Essentials by Ellen Winter 2015 Release & Giveaway!

Hello, and welcome to the Winter 2015 Essentials by Ellen Release Hop!  I’ll be showcasing several of the new stamp sets and dies on my post today, starting with this beautiful Fancy Thanks stamp set and Folk Hearts designer dies, on a Copic Various Ink background (all bold products are linked below in the supply section):

I adore the shape of Julie's Folk Heart dies and the fonts in the Fancy Thanks stamp set are simply gorgeous!  Here's how I created the background:

1. Squeeze out Copic Various Ink Refill RV63 onto a scrap piece of acetate (to use as a palette). Using a 1" Round Ink Blending Tool, pick up the ink from the acetate palette, thoroughly saturating the foam pad. Pounce the ink onto a piece of Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper. The surface of this paper is very slick/slightly coated, so the ink won't immediately soak into the paper -- this allows the ink to remain wet longer, and for it to be moved around a little. (You could also use glossy paper). No need to completely cover the cardstock, and you want to leave the look of the round blending tool ... it is creating a bokeh affect!

2. Repeat the color pouncing process, using Copic Various Ink Refill RV66.

3. Next, to give the background a little glitz and add to the bokeh affect, I pounced on Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink.

The final step was to stamp the largest heart with Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink.  After stamping, I lightly blotted the white ink with a tissue and then dried the panel with my heat tool. I love how the white ink hearts add to the soft bokeh effect!  

The Copic background was then die cut with the stitched panel from My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 and adhered to a white card base.  To create the smaller focal heart, the lighter Copic RV63 Various Ink Refill was smoothed (instead of pounced) onto more of the Specialty Stamping Paper, die cut with the second to the smallest Folk Heart, and gold heat embossed with the pretty "Wonderful you, grateful me" sentiment and tiny heart. The pink heart was popped up on Copic X-Press It Foam Tape onto a larger gold metallic Folk Heart die cut.  The scalloped piece was also die cut from gold metallic cardstock and popped up on foam tape over a scalloped accent piece (from MF's Blueprints 8):

My next card features the fun Hello Gorgeous stamp set, You Rock and Mini Windows designer die sets:

The fun background was created on Neenah Desert Storm cardstock with almost all of the sentiments and some of the jewels from the Hello Gorgeous stamp set, stamped with Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink.  

Next, I used one of Julie's AWESOME new Mini Windows dies to cut a window in the stamped panel. Then I die cut MFT's Postage Stamp from Neenah Natural White cardstock and cut the window again from the white postage stamp and trimmed off window flap -- this created the white postage stamp frame I placed around the window opening. The Mini Window was cut a third time from gold metallic cardstock and the flap cut off and placed on top of the window flap in the stamped panel. 

"You" from the You Rock die set was cut from Neenah Natural White cardstock and glued to the gold window flap.  The background panel was then popped up with Copic X-Press It Foam Tape onto a Neenah Natural White card base:

When the flap is opened, the "rock" from the You Rock die set, cut from gold metallic cardstock, is hidden below the flap (adhered to the front of the card base):

 

Pretty Pink Posh Sand sequins were scattered around the window opening, adhered in place with Ranger Matte Multi Medium.

GIVEAWAYS
Guess what?  I get to give away a Fancy Thanks stamp set (<--shown at left) to one lucky person ... just leave a comment on this post, to enter my giveaway!!  

There is also a Grand Giveaway over on Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom blog. To enter, be sure to leave a comment there, and at every stop along the hop by March 2.  Winners will be announced March 4!  Happy hoppin’! 

Be sure to visit all of these bloggers, to see their gorgeous projects and leave comments there, too, for the chance to win their giveaways!

• The CLASSroom -   
• Sandy Allnock - 
  
• Teri Anderson - 
  
• Laurel Beard - 
  
• Heather Campbell -  
• Kittie Caracciolo - 
• Sharon Harnist - <-- You are here!
• Broni Holcombe - 
  
• Nichol Magouirk - 
  
• Jean Manis - 
  
• Jennifer McGuire - 
  
• Donna Mikasa - 
  
• Chari Moss - 
  
• Catherine Pooler - 
  
• Miriam Prantner - 
  
• Julia Stainton - 
  
• Carissa Wiley - 
  

Thanks so much for joining me today!

UPDATE MAR 3: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED WED, MAR 4. THANKS FOR ENTERING AND FOR YOUR LOVELY COMMENTS!

{Pink Heart Fancy Thanks}

InLinkz.com

{You Rock Gorgeous} -----------------------------

InLinkz.com

Related articles

MFT Die-namics Design: Express Yourself

Beautiful Background-3: Watercolor Resist by Sharon Harnist

Beautiful Backgrounds-2 by Sharon Harnist

Comments

[Debbie M]

1.

wow, these cards are beautiful!!!

[Lynn Gauthier - Michigan]

2.

Gorgeous background. I can't get enough of these little windows. So much opportunity and oh so cute! Very nicely done! TFS

[Debbie Baker]

3.

Absolutely love love love your cards! Those window dies are the best! Can't wait to get my hands on them! Thanks for sharing and have a great day everyone!
Ciao :)

[Beverly Parkison aka Lateblooming Designs]

4.

Don't you just love the window box? Thanks for sharing.

[Jan G]

5.

Love the background look. Cute cards

[Darlene Pavlick]

6.

Beautiful designs Sharon! Thanks for wonderful inspiration and fun hop!

[Dottie J]

7.

What a great idea to do ink blending with copic refills! Beautiful cards, great techniques to try.

[Amber P]

8.

Absolutely gorgeous cards!

[Michele F]

9.

Sharon these are just gorgeous!

[Jo]

10.

Awesome cards, thx for the inpiration

[Dolly/ scrapthat]

11.

Oooo how pretty TFS Sharon!! :D
Dolly

[BeccyH]

12.

Beautiful!

[Tami B]

13.

You combined 2 of my fav things in the first card, pink & gold combo., and the bokeh effect. Both cards are fantastic.

[Jackie]

14.

These are just gorgeous!

[Nancy Ward]

15.

Gorgeous cards! Your background is amazing!

[Leslie Brown]

16.

Beautiful, outstanding backgrounds.

[TamiB]

17.

Sharon - LOVE that pink and gold background you created!! Thanks so much for the detailed description of how to do it! That little window behind the 'you' was a cute surprise!

[Joy]

18.

Really like your cards and love this release

[Glorie Alvarez]

19.

Gorgeous background! I will try that technique :) TFS!

[Kathleen Kennedy]

20.

Great ideas! I love your cards!

[Mary Gray Whitcomb]

21.

That bokeh background is so gorgeous. As always lovely!!

[Vicki]

22.

Very interesting cards. I like both of the backgrounds you created, very clever. Thanks!

[Felicita]

23.

Sharon

amazing just too cute I love tne bokeh effect using various Copic refills with the new heart set.

[Regina Furman]

24.

Loving the fancy thanks stamps, because you can never have too many ways to say thank you! Your coloring is gorgeous!

[[email protected]]

25.

I love the way you did the background for these cards. The gold with the pink is beautiful! Thank you for the great ideas!

[kim]

26.

Beautiful cards! Thank you so much for all the inspiration sent our way!

[Jennifer K]

27.

Beautiful cards! Pink and gold are always perfect together!

[candace1221]

28.

love the pink & gold bokeh background! Beautiful cards!

[Bev H]

29.

Love the heart card and the bokeh effect. The writing on the thanks stamp set is awesome.

[barbara macaskill]

30.

STUNNING! I especially love the background on your first card!! The Fancy Thanks set is one of my two favorites from this release and would love to win it! Thanks for the chance to!

[Holly Endress]

31.

What a fun background on your first card.. and I love the peek a boo window on the Gold card. So pretty!

[Janet Swanlady21]

32.

Beautiful - love the gold with these stamps. And wasn't Julie clever to create window dies!

[Michele Clay]

33.

Sweet cards, Sharon! Love that gold! This release is over-the-top, isn't it?!

[Lisa Duggin]

34.

You rock! Love those windows too. Thank you for sharing. Blessings, Lsia

[Pam]

35.

The heart card is beautiful. Love the addition of the gold

[Joy]

36.

You rock = my favorite! Great work.

[KIM A]

37.

Love your cards!!

[Donna Gourley]

38.

The new winter release if full of possibilities! Can't wait! Love your cards with the hearts.

[Carol]

39.

The background is amazing. I love how you used the different techniques. What a great set!

[Carolyn S]

40.

Thanks for the chance to win and for sharing your amazing art pieces!

[Char Heathwood]

41.

I love the way you explain things and I've learned a new technique!

[GingerJ]

42.

What a beautiful heart, gold is trending now. Great composition.

[Susan]

43.

Talk about bold and beautiful. I think you hit it girl. Love the hearts

[Liz D]

44.

Your cards are gorgeous.

[Doris Pick]

45.

Love what you did with the ink on the first card, but they are all amazing!

[Michelle Leone]

46.

Two beautiful cards with amazing color and detail! Love!!

[Barbara]

47.

Your background is gorgeous. I love how you used the gold with the pink. Thanks for sharing.

[Janet]

48.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful background technique!! Your cards are amazing.

[kellybooth]

49.

LOVE your creations Sharon!!!

[francesca]

50.

amazing projects!! :)