Essentials by Ellen Holiday Release Blog Hop!

Hello, and welcome to the Essentials by Ellen Holiday 2015 Release Hop!  Pinch me now!!!  I am so thrilled to be joining the hop and I’ll be showcasing several of the new stamp sets and dies on my post today!

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I wanted to share my FAVORITE stamp set and matching dies........Mondo Poinsettia!  This is a BEAUTIFUL large set with just gorgeous leaves.  This set was begging for me to watercolor!  

I started by white heat embossing my images on Tim Holtz watercolor paper.  After wetting the images, I dropped Festive Berries Distress Ink and watched it do its magic.  I did this with the leaves as well using Peeled Paint Distress Ink.  My subtle background was watercolored with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and after it was dry, I used my MISTI Tool to stamp my sentiment (from another new set called Mistletoe and Holly) straight using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  Of course, I had to add in my favorite Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Sequins!

***TIP--I used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors for a subtle white shimmer over the poinsettia (I used the opaque shimmery white color in the set).  

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The next set I'm sharing is a fun play on elves called ELF'D.  It also has matching dies that make this set just adorable!

I knew I wanted to make a smaller shaker with the candy cane elements in this set.  I made my own "window" using Pretty Pink Posh's Stitched Duo 3 die set......running it through once and again flipping it over to get stitching on all sides so that it would be a square window shape!  I added in tiny Martha Stewart star confetti.  

In our house, we have the tradition of having an "elf" come visit after Thanksgiving.  Whether my kids know it's real or not.....they enjoy doing it every year!!  This elf reminds me of our "Fred" elf so I had to use him and colored him using Copics.  To soften my layers, I used a trimmed piece of vellum behind my shaker.  My sentiment was stamped onto this vellum using black StazOn.

Now the fun part!!!  A giveaway???  I get to give my favorite new stamp set, Mondo Poinsettia, to a lucky someone!  Please leave a comment to enter my giveaway!  
**Please ensure you leave your email along with your coments as you have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen!

There is also a Grand Giveaway in the CLASSroom!  To enter, be sure to leave a comment there, and at every stop along the hop by August 11th, 2015; winners will be announced by the weekend! 

Here is the full list of stops on the blog hop.........have fun!!

The CLASSroom 

Lisa Adametz 

Sandy Allnock 

Laurel Beard 

Heather Campbell 

Darlene DeVries

Julie Ebersole

Sharon Harnist 

Angel Johns 

Stephanie Klauk

Amy Kolling---->You are here!

Emily Leiphart 

Nichol Magouirk 

Jennifer McGuire

Maureen Merritt 

Kay Miller 

Carolyn Peeler 

Julia Stainton 

Laura Sterckx 

Amy Tsuruta

Kimberly Wiener 

Carissa Wiley

Your next stop is: Emily Leiphart.

Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me!