Birthday Animals

2.17.2024

Today I am sharing some cards I created for the Create It 3 Ways Instagram hop hosted by Amrita Pettus. I took a little break from this hop but I’m back at it. I love this hop because it gets me to use one supply or technique 3 ways-stretching my creativity. This month’s theme is Birthday and I decided to use the newly released Birthday Animals from Hero Arts. All the animals were stamped with Intensified Black ink on Hammermill cardstock and colored with Copic markers.

My first card features the cute alligator. I started by ink blending Taffy, Thistle, Berry Smoothie and Purple Galaxy reactive inks. I made sure to let that dry completely by heat setting the ink. I very lightly misted the Rough Dot bold print with water and then some White Iridescent shimmer spray. I placed the inked background panel on the bold print and pressed down. Then I carefully pulled off the panel and let it dry. I used White and White Sparkle embossing powder for the sentiment and adhered the alligator.

For the duck card I used the new Square Scallop infinity die to create the bottom edge of the card. I used Blue Hawaii reactive ink on the inside of the card and blended just past where the scallop edge landed. I used White embossing powder for the sentiment. I adhered the ducks and stamped “quack” twice directly on the card panel.

The turtle card has so much shimmer it’s hard to capture in a photograph. The background is Blue, Green and Ocean Blue metallic sprays on a heavy cardstock. Once that was completely dry, I heat embossed the Rain Texture bold print with White Satin embossing powder. I die cut the a Square Scallop from Peacock cardstock then mounted the turtle on a slightly smaller white square and stamped the sentiment.

That’s it! They all came together pretty easily and now I have 3 birthday cards to add to my stash! Thank you to Amrita for hosting this IG hop that challenges my creativity in a positive way.

You can shop any of the Hero Arts products by using my links. I am new to the affiliate program and appreciate your support.

Hero Arts Spring Blog Hop

2.14.2024

Spring is in the Air this Valentine’s day! Today Hero Arts is releasing their Spring catalog! This catalog features tons of new spring products plus a collaboration collection with Ralph Tyndall! This is the first time I have had my work printed in a catalog and Ralph’s first collab product line! Hooray!

I am sharing a few cards today but will definitely be sharing more in the upcoming days and months. I will be sharing the cards I created for the catalog this weekend so be sure to subscribe to my blog so you are notified.

There are two new HeroScapes in this release. This is a Breath of Spring and features a cloud/sky stamp and the grass with flowers. I used Kiwi and Green Hills core ink on the grass and Peony, Cotton Candy, Butter Bar and Spicy Mustard for the flowers. and die cut that section. I used Mist and Dusty Blue for the sky on a separate card panel. I did some light ink blending on that panel with the greens on the bottom third and blues just under the clouds. I adhered the grass die cut to the panel and stamped the sentiment and bees in Intensified black ink.

I die cut another panel with one of the large Arches infinity dies and layered that on top. The HeroScape layering stamp makes quick work of this card.

This bird on a Branch is a classic Hero Arts woodblock stamp. I stamped the bird and sentiment (from the With Sympathy stamp set)on watercolor paper and used my Tombow dual brush markers to color the image. I die cut that panel with the Pointed Arches infinity die and then used the next size up and die cut from Cranberry cardstock. I used a leaf image from the With Sympathy set to create the background. I used Antique Ivory cardstock and Caramel core ink. I did do some light ink blending the the Caramel ink to soften the edges.

I was so happy to see this sentiment as a woodblock stamp! To create the background I used Novel Prose bold print on Antique Ivory cardstock with Cup o Joe core ink. I did some light ink blending around the edges and then added some Gold HeroWax. I stamped the sentiment on Sand Cardstock and die cut with a Rounded Jewels infinity die. I popped up that sentiment and added some Gold Hero Pearls for accents.

I have linked products with my affiliate link and appreciate if you choose to purchase from my link. Purchasing with my link is at no extra cost to you. Hero Arts will be giving away two $50 gift cards, drawn from the comments left along the hop. Comment on all the blogs for more chances to win! You have until Wednesday, February 21st at 11:59pm to enter. The winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog.

Next on the Blog Hop is my friend, Karen Brown

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Vacca
Ilina Crouse
Charlene Madrid
Lydia Fiedler
Heather Ruwe
Natasha Polite
Seeka
Jeannie Lieu
Dana Joy
Pocono Pam
Rachel Kleinman
Michelle Short
Jennifer Kotas
Rosie Lopez
Karen Brown
Kailash Naidoo
Channin Pelletier
Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Ralph Tyndall
Laurie Willison
Cathy Zielske
Laura Bassen
Caly Person

Lunar New Year 2024

2.10.2024

Happy Lunar New Year!

A little story about me….My grandpa was born in China and as an adult I’ve been trying to connect more with my Chinese roots. My grandpa passed away about 20 years ago so that connection isn’t there but, I think of him often during Lunar New Year and other holidays. I try to ask questions and make connections with people I meet that are also Chinese. I was born in the year of the Dragon so this is my year! 🐲

My card today features some new and old products, kinda fitting for a New Year’s card. I started with a Mustard card panel and ink blended Fawn core ink then sprayed with Orange metallic spray. I die cut a Canary card panel with the Parquet cover plate die. This is a new product from Hero Arts Spring Catalog that will be released on February 14! The cover plate die is part of the Shop Box program where independent retailers are given the opportunity to sell a select few products before the big catalog release.

Back to the card…I lightly sprayed that panel with Fuschia and Royal Purple metallic spray. I adhered the die cut piece to the solid shimmer piece and it reminded me of the beautiful screens in China.

I didn’t have any accent pieces so I created my own. I used the cover plate from he November 2018 My Monthly Hero kit. It has a die with ornaments that I turned into lanterns. I basically cut a bunch of ornaments, added the ornament topper to the bottom and then decorated with a gold string ‘tassel’ and hanger and some gold flake highlights.

The sentiment is a transfer from Holiday Message Strips. I put it on matte gold cardstock and trimmed down to leave a wide mat. I popped the sentiment and lanterns up with foam tape and then adhered them to the base. I wrapped the hangers to the back before putting the panel on the card base.

I don’t have any dragons or Chinese themed stamps but I transformed a few products by creatively altering them.

Happy Lunar New Year!

February 2024 MMH

2.5.2024

Welcome to the February My Monthly Hero kit blog hop! This kit is all about sending peace, love and healing. Like I said in l my countdown post, I love the mix of fonts in this kit. The script words with coordinating dies is perfection. I think this kit lends itself nicely to clean and simple cards that have impactful messages and sentiments.

Classic Kit: $73 Value for $36.99

Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
17 Coordinating Dies
4 Tag Fancy Dies
6 Sheets Premium White Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″
Unicorn Pigment Ink Cube
Rustic Twine, 3 yards

Premium Kit: $113 Value for $49.99

Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
Clear Stamp Set, 3″ x 4″
17 Coordinating Dies
4 Tag Fancy Dies
Imagine & Peace Fancy Dies
Sun Stencil, 6″ x 6″
6 Sheets Premium White Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″
Unicorn Pigment Ink Cube
Rustic Twine, 3 yards
Ephemera Pack, 48 pieces
White Embossing Powder, 0.5 oz.

I used the Classic kit for my project today. I started by selectively stamping the lavender stalks 3 times with Grape Juice and Moss core ink. I didn’t bother masking off the stamp, I just used the edge of the ink pad and my Misti stamping tool. I used Periwinkle core ink and stamped the vase three times on Vellum. Then I used Embossing and Watermark ink and Clear embossing powder to heat emboss the vase. I die cut everything using my Compact Cutter. This little machine is so handy for small die cutting.

I cut three strips of Passion Flower cardstock to 1 in by 3.25 in. On each strip of paper I stamped one of the word stamps from the Classic Kit. I adhered the vases with tape runner and the lavender stalks with Precision Glue.

For the card base I ink blended Passion Flower and Orchid core ink from the bottom up using my Blending brush. The I gave it a spritz of White Shimmer spray focusing my spray from the bottom. This gave me a heavier shimmer where there ink blending was and less shimmer towards the top.

I stamped ‘Believe in’ with Intensified Black ink and die with the coordinating die. I did stack up that sentiment and the purple strips twice for some dimension.

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I was really connected with the Passion Flower cardstock this month because my add-on card also focused on the pastel purple color. I used the Words of Peace Bold Print Passion Flower core ink to create this background. I very lightly and inked up the bold print and brushed off some of the ink. I lightly stamped the bold print and really wanted an uneven and almost shadow look. Then I used the blending brush to ink blend with the same ink around the edges of the panel.

The sentiment is the main focus of this card. I used the Sending Peace stamp set along with the ampersand from Letter S-V Fancy Dies to create this centerpiece. I die cut the ampersand from Passion Flower cardstock (I told you I was feeling the purple this month) and used what ink was left on my blending brush to ink the the edges. I stacked that up a few times for dimension and then stamped Peace and Love on the same piece of cardstock and trimmed tightly around each word.

I attached the words Peace and Love to the ampersand and stacked some cardstock behind so it lie flat. I placed that background panel in my Misti and placed the stacked dies where I planned on attaching them. Before I attached them with Precision Glue, I stamped Sending directly on the background panel.

I hope you get lots of inspiration on the blog hop today! I can’t wait to see what you create. You arrived from the talented Channin Pelletier blog. Up next is the cheerful Dana Joy. Thanks for hopping by, don’t forget to enter our giveaway!

GIVEAWAY
We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by
Sunday, February 11th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog
the following week.

February MMH Countdown

2.3.2024

This months kit is so good. I used the word stamps in the Classic kit to create my own background. I lightly stamped with Peony core ink on Peony cardstock. To highlight the word ‘healing,’ I used Pale Tomato core ink. Then, I used my Hero Arts blending brush to lightly blend Pale Tomato ink around the edges.

I stamped and embossed the cursive ‘sending’ sentiment with white embossing powder on Azeala cardstock and die cut with the coordinating die.

I stamped the floral image from the classic kit using Intensified black ink. I colored it using my Copic markers. I die cut the vase from Vellum and used my Copic marker to color the vase.

I can’t wait for you all to see this kit! The mix of print and cursive sentiments are perfection! Make sure to leave comments on all of the Hero Arts countdown blog posts for a chance to win a kit!

The kit launches Monday, February 5 at 10 pacific.