Spooktacular Fun Halloween Cards | Hero Studio September 2024 Release and Blog Hop

September 3, 2024September 4, 2024 Karen Brown17 Comments

3 fun handmade Halloween cards created with the September 2024 Hero Studio release.

Halloween is creeping around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to brew up some crafty magic with die-cut Halloween scene cards! The September Hero Studio Release is bursting with fun new products + an exciting Blog Hop, so hop along and gather tons of inspiration from some incredibly talented crafters. Let’s dive into the cauldron of creativity and get started!

Witch’s Kitchen | Monthly Mini Clear Stamp and Die Set

Witch's Kitchen scene card | Hero Studio September 2024 | Monthly Mini Clear Stamp and Die Set Kit.

I always love a good scene card, so I had a great time playing with the September Clear Stamps and Dies of the Month. The set is called Witch’s Kitchen and there are so many fun elements to customize your project.

I started by masking 1″ at the bottom of my card. For my floor, I ink blended Granite Core Ink over the Cobblestone stencil. For my wallpaper, I ink blended Thistle Reactive Ink over the Sparkle Weave Stencil.

Next, I stamped all the stamp elements, colored with alcohol markers and then die cut. Then, I played around with layouts until I liked my spooky little scene. A little magic potion anyone???

Witch’s Kitchen: September Clear Stamp and Dies of the Month:

$27.50 with Subscription + FREE SHIPPING
$29.99 One-Time Purchase, While Supplies Last

Magical Halloween stamp and die cut Scene card created with Hero Arts September 2024 release called Witch's Kitchen.

September 2024 Card Kit of the Month

This month’s card kit is so fun! I conjured up a little trick-or-treat scene with stamps and dies included in the kit.

Silhouette Halloween Scene Card with a spooky house, trick-or-treaters and a flying witch with a purple ink blended background.

September 2024 Card Kit of the Month

I started by ink blending my background with Taffy, Thistle and Purple Galaxy inks. On a different white card panel I stamped my elements using Intense Black ink. I stamped the black several times for a dark silhouette. I stamped the moon with Lemon Drop and Creamsicle, blending a bit on the stamp before stamping. To “light” my windows, I used a yellow and pale orange alcohol marker. After I completed my little scene, I decided my card needed a frame, so I die cut one from Pitch Black cardstock using my Wood Frame Infinity Dies.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Curious about this month’s kit? Let’s take a peek inside the September Hero Studio Card Kit:

Kit Cost:

$46 with Subscription + FREE SHIPPING
$49.99 One-Time Purchase
While Supplies Last

5 Wonderful Kit Options:

For this blog post, I created with two kits and two Extraordinary Extras, but there there are 5 kits plus 5 Extras available. You can also buy the Whole Studio, which includes all 5 kits at a wonderful savings.

The Whole Studio ($120 with subscription or $138.95 one-time purchase price)
Hero Studio Subscription Options
Hero Studio Card Kit of the Month
Clear Stamp and Die of the Month
Cling Stamp of the Month
Fancy Studio Dies of the Month
Layering Stencil of the Month

Halloween Words Stencil + Haunted Romance Fancy Dies | Extraordinary Extras

Hero Arts Halloween Words Stencil + Haunted Romance Fancy Dies handmade Halloween Card.

Key Products Used:

I created a sparkly background by spraying Bright Yellow + Copper and Orange + Shimmer Spray on Luxe Watercolor Paper. I spritzed extra water on the panel and tilted it from side to side to get my color moving and blending.

Once the orange panel was dry, I stenciled Intense Black Ink over the fun Halloween Words Stencil. Using my Rounded Rectangles, I die cut my background and a Pitch Black mat.

I added a Vellum element die cut with a Postage Stamp Infinity Die and added a spider web and bats from The Haunted Romance Fancy Dies. I die cut these from Glitter Black Cardstock. The sentiment is from Witches Kitchen (clear stamp set).

Fun orange Halloween card with die cut spider web and bats + stenciled shimmer spray background.

Join the Blog Hop!

Now it’s time for the Blog Hop! What’s a Blog Hop, you ask? It’s a fun, crafty event where you can hop from one blog to another, gathering inspiration, tips, and tricks from different crafters. Each blog in the hop will feature a Halloween project (or two or three!), so you’re sure to leave with your cauldron overflowing with ideas!

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, September 8th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Here’s how to join:

Visit the Next Blog in the Hop: Check out the list of participating blogs (links below), and hop to the next one – Lydia Fiedler – to see what spooky creation she has brewed up!
Leave a Comment: Show some love to your fellow crafters by leaving a comment on their posts. It’s a great way to connect and share the Halloween spirit!

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Special Guests:

Final Thoughts

Creating die-cut Halloween scene cards is a fang-tastic way to get into the spooky spirit and share some handmade love with friends and family. Plus, participating in a Blog Hop is the perfect way to find inspiration and connect with the crafting community. So, grab your dies, fire up your die-cutting machine, and let’s make this Halloween a crafty one to remember!

Happy crafting, and don’t forget to join the Blog Hop! 🎃👻

cardmaking

Adding a Personal Touch to Your Holiday Greetings | Hero Arts Holiday Catalog

August 22, 2024December 26, 2024 Karen Brown45 Comments

Adorable Hero Arts "Peeking Bear" "Confetti Swirls" Holiday Card.

Who is ready to start creating for the holidays? Hero Arts Holiday Catalog is just full of wonderfulness and I am so excited to share cards I created with these new products.

Handmade card with adorable white polar bear in hat and scarf peeking around the edge with a die cut swirl background,

Adorable Peeking Winter Bear Die

I LOVE this adorable little peeking bear! I die cut him three times and then glued the layers together. I lightly ink blended the edges for some contrast and then added a Cranberry scarf and hat. I used Neutral Heros enamel dots for the nose and mouth. The background is die cut from Arctic cardstock with the new Confetti Swirls Die and then backed with a panel of Mist cardstock. The sentiment is from Cozy Study Stamps.

Supplies Used:

Peeking Winter Bear Die
Confetti Swirls Die
Cozy Study Stamps (sentiment)
Rounded Rectanles Infinity Die (frame)
Arctic cardstock
Mist cardstock
Nautical cardstock
Cranberry cardstock
Neutral Hero Enamel Dots (nose and eyes)

Celebrate Autumn

Handmade card with a fall foliage cover plate and liquid waterccolor leaves.

Autumn is a season of breathtaking beauty, with its vibrant foliage and crisp air. It’s the perfect time to channel that inspiration into crafting handmade cards. A die cut card featuring fall leaves is a wonderful way to capture the essence of the season and share it with your loved ones.

My Process for Creating This Autum Foliage Die Cut Card:

Without removing the Fall Pattern clear stamps from the plastic panel, place the stamps on the sticky mat of StampWheel stamp positioner. Tape Watercolor Paper to the top StampWheel Plexiglass cover. This will stamp your images so they perfectly align with the cover die.
Stamp with Clear Embossing and Watermark Ink, sprinkle with Rose Gold Embossing Powder and then heat set.
Tape panel to hardboard, brush water onto the embossed watercolor paper and loosely drop in liquid watercolors. I mixed my own custom colors in a watercolor palette using: Leaf, Orange, Dandelion and Strawberry liquid watercolors. Messy is good when doing this! I let my panel dry on the hardboard.
Using the Fall Pattern Cover Plate, die cut an overlay from Sand cardstock.
Using the die from Smile Friend XL, die cut your sentiment 3 times from Cup O Joe cardstock and glue together.
Lightly ink blend along the edges of the die cut cover panel with Fawn and Root Beer ink to lightly distress your cover panel. This adds a bit of dimension and keeps your panel from looking flat.
Glue your die cut panel to your watercolored base and add your sentiment.

Hero Arts Fall Pattern leaf foliage cover plate die handmade card in yellows, greens, oranges and kraft.

Winter Mail Critters: The Definition of Cuteness!

I really love my third card! The Winter Mail Critter stamps are the cutest! I have a few pics + directions on how I created this card below, so keep scrolling…..

Handmade Holiday card with Hero Arts Winter Mail Critters, White Holiday Collage Hero Transfers, Wax Seals.

Key Products Used:

Handmade Christmas Card featuring a Hero Arts bear and fox each holding a letter with a Rub On Transfer background.

Hero Arts Christmas Card Tutorial:

I started by die cutting two frames and two “tapes” from the Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Dies Set. I then very lightly blended Paradise Core Ink along the edges of the photo background (using the sticky mat in my Stamp Wheel), stamped the bear and fox with my Stamping Tool and Copic colored the images (colors listed below). I also rubbed on a transfer Merry & Bright sentiment.

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.

Copic Colors Used:

Browns: E27, E15, E13, E11, E5
Reds: R27, R39
Pink: RV11
Blue: B00

Cute holiday card with critters featured in Hero Arts Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Dies DF125

Blog Hop Info:

Hero Arts will give away TWO $50 gift cards, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Wednesday, August 28th at 11:59pm PT. The winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog.

Hero Arts Creative Team:

Special Guests:

Final Thoughts

Today I used a bunch of lovely new products from Hero Arts 2024 Holiday Catalog but there are so many other great additions that I know you will love. Thanks for stopping by today and “hopping” with Hero Arts.

Die cutting · Mixed Media

Spooky Fun | Die Cut Halloween Cards

August 19, 2024August 18, 2024 Karen BrownLeave a comment

Bold colorful handmade Halloween card backgrounds combinderd with Spellbinders Happy Haunting die kits to create 2 fun cards.

Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by creating some spooky yet charming Halloween cards? Spellbinders has just released an adorable collection called Happy Haunting that is SO fun! I created two cards today that I am going to send to my daughters. I used Witchin” Heels (S3-525) and Woof or Treat (S3-521).

Hamdemade Halloween scene card with a witch silhouette on a broom flying though a vivid sunset. created with orange and yellow liquid watercolor. Witchin' Heel by Spellbinders S3-525

Spooky (and Cute!) Card Designs

For a simple yet delightful card, I created a dramatic sunset background to contrast with my sparkly witchy silhouette. I love using Liquid Watercolors because they are so vivid.

My Design Process:

I started my design process by creating two bold backgrounds using liquid watercolors.
Witchin’ Heels background: I brushed water onto a watercolor paper panel and then used the Dandelion Yellow Liquid Watercolor eye-dropper to drop color onto the paper. I added yellow at the top and bottom of the panel and dropped Orange in the middle. I then used my mini-mister sprayer to add water to the colors, tilting different directions so that the colors blended and flowed. I repeated this process a couple of times.
Woof or Treat backgound: I repeated the process for my purple panel using Indigo and Neon Brights Pink Liquid Watercolors. Since I didn’t have purple watercolor I created my own by dropping a big blob of Indigo ink and then putting a smaller drop of pink in the center. I spitzed with water and then tilted to move the ink. I added several layers for an intense color.
I used my heat tool to speed up the drying process.
Below, you can see a photo of my completed backgrounds.
Die cutting was next. I used Black Glitter Paper for the Witch and added purple accents die cut from my purple watercolor panel. For my ghostly pup, I used khaki and added a hint of shading with a blending brush.
To frame my little trick-or-treater, I used my Scallop Label Infinity Dies. I also added a little dimension with foam squares and craft foam.

Adorable Woof or Treat (by Spellbinders) handmade card of a Dog trick-or-treating as a ghost with a pumpkin. S3-521

Key Supplies Used:

How to create colorful vivid card backgrounds with liquid watercolors.

Final Thoughts:

I feel like each of these cards has a little bit of seasonal magic combined with crafty love. I adore the bold colors acheived with liquid watercolors.

I hope you found some inspiration today. Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Stamping

Fabulous Floral Backgrounds | Ink Smooshing + Stamping Tutorial

August 14, 2024August 9, 2024 Karen Brown1 Comment

Two colorful floral cards using Hero Arts August 2024 Cling Stamp of the Month "Orchids" + Ink Smooshing Technique Tutorial.

Hello lovely crafters! Karen Brown here and today I am excited to share with you a simple yet stunning way to create a floral background with a gorgeous new cling stamp called Orchids.

Easy Yet Eye-Catching Ink Smooshing

Easy yet eye-catching floral background in pinks and oranges + Orchids Cling Background Stamp of the Month for August 2024.

Step-By-Step Tutorial:

I will walk you through how to make two colorful cards using the August Cling of the Month: Orchids.

I started by making two background panels. I took a Clear Acetate Window Card Panel, dabbed Reactive Ink on the acetate and then spritzed with water. Some spots were watery and others were a bit dryer, and think I think this combination adds more character to backgrounds.
I turned the acetate over, bent it so that it touched just a portion of my background, and applied a section of the diluted ink onto Luxe Watercolor Paper. I continued adding different colors until I liked the look of my panel. I wanted contrast so I made sure to leave some white space. You can see my process photo below.

Below is a photo of my completed ink smooshing. I used Fruit Punch, Creamsicle and Taffy for card 1 and Blue Hawaii, Paradise and Pool Party for card 2.

I let my backgrounds dry overnight but you could speed things up with a heat tool.
I find I get a better result if I season my cling stamps prior to stamping my project. I inked up the Orchids stamp and stamped on plain computer paper and then discarded this test paper.
I put my ink smoosh background and cling stamp in my stamp positioner and stamped three times with Intense Black Ink. I wanted a nice dark impression that really penetrated the paper.
Next, using my August Card Kit of the Month, I die cut my elements from Pitch Black cardstock.
I cut two 2″ x 3″ white panels, and two black mats.
I stamped my sentiment (also from the August Card Kit) near the bottom of the white panel and then attached my die cuts with foam squares.
I assembled my card, adding a bit of craft foam behind the small black mat.

Floral Background + Blue Ink Smooshing for an eye-catching Hello card with die cut accents.

Here is a final photo of both cards.

How to make colorful ink smoosh backgrounds for your handmade cards.

I hope you enjoy trying out this technique. Happy stamping!

cardmaking · Die cutting · Stamping

It’s a Jungle! | August 2024 Hero Studio Release

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 Karen Brown13 Comments

3 cards created with Hero Arts August 2024 Jungle Theme Relsease.

I am so excited that it is Launch Day for Hero Studio’s playful August jungle theme release. I can’t wait to show you some of Hero Arts GORGEOUS new products, so kick back and hop along with the Creative Team.

Hero will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, August 11th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Links to all the Hop Participants is below.

Create Your Own Jungle | Studio Card Kit of the Month

Colorful playful "have a wild birtthday" homemade card created with Hero Studio August 2024 Card Kit of the Month.

The August Card Kit of the Month is so playful with tons of wonderful elements to incorporate into your papercrafting projects. For my first card, I used the Heroscape stamp set to create a “wild” birthday card. I think the Nesting Postage Stamp Dies give an exotic travel feel to my card.

I masked and ink blended a tiny beach for my elephants to walk along, and then stamped the rest of my scene. I used Fawn (sand), Green Apple Core, Fresh Lawn Core, Pool Party, Deep Ocean, Pale Tomato and Tangerine. I then die cut my scene and a mat and adhered to my card base with craft foam.