Spring Whimsy with Hero Arts: Bold Colors, Butterflies & Birthday Cheer

March 23, 2025March 22, 2025 Karen Brown2 Comments

Spring is in the air, and so is a burst of bold color and whimsy! Today, I’m taking a closer look at the new Hero Arts Spring Whimsy Collection with four vibrant cards featuring hot foiling, ink smooshing, ink blending, heat embossing, and die cutting. Let’s get crafty!

>>> You may also be interested in my recent video and blog post: Easy and Festive Cardmaking <<<

Card 1: Hot Foil Butterfly Elegance

This card is all about shimmer and movement! I started with an aqua ink-smooshed background—the perfect backdrop for a gorgeous, hot-foiled butterfly. The butterfly itself was hot foiled onto an ink-blended panel of soft pinks, corals, and oranges before being die cut and centered on the background.

A hot-foiled butterfly in pink, coral, and orange, die-cut and placed on an ink-smooshed aqua background.

My Process for Creating This Foiled Butterfly Card:

I started by ink blending Fruit Punch, Taffy and Creamsicle Inks on Deluxe Smooth Cardstock with a large blending brush. This is the background for the butterfly panel.
Then, using my Spellbinders Glimmer System, I foiled the Butterfly Hot Foil Plate with Spellbinders Satin Metallics Foil.
I die cut with the Delicate Butterfly Fancy Die.
Ink Smooshing Technique for the Background
- I liberally inked an 6×6″ acrylic block with Pool Party and Paradise inks. This is the panel I used for my background. I was going for a sky-like background and I like the color variation you achieve with ink-smooshing.
- I “smooshed” the block onto a piece of Luxe watercolor paper
- I weighted the inked block with a book for 5 minutes
- I uncovered my panel. If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.
- I made a “second generation” panel for a future product by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space.
I assembled my card with foam squares and craft foam.

✨ Pro Tip: Ink smooshing is a great way to create organic, watercolor-like backgrounds.

Gorgeous Hot Foil Glimmer Butterfly card on a dreamy aqua ink smooshed background.

Card 2: Striking Ink-Blended Background & Black Butterfly

A bold ink-blended background in Fruit Punch, Creamsicle, and Taffy with a striking black die-[cut butterfly as the focal point.

For a dramatic look, I ink blended a bold background using Fruit Punch, Creamsicle, and Taffy inks. These warm hues set the stage for a striking black die-cut butterfly, creating a high-contrast, modern design.

Key Product: Delicate Butterfly Fancy Die (also used on card #1 and #3)

Bold pink, coral and orange ink blended background with a lovely die cut black butterfly focal element. Hero Arts Delicate Butterfly Fancy Die.

Card 3: Heat Embossed Floral Background + Die Cut Butterfly

A white heat-embossed floral background over a vibrant coral and pink ink-blended panel, accented with a small black butterfly and a die cut “hello” sentiment. Hero Arts Whimy Floral Bold Print Stamp.

This card keeps the same coral, pink, and orange hues but introduces texture with the Whimsy Floral Bold Print background stamp. I heat embossed the pattern in white over my ink-blended panel and added a small black die-cut butterfly and a “hello” sentiment for balance.

Key Products Used:

Whimsy Floral Bold Print
Delicate Butterfly Fancy Die (also used on cards #1 & #2)
Fruit Punch, Creamsicle, and Taffy inks
Friend Word Dies

Hero Arts Floral Bold Print Stamp heat embossed over an ink blended gradient from soft orange to hot pink.

This next photo shows two cards I created with the Delicate Butterfly Fancy Die.

2 handmade cards featuring Hero Arts Delicate Butterfly Fancy Dies. Both cards have an orange to pink gradient color scheme with black die cut butterflies.

Card 4: Elegant Window Birthday Card

A birthday card featuring a 9-pane Hero Artd Elegant Window Die with small, Copic-colored birthday images and a stamped “cheers” sentiment with Mist blue cardstock.

For a completely different vibe, I created a charming birthday card using the Elegant Window Fancy Die. The die creates a beautiful 9-pane window, which I die cut from Mist cardstock. Each pane features a tiny, Copic-colored stamped image from the Spring Bunny Stamps, Our Day Messages, and Birthday Animal stamp sets. A simple “cheers” sentiment ties it all together.

Charming 9 window pane stamped and die cut birthday card featuring small stamped images of cake, party hats, balloon animal, duck, butterflies and flowers.

This collection is packed with so much creative potential! Whether you love hot foiling, ink blending, or stamping, there’s something here for every cardmaker. I hope these designs inspire you to play with color and try new techniques!

Four beautiful handmade cards created with Hero Arts Spring Whimsy Collection + hot foiling, ink blending, stamping, ink smooshing and die cutting.

Thank you for stopping by!

cardmaking · Die cutting · Stamping

Vintage Charm & Soft Elegance: Hero Arts March 2025 Release

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025 Karen Brown1 Comment

Welcome to another exciting Hero Arts release! For March 2025, I created two unique cards that highlight the versatility of the new products. One is a vintage-inspired die-cut design featuring the Suitcase and Florals Fancy Die, while the other is a beautifully blended, pastel-hued circular stamped card. Let’s jump into the details!

Key Kits and Products Used:

Card 1: Vintage Suitcase & Florals

A handmade card featuring a cream and tan die-cut hat box-style suitcase with a teal bow and florals, set against an aqua background of stamped vintage maps and postmarks.

This card is all about vintage charm! The focal point is a cream-colored hat box-style suitcase with tan trim, die-cut from the Suitcase and Florals Fancy Die. A lovely teal bow is tied to the handle, and delicate die-cut flowers add a soft floral touch.

Hero Studio Suitcase and Florals die cut handmade "hello" card with a charming hat box luggage, teal bow, and flowers in orange and red. The background is a mixed media postage stamp theme.

Design Details:

Color Palette: Teal, aqua, alabaster cream, marigold, and red from the Color Wheel Cardstock Collection .
Background: I loosely ink blended Splash ink on white cardstock and then added Splash ink splatters on the aqua panel and A2 cardbase. I then randomly stamped the panel in black ink using the Vintage Maps & Ledgers and Vintage Postmarks & Tickets stamps. Using my Nesting Postage Stamp Infinity dies, I die-cut stamp shapes that would serve as my background.
Framing: A vivid Blue Spruce mat behind the die-cut stamps makes the alabaster hat box pop.
Sentiment: A die-cut, scripty “hello” (Friend Words Sentiment Dies) that complements the vintage theme. Two black enamel dots in the center of the flowers continues the bold color palette.

Pro Tip:

A deep Blue Spruce background mat is key to making lighter elements like the alabaster suitcase stand out.

Color Swatching:

To help with color coordination, I also swatched my cardstock colors using the Spellbinders Color Swatch Petal Dies—a handy way to visualize your palette before committing to a design!

Color Wheel Cardstock Colors used: Alabaster, Terracotta, Poppy, Cranberry, Carrot, Teal Topaz, Blue Spruce, Fern and Brushed Gold.

You can find the entire Color Wheel Collection HERE.

Card 2: Pastel Bow-Themed Circular Card

A round handmade card with a stamped and Copic-colored bow pattern transitioning from yellow to pink, coral, lavender, and blue. The card base is deep charcoal gray.

For my second card, I went with a soft, rainbow gradient-colored design that’s easy to recreate. This is a DIY card that’s great for beginner cardmakers, offering a fun way to experiment with color blending and shaped card designs. The 6 x 6″ Bold Print makes stamping so easy! The bows are already laid out perfectly, so no need to spend time arranging your dies.

Design Details:

Stamp: The “Bows” Bold Cling Stamp stamped on smooth white cardstock and colored with pastel Copic markers.
Color Gradient: Blends from creamy yellow at the top to soft pinks, corals, lavender, and blues at the bottom.
Card Shape: Using my Nesting Circle Dies, I die cut a circle from my Copic colored panel. To make my card base, I die cut two circles from Charcoal cardstock, scored the back one at 3/4″ and then glued the tops together. To make this card even easier, you could make a traditional A2 rectangular card, which would exclude using infinity dies.
Finishing the Card: I added a small “for you” heat embossed sentiment and some Clear Enamel Dots.

Pro Tip:

Use craft foam behind your card panels for a polished, professional look with added dimension!

An easy DIY stamped card with 10 girly bows of different shapes and sizes, Copic colored in a rainbow gradient.

Final Thoughts

Both of these cards showcase the March 2025 Hero Arts release in different ways—one with vintage textures and layers, the other with simple stamping and coloring. Whether you’re a fan of intricate die-cutting or quick, colorful stamping, there’s something in this release for you!

Let me know in the comments—which card style do you love most? And don’t forget to check out the full Hero Arts release for more inspiration!

cardmaking · Stamping

Hero Arts | Quick Bold Shimmery Background | Congrats Card

May 28, 2024June 5, 2024 Karen BrownLeave a comment

Fuchsia and Navy Congratulations Card using Hero Arts Abstract Feather Bold Prints background stamp and Fuchsia + Gold Metallic Shimmer Spray.

Happy 50th Anniversary Hero Arts! Hero Arts is celebrating their impressive milestone!

I wanted to acknowledge the occasion with a little cardmaking, so I created this “Congrats Card” using my Premium Special (50th Anniversary) Gift that was included in my May Monthly Hero Premium Kit.

This card would also be perfect for graduation, retirement or any other congratulatory event.

Fuchsia and Nautical Congrats Card

My Process:

I started by lightly ink blending Tangerine Core Ink onto Watercolor Paper and let the panel dry.
I then added Fuchsia + Gold Two Tone Metallic Spray to the well of my paint palette.
I put my Abstract Feather Bold Print background stamp in my stamp positioner with a piece of Luxe White Watercolor Paper.
With my Flat Water Brush, I brushed the pink paint onto my stamp and then stamped on my watercolor paper. I used Fuchsia + Gold Two Tone Metallic spray that was a fairly thick consistency. I did not dilute with more water.
I let my panel dry and then trimmed with my Rounded Rectangles Infinity Dies.
To add a bit more interest, I added a Rounded Rectangle Infinity die frame die cut from Nautical cardstock.
I die cut my sentiment from the Congrats and Yay Stamp and Cut XL set 3 times from Nautical cardstock and then glued together for a substantial look and feel. I also added a die cut Vellum shadow.

I really love this bold card, and it would be so easy to mass produce.

Last month, I did a trio of cards using the same technique. Click HERE if you’d like to read that post.

Thanks for stopping by….see ya next time!

cardmaking · Die cutting · Rainbow Colors

Hero Arts | Colorful Rainbow Mixed Media Card

January 26, 2024January 24, 2024 Karen BrownLeave a comment

Hero Arts Vintage Bird Cage die cut on an rainbow ink blended background card.

Hello and welcome! Karen Brown here and I have a very fun project to share with you today featuring this delightful Vintage Birdcage die. I love color and texture and I used lots of both on this card.

Colorful rainbow ink blended background over an Ode to Andy Warhol Script Bold Print Stamp on a handmade card.

Here is my recipe:

I started with my background. Using Embossing and Watermark Ink and Clear Embossing Powder I heat embossed the Ode To Andy Warhol Script Bold Print onto Luxe Watercolor Paper.
Now the fun part, I ink blended a rainbow of color across my background panel. Blending at an angle, I started at the top with Fresh Lawn Core Ink and then proceeded with Splash Reactive Ink, Indigo Core Ink, Amethyst Core Ink, Pale Tomato Core Ink, Tangerine Core Ink and Lemon Drop Reactive Ink. I really love these colors!
I buffed the embossed script with a microfiber cloth so the embossing was ink free.
I die cut the birdcage 3 times. Twice from Deluxe Smooth Cardstock and once from White Glitter Cardstock. This white is my absolute favorite glitter cardstock. It is hard to photograph but is so beautiful in person. I also cut 2 birds and 4 hearts from glitter cardstock.
Using a Rounded Rectangle Infinity die, I cut down my background to 3 3/4″ wide. I added some craft foam to the back and popped it on an A2 Top Fold Card Base.
Using Precision Glue, I stacked my birdcages with the Glitter Cardstock on the top layer.
Message Strips Stamp and Cut XL is my most used sentiment stamp set and I thought “hello there” was perfect for this card.
I assembled my card with Precision Glue and was done.

White vintage die cut bird cage on a bright rainbow colored background.

I thought the supplies were so pretty sitting on my art desk, so I took an additional photo of most of the supplies I used.

How to ink blend a rainbow colored handmade card background.

This card was to fun for me to make and I am so happy that you stopped by!