from Totally Fabulous by Julie Ebersole, "friend" is from Oh Deer by Julie Ebersole (retiring soon), and "in the world" is a portion of a stamp that comes with this set.

 

 

Did you notice those cute little cross stitched roses at the top? These stamps are also included in the set. There is only one flower image, but you can rotate it and change up the leaves like I did here to make it look like different flowers.

 

 

The sentiment on this card comes with the set, I just broke it up a little to be above and below the globe. I didn't have the right color of aqua for the card base, so I decided to use the same color ink that I used for the globe's stand. Can you guess what stamp is around the border?

 

 

It's the pair of Christmas trees from Holly Jolly by Julie Ebersole! I just needed a stamp that was solid so I could turn most of the margin aqua. I ended up liking the sharp angles of the trees when they were all stamped together because it adds some interest to the background.

 

 

The panel is inked around the edges with the same ink from the darker floral section, and I blended some of the ocean color around the edges of the white panel.

 

 

The last cross stitch stamp that I hadn't used yet is the cute heart. I decided to literally stamp the love around the sentiment.

 

To create the feeling of an embroidery hoop to frame the stitched hearts, I die cut the circular frame with holes in it from Mirror, Mirror by Brandi Kincaid. The holes were just begging to be stitched through, which supports the needle work theme of these projects very well. This would be such a cute tag, or you could also attach it to the front of a card.

 

Next I'd like to share a few tips that I came across while making these projects and playing around.

 

 

One tip for making sure you align the different pieces of the globe just right is to keep the stamp perfectly horizontal. Originally, I used some circular stamp blocks, which made it more difficult to keep the image horizontal. Lining up the image was much easier when I switched the stamp to a rectangular block. 

 

 

If you didn't keep your stamp horizontal, you may end up with a few rows or columns of stitches pulling away from their neighbors. You can see this here, were the light purple columns of Africa are stamped too far to the right, leaving several white gaps. When this happened, my heart sank and I really didn't want to give up on the image since the rest of it was pretty well aligned. So I sharpened my colored pencil and drew a very thin line through the white space. You'll see that even though the color is not close at all to the light or dark purple, as it's pink, just taking away the white space makes the problem start to go away.

 

 

Here I filled in all the white spaces in Africa, and now it doesn't look off anymore. It would look even better had I used a purple pencil!

 

 

My final tip is to think about using a MISTI. Although you can absolutely stamp it freehand, the MISTI is great if you were planning on making more than one globe like I did here. I only have one MISTI so I had to space it out carefully. The trick here is to always use paper in the same dimension as the one you start with. As long as every future panel is 4" wide for this particular set up, I'll be able to stamp my water in the bottom right corner, stamp the light florals in the bottom left corner, flip the paper over and stamp the darker florals in the upper left corner, and finally stamp the leaves in the upper right corner. I'm going to make a large batch of these to have on hand while the stamps are still arranged on my misti.

 

 

Well, what do you think, folks? Are you ready to try this set out? I can't wait to play around with different color combinations, especially now that it's set up on the misti. 

 

 

Be sure to mark this post to come back to once you are ready to stamp!

 

Thanks for looking!
-Kelly

 

Supplies:

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Stitched Together by Waffle Flower

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Up the Happy by Julie Ebersole

Essentials By Ellen Clear Stamps, Oh Deer By Julie Ebersole (Retiring)

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Holly Jolly by Julie Ebersole

Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Totally Fabulous by Julie Ebersole

Essentials By Ellen Designer Dies, Mirror Mirror by Brandi Kincaid

Catherine Pooler Ink Pad, Sugared Lavender

Catherine Pooler Ink Pad, Sweet Sixteen

Catherine Pooler Ink Pad, Mint To Be

Catherine Pooler Ink Pad, Green Tea

Catherine Pooler Ink Pad, Aquatini

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (8-1/8 X 10-1/2)

United We Flourish: Waffle Flower

Are you a fan of needlepoint or cross stitch but just don't have the time it takes to complete a project? If so, this stamp set is for you! This beautiful cross-stitched globe stamp is an elegant pattern that comes together in minutes when stamped with your favorite inks to create a stunning card or piece of wall art! 

Have you heard about our United We Flourish campaign? Well, let us tell you a little bit about it...

In 2016 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!!! 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 themes of these stamps sets are uplifting and fun.

And today we are thrilled to share the latest United We Flourish set, Stitched Together by Waffle Flower!

Waffle Flower joined the EH family in 2017 and WF's chief Nina, has been our friend for ages! (Check out her first guest post with us here.) Waffle Flower has a fresh & fun style. The UWF Stitched Together set is a gorgeous layering set, illustrated by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. The set uses small x's to represent stitching and when you stamp all the layers together, you have a beautiful embroidered globe with floral continents! Check out the quick video from Laurel...

Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Laurel there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!

And check out this awesome layering guide ...

Today we are thrilled to share some irresistible projects from some talented ladies! Grab a cuppa and get ready to be inspired by this talented group! Make sure to leave comment love along the way because two randomly selected commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson shop! To enter just leave a comment at each blog by 11:59pm PST on May 26th. The winners will be contacted directly via email.

How To Add Shading To Stamped Images With Colored Pencils -Satur-YAY 2.24.2018

Hey everyone!  Welcome to Satur-YAY!  We're celebrating the weekend by getting our craft on!  There's no better way to spend the weekend (in my humble opinion).  I can't wait to see what you're making this weekend, so be sure to share it using #EllenHutsonSaturYAY!

Today I'll be using the Sweet Sprinkles United We Flourish stamp and die set to create a sweet card that could really be used for any occasion!  I love the feminine feel of the cupcake combined with a little bit of kraft card stock to add a little bit of rustic charm.

I'll be using my Prismacolor Colored Pencils to add a little bit of shading to this solid stamped image.  You'll see how this quick and easy step can really add depth and dimension to a solid stamped image.  You can also use this technique to add shading to a colored image.  If you don't have the right combination of markers to create light and dark on your image, try using colored pencils over the top of your coloring to add depth and dimension instead!

Here are a couple of tips for adding shading to your stamped and colored images.

1. There's no need for your colored pencil to be a specific or exact shade.  Just choose a pencil that is slightly darker than the stamped or colored image you want to add shading to.  There's no exact science...and that's what makes it so darn easy!
2. In order to created the illusion that you've used multiple colors, start with a heavier hand to lay down more color in the areas you want darkest.  Lighten your pressure as you move to the lighter shade to vary the color.  This will make it look like you used 3 or 4 colors.
3. You can add highlights to an image by adding a touch of white colored pencil.  This one pencil in your stash can go a long way in adding lighter highlights to all of your images.
4. Don't be afraid to play.  Often times, when we are willing to experiment with new things, we find unexpected discoveries along the way.

I've also done a little de-bossing using the little scattered hearts included in the Sweet Sprinkles stamp and die set.  It's a fun and unexpected way to use your dies and get more out of them.  

Be sure to check out today's video tutorial.  I'll be walking you through the creation of today's card and give you a few more tips and tricks (and maybe giggles) along the way.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you've enjoyed today's project.  I can't wait to see what you're creating on this fabulous Satur-YAY!  Be sure to share your projects with me!

Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!

XOXO

Watch The Video

You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.  Don't forget to subscribe and share it with a friend!

Supplies

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Sweet Sprinkles by Concord & 9th

Concord & 9th Clear Stamps, Enjoy It All

Lawn Cuts Dies, Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables

Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone Cotton Candy

Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Mid-Tone Mint Julep

Lawn Fawn Ink Pad, Ballet Slippers

VersaMark Ink Pad

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Set of 150

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Spring Green PC913

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Pink PC929

Essentials By Ellen Prismacolor Pencil Collection, 36 pk

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Set of 36

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 250 Sheet Ream

American Crafts Specialty Paper, Glitter 6x6

Ranger Stickles, Gold

Sheer Shimmer Spritz, Sparkle

Brutus Monroe Metallic Embossing Powder, Gilded

Hero Arts Embossing Gun (Wagner)

Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (8-1/8 X 10-1/2)

My Sweet Petunia Mouse Pad

My Sweet Petunia Bar Magnet

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Accessory Bundle

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Clear Cutting Plates

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Magnetic Shim, 2pk

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Rubber Embossing Mat

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Plastic Shim

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior Metal Cutting Plate

EK Craft Tweezers

EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath

Fiskars Deluxe 12 Inch Paper Trimmer with Aluminum Cut Rail

Fiskars Reinforced Trimmer Blades

Tonic Comfort 8.5 Inch Guillotine Paper Trimmer by Tim Holtz

X-Press It Tape Runner

ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider

ATG Double-Sided Refill Tape, 2 pk, 1/4"

Scotch Foam Mounting Tape

ShurTech Yellow Frog Delicate Multisurface Masking Tape

Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Mini, 1/2 oz.

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Mediums, Matte 1 oz.

Ranger Accents, Mini Glossy Accents

Darice Ultrafine Tip Applicator Bottles, 4pk

Sweet Sprinkles

Let's end our United We Flourish week on a sugar high note with Sweet Sprinkles by Concord & 9th!

Check out these yummy projects by our talented team and sweet friends (just click on each little picture to see more)...

Sending Sunshine & Better Together

Get ready for some serious eye candy today as we talk about TWO of our United We Flourish sets...

The United We Flourish Sending Sunshine set designed by our kind & wonderful friends at Honey Bee, is the perfect way to brighten a gray day!

Check out these sunny cards from our talented team and sweet friends (just click on each little picture to see more)...

But there's more... :)

The adorable birds in the United We Flourish Better Together by our kind friends at Hero Arts will definitely make your heart sing!

Check out Heather Campbell's awesome tips for adding details to stamped images with white gel pens...

And check out some of the tweet creations by our talented team and the amazing Hero Arts team (just click on each little picture to see more)...

 

G'Day Mate

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)...

Coloring Animals with Copic Markers - Hello, Monday 02/19/2018

(click in the pics to enbiggan)

True confessions:  I struggled with Copic Markers whenever I colored animals.  For a long time, I couldn't get the look or effect I wanted.  I noticed there were a few artists out there whose method of coloring animals really struck a chord with me, so I started practicing with a different approach. I do love these results (I still need to keep practicing), and thought I'd share what I've been trying. :)

I'm also playing with one of my favorite United We Flourish sets:  Good Friends by My Favorite Things for ellenhutson.com  I used the same coloring method on all the samples I show in the video and I'll have the Copic colors I used listed below in the supplies.

LINK:  Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE!  Thanks for liking and subscribing!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and have a Happy Mundane! ;)

 

SUPPLIES:

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Good Friends by My Favorite Things

VersaMark Ink Pad

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

COPIC Sketch Marker E30, Bisque

COPIC Sketch Marker E33, Sand

COPIC Sketch Marker E37, Sepia

COPIC Sketch Marker R20, Blush

COPIC Sketch Marker C1, Cool Gray No. 1

COPIC Sketch Marker C3, Cool Gray No. 3

COPIC Sketch Marker, 0 Colorless Blender

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Essentials by Ellen Paper Pack, Modern Graphics by Julie Ebersole

My Sweet Petunia Mini MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (6-1/8 X 7)

Crafter's Companion Gemini Junior

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

Scotch Foam Mounting Tape

Thermoweb Sticky Dot Mini Runner

Hero Arts Frame Cuts Dies, Infinity Nesting Circles

Teflon Bone Folder

Good Friends

Good friends are impossible to forget and so are these cuties from the United We Flourish set Good Friends, designed by our amazing friends at My Favorite Things Stamps!Check out a whole litter of adorable creations from our talented team and some of our good friends (just click on each little picture to see more)...

United We Flourish

United We Flourish began as the theme for our tenth anniversary celebration and became so much more! United We Flourish is now the essence of everything we do because Ellen Hutson LLC would not be here without the love, support & creativity of our amazing customers, talented designers and wonderful companies we work with! United We Flourish has also come to life as limited edition stamp & die sets created with some of our pals.

And can you believe we have already released 7 beautiful & amazing United We Flourish sets with 7 of our fantastic friends?! Neither can we!!! We do have a few more up our sleeves later this spring & summer but in the meantime, we are going to spend this week spotlighting all the United We Flourish sets so far because we love them so much!

Love 'Ya Bunches

Let's talk monkeys! Love 'Ya Bunches was the very first United We Flourish stamp & die set and it is by our very sweet friends at Lawn Fawn!

Check out these apeeling projects by a barrel of talented makers (click on each little picture to see more)... 

Better Together: Copic Airbrushed Background & Coloring by Sharon Harnist

Hello crafters! Today I'm showing you a background I created for the United We Flourish Better Together birds with masking and Copic airbrushing, behind a custom "stretched" frame I created with the Strands die!

(Click on any photo for a larger view)

Here's how this card came together . . .

The branch on my card was created by "stretching" the length of the 3" x 3" Strands die to 4.50"! Here's the die:

To do this, I die cut the Strands die towards the left center of a 5.50" x 4.25" panel of Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White cardstock. Then I slid the die over to the right side of the cardstock panel, flipped both over so I could adjust the die to where the die cut strands lined up as closely as possible to where the die would cut a second time:

Then I partially die cut just the right side of the cardstock showing above, by placing my top die cutting plate (shown above) a tad short of where the paper was already die cut, so you end up with this:

Then I chose one of the lower strands that (almost) connected the closest, and finished snipping the strand so it was continuous.  

Then I just snipped away the rest of the unwanted strands, leaving my one long strand to serve as a branch for my birds:

Next, I used my Misti to line up the United We Flourish Better Together birds on an additional 5.50" x 4.25" Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White panel on which I had lightly traced my branch.

Once the birds were lined up, I replaced my die cut Strand "branch" frame on top of the blank panel and stamped the birds on top of both panels:

Now to add some color!  I created a mask with wide Eclipse Tape and airbrushed Copic G21 to the lower part of the stamped panel:

I created an additional mask of the birds (here's where your Misti comes in handy -- just stamp the birds again onto your masking paper!), positioned the mask over the birds, and airbrushed the "sky" with Copic B21. I intentially airbrushed some areas a little darker, to create the look of clouds:

Once the masks were removed, here's what I had (pretty white birds to color!):

Then I had a ton of fun coloring the birds with these Copic markers:

Aren't they adorable?!!  My homemade branch frame was colored, then the frame placed over the airbrushed and colored bird panel. I finished the card by coloring the two end bird's tails on the frame and added the sentiments.

I hope you'll try this die cutting technique, to stretch (literally!) your die uses!

SUPPLIES: ---------------------------------

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Better Together by Hero Arts

Essentials By Ellen Designer Dies, Strands by Julie Ebersole

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

COPIC Sketch Marker N1, Neutral Gray No. 1

COPIC Sketch Marker N2, Neutral Gray No. 2

COPIC Sketch Marker N3, Neutral Gray No. 3

COPIC Sketch Marker N5, Neutral Gray No. 5

COPIC Sketch Marker W2, Warm Gray No. 2

COPIC Sketch Marker W1, Warm Gray No. 1

COPIC Sketch Marker W5, Warm Gray No. 5

COPIC Sketch Marker Y15, Cadmium Yellow

COPIC Sketch Marker B21, Baby Blue

COPIC Sketch Marker G21, Lime Green

COPIC Sketch Marker R22, Light Prawn

COPIC Sketch Marker R24, Prawn

COPIC Sketch Marker R27, Cadmium Red

COPIC Sketch Marker E30, Bisque

COPIC Sketch Marker E31, Brick Beige

COPIC Sketch Marker E35, Chamois

COPIC Sketch Marker E55, Light Camel

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (8-1/8 X 10-1/2)

COPIC Airbrush Starter Set 1N

Sparmax Airbrush Compressor, TC-501N Achieve

COPIC Airbrush Kit, ABS-3

Judikins Eclipse Tape

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")

EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath

Teflon Bone Folder

X-Press It Tape Runner

Birds on a Branch - Better Together in Colored Pencil

Hello, coloring friends! Today I wanted to share a little colored pencil fun you can have with a stamp set that has a lot of images in it - and the new United We Flourish set is perfect for this idea! Lots of tweet little birdies (haha!) to color in all kinds of rainbow hues.

Most stamp sets would lend themselves to an idea like this, especially if you're like me and want to color all the stamps in the set! I stamped them with Lawn Fawn Manatee Ink so it would disappear a bit; you can also do second-generation stamping (stamp on scrap paper to lessen the amount of black ink, so the second stamping is light.) The MiniMISTI really made the stamping so much easier - gotta love that tool!

Check out the video to see how I colored it, and to get a few Prismacolor and coloring tips along the way. Watch in HD by clicking below or on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up there - and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos! 

Is your mind reeling with all the stamp sets you have that this technique would work for?? :)

I used a variety of colors out of the full set of 150 pencils (shout out to everyone else with "full set syndrome!") but the smaller sets contain great selections to try out as well. Here are the ones I used:

Hope you enjoyed this little project....be sure to check out the entire bloghop from this past weekend to see LOTS more ideas with this stamp set!

Supplies:

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Better Together by Hero Arts

Lawn Fawn Ink Pad, Manatee

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Set of 150

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Scotch Foam Mounting Tape

Judikins Eclipse Tape

Judikins Eclipse Twins

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool (8-1/8 X 10-1/2)

United We Flourish: Hero Arts

Have you heard about our United We Flourish campaign? Well, let us tell you a little bit about it...

In 2016 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 so excited to share the latest United We Flourish set, Better Together by Hero Arts! 

Hero Arts has been an important part of the Ellen Hutson LLC family since almost the beginning! Hero has a classic & fun style that always makes us smile! And they are true innovators, not just in their gorgeous designs but also in their business practices. Hero Arts is a certified green business and they make giving a priority, donating 100% of profits of special products to charity. 

Today we are thrilled to be hopping with the talented Hero Arts design team to share our Better Together creations! Grab a cuppa and get ready to be inspired by this talented group! Then swing back here to tell us what you loved because two randomly selected commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson shop! To enter just leave a comment on the Ellen Hutson Classroom blog by 11:59pm PST on January 28th.

Happy hopping!

• Hero Arts 
• Amy Tsuruta   
• Carly Tee Minner
• Carolyn Peeler
• Clare Prezzia      
• Heather Campbell
• Ilina Crouse           
• Janette Kausen      
• Jessica Frost-Ballas          
• Julie Ebersole
• Kelly Griglione
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Laurel Beard
• Libby Hickson   
• Lisa Adametz
• Michele Ferguson
• Michelle Short
• Sharon Harnist   
• Sandy Allnock

3 Ways To Add Sprinkles...

...from 3 ladies we love!!!

We are so very happy to have 3 of our good friends back to The CLASSroom today to share their gorgeous creations using the latest United We Flourish stamp & die set, Sweet Sprinkles by Concord & 9th!

Check out the awesome cards by Amy Rysavy, Kara Vrabel & Ardyth Percy-Robb (just click on each picture to see more and click here to learn more about United We Flourish)...

Amy Rysavy

Kara Vrabel

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Thanks so much for stopping by today and MONDO thanks to Amy, Kara & Ardyth for sharing their talent with us!

United We Flourish: Concord & 9th

Have you heard about our United We Flourish campaign? Well, let us tell you a little bit about it...

In 2016 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 share the latest United We Flourish set, Sweet Sprinkles by Concord & 9th! For some additional inspiration be certain to visit our United We Flourish Ideas page.

Concord & 9th has been delighting us since 2016, when they became part of the Ellen Hutson LLC family! They have a fun & fresh style that makes us look forward to the 9th of each month, when we get to see each new release! And not only do we love their products, but we think co-owners Angie & Greg are super sweet! We love working with them and we just wish Utah & Washington were closer together so we could see them more!

With this yummy set you will find that there are cupcakes - and then there are cupcakes with sprinkles!!! Sprinkles make everything better! This sweet set will have you adding sprinkles to cupcakes, ice-cream cones and more! The sentiments will touch the heart of your recipient or wish them a happy day. Use the long sprinkle stamp to add sprinkles to your background, or create a border to frame your focal point. The matching dies cut out the images and also includes the sentiment 'YUM' along with some sweet heart sprinkles. This 4 X 6 set contains 11 stamps, 8 images and 3 sentiments along with 6 dies.

Today we are super excited to be getting together with the talented & sweet Where Creativity Meets C9 team to share our Sweet Sprinkles creations! Just click on the pictures below to see what everyone has been working on or start at Concord & 9th's blog to do the full hop. But before you go...there are prizes! To celebrate, two randomly selected commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson shop and two commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Concord & 9th shop. To enter just leave a comment on the Ellen Hutson Classroom blog and the Concord blog by 12pm PST on December 26th.

Ok, go have fun & get inspired!

Sweet Tips for Coloring Die Cuts from Sandy Allnock

I'm Sandy Allnock - and I can't stop coloring! I got a sneak peek of the darling new United We Flourish Sweet Sprinkles stamp & die combo by Concord & 9th (which will be available this Sunday, 12/17), which is made up of solid stamps. What's a colorist to do?? Well, you get creative - and oh man, was this fun!

First, I cut out card fronts for my two cards - first the frosting and ice cream tops, then their respective bottom pieces - overlapping them so they meet up like a puzzle piece later. All this was done with Neenah Cream paper, cut to 4"x4".

Next, I put the first layer of Copic color onto each one of the pieces; I put a tidge of adhesive on the backs so they'd stay put on my scratch paper while I did my coloring.

The ice cream cone and cupcake bottom both have textures that can be drawn in - crosshatching for the cone, and stripes for the cupcake.

Before finishing those pieces I got distracted by the frosting and ice cream! Gah! Sugar draws my attention all the time. LOL! With 3 colors I built up the swirl shapes - they're basically "C" shapes at the bottom of each swirl delineated by the scallops cut by the die. 

Now, back to the cone and cupcake bottom - adding a little more shading and blending. Don't overblend, or the texture underneath will disappear entirely.

Now for assembly: I put some scotch tape on the back of the card fronts and laid my pieces inside. After, I added more tape to the back to be sure they stayed in place well.

And then put dimensional adhesive on the back - I like it around all sides, and if it's a full card panel I put a slice in the middle so the card doesn't cave in during mailing.

Finishing touches: I diecut the little hearts out of scrap paper to glue on top with Glossy Accents. An alternate that I almost wish I'd tried: Diecut the heart sprinkles from the pink and chocolate pieces - place them back together swapped - so you have pink sprinkles on the chocolate cupcake, and chocolate sprinkles on the ice cream! A little glossy accents on top of them would be sweet too, to make them shiny.

The finished cards are so clean and simple!

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial - be sure to hop along on the bloghop to see more ideas with this set; I have a video showing a way to use distress inks with them!

Sandy's Supplies:

The new United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Sweet Sprinkles by Concord & 9th will be available on Sunday, December 17th!

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Classic Cream, 25 pk

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

COPIC Sketch Marker RV21, Light Pink

COPIC Sketch Marker E31, Brick Beige

COPIC Sketch Marker BG05 Holiday Blue

COPIC Sketch Marker E35, Chamois

COPIC Sketch Marker BG09, Blue Green

COPIC Sketch Marker E33, Sand

COPIC Sketch Marker RV29, Crimson

COPIC Sketch Marker RV25, Dog Rose Flower

COPIC Sketch Marker E29, Burnt Umber

COPIC Sketch Marker E37, Sepia

We R Memory Keepers QuickStik (QK-QUICKSTIK-1)

Ranger Accents, Glossy Accents

Scotch Foam Mounting Tape

Smooches from 2 Ladies We Love!

We are so excited to welcome two of our super talented & sweet friends back to the Classroom today with their adorable creations using the latest United We Flourish stamp & die set, Good Friends by MFT!

Check out these awesome cards by Jessica Frost-Ballas and Kelly Griglione (just click on the picture to see more and click here to learn more about United We Flourish)...

Thanks for stopping by and GIGANTIC thanks to Jessica & Kelly for sharing their talent with us!!! We are sending smooches your way! ♥

Hello Monday 10.23.17 with guest Chari Moss

We are delighted to welcome our friend Chari Moss back to the CLASSroom today! We are lucky to have such a cool "substitute teacher" while Miss Julie is on an adventure, and Chari has some adorable ideas to share using the new United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Good Friends by MFT.

You can see more of Chari's beautiful work on her blog, Mossy Made. And while you are there checking out her awesomeness, leave Chari a little comment love. Chari 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 Chari! Please come back soon!♥

---

Check out Chari's video:

Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Chari there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!

Some awesome tips from Chari...

• use typing paper and reposition-able adhesive as a mask if masking paper is not available
• try inexpensive make-up brushes for dusting
• stamping and die cutting colored cardstock is an easy way to create colored images with no coloring required

Supplies:

United We Flourish Stamp & Die Combo, Good Friends by My Favorite Things

Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Folk Hearts by Julie Ebersole

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Tumbled Glass

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Wilted Violet

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Claritystamp Stencil Brushes, Set of 4

United We Flourish: My Favorite Things

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 delighted to share the latest United We Flourish set with...Good Friends by My Favorite Things!

MFT has been charming us with their designs since 2012, when they first became part of the EH family. We are always excited to see their new releases each month and our socks are always knocked off! They can do it all, from cute critters to sophisticated sentiments! And they are a group of truly kind people! We love working with them and we love seeing them at tradeshows & grabbing a coffee.

With this cute set you will find lots of friends ready to spend the day having fun! The adorable cats and dogs will make you smile and warm your heart - just what a good friend should do. The sweet sentiments will let your recipient know how special they are. This 4 X 6 set includes 12 stamps, 8 images and 4 sentiments along with 8 matching dies.

Today we are super excited to be getting together with talented members of the MFT team to share our creations. Just click on the pictures below to see what everyone has been working on...

Snazzy Inspiration from Sharon!

Sharon has already knocked our socks off this week by joining in the hop to celebrate the latest United We Flourish set, Poppy Fields and today she has more snazzy & stunning cards to inspire us!

 

See more about these on Sharon's blog! Happy Friday!

3 Talented Ladies Who We Admire

We are delighted to welcome 3 of our amazingly talented friends and their gorgeous creations using the latest United We Flourish stamp & die set, Poppy Fields by Altenew!

Check out these stunning cards by Emily Midgett, Mayline Jung and Kara Vrabel (just click on the picture to see more and click here to learn more about United We Flourish)...

Thank you for stopping by and MONDO thanks to Emily, Mayline & Kara for sharing their talents with us today! We admire you!

Hello, Monday 09/25/2017 - United We Flourish with Altenew

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Feat. the United We Flourish Stamp & Die Set "Poppy Fields", in partnership with Altenew.

 

Sometimes, it's fun to use your low-profile dies to give an image definition, without actually die-cutting it out!

 

Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE.  Thanks for giving us a  thumbs' up and subscribing to our channel! 

TIPS:

• Hold your water-based markers horizontally while applying color directly to the stamp to get the most coverage.
• A fine mist spray bottle will help you get a nice even coating of water over the inked image.
• If you didn't quite mist enough water on the image, you can always push the color around with a waterbrush to achieve a more "faux watercolor" effect.
• To deboss the low profile die lines into your paper, use the following platform sandwich:

1. Big Shot Multi-Purpose Platform, all tabs open
2. Cutting pad
3. Silicone Rubber Pad
4. Paper
5. Die (with a little low-tack tape to ensure the die does not move as it passes through the Big Shot)
6. Sizzix Crease Pad

 

Thanks for joining me today--Happy Mundane! ;)

 

SUPPLIES:

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Pale Green

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Olive Green

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Pale Yellow

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Lemon Yellow

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Light Carmine

Tonic Nuvo Light Mist Spray Bottle, 2 pack

VersaFine Ink Pad, Onyx Black

Canson XL Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Sizzix Texturz, Silicone Rubber Sheet

Sizzix Big Shot Plus Premium Crease Pad, Standard

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Thermoweb Sticky Dot Mini Runner

Thermoweb Sticky Tape Mini Runner

ShurTech Yellow Frog Delicate Multisurface Masking Tape

Tonic Nuvo Crystal Drops, Black Ebony

 

United We Flourish: Altenew

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 the latest United We Flourish set to you...Poppy Field by Altenew!

 

Altenew has inspired and intrigued us from day one with their exquisite designs! We have loved having them as part of our EH family since 2014 and we are always excited to see what wonderful things they create! They are a wonderful & caring group and we have been lucky enough to spend a little time with them at tradeshows and even on Google Meetup :)

With their amazing new set, you can create your own beautiful poppy field! You will be surprised at how easy it is to create realistic flowers with this color layering set and the sweet sentiments will add a nice finishing touch to your card. This 4x6 set contains 11 stamps, 9 images and 2 sentiments along with 2 matching dies. 

Today we are so excited to be hopping with the Altenew team to celebrate this release! And we've got prizes! To celebrate two randomly selected commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Ellen Hutson shop and two commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to the Altenew shop. To enter just leave a comment HERE on the Ellen Hutson Classroom blog and the Altenew blog by 12pm PST on Wednesday, September 27th.

Ok, now go check out the work of these crazy talented hoppers!

• Altenew Card Blog
• Carissa Wiley
• Lilith Eeckels
• Carly Tee Minner
• Lydia Evans
• Erum Tasneem
• Heather Campbell
• Nicole Picadura
• Julia Stainton
• Therese Calvird
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Kymona Tracey
• Laurel Beard
• Svitlana Shayevich
• Lisa Adametz
• Sandy Allnock
• Sharon Harnist

3 Talented Ladies Who Shine!

We are delighted to welcome 3 of our super talented friends and their gorgeous creations using the latest United We Flourish stamp & die set, Sending Sunshine by Honey Bee Stamps!

Check out these amazing cards by Michele Ferguson, Melissa Bickford & Stephanie Buice (just click on the picture to see more and click here to learn more about United We Flourish)...

Sending Sunshine by Michele Ferguson

Your Way by Melissa Bickford

Love & Sunshine by Stephanie Buice

 Thanks for stopping by and a ginormous thank you to Michele, Melissa & Steph for sharing sunshine with us today!

Two Minute Tip: Aligning Word Stamps & Dies

We are so excited for the latest United We Flourish stamp & die combo set! Sending Sunshine by Honey Bee Stamps is such a sweet and versatile set, filled with words to encourage and send love. Heather Campbell has got some great tips on how to align and use the stamps & dies. Check it out:

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!

United We Flourish: Honey Bee

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 third United We Flourish set to you...Sending Sunshine by Honey Bee Stamps!

Honey Bee Stamps has only been a part of the EH family for a year and a half but they are a very important part! They are our Pacific Northwest neighbors and we would definitely lend them a cup of sugar (or should we say that we would lend them a cup of Copics or stamps or dies or sequins)! We love their sweet stamp & die designs, especially their awesome sentiment builder sets. And we are lucky enough to have Honey Bee team member Taniesa in our neck of the woods. We love when she stops by!

We all need a little sunshine in our lives and this is just the set to do that. This fun sentiment builder set is all about the sun. The three big bold words, Sun, Shine and Sending can be combined with the other words in a myriad of ways to create the perfect sentiment for your card. The coordinating dies will cut out the bold stamped words and a shadow to use for layering.

This 4 X 6 set contains 25 sentiment stamps along with 6 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 Honey Bee 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 gorgeous sentiments in action and be certain to join and Ellen & Melissa on Tuesday, August 29th at 11am 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!

3 Ways to Send Sunshine

T

Sending a sunny piece of snail mail to let someone know you care is always a good idea! And the latest United We Flourish collaboration set from Essentials By Ellen & Honey Bee Stamps, Sending Sunshine, is perfect for doing just that!

Here are 3 sunny ideas to get you started...

#1. A Sunny Embossed Background

The Honey Bee Sunburst A2 Cover Plate is a beautiful die for cutting but it is also stunning when embossed! After embossing the ray design onto Bristol cardstock (see more about embossing with your dies in this article from Julie), I did some ink blending with some "Honey Bee" yellows, Distress Ink Wild Honey and Scattered Straw. A little blue cloud from the Partly Cloudy set is the perfect addition over my sentiment, created with the the UWF Sending Sunshine set and the Ray of Sunshine die.

 

#2. A Sunny Shaker

The Honey Bee Sunburst Layering stencils turn a simple circle into a burst of sunlight! I used the stencil with Wild Honey Distress Ink on Bristol paper, backing it with acetate and foam mounting it to create a sparkly shaker.

#3. A Simple & Sunny Background

Simple shape dies can make an impressive background and they are super easy to use! I started this one by watercoloring 3 pieces of Bristol cardstock with Wild Honey, Tumbled Glass and Abandoned Distress Inks. Then I die cut bunches of hexagons using the Honey Bee Solid Hexagon Stack. I applied Be Creative tape to a piece of cardstock and put the background "puzzle" together by just laying down one hexagon at a time. After my panel was done, I decided to trim it down a bit before applying it to a card. A larger vellum hexagon created the perfect spot for a sentiment.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are inspired and I know we can't wait to see what you create! Tag your United We Flourish creations with #UnitedWeFlourish #EssentialsByEllen #EllenHutsonLLC and #HoneyBeeStamps.

Hugs! Carly

Keen On Koalas & Kangaroos!

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):

Koala Love by Carissa Wiley

G'Day by Carolyn Peeler

You Had Me... by Heather Campbell

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Friday!

3 Talented Ladies Who Had Us At G'Day

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)...

G'Day Koala Shaker by Janette Kausen

Limited Edition by Alice Wertz

G'Day by Amy Tsuruta

Thanks for stopping by and a MONDO thank you to Janette, Alice & Amy for sharing their talent with us!

Story Behind The Stamps - G'Day Mate

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!

One of a Kind Creations from our Mates at Avery Elle!

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!

Hello, Monday 07.24.2017

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:

• For mass production, try making a "die cutting template" as shown in the video; it can be reused many times.
• You don't always have to color focal images to have a colorful, eye-catching card; try making a colorful background and keep the focal black and white for high contrast and visual impact.
• Keep embellishments minimal but complimentary so they enhance, rather than complete with the focal.
• Use white space to balance out the overall design so the colorful background doesn't overwhelm the focal.

Hope today's video gives you a good jumping off point to making even more fun cards with this new set!

Happy Mundane!

•••••

SUPPLIES:

Brilliance Ink Pad, Graphite Black

Kuretake Gansai Tambi, 36 Color Set

Kuretake Gansai Tambi, 24 Color Set

Kuretake Gansai Tambi, 12 Color Set

Peerless Watercolor, Complete Edition, Set of 15

Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush, Large Fine Point (23637)

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spritz, Citron

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spritz, Tropicana Teal

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spritz, Mustard

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spritz, Pink Rose

Canson XL Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12

Hero Arts Frame Cuts Dies, Infinity Nesting Circles

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk

Art Impressions Mini Action Wobble, 100 pk

Art Impressions Mini Action Wobble, 48 pk

Art Impressions Mini Action Wobble, 6 pk

Art Impressions Mini Action Wobble, 12 pk

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 25 pk

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 10 pk

irRESISTible Pico Embellisher, Clear

Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape

Scrapbook Adhesives 3-D Foam Squares, Regular White

Coats Metallic Thread, Bright Gold

We R Memory Keepers Shape 'N Tape, Black (ST0001) (Retiring)

Pretty Pink Posh Droplets, 4mm Clear

Doodlebug Sprinkles, Beetle Black Dot