PaperFections

December Essentials by Ellen Release Now Available!

Happy Sunday, Crafty Friends! The December Essentials by Ellen release is now available in Ellen's shop! You will flip when you see this release -- especially if you love alphabet and word dies (like me!) or have been following the latest letterboard trend! One of my favorites of this release is the fabulous new Letterboard Die Set I used for this card: (All bold products are linked below in the supply section): I think these products would be a fun alternative to a larger letterboard because you can make cute, more "permanent" pieces of framed artwork, to send through the mail or hand to a friend or family member! This great Letterboard background and frame (two separate dies), includes the small alphabet die set that also has a bunch of fun symbols and emoticons! The Letterboard background was cut from Ellen's Ebony Black cardstock and the frame from gold metallic cardstock. I also used the Letterboard Larger Alpha Die set for the "EVER" word, and Letterboard Script 2 for the "you" and "favorite" words. All of the words were die cut from Neenah #110 Solar White cardstock, then colored in an ombre effect with Copic BG Markers. Your friends for... Read more →

Ommission Stamping with New Leading Ladies!

A new release from Brandi Kincaid exclusively for Essentials by Ellen is now available in the shop! You can see lots of inspiration on the "This Just In" page of the Ellen Hutson LLC website and on Ellen's the CLASSroom blog. There are two new Leading Lady stamp and coordinating die sets (Bookworm Lady and Holiday Shopper Lady), a great little Ugly Sweater Accessories stamp and coordinating die set, plus some great stand alone dies - Winter Window and Snowfall Backdrop! Today I'm using the Holiday Shopper Lady and the adorable Winter Window die. I always love thinking "outside the box", to find unusual and different ways to use my supplies. So while the Winter Window die would probably normally be used to look at an outdoor scene, I've created a scene of my Holiday Shopper Lady looking into a store window. She's doing a little sidewalk window shopping for her long holiday shopping list, waiting for the store to open so she can catch that big sale! Remember those commercials where everyone is crowded around the store doors, waiting for it to open,saying "Open-open-open"?!! To get this look, I did some selective inking of the Holiday Shopper Lady stamp... Read more →

Taylored Expressions 10th Birthday Party!

Hello, Crafty Peeps! Today I am BEYOND excited to help my dear, sweet friend Taylor VanBruggen celebrate her awesome stamp company, Taylored Expressions, 10th birthday!! I can not believe it was "just" 10 years ago that Taylor invited me to be part of her first design team to help open her company adventure! You can find her inaugural blog post here! You can see and read about my very first project and post here, or view all of my Taylored Expressions projects/posts here (or click on "Taylored Expressions" over in my right sidebar, under Categories - over there) ---> Today's celebration involves almost 50 designers in a special birthday bash blog hop! You can find a full list of participants over at Taylor’s blog and hop along with us! You will also find a bunch of fabulous new products that were released last night, especially for this birthday bash, over in the TE store here. Today I am highlighting some fun previously-released birthday products because TE LOVES birthdays and has a ton of ways to celebrate them! Another thing I have always loved about Taylored Expressions is their Share Joy Campaign. It is very simple for you to participate in... Read more →

Teacher Time!

Here it is August and soon teachers and students will be going back to school. I made this card a little for those teachers and a little for my oldest daughter, who is headed off to be a college freshman in two short weeks (insert very proud but sad face here!). I thought this sentiment could work well for either: This new Teacher Lady Leading Lady by Brandi Kincaid for Essentials by Ellen is a great stamp set with lots of teacher OR student related accessories! I stamped all the images in black, then colored them with Copics in colors to match the colors in this great watercolor rainbow washi tape, which is on the inside of the card: Teacher Lady was die cut with her coordinating die and popped up over the background: The background panel was also popped up on the card front, with black Copic running down the left side of the card base, to resemble a composition notebook! Do you have a teacher or student that brightens your life? I think we all do! This stamp & die set is part of this month's August Essentials by Ellen release over at Ellen Hutson LLC. You'll find... Read more →

Rainbow Birthday

Hello and happy Monday, Friends ... Today I have a bright rainbow full of birthday cheer for you! This wonderful cupcake image is included in the adorable Memory Box Spring Bunnies stamp set. I love stamp sets that have a ton of versatility, and this one sure does! It's not only great for Easter and Spring, but also babies, love, anniversaries, and birthdays! I stamped the fabulous cupcake image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto X-Press It Blending Card, then colored it up with these Copic markers: Then I die cut the cupcakes with their coordinating Spring Bunnies die set and glittered them with Nuvo Glitter Gloss Aqua Shimmer. Next, I die cut Sentimental Happy Birthday from X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with the same markers, with an ombre effect. To complete the card, I anchored the birthday die cut with a piece of washi tape, and stamped the Sweetest sentiment (also from the Spring Bunnies stamp set). I also wanted to let you know about this great sale happening over at Ellen Hutson LLC on EVERYTHING ! ! Shop early, for the best in-stock selections! Thanks so much for joining me today! SUPPLIES: CL5220 Spring Bunnies clear... Read more →

Partial Die Cutting: Everyday Hero!

Hello and happy Sunday ... There are some new Leading Ladies in town today! Just in time for Mother's Day, or any occasion you may have for any of the "Leading Ladies" in your life! Here's how this top-hinged, partially die cut card came together . . . First, I stamped Everyday Hero with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White cardstock panel. If I had known how I would finish this card, I would have stamped her onto a top-folding card base, so take note of that if you would like to re-create this card! :) Then I colored her with these Copic Sketch Markers: (Not photographed - Skin: E00, E11, E121); Pictured below - Shirt: R22, R24, R27; Jeans: B21 (Pictured below) - Jeans: B23, B26; Cape & Headband/Crown: Y08, YR21, YR23, E33; Hair: T0, T1, T2, T6 Then I partially die cut just her legs by placing my top die cutting plate only over the lower portion of the panel I wanted cut away. Using a ruler, I placed pencil marks across the bottom of the panel where I wanted to cut away the lower quarter (you can see those just above the... Read more →

Floral Sympathy Card

Sympathy cards can be difficult to make, requiring just the right balance of color and elements to achieve a somber and reverent message. Today I'm using some gorgeous Birch Press handmade papers and tape, combined with beautiful Memory Box dies and stamps that hopefully strike that delicate balance: This card started with a Memory Box Custard notecard with a strip of Birch Press Mineral Green washi tape along the right edge. The next background layer is some beautiful Birch Press Ivory Cabbage Rose handmade paper, matted with gold metallic cardstock. Next is a layer of gorgeous Birch Press Bouquet hand screen printed paper, with a touch of gold metallic outlining -- aren't the colors amazing?!! These amazing papers feel like fabric! The pretty sentiment is from the Memory Box Prayers Sentiments stamp set. It was stamped with Tsukineko Delicata Golden Glitz onto an ivory Memory Box Tree Blossom Stitched Circle Frame. An additional Tree Blossom Stitched Circle Frame was die cut from gold metallic cardstock and glued on top. The ivory flower die cut was colored with Copic BG23 to match the floral paper and washi tape. The circle element was popped up with foam tape. Finally, the elegant Soaring... Read more →

Happy Spring

Happy Spring, Friends! The Spring rainy season has been here and now green is popping up everywhere ... I love it! To celebrate, I thought these adorable Memory Box Spring Bunnies would be appropriate! Aren't those bunnies adorable?!! I stamped them in Memento Gray Flannel ink, then colored them with Copic T0, T1, T2, and gave them rosy cheeks and pink ears with Copic R00 and R20. Next, I die cut Memory Box Blossom Circle from a green alcohol ink background paper I created with Copic Various Ink Refills and glued it in place around the bunnies. Next, I used Memory Box Broadsworth Floral Border to cut the card front right edge of my white top-folding card base. Then I glued a strip of pink alcohol ink background paper to the inside of the card, to make the delicate die cut edge pop. Note: (The alcohol ink backgrounds are from another one of my Copic Various Ink background making sessions << Full details can be found on that blog post. The green paper was made with YG03 and G46. The pink paper was created with Copic RV14 and RV17, with Gold Metallic Mixative added). To finish the card, I stamped... Read more →

Get to Know the 2018 Ellen Hutson Design Team Blog Hop!

Welcome to the "Get to know the new 2018 Ellen Hutson Design Team" Blog Hop! If you are visiting my blog for the first time via the blog hop, my name is Sharon Harnist and I’ve been papercrafting since 1995 when I started scrapbooking. I was introduced to stamping and cardmaking in 2004 and found a lifetime love! I started this blog in 2007, shortly before joining some of the first designers for Ellen Hutson's fabulous online shop! I am very proud and honored to have been around that long and today we are introducing and getting to know some new designers to the team. Today we'll be sharing some of our favorite things . . . Even as a seasoned card maker, I enjoy learning tips & tricks from other crafters! My favorite tip/trick is ... to use a stamp positioner to achieve perfectly aligned stamping! Case in point ... this bookmark: My Misti stamp positioner helped to make sure these sentiments were aligned properly AND helps to make sure stamp impressions are sharp and clear! To create the background for this bookmark, I used one of my favorite and most versatile crafting products, Copic Various Ink Refills on... Read more →

Floral Butterfly Birthday

Happy Saturday, crafty friends! Today I'm sharing a birthday card made for my dear, sweet husband's aunt who turned 94 years young this week (and it happens to be MY birthday today)! :) It came together quickly and easily, by using these fabulous Memory Box dies: Fresh Picked Flowers, Primavera Butterfly, Adora Butterfly, and Sentimental Happy Birthday. I started by die cutting the solid Primavera Butterfly from white cardstock, then the Adora Butterfly die cut from gold metallic cardstock and placed on top. I love that this gives the look of gold metallic embossing, but a lot easier and less mess! The butterfly was mounted to a kraft card base with foam tape on the top right wing, to give it some dimension. The beautiful Fresh Picked Flowers die was cut from white cardstock and then colored with Copic markers G20, G21, and R20. It was also mounted to the card using foam tape behind the leaves and glue dots behind the flower centers, to create more dimension. The flower that was originally behind the butterfly was cut off the stem and added with foam tape to the top of the lower right flower. Finally, the pretty Sentimental Happy Birthday... Read more →

More February Essentials by Ellen Dogs & Cats!

Hello again, Friends! On Sunday I showed you my Cat Lady from the new Essentials by Ellen release of the new Leading Ladies by Brandi Kincaid, so today I'm using the Dog Lady Stamps and coordinating Dog Lady Dies: Although cats were my first love, I eventually found just as much love for dogs, so today I had a ton of fun watercoloring Dog Lady! I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Ranger Watercolor Paper, then used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors with a waterbrush. I swiped #34-Dark Pink onto the background, and splattered #91-Bluish Gold all over. I love that her coordinating Dog Lady dies cut out her arm, so she can hold one of the four cute pups included in this set! I used foam tape to pop up and attach the pup in her arms, then also to attach Dog Lady to the background I created. Then I die cut the background with the stitched and scalloped panel from MFT's Blueprints 27. To finish the card, I stamped the sentiment at the end of the leash and scattered a few Pretty Pink Posh 4mm and 6mm Sparkling Clear Sequins. So which is your favorite: So... Read more →

Copic Airbrushed Background-Birds

Today over on Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom blog I'm showing you how to stretch (literally!) the use of your dies and also how to mask and create a Copic airbrushed background for the United We Flourish Hero Arts-Essentials by Ellen Better Together stamp and die set. I hope you'll join me there! Read more →

United We Flourish: Ellen Hutson & Hero Arts!

Hello and welcome to another United We Flourish collaboration between Ellen Hutson and one of the fabulous companies we work with! This month that fabulous company is Hero Arts and here's a look at the awesome stamp and die combo set, Better Together! Here's a look at a card I created with it: Aren't those birds adorable?!! And SO MUCH fun to color! I stamped the birds onto Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White cardstock, die cut them with their coordinating dies, then colored them with Copic markers. Next, I die cut a window out of another Solar White panel using the Strands die from this month's Essentials by Ellen release and used this as branches for my birds to perch on! The birds were popped up on foam tape and the little heart stamp added to a black cardstock panel behind the window. The heart was colored in with Pearl Kirarina Wink opaque pen. To finish the card, I added the sentiment on the front panel with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, accented with the tiny heart stamped in Love Letter. <3 GIVEAWAY: To celebrate today's release and blog hop, two randomly selected commenters will win a $30 gift certificate to... Read more →

United We Flourish: Ellen Hutson & Concord & 9th

Happy Sunday, Friends! Are you in need of a little sweet treat today? If so, the Ellen Hutson and Concord & 9th teams have you covered today! We've both teamed up for another United We Flourish campaign to bring you this oh-so-sweet stamp and die combo set, available exclusively at EllenHutson.com! Here's a look at the awesome Sweet Sprinkles stamp and die set: And here's a card I created with it: The cupcake's frosting was die cut from another one of my Copic Various Ink background making sessions << Full details can be found on that blog post). It was created with Copic RV14 & RV17, with Gold Metallic Mixative added: Then I used the smaller sprinkles stamp to add some glittery gold goodness (aka metallic gold sparkle embossing powder) to the top of the frosting! The cupcake liner was die cut from gold foil cardstock, then run through my paper crimper. The cupcake was popped up on foam tape on the white card base. Another scattering of sprinkles was heat embossed down the left side and the cute sentiment added along the bottom in Rose Bud Memento ink, to match the frosting. :) BLOG HOP & PRIZES! To celebrate... Read more →

Celebration Lady!

Hello, Crafters! Did you see that the new Essentials by Ellen December release is already available in the Ellen Hutson shop? You can find all the fun, new stamps and dies HERE! If you have an occasion to celebrate, these new stamps and dies have you covered!! In this release is another cute new Leading Lady by Brandi Kincaid: Celebration Lady stamp set and coordinating dies! And here's a card I created with her: I imagined Celebration Lady at a holiday party ... either Christmas or New Year's perhaps? :) The glowing background was created with the emboss resist technique: First I stamped the sentiment and confetti/ribbon with Versamark ink, then clear heat embossed them. Next, I used Delicata Golden Glitz metallic pigment ink to sponge over the the Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White card base. It has such a beautiful shimmer in person! Her dress was paper pieced from yet another one of my Copic Various Ink backgrounds I created in this session << Full background technique details can be found there. I just stamped her dress onto the alcohol-inked Yupo paper using my Misti (the Yupo paper is a bit slick and sometimes it takes several impressions to... Read more →