Ellen Hutson Appreciation

More about this card, featuring products exclusive to Ellen Hutson, later in the post.

(Note: this post is unsponsored. I paid for the products used in my card, am not an affiliate, and am writing this on my own.)

From the beginning (August 2006), Ellen has been about education and customer service at good prices. And, starting a few years ago, Ellen Huston has its own line of awesome products. It's the total package! Not sure what motivated me to write this today, but I've been thinking about how much I appreciate the industry and thought I'd write about one of my favorites. 

Education

Ellen Hutson has always been about education. However, recently, she's put education on the front burner.The Ellen Hutson blog and you tube channel are full of design advice lately, and I am loving every single post. 

Stampers are inundated with products and beautiful samples from dozens of fabulous companies and vendors. However, few explain how they achieved such a great look. The EH design ambassadors are doing so and with great skill. 

If you are looking to improve your design skills, I strongly encourage you to check out this series, which has covered everything from layout composition to using a color palette. They are full of so much information I am rewatching and rereading. 

Customer Service

 I buy craft stuff from a variety of vendors, and if I have a problem with a vendor more than once, I stop buying from that company. Honestly, problems are rare and there are many fabulous vendors out there. But, Ellen's customer service is without flaws. Examples:

- My order was missing an item. I called the customer service number (rare to have one). No questions asked (it's hard to prove a negative), they shipped it out to me that day.

- I was a guest designer a few years ago and, as such, received the release. Shortly thereafter, I got an email asking me to check whether a particular product was defective. Turns out a few of them were, but most were fine. Ellen Hutson pulled the product from the release until it could ensure that each item was fine. 

- Shipping times are amazing. It's like there is a box with my name on it waiting for my order! I ordered the products used in the card above last Friday and had them in my hot hands on Monday. 

Prices

I'm a comparison shopper. I never buy an item without checking out prices. Ellen's prices are often a little cheaper or the same. Are they always the cheapest? Can you find a better deal elsewhere? Possibly on any given item. If I find it cheaper (on sale) elsewhere, I'll go elsewhere. 

However, on a regular basis, Ellen's prices are great. Example: I wanted a high price set of alphabet dies. They were $20 cheaper at Ellen's compared to another vendor - $30 versus $50! I waited for one of Ellen's sales, and bingo snagged them at an amazing price. 

And don't forget to the check out the Clearance Section (currently on sale until June 17th with prices even lower). I don't care how old a product is. If I love it I love it. It's the first place I check.

Finally, if you buy in one month, you get a coupon for 10% off the following month. I use that wisely (bundling higher priced items together). 

Essentials by Ellen Line

This line of products is unique - sassy sentiments, adorable designs, classics, etc. If you love Julie Ebersole's style, you will love these products. She's not the only product designer, but her items dominate and just slay me. There is also a line of basics under this name - for example, I love the vellum. 

And, the dies and stamps come in labeled packages. No need to organize them, and the dies are precut - my fingers are happy. Plus, the prices on this line are fantastic. 

Speaking of Essentials by Ellen...

I used the stamps and dies from the new One in a Buzz-illion set by Julie Ebersole to make this fun and colorful card.

Stamped the hive with Versafine Onyx, kept it in my Misti, ink blended over the hive and then put it back in the Misti. Re-stamping over ink blending helps bring the black back to life. Colored the bee with Arteza alcohol markers. I only have 12 pastels as I don't color much any more. They come in handy though and because the ink on the bee had set for a while, the ink didn't blur.

After watching a video by Julie on composition, I intentionally placed the items on this card in a gentle upper left to lower right pattern. I didn't follow a specific rule so much, but I remembered her lessons on movement and following where the eye goes. 

Why did I choose a rainbow? No clue, but it made me happy and the mood of the card is happy. Added the embellishments thinking that the card needed more color. But now I'm second guessing that decision. I'm also second guessing putting such a large bee on a small hive (there is a larger hive die that I did not buy). I've decided a giant bee is fine!!  

Hope this makes sense and I hope it worked! 

MOOD WHEN DONE: Grateful for the crafting community.