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.
Hero Arts has NEVER offered a discount on their My Monthly Hero Subscriptions, but for a limited time, the Creative Team is able to pass on a Coupon Code to our dedicated followers.
After your subscription is in the cart, click “Checkout” without entering your discount code.
On the NEXT page, enter the discount code: KarenBrownSubscribe2024. So to recap, enter the discount code on the second check out page.
Note: this discount code is not valid with any other offers.
Hero Art My Monthly Hero Kits are just wonderful and now is the perfect time to give them a try. Subscribe for one month…or longer…you still get 15% off.
I used Mulberry and Cosmic Sky inks from The Regal Tones Ink set, Apricot from the Desert set and French Blue, Wild Berry and Saffron from Nature Tones. I didn’t have a green so I used Mowed Lawn Distress Ink and it worked just fine.
The Mirrored Arch Nested Sprigs has one main plate plus three frames that you can use to mix and match. I used all four plates for my card. I inked the plates with all my rainbow colors and ran through my BetterPress machine just once. This ensured there was no shifting. I used Porcelain Better Press paper.
I have a Blog Post titled 9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for Spellbinders BetterPress System that you can read HERE.
Combining BetterPress with Embossing Folders
Spellbinders just introduced an elegant new line called CopperPlate. I love the simplicity of this line and I combined the Hello with a beautiful Emboss and Cut Folder that has two patterns plus an edge cutting die.
I embossed two panels with the Luxe Backdrop and Border folder as I wanted to layer them so I had a second edge peeking out of the bottom. I then cut both panels with the coordinating die. I added some craft foam for added dimension.
Masculine cards can be tricky, but when I saw Hero Arts Ramen Stamp and Die Bundle, I knew it would be the perfect set for my son-in-law’s birthday. He is a real foodie and I love the fun sentiment included!
How to Make an Ink Smoosh Background
I started by making my “Ink Smoosh” background. I dabbed Fawn, Papaya, Fog, Paradise and Pool Party inks in separate pools on my craft mat and spritzed with water. I then dipped a piece of watercolor paper in the puddle and let it dry. I did this four times.
Next, I stamped my images and then colored in with Artist Alcohol Markers. Die cutting was next. I also used my Rounded Rectangles Infinity dies to trim my background, mat and card base. The final step was to assemble my card.
Spellbinders March 2024 Stitching Die Club Kit is another winner! I thought February would be hard to beat, but “Stitched Read and Sip” is a real favorite. I love to read, drink hot tea and stitch so add in some florals and this kit is a keeper. I’ll also be incorporating the versatile elements into future products as well.
Stitched Read and Sip Handmade Card
I really enjoyed making this card! I was going to the beach and thought I’d like to stitch this card on our balcony while I listened to the waves. Before we left, I die cut my elements. When stitching, I like sturdy substantial bases, so I die cut the teacup and ornate book two times and then glued them together.
My Stitching Process:
The kit has 17 dies and I started by cutting all my pieces. I die cut the stitching elements twice and then glued them together for a sturdy substantial panel. This die cutting didn’t take long, but I think the extra effort was worth it. I recently purchased a Platinum 6 die cutting machine, and I have to say, I pull it out instead of my Gemini Junior. I wish I had bought one earlier.
Spellbinders has a nice selection of stitching accessories in their shop that you can find HERE. I used DMC Gold Thread for this project.
When I started stitching, I took two strands of floss, 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.
When I was done, I added a bit of Bearly Glue to the ends so that they would stay in place.
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.
Boy do I love this March 2024 My Monthly Hero kit! I am sharing three cards today and they were all so fun to create. I think the Classic Kit is going to be wonderful for mixed media projects.
Classic Kit
For today’s post, I created two cards using the Classic Kit. I recently discovered the wonderfulness of liquid watercolors and WOW, WOW WOW! What took me so long? So, Card #1 has a background created with the Classic Kit + three liquid watercolor colors.
My Process:
I added a small amount of Dandelion, Orange and Bright Pink liquid watercolor to my paint palette. With a wet brush, I painted bold strokes on my Luxe watercolor paper. I also added some drips to the panel. I dried and repeated the process one more time. I also put a large acrylic block on top for a bit so my panel would be nice and flat.
The Classic Kit contains two sheets of Rub-On transfers and I added portions of the transfers randomly to my background. Remember to leave a space for your sentiment.
I added a minimal amount of watercolor paint spatters.
Using Taffy and Fruit Punch inks, I stamped my sentiment and some images (crane, scribbles, bamboo leaf, character and reeds) from the included stamp set.
Next, I separated the circle inset from the rectangular plate with my snippers
Using just the rectangular plate (without the circle) I embossed my background and I love the subtle embossing and texture that it adds.
I painted a second piece of watercolor paper with just orange liquid watercolor. In some places I diluted the watercolor more and in others I added very saturated color so there was variation in my orange color. I dried and then weighted with an acrylic block.
I die cut my orange circle with the cover plate inset + a Circle Infinity Die for a medallion look. I liked this medallion so much that I created a few extras to have on hand for future mixed media projects. You can see one of them in the next photo.
This card reminds me of summer and orange sherbet and I love how happy and bright it is.
Classic Kit Card Using the Included Ink Cubes
For my second card, I followed the same process as Card #1, except I used the 3 ink cubes included in the Classic kit. I smooshed the ink on my craft mat and used a wet brush to paint my background. I also used the cover plate as it was designed and die cut the entire background panel, including the circular inset, at one time. I then backed the opening with a red panel that I created by going “direct to paper” in a circular motion with the Cherry ink cube.
I LOVE die cutting so I really enjoyed making my third card featuring The Bonsai Fancy Die, which is March Add-On product. I die cut my components, ink blended a bit and popped onto a panel made using a favorite of mine, the Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Die Set. The sentiment is from the Ornate Frames Hero Transfer . If you’d like to see an additional card I made using the Photo Frame Set, click HERE.
We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, March 10th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.
Spellbinders just released the lovely Every Occasion Floral Alphabet and I had so much fun handcrafting a pile of cards. Each kit comes with the floral uppercase letter + a separate corresponding sentiment. You can buy the complete alphabet or individual letters.
It’s my birthday today and I wanted to create some elegant thank you notes. I love the beauty and texture of letterpress so I used the Floral K to make a set of monogrammed cards in various shades of blue. The K also comes with a sentiment, You Are So Kind, but I did not use it on my cards.
I inked the plates well and rolled just one time through my BetterPress Machine for a nice crisp impression.
I have another post “9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for Spellbinders BetterPress Machine” that you can read HERE.
Hero Arts Spring Catalog Release is live and I love all the new Mixed Media products that they added to their line. I used a bunch of them on these two cards.
Today is the last day for Hero Art’s Blog Hop, which you can find HERE.
My Recipe:
I ink smooshed several layers onto my Luxe Watercolor Paper background, drying in between each layer. See colors below.
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.
kennyscards.com 