You Are Magic

8/17/2025

Hi everyone! I am back with one more share highlighting the Hero Arts August Hero Studio subscriptions. I absolutely love the clear Stamp and Die set this month. The You Are Magic crystal ball is so fun.

For the card below I stamped and silver embossed on black watercolor paper. Then I used the metallic sprays like a watercolor for some shimmery color. I stamped the Cling stamp of the month on Nautical cardstock with Unicorn white pigment ink. Then I used the Whole Studio Bonus stencil for some extra embellishment.

The next card I used the stencil on vellum then I heat embossed to dry the ink. Ink on vellum can take a minute to dry. Then I flipped the vellum over and heat embossed the sentiment with black embossing powder on the opposite side of the ink blending. I die cut the vellum with the crystal ball die and also stamped and die cut from Charcoal cardstock. I trimmed of the ball from the charcoal one adhering the base to the vellum. For the background I stamped the Cling stamp of the month with Charcoal ink on Charcoal cardstock. Then I ink blended the outside edges with Grape Juice ink. I dry fit where the crystal ball would sit and ink blended with Sea Salt Reactive ink to create a halo around the crystal ball. I used tape runner behind the sentiment and liquid glue on the base to adhere it to the panel.

This card gave me some problems but in the end, it worked out. The background is the same as the card above. But the crystal ball has the light up feature that came in the Card Kit of the Month. I die cut the crystal ball from Charcoal multiple times. Then I used the Holographic Rainbow , Acetate and One Light to make the crystal ball light up. I have an explanation of that process on my August Hero Studio blog post. Instead of lighting up the frame, I did the crystal ball and instead of seeing a face I used the Don’t Hide Your Magic sentiment.

Hero Studio product are only available during the subscription window so pick them up before it’s too late. Last day to subscribe is August 27! Thank you for stopping by, I hope you found some extra inspiration for this month’s subscriptions!

August Hero Studio

8.1.2025

Welcome to the August Hero Studio blog hop. I am grateful you are here. I have been wanting to try out the Pear Blossom lights for a while and just haven’t had time so I was super excited to see it as part of the kit.

August 2025 Card Kit of the Month

Kit Includes:

• Abraham and Katrina 6×8 Stamp Set
• Abraham and Katrina Coordinating Dies
• Stamping Guide for stamp set
• Victorian Frame Die Set
• Pear Blosson Press-One Light 2 Pack
• 10 Sheets of Cardstock- 1 of each color, 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Cinnamon, Terra Cotta, Carrot,
Coral, Bellini, Tuscan, Mint, Waterfall, Blue Spruce, Raven)
• Holographic Rainbow Film, 1 sheet – 5.5″ x 8.5″
• Acetate, 1 sheet – 5.5″ x 8.5″

When I am using a new product, like the Pear Blossom Press One Light, I like to keep my card design pretty simple. I created this ‘simple’ card with the Card Kit and the Style Moderne Bold Prints.

I die cut the frame pieces from Woodland and Cup o Joe Hero Hues cardstock. and assembled the frame. I trimmed a piece of acetate and Holographic Rainbow Film to slightly smaller than the frame. Then I pulled the backing off the film and adhered it to the acetate. I used double sided tape to adhere the acetate with film to the back of the frame.

Then I stamped out Abraham and centered the frame die around the stamped image. I used tape adhesive to adhere the stamped image to the back of the film. I added some thin foam strips around the back side of the frame so the light nestled inside. I tested the placement of the light several times before adhering it to the background.

For the background panel, I wanted it to look like wallpaper in an old mansion. I stamped the Style Moderne Bold Prints on Palm cardstock with Field Greens ink. Then used the same ink to soften and blend the edges. I was not going for a perfect stamped image. I wanted it to look old and warn so the uneven stamping was purposeful (this time). I dry fit the frame and stamped the sentiment on the background before adhering the frame and light permanently.

When you press the light it illuminates the stamped image from the back and it shines through the film for a wonderfully spooky effect!

Hero Studio Monthly Minis

CD0825 August Stamp & Cut of the Month: You are Magic
FD0825 August Die Set of the Month: Haunted Gallery
LS0825 August Layering Stencils of the Month: Sunnyside Manor
RB0825 August Cling of the Month: In the Valley

For my second project, I used the Die set of the month and went completely opposite of spooky. This whimsical and bright card highlights the dies and one of my favorite Halloween color palettes-orange, pink, magenta and black.

For this card I found a background panel I sprayed with Fuchsia + Gold metallic spray and then never used! I did add the spiderweb stamps with Peony ink in three places on the back ground for a very subtle look.

I die cut the frames and frame backings twice from Pitch Black cardstock. I also die cut all the little icons from Peony, Azalea and Papaya cardstock. I placed the frames to fill the card and found a place for the sentiment. I stamped the sentiment and then started adhering the frames nearest the sentiment and move outward. Then I places the icons so the images fit the frames and the colors were evenly distributed. I used my Jellyroll Stardust Clear pen to add some accents.

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Tuesday, August 5th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!

Hero Arts
Nichol Spohr
Seeka
Rosie Lopez
Rachel Kleinman
Natasha Polite
Mindy Eggen
Michelle Short
Michelle Lupton
Lisa Tilson
Karen Brown
Jennifer Kotas
Jeannie Lieu
Charlene Madrid
Channin Pelletier
Anna Mahtani

Christmas in July

7.21.2025

Hero Arts has released 4 new collections! There are 2 summer-inspired collections and 2 holiday collections. I am sharing two cards today, one summer and one holiday.

Candy Cane Season, Seaside Blooms, Summer by the Shore and Crackin Christmas.

This card is from the Summer Blooms collection. I was so intrigued by the layering dies in the flower and love the color variation in hydrangeas. I used Lapis and Periwinkle cardstock and sprayed them with White shimmer and Blue shimmer mist sprays to get that variation in color and make the layers pop.

I love Nutcrackers so this is Big Mouth Nutcracker of my favorite new products. I thought this was going to be difficult to put together because of the interactive element but it wasn’t! The dies make it super easy.

I love that the mouth slides open just like a real Nutcracker. The sentiment came from the A Little Nuts stamp & cut. This set has a bunch of puns and sentiments that coordinate with the big nutcracker die so well.

Thanks for stopping by today! Don’t forget to join our Instagram hop for a chance to win a prize from Hero Arts!

Welcome to New York

7.20.2025

I’m back with one last set of cards from the July Hero Studio release. I used the dashboard from the Card Kit of the Month.

Sometimes I get inspiration by seeing what others do with products. I get a different perspective and an idea might come from watching what someone else does. That is where this concept came from. I had mixed up the landscapes in a couple other cards but I wanted something a little different.

I went digging in my stash and found this Street View HeroScape. This was the collab set between Hero Arts and Ralph Tyndall. I never got around to using it so I was excited to combine it with something new.

I did two versions of this card. One with a daytime sky and one with a night time sky. I think I like the night sky better. I imagine the driver is a young person moving to a big city for college or work. Making a leap of faith and taking on a challenge head on.

It was hard to photograph without a giant reflection from the lighting but I used a piece of acetate to between the car and background scene layer. It makes it look like a windshield and a little more realistic. I adhered the acetate behind the dashboard and rearview mirror to hide the adhesive.

I hope my projects pay it forward with some creativity and inspiration. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new collections from Hero Arts!

July Hero Studio

7.1.2025

Let’s take a summer road trip across the country. This kit is so creative and I can’t wait to see where all my crafty friends travel to in their cardstock car!

July 2025 Card Kit of the Month
Kit Includes:
• On the Road HeroScape 6×8 Stamp Set
• On the Road HeroScape Coordinating Dies
• Let’s Go Die Set
• Pine Core Ink Cube
• 10 Sheets of Cardstock- 1 of each color, 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Sicily, Coral, Bellini, Waterfall,
Teal Topaz, Blue Spruce, Peridot, Beeswax, Saffron, Carrot)
• Mirror Paper, 1 sheet – 5.5″ x 8.5″

These dashboard cards are so unique! I used the entire kit to create two very different scenic drives. For the first card I used greens and blues to create a hill landscape. For the other card I used yellows, oranges and red to create a desert scene. I have a few more scenes I plan to create. It will be like traveling from one end of the country to the other without leaving my craft room!

The dashboard dies are very straight forward. I thought it was going to feel like a ton of dies and die cutting but the main die is super helpful to place everything correctly. I think a colorist could color that dashboard and it would be stunning. I went for simple die cutting from colored cardstock.

Hero Studio Monthly Minis

CD0725 July Stamp & Cut of the Month: Sending Big Hugs
FD0725 July Die Set of the Month: Mix Tape
LS0725 July Layering Stencils of the Month: Just Keep Going
RB0725 July Cling of the Month: Cobblestone Courtyard

I used the layering stencil of the month, glitz inks and glitter paste to make this card shine! I used my blending brushed with glitz inks in French Pink, Naples Yellow, Egyptian Blue and African Violet. I do have separate brushes for these glitz ink as the shimmer is hard to wash out. On the last stencil I also used glitter paste on the diamonds over the ink. The clear glitter makes the inks sparkle even more.

For the background, I ink blended the inks again. This time I only went around the edge of a card panel making sure to blend well. Then I used the Sparkle Weave stencil and Glitter paste. This stencil matched the diamond shape in the sentiment stencil so well.

July 2025 The Whole Studio
The Whole Studio included ALL 5 of the monthly subscriptions in one discounted buy.
Includes: Cling of the Month, Stamp & Cut of the Month, Layering Stencil of the Month,
Die Set of the Month, and the Card Kit of the Month.
BONUS: Receive a FREE Everything’s Pine Stamp & Cut with the purchase of The
Whole Studio. (Not sold separately.)

These were quick double bonus cards! I used Meadow and Kiwi Cardstock and stamped the pine tree stamp twice on each color with Pine core ink. Then I added the sentiment and scene at the bottom. I die cut all 4 out along with the hangers. For the background I used the Cling stamp of the Month with Green Apple reactive ink. I stuck the cling to my glass work surface-stamp facing me. I inked up the cling and lightly spritzed it with water until there were little puddles on the cling. I placed Bristol Smooth mixed media paper directly on top and pressed evenly. After it dried I used my green blending brush to add some extra color. I didn’t add more ink to the brush-just used the leftover ink. I adhered the pine trees to the panel and that was it! Double the pines, double the cards!

Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget Hero Arts is hosting a give away of a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Saturday, July 5th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Anna Mahtani
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Karen Brown
Lisa Tilson
Michelle Lupton
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Natasha Vacca
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka <—-Next Stop
Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Lea Lawson
Sheri Gilson