card design

STAY COZY

Did you watch “The Story Behind The Stamps” for this September release? If you haven’t, and ya’ wanna, just click HERE, and scroll down the page until you see it.

I’m working on another Online Workshop! This time, with a holiday focus, ‘cuz Christmas always sneaks up on me!!! Is it too early to have Christmas music playing in the background? Many of the projects will feature this latest release, with tips & suggestions for adding special touches, but still keeping things do-able. Anyhoo, if you want to know when the workshop is ready and available, please subscribe (scroll down to the bottom of the page; towards the right there’s a subscribe option).

 

This card makes me supremely happy! It combines little bits of my favorite things—solid images, watercolor, simple details…

Just a few of the elements were die cut from watercolor paper and quickly watercolored with those lovely Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I like to scribble them against an acrylic block and then pick up the color with my Pentel Aquash and with just a few swipes, Bob’s yer Uncle!

The moon and the oval are from Winterscapes—I used second generation impressions so they would be softer and not over-take the detail images. The sentiment was borrowed from Mountain Holiday.

I used Distress Paint in Black Soot (now retired) to spatter the whole card front but you could use fully concentrated Distress Ink in the regular or Oxide to achieve a similar effect. Or acrylic paint. Just make sure the brush is not very wet so you get the most intense black spatters. Unless you want it watered down, of course. I just like it mo’h bettah when it’s richly black like this. •grin•

I also used my beloved Diamond Stickles (out of stock at the moment) You can also use a Zig Two Way Glue Pen and loose glitter to get the very same effect.

Whatever your weekend looks like, hope you get to squeeze in some rest and relaxation. And maybe a little creativity, too!


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GOODY GOODY GUMDROPS

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The holidays just aren't the holidays without the scent of gingerbread wafting through the house, IMHO. Even if I don't have time to roll and cut out the cute little ginger peeps, I will still bake a gingerbread cake.  

This card is so cute, I could just eat it.  Not gonna, but I could.  EEP!!!

BTW, a better view of the House Box Die (stamped/decorated with Ginger House stamp set) is shown HERE.

 

My latest release is all holiday focused and available now at ellenhutson.com HERE, on the "This Just In" page!

It's heavily influenced by several things:

  1. A trip I made to Colorado to visit a good friend, last March.  We went up into the Rocky Mountains, where I TRIED to photograph them--they are even more beautiful and immense than I had imagined.  We visited a fun ghost town from the mining era, a ski town... there was snow--holy crow, glorious, fabulous SNOW! 
  2. Scandinavian design; it is so clean, minimalist and yet cozy and folksy all at the same time.

When I started to illustrate for this release, all of the above was swirling around in my head and snowballed into what you see this season.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

 

SPOOKY HOUSE

This sneak peek makes me downright giddy!  I love Halloween--it's the Mister's birthday.  I couldn't resist taking components from the House Box Die Set (coming this Sunday) and turning them into this fun card!  

Love this box die so much, I can't even... It's such a versatile die! 

 

The dotted pattern from the Modern Graphics Paper Pack added little bits of interest in the background and the texture on the house roof is from the upcoming Winterscapes stamp set.  I just clear embossed it.  "happy halloween" was borrowed from Bear Wear 2.

Just two more sleeps... 

SNOW CAPPED WINDOWS

I'm so stinkin' excited over this (coming) new die set... I was channeling my inner Bob Ross when I made this card, repeating, "Happy little trees..." only instead of that calm, soothing voice we all know him for, I was kinda sorta squealing... 

Just imagine Bob Ross's voice, tho... it really sounds much better without the squealing...

Really.

Gosh, I love how this card turned out!  Love, love LOVE!!!

HAPPY HELLO, TAKE 2

So.  This started out as a fail; I die cut the words upside down from each other on some Cotton Candy Bazzill (pink) card stock.  I had to die cut again to make the card I had actually PLANNED on making.  LOL!  (see Happy Hello)

 

But, I saved the pink letters. Cuz that's what we do, right?! 

And, I stamped over them using the Plaid Maker set (the large textured squares) and Coral ink, set 'em aside, and got busy on this project's top panel, stamping a mix of fruits, flowers and greenery with Catherine Pooler Dye inks (I love these water-based dye inks; they have become my go-to colored inks!)

 

I like using second generation impressions, mixed in with first--it's like having two colors of ink for the price of one and it adds an element of depth! *fist pump* Initially I was going to pop up those skinny li'l letters (insert look of horror), and then it occurred to me that it would be a lot faster and far less tedious to just inset them into the top panel.  *smacks forehead*.  This time, however, I was extra careful that I had BOTH my word dies placed in the right direction before I cut through that purdy stamped panel... 

Goofing up isn't a bad thing; it sometimes leads to an idea you hadn't thought of before. *WINNING*

I can't remember where I picked up these particular HAI Supply rainbow flower sequins, but I've listed some similar shaped ones down below in the supplies--they're an opaque iridescent.  I love all the rainbow iridescent sequins from HAI--if I need to, there's always colors in them that I can cherry pick from to coordinate with my projects.  YASSS!!!