Class of 2024

4/29/2024

This is a special graduation year for me. I started teaching preschool in 2009 and my very first class of students is graduating high school this year! I have remained friends with some of their parents on social media and it is crazy to think those little 3 year olds are now finishing high school!

I created these graduation cards with a few Hero Arts dies. These first two cards I die cut 2024 using the Number dies. You can purchase these individually or in a bundle. The first card I dies cut from Nautical cardstock and the second is from Iris cardstock. I used the largest number in each package.

Then I used the Luggage Tag alphabet frame cuts to spell out “Class of” from Mustard and Pitch Black cardstock. I did stack the die cuts with two layers for some dimension.

I used glitter cardstock from the Glitter Paper Basics and Glitter Paper Holiday Sparkle for the backgrounds. I arranged the large number die cuts to overlap and and adhered them with Precision glue.

Because I didn’t have any red glitter paper, I made my own with Cranberry cardstock and Red Metallic spray. I let it dry and die cut GRAD from the Letter Fancy dies. These are also sold in small groups or in a bundle. When I die cut the letters I avoided the outside edge so I could use it as a mat. I trimmed down a Nautical card panel and adhered it to the red panel. I arranged the letters and adhered to the background.

Then I decided to emboss CONGRATS on the panel. This sentiment is from the Message Basics stamp set and I used Embossing & Watermark ink with Clear embossing powder. In retrospect, I should’ve embossed before adhering the letters and the background panels but it worked out okay.

I choose the colors for each card based on the school colors for the high schools in my area. My goal is to send a graduation card to each of the preschool students I can still reach before the end of the school year. They probably don’t remember me but they started my career and I will always remember them.

Create it 3 Ways Rainbow

4/20/2024

Today I am sharing a bunch of Rainbow cards! I am participating in the Create it 3 Ways Instagram hop. The hop organizer Amrita gives us a theme and integrate that theme in ways. This month’s theme is Rainbows so I chose a a rainbow color palette using Hero Arts reactive inks. I stamped, ink blended and used them direct to paper to create 3 very different projects. I only used Pool Party, Taffy and Lemon Drop inks.

The first background I stamped using the Abstract Criss Cross Bold Print. The key to this one is the stamp positioner. I stamped Lemon Drop in two triangles across from each other. Then I overlapped a little with Taffy ink in a similar triangle area. Pool party was stamped last. The overlapping created the secondary colors of the rainbow. I spritzed with my favorite Iridescent shimmer mist and let dry. To complete this card I die cut the Happy Birthday cover plate with Black glitter paper. This was also a 2for1 card since I made two stamped panels and used the negative glitter paper.

The second card, I used ink blending to create a soft rainbow. I did similar triangles of color like I did in the stamped background but I ink blended the colors. Again, I used the shimmer spray and let it dry. I used the Star Cluster Stencil and White Hero Paste to create the dimensional stars. Before I lifted the stencil, I sprinkled Prisma glitter and Snowfall Glitter and used my finger to smoosh it in.

I used the You’re Magical Bundle to die cut the stars, clouds and moon from white cardstock. Then I used Embossing and Watermark ink and White Sparkle embossing powder because obviously this card needed more sparkle! The sentiments are from that You’re Magical bundle.

These last two cards are a mixed media background inspired by Channin. She did a class for the Hero Arts Mixed Media Stamp Along event and I used that technique here. I started off with a large piece of watercolor paper. I used white heat embossing and the Rough Dot bold print randomly. Then I went direct to paper with the 3 reactive inks and I really saturated the paper with the ink. I spritzed some water and used the air puffer (or straw) to move some of the ink around creating those secondary colors. Let that dry completely before moving to the next step.

In random areas I used the Stacked Circles stencil and White Hero Paste. I overlapped with the embossing a little too. After the paste dried, I inked directly on the paste in similar or contrasting colors. Sprayed a little more water to get a little more color mixing. Again let this fully dry before moving on. I used the Novel Prose bold print and Intensified black ink. Again this was random and sporadic. I trimmed out the ‘ugly; and paired with some black glitter sentiments.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, be sure to check out the Instagram hop! This is our largest hop ever with almost 60 participants! Shout out to Amrita for hosting it every month.

Floral Birthday

4/18/24

I made these quick and easy floral birthday cards using Hero Arts Floral Garden stencil and Glitter Hero Paste. I started by using the stencil on Deluxe Smooth White Cardstock. I ink blended with Green Apple or Fog, Butter Bar, Tangerine, Peony and Cotton Candy core inks. I didn’t take the time to mask anything off, I only used small blending brushes and a light hand.

After the ink was set I applied the Glitter Hero Paste in select areas, I didn’t cover the entire stencil. I wanted the glitter paste as a accent around the edges. After it dried completely, I trimmed down the panels and adhered to a card base.

I dug through my stash of extra sentiments and found some birthday ones. I used a hot foil sentiment, a die cut sentiment and a stamped sentiment from this Wildflower bundle. I finished them off with some silver Hero Pearls. I love the consistency of these drops, it makes perfect little drops.

Thank you for popping by! I appreciate your support by using my affiliate links. Have a great weekend!

April MMH Release

4/1/2024

Celebrate the whimsical charm and timeless tradition of folk art with our April My Monthly Hero kit.

Classic Kit Contents & Description $74 Value for $36.99

• 3 Color Layering Floral Butterfly Stencils, 5.25”x 6.5“
• Coordinating Cover Plate Die
• 16 Coordinating Frame Cuts
• Clear Stamp Message Set, 4”x 6”
• 3 Reactive Ink Cubes (Blue Hawaii, Splash, and Taffy)

Premium Kit Contents & Description(Premium Elements in Bold)$109 Value for $49.99

• 3 Color Layering Floral Butterfly Stencils, 5.25”x 6.5“
• Birds & Flowers Clear Stamp Set, 4”x 6”
• Coordinating Cover Plate Die
• 16 Coordinating Frame Cuts
• 13 Coordinating Dies
• Clear Stamp Message Set, 4”x 6”
• 3 Reactive Ink Cubes (Blue Hawaii, Splash, and Taffy)
• 16 Washi Stickers

I used the Classic kit to create this delicate and shimmery card. I used the stencils and reactive inks in Taffy, Lemon Drop, Creamsicle, Berry Smoothie, and Key Lime. I used blending brushes and a VERY light hand to create this light and delicate blend. I sprayed a light layer of Iridescent white shimmer spray over the entire panel.

The sentiment is from the kit and heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

I used the Folk Art add-on to create this second card. It is mostly a one-layer card except for the mat and sentiment. It is very flat and would be easy to mail. My inspiration for this card was the brightly colored embroidered shirts and dresses from Mexico.

I lined up the stamp at the center of a white card panel and placed it in the Misti. The stamp positioner is key for this card! I used ink cubes to stamp color block and stamp portions of the image. The leaves and stems were done with Key Lime and Green Apple reactive ink. The flowers were stamped with Taffy, Lemon Drop, Fruit Punch and Berry Smoothie. The birds were stamped with Splash. After all the colored ink was stamped I cleaned my stamp and used Embossing & Watermark ink with clear embossing powder. I used coordinating Tombow dual brush markers to color the image.

I stamped the sentiment with black ink and heat embossed like I did with the main image. I trimmed that down to a small strip and added it to the panel. Then, I matted the entire panel on Azalea cardstock. Thanks for hopping along!

Kits will begin shipping will begin Friday, April 5th and will continue the following week. We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, April 7th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Channin Pelletier
Heather Ruwe
Ilina Crouse
Jennifer Kotas
Karen Brown
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Rosie Lopez
Seeka <——-NEXT STOP
Special Guests:
Jennifer McGuire
Nichol Spohr
Emily Midgett
Essie

April 2024 MMH Countdown

3.30.2024

You are going to LOVE this month’s My Monthly Hero kit! There are so many ways to use it.

I went a little rogue with my Classic Kit countdown card. I used the stencils to blend Lemon drop, Creamsicle and Key lime inks. I barely used any ink, mostly ink that was already on the blending brushes with a very light hand. On the last stencil I used White Pearl Hero Paste. After it dried completely I die cut with the cover plate die and snipped out the butterflies and flowers from the panel.

I used the cover plate die to emboss a Deluxe White card panel and adhered to a card panel. I heat embossed the sentiment from the classic kit on Vellum with Gold embossing powder. I adhered the large butterfly and tucked the sentiment under. Then I tucked in a couple butterflies, few leaves and tiny flowers.

Don’t forget to comment on all the blogs during the countdown for a chance to win a gift card from Hero Arts! The April kit will be released on Monday, April 1 at 10 AM PT! Set your alarm, this one will go fast!