Echo Park Paper

EP TV: Note to Self Mini Album

Lately I've been loving all the innovative mini albums I've been seeing so I thought for this edition of EP TV, that I'd create a mini album using three folded 6" X 12" sheets of patterned paper from the "Note to Self" collection.

This album is actually quite easy to create and only requires a "Note to Self" collection kit, white crochet twine (or Baker's Twine), a button, and the tools you need to complete the project. Here are some additional photos of this project:

Want to watch this album being created start-to-finish? Then watch this helpful EP TV video tutorial:

Be sure to subscribe to our EP TV YouTube channel to be notified of when our latest videos have been uploaded. And for additional FREE project instructions, check out the "Projects" section of our website where you can download step-by-step instructions for more than 40 projects.

Die Cut Art with Design Team Expert Wendy Sue Anderson

Please welcome Design Team Expert Wendy Sue Anderson. Wendy Sue has created a fun art project for her family home. Be sure to read through all of her instructions for creating this amazing project!

Hi there, Echo Park friends!  It’s Wendy Sue, taking over the blog today to share a fun project, featuring Echo Park die cut shapes available through Silhouette. I opted to make a little framed art piece to display in my home, and it only took a few hours from start to finish.

It started out with this paper from the "Country Drive" collection “Bee’s Knees.” I love the honeycomb pattern, but it was a little too bright for what I wanted to do so I gave it a little “white-wash” treatment.  (Remember, this project is for a display piece. I probably wouldn’t recommend using spray paint on paper to put in your scrapbook as it may change the archival quality of the paper.)

To “white-wash” the paper, simply spray a light coat of spray paint over the paper – and allow to dry.

Next, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the bee (“bee happy”) from my newly painted paper.  I sized it to fit on my 12x12 sheet, leaving only a few inches above and below the image.

Introducing Three NEW Collections!

One of the most exciting parts of my job is getting to see new product lines in the works. You cannot imagine the amount of time that goes into designing, editing, changing, and then printing the collections. It is exciting to watch a collection unfold and become the end result that we end up releasing. We truly have an amazing art department!

This month we have THREE new collections to share with you! The first is "Hello, Summer" which we announced and shared at Winter CHA. This collection will begin shipping April 16 so watch for it in stores as early as next month. I wanted to share a few additional images from this collection to help you get excited for this release! Here is the collection kit cover:

Here are the "Element Stickers" from this collection:

And here are the darling "Journaling Cards" included in this release:

You can find the entire collection HERE on our website!

In addition to this whimsical summer collection, we're also releasing two new "Mini Themes" just in time for Mother's Day and Father's Day.

The "Dearest" Collection is a tribute to mothers everywhere. Soft florals, sweet pastels and feminine imagery make up this beautiful collection dedicated to one of the most important women in your life. To see more of this collection visit our website HERE!

The "Family Man" collection is dedicated to that special hero in each of our lives: Dad! This masculine collection includes some tongue-in-cheek humor, as well as, all the papers and stickers you will need to create Father's Day cards, layouts, and altered art for the special man in your life. You can find all the pieces in this collection HERE on our website.

All of these collections are just in time to celebrate three amazing seasonal events. Do you have a favorite? Which one(s) will be making their way to your home?

Wonderful Wednesday: Two Playground Digital Kits at 50% OFF

Just last week I spent lunch and lunch recess at my son's school. I watched the kids running around the grassy fields, climbing up and down on the jungle gym (and I also discovered why my son's been developing mysterious holes in his socks--apparently he takes his shoes off while he plays). Kids have a wild, abandoned freedom when they play; and they know just how to celebrate the beginning of spring.

Today we're offering two digital kits that will be perfect for documenting my fun day with my son. Both of these "Playground" kits are available through today's "Wonderful Wednesday" sale at Jessica Sprague.com. The "Playground Paper Pack 1" kit offers 14 papers that are hand drawn and beautifully colored:

While the "Playground Elements 1" kit includes 36 playful icons that are designed to match with the paper. This kit is perfect for creating digital or hybrid embellishments:

Both of these kits are 50% today ONLY so be sure to download them and add them to your digital collection before the sale ends at midnight EST tonight!

Card Sketch with Design Team Expert Amy Heller

Join us today as Design Team Expert Amy Heller shows how she uses a sketch to create a card. Use the same sketch to create your own version of this beautiful card!

Hi Echo Park fans! Today I'm here to share a card sketch with you.

I really enjoy challenging myself with sketches, but rarely do it for cards so I was excited and a little nervous about this assignment. But as I went through the exercise, I really enjoyed the process much the same way I do when creating a layout from a sketch.

I wanted to create a sketch that could use many of the elements that Echo Park Paper has to offer in stickers, and embellishments as well as show how using paper can work as well when dealing with the focal point of a sketch. So I created a linear focal point that leads the eye directly to the sentiment, which is the real feature of any card.

Because I used circles for my sketch, I thought it would be fun to use the circular cardstock pieces from the "Assorted Brads" set from "This & That Graceful" collection as my central focus of my linear design. I layered paper, the die cut cardstock, as well as, a coordinating brad to make an eye-catching ensemble. Then I decided to create butterflies out of paper that would then pick up the butterfly image in the brad that I used. I kept the butterfly punches the same color, to create the linear effect while drawing in the orange color from my background pieces of paper. I mixed "Dots & Stripes Homefront" and "This & That Graceful" patterned papers for all of my paper. I slightly offset my butterfly punches from my central embellishment to add more visual movement. I also moved my sentiment up to the same line level as that embellishment creating an immediate point of visual cohesion between the largest embellishment and the sentiment of the card.

I really love how the colors of these two collections marry in this car,d as well a,s how the card came together by using the sketch as a guide, rather than a forced design. Make sure not to box yourself into a sketch! It's okay to change things up, move things around, rotate and adjust. Sketches are just that -- sketches not finished artwork. So the next time you play with a sketch, try to play and experiment! That's part of the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day!

Did you use Amy's card sketch to create your own version? We'd love to see it. Simply upload your project to our Facebook page or leave us a link within the comments section below to your comleted project. We can't wait to see how you've been inspired!

New Digital Kits Now Available and An Amazing Contest!

Every Monday we release some of our favorite traditional collection kits as digital kits through Jessica Sprague. Today we're releasing two of our Birthday Mini Themes: "Birthday Girl" and "Birthday Boy".

"Birthday Boy" contains all three double-sided papers, as well as, the corresponding sticker sheet. Perfect for creating invitations, party decor, and documenting the big day these elements will make your memories magical:

The "Birthday Girl" digital kit also contains three double-sided papers along with the corresponding "Birthday Girl" sticker sheet. These two kits can be mixed and matched for additional combinations:

Both of these kits are available for 25% today ONLY so be sure to download them before the sale ends at midnight EST tonight!

In addition to these two amazing kits, we're offering a special contest through Jessica Sprague. If you've ever wanted to design your very own paper line, then be sure to read through all of the details below (if you have questions, please refer to this post from Jessica Sprague)! We'd love to see your work in print!

Good luck, and we can't wait to see what you create!

Winner's Circle!

Thank you so much for joining in on our Blog Launch Party! We had an overwhelming response, and we're so happy to see some new and returning members. We hope you'll continue to get involved in our community. Whether you share your projects or ask a question on our Facebook page, or whether you add your comments here on our blog, we want you to know how much we value your input and participation!

Below are the names of the winners for each of the prizes included in the Blog Launch Party Giveaways! Check to see if you're one of the winners!

Blog Hop Collection Kit Winner:

Bazzill Basics $100 Baskets:

Jessica Sprague Photo Editing Good to Great Class:

Jessica Sprague Up & Running With Photoshop Class:

Jessica Sprague Silhouette: Getting to Know You Class:

Silhouette Cameo:

May Arts Ribbon:

Lifestyle Crafts Gift Basket:

The Twinery Twine:

Fiskars Gift Basket:

Winners, please contact me at [email protected] with your name, shipping address, and the prize that you won. I will confirm against the winner's list and then the prizes will be shipped.

Blog Launch Day #7: Fiskars Prize Package Giveaway!

Everyone knows that tools are a vital part of making a good project GREAT! I find myself constantly reaching for my scissors, paper trimmer, punches, etc. to help dress up nearly every single project. Fiskars is easily one of my favorite tool companies with offerings in all those tools I want and need to complete my designs. Some of my favorite products from Fiskars are the SureCut Deluxed Paper Trimmer, which I use constantly. I also use the Orange Handled Scissors on all my projects because they have a sharp tip for precision cuts. And when I want some decorative touches, I reach for some of my favorite punches from Fiskars, including their easy-to-handle Squeeze Punches and their fabulous Border Punches. These are just a few of the tools in the Fiskars arsenal. Be sure to check them all out here!

Giveaway:

Fiskars has generously offered to give away ONE prize package to ONE lucky winner. To enter the drawing for this prize package, simply tell us one thing you'd like to see on our blog in the future. It can be a technique (such as using some of these Fiskars tools), it can be a tutorial, or a special kind of blog post. We'd love to hear your ideas. Comments must be left on this blog post by midnight tonight in order to qualify for the drawing. The winner will be announced tomorrow in our "Winner's Circle" blog post. Prize will be shipped to the winner.

Blog Launch Day #7: The Twinery Giveaway!

To celebrate the last day of our blog launch party, we're offering TWO amazing giveaways! Be sure to read through the rules for qualifying for the drawing for these prizes by visiting each of the blog launch party posts posted today!

I am a bit twine obsessed. I can't help it. I love the look of fibers on my page, and twine always seems to add that special touch. With so many fun color combinations to choose from, you'll easily find a perfect match for the Echo Park Paper collections. The Twinery offers so many choices for Baker's Twine. Whether you want an entire spool of twine, or whether you just need a few yards to complete your project, The Twinery offers exactly what you're looking for.

Many of our Design Team Experts enjoy using twine in their projects. You can find FREE instructions for several of their creative projects in the "Inspiration" section of our website. To download the instructions, simply click on the project you'd like to see. Then follow the directions on the page to download the full-color, step-by-step instructions for each project. You can download as many project instructions as you'd like, so be sure to check out the 40+ projects currently uploaded to the site.

Giveaway:

The Twinery has generously offered to award ONE winner eight spools of Baker's Twine from their collections. To qualify for the drawing, visit the "Projects" section of our website. Look through the various project downloads. Then leave us a comment in the comments section below with a project you might be interested in downloading. Then stop by The Twinery Blog and leave a comment telling them we sent you! All comments are due by Sunday, March 25 at midnight MST to qualify for the drawing. We'll announce the winner in our "Winner's Circle" blog post on Monday, March 26. Prize will be shipped to the winner.

Blog Launch Day #6: Lifestyle Crafts Gift Basket GIVEAWAY!

I have a penchant for die cut shapes. I can't help it. I just love being able to die cut a shape from my favorite Echo Park patterned papers. If you've been watching any of our EP TV tutorial videos then you'll see some of the ways in which I've incorporated die cutting into my projects.

Today Lifestyle Crafts has graciously agreed to award ONE winner a $100 gift basket from their store. Lifestyle Crafts offers many die cutting, embossing, and letterpress products including die cut alphabets, die cut shapes, embossing templates, and letterpress templates.There are so many ways you can dress up your projects using their amazing tools. Be sure to check out their fabulous selection HERE!

Giveaway:

To qualify for the $100 Lifestyle Crafts Gift Basket, visit our "EP TV" channel. Tell us either one video that inspired you or tell us one tutorial you'd like to see Echo Park Paper create. Leave your ideas in the comments section below by Sunday, March 25 at midnight MST to qualify for the drawing. We'll select ONE winner for our "Winner's Circle" blog post which we will post here on the blog on Monday, March 26. Gift basket will be shipped from Lifestyle Crafts.