Every year, I create an untraditional Valentine’s card for those that are not all hearts and flowers. This card is all hearts but in a very Wednesday Addams color theme.
The third stencil was White Pearl Hero Paste. The last stencil I used White Hero Paste but before I pulled off the stencil I sprinkled Icicle Pure White Glitter and lightly smooshed it into the paste. You can see where it oozed out a little from too much pressure, so use an extra light touch. I let that dry completely and then trimmed it down. I did mount the panel on some cardstock layers to help flatten the panel out. It was a little wrapped from all the paste and wax.
This is a busy background with a lot going on so I kept the rest of the card very simple. I die cut a heart from the Hero Studio Card Kit of the Month from Vellum and black heat embossed the sentiment from the same kit.
What do you think of the monochrome Valentine’s day card? What untraditional colors would you try? Happy Crafting!
Happy New Year! I have more exciting news to share today and a pretty purple project. I am super excited to be part of the new Pink & Main Challenge team. I had been looking for a way to challenge myself and expand my craft and when I saw the Design Team call for Pink & Main. I applied and was overjoyed they asked me to be part of this new team. I was first introduced to Pink & Main after winning an Instagram contest and ordering some products. They have a subscription box (you all know I love a good sub box), cute critter stamps and some amazing foil products. I can’t wait to share projects with you over the next few months.
Make sure to follow Pink & Main and the Challenge Team on Instagram
Brennan Keane @bdk_creations Dominique Bailey @DomBaileyCreations Jennifer Ingle @JustJingle June Arnold @junieb_07 Lee McMinn-Murphy @luvleestamper
January theme is Celebrations so I used the Berry Cupcake stamp and die as my focal point. I stamped an alcohol marker friendly black ink and then colored the cupcake with my Copic markers. I used a white gel pen to add some highlights to the blackberry, frosting and bow.
I hope you liked my card today and I hope to see your projects entered in the challenge. Don’t forget to follow Pink & Main and the rest of the challenge team.
I am beyond excited to be back on the Hero Arts Creative team for 2025! Last year was a dream come true and I had the best time. I cannot wait to see what this year brings.
We are ringing in the New Year with a gorgeous Hero Studio release. Back when these kits were My Monthly Hero subscriptions, I would sometimes see a kit and think “Sell Out!” This is one of those kits. The card Kit of the month is packed full of amazing products that can be used over and over for lots of different occasions. Peep the TWO typewriter dies! a fancy die and a frame cut!
January 2025 Card Kit of the Month
Kit Includes: • Color Layering Typewriter Clear Stamp Set, 6” x 8”, • Typewriter Messages Clear Stamp Set, 4″ x 6″ • 7 Typewriter Frame Cut Dies • 8 Typewriter Fancy Dies • Nesting Hearts Cover Plate Die • Mini Clay Hearts • 8 Sheets of Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5
Hero Studio Monthly Minis
January 2025 Clear Set + Dies of the Month: Hello Love
January 2025 Cling Stamp of the Month: Checkered Hearts
January 2025 Fancy Dies of the Month: Floral Envelope
January 2025 Layering Stencils of the Month: Layering Hearts
January 2025 The Whole Studio The Whole Studio included ALL 5 of the monthly subscriptions in one discounted buy. Includes: Cling of the Month, Clear + Dies of the Month, Layering Stencil of the Month, Fancy Dies of the Month, and the Card Kit of the Month.
For my Card Kit card, I started with the cover plate die. I die cut from heavy weight white cardstock and ink blended just the edges around the heart with Peony and Pink Grapefruit core inks. Then I used the coordinating heart die to add a white heart on top of the panel. This covered the inside heart but I like the dimension and crisp die set on top.
Then I moved to the typewriter. I die cut the fancy die and then used the layering stamps to add ink to the typewriter. It was easy to line up and the shadows created by the layering stamp conceal any imperfections. I used Peony and Pink Grapefruit, and Granite core inks. I also die cut the paper and stamped the typewriter text in Intensified Black ink.
Finally, I cut a slit in the typewriter and inserted the paper so only the ‘I LOVE YOU’ is peeking out. I added adhesive around the edge of typewriter making sure not to get close to the paper note. I adhered that directly on top of the cover plate panel. The little note can slide out and reveal a hidden message.
Extraordinary Extras
DF243 Folded Love Note Fancy Die (H)
DF244 Love & Hearts Fancy Dies (E)
SA301 Lots of Love Stencil
SB418 Love Note Messages Bundle (B)
CM798 Love Note Messages
CH344 Mini Clay Hearts
One of the Extraordinary Extras is this Love Notes set. It includes a large die to make the folded note and a coordinating stamp bundle. I made a little coupon booklet to give as a gift. I stamped and die cut all the coupons from Dove White cardstock. I used Peony, Pink Grapefruit, Cotton Candy, Azalea and Ultra Pink core inks with the Love Notes Messages stamp set.
Then I die cut the Love Note fancy die from Heavy weight cardstock. I stamped the outline from the Love Notes Messages stamp set on each ‘panel’ and used the same inks. I did die cut two extra coupons for the cover.
When you fold up the die it has a seam down the front but I wanted it to stay somewhat closed so I added the extra note to the front to hide the seam. Then I went a step further (because that’s what I do-haha) and added another note backing the cover. You can see in the photo that the cover splits open and that’s where I slide in the opposite side to close it up.
I think this is a fun way to personalize your own Love Note coupons in any color or theme. You could make them for your significant other, your children, or even give as a teacher gift. Thank you sticking with me through this lengthy post today! See you later this month with another project!
Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Thursday, January 9 at 11:59pm PST, 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!
The December Hero Studio is here and it is full of COLOR! When I tell you I squealed with delight to see the Reactive reinkers included in the kit, I did! I had so much fun just playing with the reinkers. The images in the kit really let your imagination fly!
CARD KIT INCLUDES: • Clear Stamp Set, 6” x 8” • 15 Coordinating Dies • Floral Circle Fancy Die • 5 Reactive Inkers, 1/2 oz. (Purple Galaxy, Blue Hawaii, Green Apple, Lemon Drop, Fruit Punch) • Plastic Watercolor Palette
The Monthly Mini subscriptions include:
December Clear Set + Dies of the Month (Floral Butterfly) December Fancy Dies of the Month (Rainbows & Clouds) December Layering Stencil of the Month (Butterflies) December Cling of the Month (Rainbows & Clouds)
For my Card kit of the month cards, I jumped head first into the reinkers. I used Deluxe Watercolor paper and generously sprayed it with water at one end. Then I dripped drops of ink and let it run together and drip down. This is messy and uncontrolledly but I was having fun. In the areas that didn’t have enough water or color, I just added a little more.
I let those two panels dry completely overnight because they were soaked through. Then I trimmed it down and stamped the image and sentiment in Intensified Black ink. I matted on a black mat and then added to a card base.
The Butterfly from the Clear Stamp of the Month is gorgeous. I can see using it all year long for birthdays, Mothers Day and even a sympathy card. For this card I used reactive ink pads in Fruit Punch, Lemon Drop, Green Apple, Blue Hawaii and Purple Galaxy and bleded a rainbow on mixed media paper. Then I heat embossed the rainbow over the ink blending and painted the flowers with the reinkers and a little water.
I splattered White Acrylic Spray on a Pitch Black panel and heat embossed the sentiment with white heat embossing. I die cut the butterfly and popped it up on the black mat. The colorful butterfly really pops off the card.
This last card I heat embossed on mixed media paper and painted with the reinkers. I simply drop a couple drops of reinker into the Plastic Watercolor Palette that came with the Card Kit and then painted with a watercolor brush. I used the same brush and renikers to splatter a card panel but when I added the die cut butterfly it was too busy and distracting. Just too much so I added a heat embossed sentiment to Vellum cut just smaller than the panel and layered everything together. This did the trick, you can still see the splatter of color but its muted without distorting the colors.
Thank you for hoping along and checking out all the inspiration for the December Hero Studio release. We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, December 8 at 11:59pm PST, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.
It’s only early November and I already feel like Christmas is here! How can that be? Well, the November Hero Studio release is finally here to get those holiday projects started or finished in no time. This month’s release is for all the animal lovers out there. The card kit has a bunch of sweet peeking animals. I thin my favorite is the hedgehog and the fox but I didn’t use either in my projects. lol
KIT INCLUDES: • Peeking Animals Clear Stamp Set, 6” x 8” • 17 Coordinating Dies • 6 Fancy Dies • 2 Sheets Each of Pine & Cherry Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″ • 2 Stencils in Argyle & Cable Knit Patterns, 4.75″ x 6″ • 28 White Die Cut Tags, 4 different styles • White Hero Pearls, 0.6 oz. • Berry Hero Wax, 1 oz.
Monthly Minis:
November Clear Set + Dies of the Month (Naughty Kitties) November Fancy Dies of the Month (Tilted Christmas Tree) November Layering Stencil of the Month (Snowflake & Holly Pattern) November Cling of the Month (Abstract Poinsettia Pattern)
I did two cards using the Card Kit of the Month. This first one I used Cranberry cardstock with Cherry ink and the stencil. I cut the cardstock into a 1/3 and 2/3 sections. The smaller section I adhered directly to the card base. The larger section I popped it up and trimmed it off with a white strip of cardstock that I stamped. I stamped and colored the dog and Santa hat for the card kit set. I added some chunky snowfall glitter to the Santa hat because, why not! The sentiment is from the card kit as well and it is white heat embossed on Cranberry cardstock.
The second card is the same design just different elements from the Card Kit. The card base is sprayed with Iridescent shimmer spray and the sentiment stamped directly on the panel. The stencil is blended with Contour ink on white cardstock and then shifted over and ink blended again. I trimmed that down, popped it up and added a thin Peony cardstock strip for some definition. The rabbit is from the Card Kit and I intentionally left it more winter white for my friends who do not celebrate Christmas.
My last card focused on the Fancy Die of the Month. I Die cut this from Hammermill cardstock and colored it with my Copic markers. I die cut some extra gifts, the wreath and a bunch of the ornaments. As I was putting the card together, I felt like it needed the cats from the Clear Set of the Month. I stamped, colored and die cut the two kitties from that set. I also used a black copic so I didn’t have a white edge around the cats on my black background. Speaking of the background, That is Pitch Black cardstock and the sentiment is white heat embossed. I adhered the Tilted Christmas Tree to the Pitch Black panel. Then I added the naughty kitties with the wreath, gifts and ornaments. I don’t have cats but I’ve heard stories of kitties and Christmas trees and this is what I imagine happens. 🙂
Here are the November Extras. These will be part of the Hero Arts line. CM780 Winter Foliage Pattern CM786 Naughty Animal Messages DF221 Winter Foliage Pattern Cover Plate (F) DF225 Presents Tower Fancy Die (D) SA290 Color Layering Quilt Stencils 4pk SA291 Poinsettia Stained Glass Pattern Stencil
Thank you for hopping along today. We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, November 10 at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.
Pocketful of Rosie 