I make a LOT of cards, but I never seem to have enough masculine cards, so…..here is a wonderful one suitable for anyone! I love the classic look of letter press and was pleased to see Hero Arts new Letter Press/Foil Plates. For this card I used their new Happy Birthday plate.
I did not use special paper or inks but I still think I got a good result on my card. Next, I want to try the birthday plates with my foiling machine.
I love a good scene card and when I saw Tina Smith’s Windows With A View Collection, I was immediately smitten! I needed a baby shower card and I knew the tire swing in this kit would be perfect.
Special Scene Card for a Baby Shower
Spellbinder’s Backyard Haven View has 16 adorable dies that include the tree, tire swing, squirrel, owl, bird house, fence, bird bath + some other adorable details. So many possibilities that allow you to design a card for most any occasion….baby shower, new home, friendship, birthday etc.
I made a second friendship card and used a “Friend” chipboard sentiment from Autumn Chipboard Stickers that I thought went well with my scene. I love this chipboard set with its beautiful substantial elements.
I wanted to start off with two fabulous new sentiment dies that I just love from Smile Friend Stamp and Cut XL. I went crazy die cutting a bunch so I will have them on hand for future cards.
DI945 Rays of Color Window Fancy Die (recently sold out)
Flower Pattern Cover Die
I LOVE cover dies so I was excited to create with this Flower Pattern Cover Die, which is perfect for Spring and Summer. I started by ink blending a rainbow panel which I then die cut with the cover plate and then used the inlay technique to create a one layer background. This went more quickly than you would think because the die cuts fit like a good quality puzzle. My placement and gluing took about 20 minutes.
TIP: Keep your die-cuts in the panel until you start gluing so you know the orientation and position on your background.
Products Used on My Flower Pattern Cover Die Card:
Birthday Animals Stamps + Pointed Arches Infinity Dies
Isn’t this Alligator the cutest? He is one 7 animal stamps included in the Birthday Animals Bundle. The set also includes 8 birthday/everyday sentiments. I combined the stamps with the Pointed Arches Infinity Dies. Infinity Dies are definitely staples in my craft room and I like the interest the arches add to projects.
I love everything about Rub-on transfers. I love how easy they are to use, the look they add to projects and how fun they are to apply! This Spring, Hero Arts included “Sympathy Transfers” in their release. I did some quick ink blending on my background and then added my Hero Transfers for a quick and easy card.
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.
Kailash Naidoo is next on the hop and I have links to everyone below.
I recently attended Hero Arts Mixed Media Stamp Along and found it so informative! This card was inspired by @cheiron and her wonderful class. I used different products and colors so my card doesn’t look anything like Cheiron’s, but her class gave me the creative spark for my card. Sometimes it is fun to get inky and messy!
For this card, I was trying to simulate a Dove flying over a city at sunrise. I knew I wanted a bold background to contrast with the white Dove.
My Process:
I put 5 sunrise colors of reactive ink (colors listed below) on my craft mat and spritzed with a bit of water and then painted bands of vertical color all over my watercolor cardstock panel. There is no right or wrong way just start painting! I dried and repeated two more times. During the process I also added drips of color.
I love Hero Rub-On Transfers and I added parts of the city map from Collage Backgrounds to three spots on my background.
I added texture with the Cobblestone Stencil. In some places I used just Gold Hero Paste and on others I rubbed just a bit of Black Hero Wax on the Stencil and then added Gold Hero Paste. I really love the black wax and gold paste combined together.
Using a splatter box (for me a repurposed cardboard box) I added three layers of splatters and dried in between each color. White, Blue Shimmer and Orange Shimmer. I love the complexity the shimmer splatters add!
I am so excited about the 2024 Spellbinders Clubs! Today I am sharing a fun Bumble Bee themed card using the January Stitching Die Club Kit and it is perfect for Spring, Birthdays, Get Well and Hello cards…I think it is so fresh and fun! This Club Kit is now available for individual purchase HERE.
I created this card over the holidays and it was ideal to work on while I sat around the fire and visited with family.
Spellbinders has a nice selection of stitching accessories in their shop that you can find HERE.
When I started stitching, I took two strands of Gold Floss (DMC 725), separated them one at a time, brought them together and then stroked and lengthened them until they seemed tame and ready to use.
When I move from one area to the next, I run the floss through the just finished stitched area to keep the thread secure. This gives a nice look on the finished project.
Don’t stitch with threads that are too long or they are likely to knot. This is a lesson I relearned on this card.
When I was done, I added a bit of Bearly Glue to the ends so that they will stay in place. You can also add a backing by die cutting another Bee body. Your backing can be a different color to add more interest.
A Few Notes About Spellbinders Club Kits
Clubs Preview on the 1st of each month.
Club members can cancel, upgrade or change clubs from the 1st-5th of each month. Popular Clubs frequently sell out during this period so club members get first dibs on everything.
NEW for 2024: Club Members get EARLY access to new releases on the 6th!
On the 6th, Clubs become available to non-members.
On the 27th, Club registration closes for the current month.
If a club did not sell out, you can buy under “Shop Past Clubs”. Past kits are available on the 10th of the FOLLOWING month.
There’s something undeniably captivating about a vintage valentine, where every delicate stroke of ink and carefully chosen sentiment carries a timeless charm. This new House Mouse Candy Hearts rubber stamp had a very retro look to me, so I went with an old-timey mixed media vibe.
Easy One Layer Vintage Look Mixed Media Valentine Tutorial:
I started by creating my background. I masked off a border and then used two shades of tan Distress Ink to ink blend my background. (Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap)
With the masking tape still on the cardstock, I then used the same tan inks to stencil and stamp bits and pieces on the background. Most of the stamping was “second generation” where I stamped first on a scrap and then onto my background so that the pattern would be subtle. I also added light stenciling to the background. Cathe Holden has some great stamps and stencils that I added here and there. I also used a bit of stamping with white pigment ink, but it is hard to see in the photograph. To finish I added a touch of Gold Wax to a few places around the border.
Carefully remove your masking tape. I used Post It Tape, which is the best!
After my background was dry, I stamped the Valentine Mouse with Versafine Black Pigment Ink.
PRO TIP: For a crisp look, keep the stamp in your Misti stamping platform and restamp the image after you are done coloring. You won’t believe how much this one step will elevate your project!
I used Faber Castell Polychromo Colored Pencils to color the mouse and candy hearts.
Remember to restamp the image and let dry.
The cute sentiment is included with the stamp set and finishes off my one layer valentine.
Hello My Monthly Hero lovers and welcome to the December 2023 Release Hop and Giveaway! I am excited about this month’s kit….so much wonderfulness! December’s theme is the Alphabet (Classic) and Numbers (Premium).
• XL Alphabet Clear Stamp Set, 8″ x 10″ • Alphabet Cover Plate Die • 10 Pack of Watercolor Pencils • 6 Sheets of Luxe White Watercolor Paper, 8.5″ x 11″ • Water Flow Brush
I love them both, but this post is about the Classic Kit plus a very fun Add-On product. I am sharing three different cards with three very different looks today.
Inlay Diecutting with the Alphabet Plate Cover Die
This card might look difficult, but it all came together in one hour. I started by die cutting the alphabet 5 times from different colors of cardstock: Papaya, Kiwi, Passion Flower, Dove White and Granite. I saved the white die cuts to use on a future project, and then attached the white background to an A2 cardbase. Next, I laid out the letters until I had the colors where I wanted them. With the layout done, the gluing went very quickly. I added a simple heat embossed sentiment from Hero Art’s Message Strips Stamp and Cut XL (DC286). I love the bright simplicity of this card.
A bonus is that I have TONs of leftover die-cut letters to use on future projects! It is such a time saver to be able to cut 26 letters with one pass of the diecutting machine.
There is something so therapeutic about covering a card front with stamps and then coloring them in. My daughter was so captivated by the XL Alphabet Clear Stamps that she created two fun word signs with images for her office.
GIVEAWAY:
We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, December 10th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.
I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to join the Hero Arts Creative Team! This incredible opportunity allows me to collaborate with a group of talented and passionate artists who share a love for crafting and creativity. I am beyond excited to explore new techniques, experiment with Hero Arts’ amazing range of products, and inspire others on their own artistic journeys. Together, we’ll embark on a creative adventure filled with endless possibilities, and I can’t wait to share the magic that unfolds along the way! Stay tuned for a whirlwind of innovative projects, tutorials, and inspiration that will surely ignite your own crafting passions. 🎨✨ #HeroArtsCreativeTeam
The background was so easy! I rubbed on the fun Twas the Night Before lettering from the White Holiday Collage Hero Transfers (RT121) with a bone folder and all the writing transfered to the paper perfectly on the first try. The card background is Paradise cardstock.
I wanted a pop of red, so I stamped and die cut a Merry Christmas Wax Seal using Crimson Core Ink. I also put a dab of Hero Wax Gold to add a little depth and shine to the “photo tape”
I assembled my card with foam tape and it is ready to send.
I love versatile supplies in my craft room and Spellbinders just released a lovely All Occasion Bow etched die kit that is perfect for so many occasions. The bow is part of the beautiful Merry & Bright Collection but I will also be using it on Birthday, Wedding/Shower and Graduation cards.
My Card Process:
My first step is usually color selection. I have a Christmas paper sampler pack (see note below) that I thought would work beautifully for this project so I chose aqua, teal, pinks and greens from this pad.
I divided the All Occasion Bow dies into two piles. The bottom layers were all cut from teal and the top “highlight” die cuts were from aqua. Once I organized my dies between bottom (teal) and “highlights”, I didn’t need to think about which color paper to use and the die-cutting went very quickly.
I assembled my bow with foam adhessive squares, and then decided I wanted to anchor the bow with a focal point label. Spellbinders/Simon Hurley have a beautiful Playful Poinsettia Embossing Folder that I embossed and then die cut using a retired Ornamental Labels Die. This nesting die set has an interesting shape and I love the subtle interest this step adds to my card. I glued this die cut and embossed label (using craft foam and Bearly Glue) to a white A2 Top Folding Card Base.
Now that the basics were done, I wanted to embellish my bow with floral elements and a tag sentiment. I used Spellbinders Petite Blooms and Sentiments, which is also from the Merry & Bright Collection. I especially love the “For You” etched tag die! I like to die cut lots of elements and then I sit down and play around with different layouts. I added some enamel dots for flower centers. For the bow, I wanted to add pops of color but the bow is so beautiful I didn’t want to cover too much either. Its always a balance, isn’t it?
kennyscards.com 