Cut 'n Paste

Simple colour blocked card design

Today I'm sharing a set of cards I made for a friend. They are all based around 2 simple, colour blocked designs. The first, as seen above has patterned paper over the entire card front, then a coordinating cardstock rectangle on the upper left side, with the focal graphic being stamped onto white watercolour paper that is mounted in the centre of the card front. The finishing touch is the greeting which is stamped on top of the patterned paper on the lower right of the card. (Tip: because the greeting is stamped directly onto the patterned paper, you want to choose a paper design that is not too busy or bold as you don't want the greeting to get lost.)

This is a classic Clean & Simple design, which is very simple to execute.

The second design builds off the first. You pretty much do all the same things as you did on the first card, except you also add a strip of coordinating patterned paper on the upper left of the card front, layered on top of the cardstock. Then, you place the white rectangle with the focal image a tad lower, and more to the right, than on the first card so that you can add the greeting to the top of the card.

Supply List:
Stamps: A Breve Note by Ellen Hutson
Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink, Emboss it Clear Embossing ink both by Ranger
Embossing Powder: White by Ranger
Distress ink markers:  Worn Lipstick, Dried Marigold, Abandoned Coral, Tattered Rose, Pumice Stone, Scattered Straw, Fossilized Amber, Picked Raspberry, Frayed Burlap by Ranger
Cardstock:  Solar White by Neenah as my card bases
All other cardstock and patterned papers were from my box of scraps
Other: Medium Water Brush, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), 3D Foam adhesive

It will get better a rainbow greeting card

"It will get better", this is one of the mantras I've been telling myself ever since Covid-19 took hold of our world. And, as we enter 2021, I am cautiously optimistic that this year it will. Certainly not in the short run, but hopefully, after a few months of vaccinations, things will be looking up.

That's why this stamp set, one of the newest Essentials by Ellen releases, was especially timely. A card with a greeting so perfectly in tune with what's happening (on so many fronts) right now, it made me happy to create. I am in love with this rainbow, it's whimsical and fresh and can be stamped as traditional, or colour crazy, as you'd like!

As you can see, I decided to use shades of blue, with a dollop of mustard thrown in for contrast, on both cards. Then, for a touch of texture that is not really visible in the photo, but easy to spot when you see the cards in person, I used a shimmer pen to paint an iridescent layer on top of the wee heart in the centre of the rainbow. It's subtle and sweet.

Supply List:
Stamps: Better Days Ahead by Ellen Hutson
Ink: Sand Castle, Hot Tub, Stone Blue, It's a Boy, Sauna, Black Jack, all by Catherine Pooler, Pool to Navy Ombre pad by Hero Arts 
Cardstock:  Solar White by Neenah, Candy Pearls by Bazzill, Navy (try Midnight by Concord & 9th), Yellow (try Stardust by Concord & 9th),
Other: Aqua Shimmer Pen by Tonic, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards)

Happy Birthday Floral Tag

In these quiet days between Christmas and New Years I celebrate my birthday. So being in the birthday mood, I decided to make a Birthday card last time I was in the studio. I chose the Just Add Flowers and Jumbo Tags sets from The Stamp Market as my product jumping off points, and this bold, yet soft, card is the result.

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps: Just Add Flowers by The Stamp Market
Ink: Sauna, Polished, It's a Girl, Eucalyptus by Catherine Pooler
Dies: Jumbo Tag and Just Add Flowers, both by The Stamp Market
Cardstock: Solar White  by Neenah, Rose Quartz by Bazzill
Patterned paper: Color Crush by The Stamp Market
Other: Spellbinders Die Cutting Machine, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), 3D Foam adhesive 

'Tis the Season for a Jolly Holiday

Slowly but surely we enter into the holiday season and so the Christmas card making game is strong in my studio.

Today's card features one of the stamp/die sets from the Catherine Pooler 2020 holiday collection, along with her "All Wrapped Up" patterned paper. This card has a masculine flavour making it the perfect choice to send to one of our guy friends this year.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions!

Supply List:
Stamps: Jolly Trees by Catherine Pooler
Dies: Jolly Trees by Catherine Pooler, Tag Trio Die Set by Ellen Hutson
Ink: Sage, Sand Castle both by Catherine Pooler, Emboss it Clear Embossing ink by Ranger
Embossing Powder: White by Ranger
Cardstock: Desert Storm by Neenah, Ebony Black by Ellen Hutson, Soft green scrap from my scraps bin.
Patterned Paper: All Wrapped Up by Catherine Pooler, Modern Graphics by Ellen Hutson
Other: White Blizzard Nuvo Drops by Tonic, Heat Tool by Ranger, Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, 3D Foam adhesive

Taking a card from CAS to more complex

I'm sharing the before and after of the journey this card took from CAS (clean and simple) to slightly more detailed on the Ellen Hutson blog.

So, please click on the EH blog link above, and join me as we catch Fall vibes while we play with the Mondo Oak Leaf Stamp and the brand new Tag Trio Die.

A bold Baby Card

When I was a kid, there was a super catchy insulation advertisement here in Canada by Owens Corning for their pink insulation with the tag line "Do it right. Do it Pink." Even though I had no need for their product, the ad stuck with me (I still sing the "la, la, la, la, la" riff from time to time) and my pink lovin' soul was in total accord with their motto, lol!

So, let's think pink with today's CAS card. The big, bold flamingo stamp was the true star of the show here, with the only additional ornamentation 2 narrow strips of pink cardstock on the card borders.

Because the focal image was so large, it required me to be thoughtful about the placement of the greeting. This is were a stamp positioner comes in really handy. I was able to stamp the flamingo, then position the greeting so that the line of the flamingo's neck didn't cross through any of the open centres of any of the letters.

After stamping the flamingo with waterproof ink onto watercolor paper, I used my Distress markers (see colours below) to paint it pink. To do this, I scribbled the markers onto the Ranger Craft Sheet which I used as my palette. Then, I sprayed drops of water just below the ink and, using my paintbrush, mixed water with ink to make my watercolours.

Thanks for your visit today, it felt like a bit of a walk down memory lane.

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps: Tickled Pink Flamingo by Colorado Craft Company 
Ink: Potting Soil Archival ink by Ranger
Distress ink markers:  Worn Lipstick, Dried Marigold, Abandoned Coral, Tattered Rose, Spun Sugar, Scattered Straw, Fossilized Amber, Walnut Stain, Black Soot by Ranger
Cardstock: Ranger Watercolor paper, Rose Quartz by Bazzill, Solar White by Neenah for my card base
Other: Watercolour brush by Zig, Non Stick Craft Sheet by Ranger, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), Water Mist bottle Ranger or Hero Arts

Ellen Hutson Holiday Release 2020

Welcome to the Essentials by Ellen 2020 Holiday Release blog hop. Today I am joining a talented roster of ladies as we show off the stamps and dies that are launching in the Ellen Hutson shop today, Yay!

Buckle in, friends. This is a HUGE release, one that has a little something for everyone.

The first three cards I'm going to share feature the "Merry Little Christmas" Stamp and Die combo in concert with other brand new supporting dies. This set is probably my favorite from this release. I just love the line drawings, and especially the way Julie designed the greetings!

To start, let's use the cute little car that is en-route home with a Christmas Tree Stamp - eek! So Cute!

Summary of the Steps: First, I cut a little green tag from Catherine Pooler's "All Wrapped Up" 6x6 paper pad using the small round die from the new "Tag Trio Set".

Then, it was time to stamp and paint the car. First, I stamped it onto watercolour paper and used distress markers as my paints to watercolour it. After the paints dried, I Used 3D Foam adhesive to mount it onto the tag. Next, I cut white cardstock 8.5" x 5.5" and fold in half to make an A2 card. Then, using a stamp positioner, I stamped the greeting in place. Finally, I tied some bakers twine on the top of the tag then glued the tag to the front of the card.

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Merry Little Christmas Stamps and Coordinating Dies, Tag Trio Die Set all by Ellen Hutson
Ink: Midnight by Catherine Pooler
Distress ink markers: Festive Berries, Fired Brick, Barn Door, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Black Soot by Ranger
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah, watercolour paper by Ranger
Patterned Paper: All Wrapped Up by Catherine Pooler
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, Medium Water Brush, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), red and white baker's twine, 3D Foam adhesive

For my next card, I used the cabin stamp from the same "Merry Little Christmas" set and positioned it in front of a Northern Lights background, so that it really felt like a "little cabin in the woods".

Tip: If you've never made a Northern Lights background before, here's how I did it:

Using watercolour paper, first I painted blotches of Yellow, Green, Blue and Pink (from this set, which is on SALE right now!) onto the paper. The blotches don't have to touch, place them randomly on the paper. Then, I painted over the empty white parts of the watercolour paper and the edges of all the colors with black watercolor. In some places, I even lightly coated the entire colour with black. Remember, that you don't need the black to look uniformly dark. It can absolutely be darker in some places, and lighter in others. Allow the watercolor to dry - either naturally, or speed the process up by using a heat tool. After the paints were dry, I used the beautiful creamy white from the Kuretake Gansai watercolors set (which I also used for the black, above) and flicked little white specs onto the background for the stars. If you try your hand at this background, I recommend that you make a big 8.5" x 11" sheet of it, as once you have all the supplies at the ready, it only takes a tad more time to make a large sheet than it does to make a small background. 

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Merry Little Christmas Stamps and Coordinating Dies, all by Ellen Hutson
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah, watercolour paper by Ranger
Paints: Daniel Smith Paint set, Gansai Watercolour Set
Ink: Eucalyptus and Midnight by Catherine Pooler
Distress ink markers: Forest Moss, Peeled Paint, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, by Ranger
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards)

As I wrap up my trio of "Merry Little Christmas" cards, my final project combines that stamp set with two new dies; the "Swirling Flurries Die" and "Tag Trio Die Set".

As I was making this card, first I was thinking of a New York Christmas, with the icy blue cardstock... but then, as I started to watercolour the buildings I was thinking Burano, Italy with it's colourful frontages. ha ha. So, this is a card that can't quite decide if it wants to be an concrete city or an Italian city, but hey, I suppose that's what makes it unique, lol!

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Merry Little Christmas Stamps and Coordinating Dies, Swirling Flurries Die, Tag Trio Die Set all by Ellen Hutson
Ink:  Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger
Distress ink markers: Festive Berries, Weathered Wood, Barn Door, Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Fossilized Amber, Crushed Olive, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Black Soot by Ranger
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah, Arctic by Hero Arts
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, Medium Water Brush, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), 3D Foam adhesive, blue and white baker's twine.

Let's talk a bit more about that stunning "Swirling Flurries Die Set", seen above. Isn't it perfect for creating winter backgrounds?!

Tip: This card is simple, but a trio of things; the snowflake accents, the navy border that is elevated with 3D adhesive, and the white stitched line, add the extra dimension that elevates the design from plain to visually interesting.

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Swirling Flurries Die, Tag Trio Die Set, It's all Good Stamp set, all by Ellen Hutson
Ink:  Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger
Cardstock: watercolour paper by Ranger, Nautical and Arctic by Hero Arts
Paint: Cornflower Blue and Menthol Violet Gansai Tambi Watercolor paints
Other: Snow Flurries Mix (white snowflakes on card front) Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, Medium Water Brush, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), 3D Foam adhesive, sewing machine and white thread

My next card swings back to our current season; Fall. This one showcases the new "Birch Tree Die". It comes with a secondary, included, die (which I did not use) that cuts leaves for the tree to easily transition it from a bare, Fall/Winter tree to a Spring or Summer tree, too. 

Tip: As a quick way to add dimension to this card, I used vellum to create a shadow behind the trees. I simply cut a second copy of the birch die from a sheet of vellum, then glued it behind the previously cut white cardstock birch die, shifting it ever so slightly to the right and down in order to create the shadow. It is such a simple technique, but it adds so much! 

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Birch Tree Die, Voices in my Head stamp and Starry Night Background Die, all by Ellen Hutson
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah, Black Cardstock, Pumpkin Cardstock, Mustard Cardstock, Vellum
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), 3D Foam adhesive


Let's move onto Christmas gifting! You've probably already noticed that I've used the brand new "Tag Trio Set" on several of my cards. Typically, a lot of my card designs incorporate tags, so I was really excited when Ellen Hutson shared that she would be adding this set to her Essentials by Ellen Collection.

In this sample, I combined it with the "Warmest Wishes" stamp set to create a lovely Christmas gift tag, that's ready to hang onto holiday gift bag!

With these tags, stamps, and a stamp positioner, it would be easy to whip out a huge pile of gifting tags in no time flat to help you get ready for the holidays.

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Warmest Wishes Stamp Set and Tag Trio Die Set all by Ellen Hutson
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah
Ink: Sage, Cranberry Fizz, Sand Castle, Midnight by Catherine Pooler
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards)

Finally, I have another gift tag that I tied around a jar of homemade tomato sauce. The circle tag is from the "Tag Trio Die Set", and the stamp is from the "Made this for You" set.

This design was a little labour intensive as I decided to colour each letter individually with Distress markers in order to get this colourful greeting. However, it was worth it to get the look!

Supply List:
Stamps and Dies: Made this for You Stamp set and Tag Trio Die Set all by Ellen Hutson
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah
Distress ink markers:  Worn Lipstick, Evergreen Bough, Dried Marigold, Picked Raspberry, Abandoned Coral, Fossilized Amber, Crushed Olive by Ranger
Other: Spellbinder's Platinum Die Cutting Machine, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards)

Whew, that was quite the round up, thanks for sticking with me! Do you have a favourite from the release? If so, let me know!

To celebrate today's hop, Ellen is offering some super fun 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.)

Your next stop on the hop is the blog of Sarah Zayas, please go check her out!

HOP ROSTER:

• Ellen Hutson Blog
• Julie
• Adelina
• Laurel
• Jessica
• Carly
• Carolyn <-------- YOU ARE HERE
• Sarah Zayas  
• Carissa
• Emily Mydlowski
• Kelly
• Jen Wong  
• Therese
• Emily Midgett
• France Wisniewski 
• Lisa
• Michele
• Ardyth
• Sandy

Tie Dyed inspired watercolour butterflies

As we head into the tail end of Summer I thought this card with it's tie died inspired butterflies would be an appropriate cap off to a summer that was unusual, to say the least.

Speaking of Summer, how was yours? This was a challenging one for me. The Italian retreats I host (www.pronetowanderretreats.com) were postponed to 2021, and my husband and I stayed home as much as possible. I found a lot of joy, and spent a lot of time, working on our gardens (floral and vegetable) and home improvement projects. As we head into Fall I don't see much changing... we'll continue to try and stay home as much as possible, trying to find joy in creating and making.

So, onto today's card. This one was a fun one. When choosing the ink colours I would use on the butterflies I referenced psychedelic tie dyed t-shirts which scream beachy summer weather to me. As you can see in my supply list, I used a lot of Distress ink markers on them. You could certainly get a similar look with fewer colours, but I liked the way it looked by trying to variegate the colours a bit on the stamp before watercolour stamping them. So, I coloured directly onto the rubber stamps with the Distress Markers, then holding a water spray bottle about 12 inches away from the stamp, I lightly misted it, pumping about 3-4 sprays onto the stamp then stamping it directly onto watercolour paper. You want to add enough water from the spray bottle to make the ink colours run a bit, but not enough that it's a soupy mess and the colours blend to such an extent that it's just a muddy mess. It's a fine line, and the more you practice the technique, the better you'll get at knowing how much water to add.

I picked patterned paper by choosing designs that brought out some of the colours from the butterflies. This design was perfect for using up some of the little left-over scraps of paper that were in my stash from previous projects.

Finally, to add depth, I sewed 3 old mother of pearl buttons to the left border of the card.

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps: Nature Prints by Impression Obsession (butterflies), Summer Stems by The Stamp Market (greeting)
Ink pads: Twilight by Cathrine Pooler
Distress ink markers: Picked Raspberry, Victorian Velvet, Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Cracked Pistachio, Wild honey, Frayed Burlap, by Ranger
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah (as my card base), Ranger Watercolor paper, bright yellow and dark aqua cardstock (unknown scraps from my stash)
Patterned paper: Journey by Crate Paper, Welcome Neighbour Designer Series by Stampin' Up!, Classic Calico by Studio Calico
Other: MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), Water Mist bottle Ranger or Hero Arts, 3 mother of pearl buttons and white thread.

A sweet, colourful lamb greeting

We've reached the halfway mark of the week, and it seems crazy to me that we're already in July! Here in the Pacific Northwest our weather in June and this first part of July has been rainy and not too summery. So, I thought it was time to add something bright and cheerful to my blog today.

This card was made as a part of my personal "explore your stash" challenge. I have had this Farm Girl October Afternoon Stamp set for years, yet as much as I adored the sweet little animals on it, I had yet to use it. So, my challenge was to pull it out of the depths of my stash and finally get some ink on it! 

This card features on of my favourite supplies... patterned paper. I had a lot of fun pulling partially used 6x6 paper pads out and mixing and matching collections to create the bright, cheerful mix of papers you see here. Assembled in a very linear (and very reproducible) way, I liken to think of the card as a mini quilt block, combining lots of pattern and colour.

Thanks for taking this walk down the memory lane of my stash. It was enjoyable to explore my stash and give some love to a few of my older supplies. 

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamp: Farm Girl Rubber Stamp Set by October Afternoon
Die: Stitching Lines by Ellen Hutson
Ink: Potting Soil Archival ink by Ranger
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah (as my card base), Peony and Azalea by Hero Arts, Ranger Watercolor paper
Patterned paper: Cute Girl by Crate paper, C'est la Vie by Pink Paislee, Day Dreamer by Dear Lizzy, Fresh Cut by Basic Grey, Tiny Check Gingham by My Favorite Things
Distress Ink to watercolour with: Hickory Smoke, Weathered Wood, Tattered Rose, Peeled Paint all by Ranger
Other: Watercolor brushes, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), Non-Stick Craft Sheet by Ranger, sewing machine and white thread, vintage ledger paper

Summer of Stamping Kick off - Creating backgrounds and grounding with coloured pencil

Hi there, I'm Carolyn and I'm delighted you're here to join me on today's Summer of Stamping (SOS) lauch for Ellen Hutson!

My card features the first Ellen Hutson Summer of Stamping exclusive set, the ultra cute S'more The Merrier by Lawn Fawn, which is sold as a stamp/die combo.

This set brings me back to my teenage years when I worked as a counsellor at a Summer Camp and we would have campfires and sing-a-longs every night. Those were such good times, and I'll be honest, there are moments when I wish that I could be transported back to those days and be plopped smack dab in the middle of the woods, enjoying nature (and a little chocolate, too!).

I decided to use the stamps and create a little campfire scene. I wanted to create a skyscape that mimicked the colours of a campfire - and way you sometimes can see a burning sky during a sunset. To do this I used Ranger Blending brushes and Wild Honey and Worn Lipstick Distress inks carefully blending them together and fading them out to white. I then used the little star stamps included in the set to cap off a night sky.

The colouring of the critters and grounding elements were done with pencil crayons, and I used the colourless blender pencil crayon to help bring it all together. Ack! These little guys are TOO CUTE!

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps/Die Combo: S'more The Merrier by Lawn Fawn for Ellen Hutson
Stamps: Rustic Woodgrain Background by Ellen Hutson
Dies: Essential Circles by Ellen Hutson
Inks: Wild Honey Distress Ink by Ranger, Worn Lipstick Distress ink by Ranger, Emboss it Clear Embossing ink by Ranger, Midnight by Catherine Pooler, Watermark ink pad by Gina K
Embossing Powder: White by Ranger
Cardstock: Solar White by Neenah, Chocolate Malt by Bazzill
Other: 3D Foam adhesive, Colored Pencils by Prismacolor, Blender pencil by Prismacolor, Round Ink Applicator by Ranger, MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards) 

Here's one more peek at the set with a few more of the stamp designs that I coloured for use on another card. Isn't the hedgehog ADORABLE?!!!

To thank you for joining us on today's hop, One random & lucky commenter will win $25 to the EH shop!!! To enter for a chance to win, make sure to leave comments at each stop along the hop! And don’t forget to comment here too for a bonus entry! Comment before Saturday, July 11th at 11:59pm PDT. The winner will be notified by email.

Your next stop on the blog hop is with Tammy Stark! 

Here is the hop order & permalinks:

• EH Blog 
• Ardyth Percy-Robb 
• Mindy Eggen 
• Megan Quinn 
• Elena Roussakis 
• Latisha Yoast 
• Carly Tee Minner 
• Elise Constable 
• Carolyn Peeler <------ YOU ARE HERE
• Tammy Stark 
• Jessica Frost-Ballas 
• Chari Moss on LF Blog