holiday 2020

SUPER SPARKLY HEAT EMBOSSING

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Can you use just “glitter embossing powder”—you know, the kind with the glitter built right in? Sure! It works! But, what if you want a “luxe” glitter effect? Oh, man, nothing beats Sticky Stuff + glitter and in my opinion? Totally worth that extra step!

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I’ve used Sticky Stuff for well over a decade; I like the grind and how it’s always beens super reliable for me. Yes, there are other similar sticky embossing powders out there, but I always come back to this one for the best sticky experience. LOL!

Hope you are doing well and getting some holiday crafty time in! Stay safe and healthy!

TIPS:

  • Use a well-inked embossing pad so this specialty embossing powder really sticks.

  • Pre-heat your embossing tool for at least 30 seconds.

  • Watch carefully as you apply the heat; once the powder turns “wet” looking, move on to the next area; do not overheat or it will cause the embossing powder to cure/harden. When properly heated, you can let it cool and touch it with your finger tip to feel that it is tacky. If it’s “hard”, you overheated and nothing will stick to it.

  • After applying the glitter, “lock” it in (cure the embossing powder) by reheating with powder from the back side and around the front; this will cause the powder to harden and trap the glitter to it.

  • Glitter not your thing? Try ground coffee, sand, flock powder, transfer foils . . .

RESCUE A CLEAN AND SIMPLE CARD

feat. MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS / ALPINE SNOWFALL DIE

feat. MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS / ALPINE SNOWFALL DIE

There’s nothing more annoying than a random ink smudge on a card—even more so when the design features a lot of beautiful, clean, white space . . . GAAAAH!!! Sometimes, it’s bad . . . so bad . . . and other times, you can salvage it. Just before frisbee-ing (is that a word?) into the circular file, I figured a Hail Mary might save it . . .

One of the best.expenditures.ever.

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What are your favorite “little” things for dressing up your cards?

BTW, I voted today and am super thankful for WA state’s long-established mail-in ballot system.

Hope you are staying safe, healthy and hopefully, crafty when time permits!

TIPS FOR THE DAY:

  • A sand eraser can work pretty well with dyed card stock, rather than printed or “white core” card stock, which is why dyed is my preferred.

  • Seriously etched cutting plates/pads will transfer those marks to the inside of your card; not a good look. You can reduce or even eliminate this by laying down some typing paper between the card and the plate before running the project through your die cutting machine.

  • Need to kick your project up a notch? Stickles and Twine (or cord) are two staples in my craft supplies that I can always rely on for that little extra sumpin’-sumpin’.

INK SWIPED BACKGROUND

Joan Bardee, a.k.a. Dear Paperlicious has shared a number of card designs featuring bold colors that just had me craving to make something along the same lines . . .

“Ink swiping” is an oldie but goody that fit the bill so I grabbed some Altenew Dye Ink Cubes for this project.

The sentiment was clear embossed over the ink swiping so the colors would show through—I love this look so much! But, a word to the wise: Make sure the inked surface is COMPLETELY dry before heat embossing. Sit on your hands and wait, or be like me, •hair flip• and heat set, then pounce the surface well with an anti-static powder (blow excess off before stamping) so the embossing powder only sticks to the embossing ink from the sentiment itself.

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The deer couple looks so elegant and sophisticated all in white—I just layered the die cuts multiple times to create faux chipboard, and then spot foiled some details using a Zig Two Way Glue Pen and some gold I-craft Deco Foil

INK SWIPING TIPS:

  • Pigment inks or dye inks work for this; you can use full size or ink cubes, as I did here, but having them well inked (as opposed to dry) will tend to give you the best results. Dry ink pads can result in the pad separating from the base, instead of gliding over the paper surface.

  • Depending on the desired effect, small cubes can be easier when applying multiple colors.

SPOT FOILING TIPS:

  • Use a glue that remains tacky when dry; I personally like Zig Two Way Glue Pens because they go on blue, but become clear when dry.

  • Make sure the glue is dry and tacky or foil will not transfer.

  • Apply transfer foil with pretty side up; use pads of your fingers (not your nails) to rub firmly to transfer the foil. For a project like the above, scraps of foil are all you need, so it’s worth saving foil scraps . . . just sayin’ . . . •wink•

Have you tried ink swiping? I should remember to use it more often.

Thanks for stopping by and continue to stay safe and healthy out there!

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ESSENTIALS BY ELLEN HOLIDAY 2020 HOP

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YAY!!! the Essentials by Ellen Holiday 2020 Release is officially available! You can see all the new stamps and dies right here on the Release Page .

We have a TON of inspiration for you on this hop, so I hope you’ve settled in cozy with a nice hot cuppa; you are gonna be mighty happy with all this eye candy to feast on. Just sayin’ . . . AND, after ogling my shares, be sure to scroll down for details on the prizes to be had and how to enter into the giveaway!

I’ve had my head down the last few weeks making as many samples as I could before release, and I will be sharing them over the coming days. •grin•

SIDE NOTE: I love mixing favorite previously released with new stuff when I make my projects; all new in this release are marked with a “★”, beneath the photo.

Shall we begin?

You may have seen this lovely Autumn-themed one I sneaked over on Instagram:

Feat. BIRCH TREES COVER DIE ★ / HALLOWEEN MAGIC ★ / TIS THE SEASON (all Essentials by Ellen)

Feat. BIRCH TREES COVER DIE ★ / HALLOWEEN MAGIC ★ / TIS THE SEASON (all Essentials by Ellen)

I’m SO pleased with how this cover die turned out—it’s absolutely perfect for ANY season—it’s a two piece set, with the trees and the leaves being separate. There are no outer cutlines along this die so you can use it to make a window right through the card’s front panel, or cut through a quarter sheet of card stock to create a frame effect or a shaker front.

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The moth and crescent moon were borrowed from the Halloween Magic set to create my scene—I wish you could see IRL just how sparkly the moth is . . . Diamond Stickles. I wish I could get that stuff in a pint size bottle.

Feat. HALLOWEEN MAGIC ★/ SHAKER GLOBE DIE ★ / SWIRL BACKGROUND (all Essentials by Ellen);

Feat. HALLOWEEN MAGIC ★/ SHAKER GLOBE DIE ★ / SWIRL BACKGROUND (all Essentials by Ellen);

Many of you may know that the Mister’s birthday is on Halloween; this year, I thought it would be so much fun to have a “crystal ball” type stamp set, and a die to go with . . . to make a crystal ball shaker card, of course!!! How fun is that??!!!

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The “all-seeing” eye foresees magic, mischief and mayhem. Imagine me saying that last bit in a deep, booming voice that is a little scary, but not too scary . . .

feat. GINGER BOY DIE SET ★ / SKELLIE ADD-ON DIE SET ★ / BAD DAY STAMP SET ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

feat. GINGER BOY DIE SET ★ / SKELLIE ADD-ON DIE SET ★ / BAD DAY STAMP SET ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

You also may have seen this hysterical little guy over on the Ellen Hutson blog earlier this week (LINK), but if not, I couldn’t resist sharing him again here. Makes me laugh and he’s just so stinkin’ cute!!! Check out the how-to video on YouTube (LINK) I did to see how quick and easy he is to put together.

feat. MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS ★ / MODERN GRAPHICS VOL. 2 PAPER PACK ★ (newly updated!) (all Essentials by Ellen)

feat. MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS ★ / MODERN GRAPHICS VOL. 2 PAPER PACK ★ (newly updated!) (all Essentials by Ellen)

Merry Little Christmas has adorable little scenes from a cabin in the woods, to suburbia and the city during the frosty season—there’s even a snowman and a wee little car for fetching the Christmas tree! And, these were also designed to fit in the Shaker Globe Die . . . (I’m sure you’ll see a few of examples along the hop! I’ll be sharing a few, too, in the coming days)

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One of my favorite things to do is create a little shaped die cut windows with an image showing through to the front, and when you open the card, there’s more to see! EEP!!!

feat. SANTA’S LIST ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

feat. SANTA’S LIST ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

I also shared a video sneak preview of Santa’s List on Ellen Hutson YouTube Channel (LINK). Once you start playing with this guy, good luck putting him down . . . •chuckle•

feat. SANTA’S LIST ★ / KNOCK OUT FOREST DIE ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

feat. SANTA’S LIST ★ / KNOCK OUT FOREST DIE ★ (all Essentials by Ellen)

And, gosh I love this Knock Out Forest Die—this is one of many ideas for its use!

WHEW!!! I have lots more ideas to share in the coming days, so y’all come back now, ya’ hear?! •wink•

Prize Info ...
Prizes, prizes, we've got the prizes! One lucky commenter will win the whole Essentials by Ellen holiday release! And another will receive $25 to spend at ellenhutson.com! For a chance to win, all ya' gotta' do is hop along, enjoy the fabulous eye candy, and leave a little love for your fellow crafters: increase your chances by commenting on each stop on the hop! Comments left before 11:59 PDT on October 14 will be entered to win. (Winners are selected randomly.)

The Essentials by Ellen Holiday 2020 Release is available exclusively at ellenhutson.com

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links; if you see something you like, want or need, and purchase via my links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, which I use to buy coffee, which fuels my creativity and provides energy to make more card ideas. And, pay the rent.

PINKFRESH STUDIO HOLIDAY 2020 HOP

Welcome! And, thanks for stopping in, by way of Jessica Frost-Ballas’s blog!

The Pinkfresh Studio September 2020 Release is full of sweet and charming goodies—hope the samples I’m sharing today spark some ideas for you! And, be sure to read on below for info on giveaways/prizes—oooooooh!!! Nice, right?! (wink)

To see the entire release as a whole, please click ➞ PinkFresh Studio NEW

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These snowflake die cuts are so delicate and when you layer them, they remind of lace—such a pretty effect! I layered all the die cuts onto vellum because it makes them look like they’re floating on a layer of frost. Muy dreamy! (chuckle)

And that copper foil card stock looks B.O.M.B! with that soft wash of pink watercolor . . .

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These adorable critters by Lizzie M. for Pinkfresh Studio are joy-riding down the slopes ! I absolutely love how the critters are “built in” with the sleigh die so all you have to deal with is one piece—YASSSSSSS!!! (fist pump)

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This cling stamp is cool in that you can separate the sentiment from the graphics if you want; otherwise it nests right inside—options, options, options! I was still on my copper kick with the pink watercolor washes, so I just stuck with it (image was copper embossed)—embellished all the berries/buds with glossy accents to give them extra pop.

GIVEAWAYS:

-Pinkfresh Studio will be giving away the full release on the Pinkfresh blog, their IG feed & YouTube channel..

-Each of the designers on this hop will be giving away a $25 gift card on our blog hop posts. Winners will be picked from the comments.

-Winners will be pulled and posted on September 24, 2020 on the Pinkfresh Studio GIVEAWAY PAGE. Please check that page & claim your prize within 2 weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

As you can see from the list above, your next stop is Kay Miller!

Thanks for stopping by my place and leavin’ some comment love!

And, may the odds be ever in your favour!