Echo Park Paper

One Buck Wednesday: Apothecary

Happy Halloween! Celebrate today's spooky activities by creating something amazing featuring the two digital collection kits on sale today. The "Apothecary Add-On Paper Pack" kit is just $1 and contains 18 patterned papers perfect for this special day.

While the "Apothecary Add-On Element" kit contains 52 mystical elements that focus on Halloween and is now 50% off!

Both of these kits are available at these discounted prices until midnight EDT tonight so be sure to download them before witching hour ends! Check out all of our digital kits HERE at Jessicasprague.com!

Cutting Vellum with Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano

Please welcome Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano today as she shares her tips and techniques for adding vellum to a project. This layout features the "Fall Fever" Mini Theme Collection kit.

Hi everyone! Today’s project is a fall layout featuring one of my favorite photos. To really let it shine, I enlarged it to 12" x 7" and then layered a perfectly translucent title strip on top. Using vellum is a great way to add subtle texture to a page. It’s that extra bit of “something” that makes a layout come together.

Directions:

1. Use an older die cutting mat with less “stick.” Since vellum is a thin, delicate medium using a less tacky mat will prevent the paper from tearing when you remove the design.
2. Using a thicker vellum (29lb) will give you a nice, clean cut. Thinner vellum tends to shred at the edges.
3. Set your Silhouette to Blade 1, Speed 3, Thickness 14. 
4. Set your Cricut to Blade Depth 4, Speed 3, Pressure: 4/Medium.
5. Cut and carefully remove from the mat. 
6. To attach the vellum title to the layout, use a mini-stapler and transparent adhesive. In this case, there is also a glue dot under the button as well.
7. Layer a thinly cut title at the top of the vellum strip for contrast in shape and color.

Layers of stickers in the upper left hand corner of the layout lend a pop of color and dimension to the enlarged photo. Finish off with a border strip of patterned paper to complete the layout.

Supplies:

Fall Fever Owl Paper

Fall Fever Journaling Paper

Fall Fever Stickers

Orange button

Mini Stapler

Vellum

Electronic die cutting machine

Date stamp

Now you can easily add vellum to your cards, layouts, and altered projects. Do have a project featuring Echo Park Paper products that also incorporates vellum? We'd love to see it! Simply upload your project to our Facebook page HERE to share it with our online community.

New Echo Park Paper Silhouette Shapes!

We've been busy uploading new die cut and print & cut shapes to our Silhouette store! We wanted to share a few of those shapes with you to help you start thinking about your upcoming holiday projects. Any of these shapes would be lovely in vinyl, as a base or background for a card, or for the starting point or special element on a cherished card or layout.These are just a few of our latest shapes:

Be sure to check out all of our shapes HERE! And look for new winter shapes coming soon!

Chillingsworth Manor Project Contest WINNERS!

We're super excited to announce the winners of our "Chillingsworth Manor" project contest. We had so many lovely projects posted our Facebook page, that it was difficult to select just three winners. Here are the three projects we selected.

Marlene Gomez

Michelle Arseneault

DeeDee Catron

Winners, please contact us at [email protected] with your name, your shipping address, and the collection kit that you'd like to receive (please select from our currently available collections).

Look for our next Project Contest coming soon! Make sure you've signed up to receive our newsletters so you'll receive all our contest details, as well as, news on our latest product collections!

Card Tutorial & VIDEO with Design Team Expert Lowri McNabb

Join Design Team Expert, Lowri McNabb today as she shares a tutorial and video using her Cameo Silhouette machine. Learn her tips and techniques for creating a "peek-a-boo" patterned paper card!

Hi Everyone! Lowri here today to show you how to create a fun Halloween themed card with the Chillingsworth Manor Collection.

I have wanted to create a “Specimen Art” style card for a long time, but my first couple of attempts with a paper punch and ruler were woefully unsuccessful! I then decided to use my Cameo to create a kind of “reverse” card with the patterned paper showing through the cut-outs.

It is easy to create this evenly spaced grid of patterns to be cut, and I have put together my first little Silhouette tutorial to show you how. You can see it on YouTube here or watch it below.  [Please note that the video assumes you are already familiar with the basics of the Silhouette software]

 

The bat shape I have used on the card is from one of the earliest Echo Park Collections, and can be found in the Silhouette store here.

Here are a couple of details showing you how to finish the card.

1. After you have cut your base, you then need to cut shapes from patterned paper that can be mounted behind the bats and show through.
2. I have used 3d dots to mount these, which adds some dimension to the card.
3. When you have finished, cut another piece of paper exactly the same size as the front face of the card.
4. Mount this to the reverse of the front face using more foam dots to cover all the scraps of paper.

Add a simple sentiment onto the front of your card and a Happy Halloween sticker from the Elements Stickers inside, and you are all good to go!

Please post a comment with any questions.

What a great concept! You could also feel the design with washi tape, ribbon, a solid piece of patterned paper. The ideas are endless! If you create a similar card or use Lowri's tutorial, we'd love to see it! Simply upload it to our Facebook page HERE to share it with our online community!

 

One Buck Wednesday: Grandpa's Tool Shed & Grandma's Kitchen Kits

Create something special for Grandma and Grandpa. Today we're offering two family-oriented digital kits at a reduced price. The "Grandma's Kitchen Mini Theme" kit is just $1 and contains the complete collection of elements and patterned papers designed for Grandma.

While the "Grandpa's Tool Shed Mini Theme" kit is 50% off! This kit contains all of the patterned papers and elements that focus on Grandpa.

Both of these kits are available at these discounted prices until midnight EDT tonight so be sure to download them before the magical savings ends! Be sure to check out all of our digital kits available HERE in our Jessica Sprague store.

EP & Great Impressions Stamps Design Team Blog Hop WINNERS!

Thank you for joining us for our Great Impressions Stamps and Echo Park Paper Design Team Blog hop. We thoroughly enjoyed all the new and returning visitors. We've selected the following winners below to receive ONE collection kit from Echo Park Paper. Please contact us at [email protected] with your name, shipping address, and the collection kit you'd like to receive from Echo Park Paper (please note that you can only select from the currently available collection kits).

NOTE: These are the same winners being announced on each individual blog so you can only win ONE collection kit so either send us your information to us at Echo Park Paper or provide it to the blog owner on who's blog you won.

Jen Gallacher winner:
Monica Blain

Lowri McNabb winner:
Pam Spradlin

Susan Stringfellow winner:
Julie Evers

Linda Auclair winner:
Christine

Wendy Sue Anderson winner:
Indy

Tamara Tripodi winner:
Cynthia B

Kandis Smith winner:
Lisa808 

Angi winner:

Carla

Mary winner:

Denise Bryant

Sue K. winner:

Lisa's Creative Niche

Erin winner:

Zarah

Jenny winner:

Angel

Shanna's winner:

Lucy Patrick

Please check out the Great Impressions Blog for their stamp set winners announcement!

Stitching on a Card Tutorial with Design Team Expert Susan Stringfellow

Please welcome Design Team Expert Susan Stringfellow to the blog today. Susan is an expert at machine and hand stitching, and today she shares her tips and tricks for adding blanket stitching around your projects. Join her for her amazing ideas!

Hi, everyone! I think handmade cards mean a lot to your family and friends, but taking the time to add hand stitching also adds warmth and a extra personal touch. By simply adding a blanket stitch around the perimeter of this "Give Thanks" card front, this card almost has to feel of a blanket.

Directions:

1. To create a blanket stitch, begin by puncturing holes around the perimeter of your paper piece. The spacing is your choice, but I like for mine to be around 1/4" apart.  Insert the needle from the back of the paper, coming out the front and then back down in the next hole to create a loose loop, and then bring the needle through that loop to continue on to the next stitch.  Leave the first loop loose enough to end your last stitch when stitching is complete.

2. For the next stitch, insert the needle from the front through to the back and then directly back up through the loop, pulling the thread so that the stitch formed is a straight box shape.

3. Continue stitching the same way so that all of the stitches are pulled firmly into place but not distorted.

4. Finish stitching around the perimeter of your paper piece and end in the first loop that you created.

Complete the card by layering a doily, a strip of the striped paper with a notch cut in each end, a circle journaling block, a scalloped circle punch, and the "Give Thanks" oval from a journaling card. Mount the fall leaves stickers with a little foam square for dimension and a coordinating brad. Add the owl sticker using foam squares. 

So this year, take the time to send someone special a cute Thanksgiving card to let them know you are thinking of them.

Supplies:

Kraft Cardstock - Carta Bella

"Fall Fever Owl" paper

"Fall Fever Stripe" paper

"Fall Fever Journaling" paper

"Fall Fever Stickers"

Pearl brad  from the For the Record 2: Tailored Brads

4" doily

scalloped circle punch

Brown thread

Green embroidery floss

needle

Did you give blanket stitching a try? Be sure to share your work with the rest of our online crafting community HERE on our Facebook page. We can't wait to see what you create!

 

New Echo Park Paper Silhouette Shapes!

Each week we upload new shapes from your favorite Echo Park Paper collections to Silhouette. Here's a peek at some of the new shapes you might find in our Silhouette store:

And because Halloween is just around the corner, here are a few of the Halloween shapes you can download from Echo Park Paper (look for die cut AND print & cut shapes):

Be sure to watch each week for the latest shapes HERE!

Fall Fever Bag with Design Team Expert Wendy Sue Anderson

Hi Echo Park Fans! It’s Wendy Sue with you today, sharing a sweet little treat bag. The basic steps for the bag can be used over and over again with any size of paper to vary the resulting bag. Here are the basic instructions:

It looks like a lot of steps; but I promise it’s really easy and when you finish one, you’ll be able to whip them out super fast!

Once the basic bag is complete, you can use border punches to decorate the top.  And, of course, you can embellish the bag with lots of different ribbons, stickers, and labels. Have fun!

Supplies:

Fall Fever Owl Paper

Fall Fever Journaling Paper

Fall Fever Sticker Accents

What a simply and easy way to create a bag! We'd love to see what you do using other collections from Echo Park Paper! Simply upload your finished creations to our Facebook page HERE to share it with our online community!