Big News + Hero Arts | November Add-Ons

November 22, 2023 Karen Brown2 Comments

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

Okay, let’s make some art together!

Handmade card with Hero Arts November Add-Ons: Winter Mail Critters, White Holiday Collage Hero Transfers, Wax Seals.

I also wanted to share a card using some of the fun Add Ons from the November My Monthly Hero Kit. This month has so many goodies and I used 4 of them today.

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.

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

Products Used:

Hero Arts November 2023 My Monthly Hero Kit and Add Ons

Winter Mail Critters Die Bundle SB385 (or stamps only)

White Holiday Collage Hero Transfers RT121

Holiday Message Strips Hero Transfers RT120

Wax Seals and Dies D306

My Monthly Hero Subscription

Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Dies DF125

Compact Desktop Die Cutting Machine

Handy Desktop Tool Holder

Stamp Wheel Stamping Tool and Sticky Mat

Bone folder

Highlighter Tape (for die cutting and to tape the photo background to the frame)

White thin Posca pen to add highlights to the scarf.

Copic Colors Used:

Browns: E27, E15, E13, E11, E50
Reds: R27, R39
Pink: RV11
Blue: B00

I am so glad you stopped by!

Interested in more…You can also find me at these spots too:

@karens_mini on Instagram

Pinterest: @karenabrown

FaceBook: Karens_Mini

YouTube: Karen Brown

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WWC257 – Heidi\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

February 5, 2020 Karen Brown19 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week we are making feminine cards at the Watercooler Challenge and Heidi is our hostess.

xoxo hugs and kisses from Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments.

I had a lot of fun making this valentine for my daughter. I started with a piece of wet watercolor paper and then I applied pink, purple, red and a hint of yellow Kuretake watercolors to the panel. I swirled, blended and then heat dried the paint and then repeated the process so I wound up with layer upon layer. Because I added several layers, the watercolor appears much more vibrant than most watercolors I have done in the past. After the panel was nice and dry I die cut a bunch of hearts in three sizes. I stamped the sentiment, played with the layout and came up with this random pattern that I liked. I adhered the hearts with foam tape so there is lots of dimension to the card.

Supplies:

Kuretake Watercolors

Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigment Paper

Sentiment: Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments

Gemini \”Loving Tags\” dies

Kuretake watercolors

I am entering this card in the following:

Inspired By Challenge: XOXOXO

The Paper Players: PP476

Make My Monday: I Heart You

The Rainbow Card Challenge #14 – Fiercely Fuschia

UPDATE: I am so pleased that this card was chosen as \”A Cut Above\” by The Paper Players Challenge!!!

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC255 – Marsha\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twis

January 22, 2020 Karen Brown10 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week, at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge, we are creating cards for the men in our lives. Marsha is our talented hostess. I made this card for a male friend that turns the BIG 60.

$A masculine card using Hero Arts Tribal Print Background stamp and Catherine Pooler\'s Blue Suede shoes ink.$

This card is all about the background and sentiment. I used Hero Arts Bold Tribal Print background stamp and Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede shoes to stamp the background. After cleaning off the stamp, I restamped with the background stamp using clear embossing powder and then heat set. This created a lovely shiny blue pattern. After the background cooled, I ink blended Twisted Citron onto the card base using blending brushes. This filled in all the white areas.

On Fog grey cardstock, I stamped the sentiments (SSS Big Birthday Wishes) and then die cut. I adhered the sentiments with craft foam for some nice dimension.

I think the end result is a bold masculine card with nice shine and texture.

I am entering this card in:
Allsorts Challenge #555 – More than a single word. I wanted the emphasis on the words so I used two sentiments for this card.

Always Fun Challenges The challenge this week is use your favorite stamp so I used my favorite background stamp. Masculine cards are always a bit harder for me and I find this bold background stamp works well for a lot of cards for the men in my life.

Shopping Our Stash – Winter Blues Lots of blue on this card. I just received Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede Shoes ink and wanted to try it out.

Sisterhood of Crafters \”New\” Challenge I just received Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede shoes ink and wanted to give it a try on a card.

Update: I was so pleased to discover that this card was a \”winner\” in the Always Fun Challenge.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

Image may contain: one or more people and text

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WWC232 – Anything Goes Challenge

July 31, 2019 Karen Brown4 Comments

Hello and welcome! There are five Wednesdays in July so that means it is Anything Goes at Watercooler Wednesday.

Sometimes you just know you need a stamp. It was that way when I saw Hero Arts\’ Venetian Neighborhood. This card is so much fun to color that I made four different versions in one week. This card is colored with Zigs. The building was colored with 064 Oatmeal and 061 light brown. I think the result is very stucco like, which is what I was going for. This is a get well card so I wanted bright rainbow colors for the windows and clothes.

I love the sentiment: Hello Bluebird Rainbow Script.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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Handcrafted Easel Card

April 5, 2019 Karen Brown4 Comments

I came up with an idea to combine two of my favorite Hero Arts sets: My Monthly Hero January 2019 kit and Hero Arts Fun in the Rain.

The pup from this set looks like my mini-Aussie so I colored her with markings like my \”Scout\”. I think it is so cute that she has a raincoat on and I thought this would be perfect for a Spring card.

Since this is an easel card, I die cut some thick leathery textured paper from The Paper Company. I used black paper to simulate a blackboard and then heat embossed with a bold birthday sentiment to get that chalkboard look.

I am really pleased with the way this card came together.

I am entering this card in:

A Blog Named Hero Embossing Challenge

Cardz4Guyz \”Let\’s Get Messy\” – For me, I always make the biggest mess with embossing powder. No matter how neat I try to be, little bits of powder wind up all over my work surface!
Cardz 4 Guyz Logo
The Male Room \”Spring\” Challenge – This cute pup is sporting her raincoat for the spring showers.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

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Puffer Fish

August 19, 2018 Karen Brown2 Comments

Tri-color Puffer Fish birthday card. This is a versatile card that I think would be perfect for a beach loving girlfriend or child\’s birthday. I love the happy whimsical fish from The Hero Arts I Am Puffer For You Stamp set.

Handmade card featuring brightly colored puffer fish.

I mounted three fish on an acrylic block and hand stamped the pattern. I knew I wanted to use three colors so I next worked out which fish would be which color. I didn\’t want stripes of color so I went with the combination above. I then heat embossed the sentiments on gravel cardstock and loosely fussy-cut the words. I then mounted the base on a \”gravel\” colored card from Paper Source.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Paper Sweeties 6th Birthday Challenge

Pause Dream Enjoy #33

Sunny Day Animal Challenge

Always Happy Birthday \”Water\” Challenge

UPDATE: I am very pleased my card received \”Top Pick\” Honors at Pause Dream and Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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Birthday Bird in Red, White and Blue

July 4, 2018 Karen Brown5 Comments

I wanted to do a birthday card featuring this cute whimsical bird and decided a bold background would be fun. Since it is The 4th of July, I used Red, White and Blue as my color inspiration. I started by stamping the Hero Arts Tribal Stripes Bold Print Background Stamp with Ranger Denim ink. Next I stamped the bird from one of my favorite stamp sets, Simon Says Stamp Stacking Animals.

I used the same denim ink for the bird and sentiment to tie the card together. I colored the bird with Copic markers and then added Tonic Nuvo Glaze to the birds beak. I trimmed the smaller panel down and mounted (with foam tape) on the blue background,. I then mounted the background on a white card and stamped a birthday sentiment inside the card.