Tag: Heroscape

Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Hit the Road with Hero Arts! July 2025 Club Kits Blog Hop

Karen Brown20 Comments
3 fun summery cards for Hero Studio July 2025 in aqua blue, orange and white color palettes.

Pack your crafty bags, because this month Hero Arts is taking us on a road trip! I’m thrilled to be part of the July 2025 Club Kit Blog Hop where we celebrate this month’s travel-inspired theme. The kits are full of scenic surprises, clever sentiments, and summery fun—and I’m here to show you four creative ways to use them.

>>>> Hero Arts Club Kits Overview <<<<

You might also be interested in my VIDEO using the July Layering Stencil Kit.

Card 1: Desert Dreams Heroscape

Road trip Heroscape card with a winding desert road, blue sky, and “just keep going” sentiment.

I started with the Card Kit of the Month, which features a stunning “On the Road” Heroscape. Imagine a desert road winding into the distance with low-slung mountains and a bright blue sky. These Heroscapes are layered stamps that create dimension and realism with every step.

I kept the palette natural and sun-drenched, and chose the sentiment “just keep going” — a perfect message for road trips and life journeys alike. Heroscapes are always crowd-pleasers and this one is no exception!

Layer stamp Heroscape of a winding road through the desert mountains from the July 2025 Hero Studio Card Kit of the Month.

What’s Inside the July 2025 Hero Studio Card Kit?

  • On the Road HeroScape Coordinating Dies
  • On the Road HeroScape 6×8 Stamp Set
  • Let’s Go Die Set
  • Pine Core Ink Cube
  • 10 Sheets of Cardstock (1 of each color), 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Sicily, Coral, Bellini, Waterfall, Teal Topaz, Blue Spruce, Peridot, Beeswax, Saffron, Carrot) These are some of my absolute favorite cardstock colors and I used Carrot and Teal Topaz on two cards below.
  • Mirror Paper, 1 sheet – 5.5″ x 8.5″

The Whole Studio  includes ALL 5 of the monthly subscriptions in one discounted bundle. Cling of the Month, Stamp & Cut of the Month (new name for the subscription!), Layering Stencil of the Month, Fancy Dies of the Month, and the Card Kit of the Month.

Receive a FREE Everything’s Pine stamp & die set when you purchase The Whole Studio!

Hero Arts has many different Monthly Kits that you can subscribe to including:

Cards 2 & 3: Cobblestone Courtyard Two-Fer

2-Fer cards using Hero Arts Cobblestone Courtyard Cling Background Stamp in aqua blue with white heat embossing, die cut hearts and scripty hello sentiment.

Next up is what may be my favorite Cling of the Month EVER: Cobblestone Courtyard. This rubber background stamp is a pattern of concentric circles that looks like a cozy plaza or mosaic.

Aqua blue and white heat embossed and ink-blended Cobblestone Courtyard background card with die cut heart window and a scripty orange “hello” sentiment..

For my first card, I stamped it in Unicorn White Pigment Ink and heat embossed with White Embossing Powder on Bristol Smooth cardstock. Then I ink blended over the top using Blue Raspberry ink to create a vibrant turquoise and white background. I polished the embossing with a microfiber cloth, and the crisp, clean results had me swooning.

I couldn’t resist making a “two-fer”: I die cut a heart (from the Heart Infinity Die set) from the center of the panel and inset a scripty “hello” from the Fancy Die Kit: Mix Tape using Carrot cardstock.

Bright summery hello card with layered die cut hearts, scripty hello sentiment, and turquoise, white and orange color palette.

For the second card, I used the leftover heart die cut and layered it over a Teal Topaz heart, then a smaller white heart, and finally topped it with the turquoise Cobblestone heart. Another “hello” sentiment (this time in Woodland cardstock) finishes the look. The swooping tails of the sentiment are so charming! Two cards with a fresh, summery vibe!

📼 Card 4: Mix Tape Magic

Summery aqua ink smoosh card background with a die cut retro cassette tape and scripty hello background.

For my final card, I had fun with the Fancy Die of the Month: Mix Tape. This playful set includes a cassette tape die with the word “hello” cleverly shaped from the tape itself. I used this hello sentiment on three of my cards today.

I placed the cassette on a handmade ink-smooshed background using Blue Raspberry, Splash, and Pool Party inks. I wanted my background to look like a shimmery swimming pool. Want to try ink smooshing? Here’s how:

Ink Smooshing Quick Steps Tutorial:

  • I liberally inked a 6×6″ acrylic block with Blue Raspberry, Pool Party and Splash inks. This is the panel I used for my background.
  • I spritzed the ink with water and “smooshed” the block onto a piece of 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 project by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space. So this is another Two-Fer!
Retro cassette tape card with ink-smooshed blue background and whimsical “hello” shaped like audio tape.

The retro vibe of the tape plus the dreamy summer colors made this card a total blast to create.

You might be interested in another popular Ink Smooshing post I wrote.

GIVEAWAY 

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Saturday, July 5th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!
  

BLOG HOP ORDER

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Anna Mahtani
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Karen Brown <<<You Are Here
Lisa Tilson
Michelle Lupton
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka
Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Lea Lawson
Sheri Gilson

🚗 Final Thoughts

Whether you love to layer, emboss, smoosh or die cut, the July 2025 Hero Arts Club Kits have something inspiring for every type of cardmaker. Don’t forget to follow along the Blog Hop to see even more road trip-ready inspiration. Thanks for stopping by—and remember: Just keep going!

cardmaking · Die cutting · Stamping

Unique Cards Inspired by Retro and Urban Vibes + Ralph Tyndall/Hero Arts Instagram Hop

Karen Brown1 Comment
Iconic GameBoy Retro Game theme shaped handmade card from the Ralph Tyndall collection from Hero Arts.

Phenom Ralph Tyndall collaborated with Hero Arts for a fun new Fall Release. I created two iconic cards that are part of Hero Arts Instagram Hop that you can participate in HERE.

You can find Ralph Tyndall’s Fall Collection HERE.

Retro GameBoy-Themed Card 🎮

As a 90s kid at heart, I couldn’t pass up the chance to create a card inspired by the iconic GameBoy! The nostalgic colors, the pixelated graphics, and that satisfying ‘click’ of the buttons—this card was such a blast to make.

Key Ralph Tyndall Supplies:

Directions for Creating the Retro Game Card:

  • Tip 1: I snipped the star, heart, pull tab and game cartridge from the die set and then die cut the rest of the elements as one piece. This ensured that I had perfect placement for the buttons and screen. If you don’t snip the above mentioned components, they will die cut the back of the card.
  • I used Mustard Cardstock for the body, Charcoal Cardstock for the rim of the screen and Vellum for the screen
  • I die cut the screen frame and buttons 3 times each and glue the pieces together for a realistic 3D look.
  • The die set has a great coordinating Retro Game Stamp Set that really makes the game come alive. I chose Winner for my Screen plus A & B, Select and Start Buttons. There are LOTS of Game related words included in the stamp set.
  • I added an Antique Ivory liner to inside of my card.
Fun handmade card for the video gamer in you life - GameBoy Retro Game die set.

This GameBoy inspired card was one of my favorites to create, and I have to say Tetris was my favorite back in the day! It’s the perfect card for any gamer or someone who loves a throwback to the good ol’ days of handheld gaming.

Urban Heroscape Card

Colorful Urban Cityscape Heroscape card featuring stamps from Ralph Tyndall.

For my second card, I went in a completely different direction with a graphic linear urban Heroscape design. Ralph designed this set too and it is called Street View Heroscape. I’ve always been fascinated by cityscapes, especially the way modern architecture plays with lines and geometric shapes. So, I wanted to create a card that captured the energy of an urban environment using simple, clean lines.

Street View HeroScape Stamps by Ralph Tyndall and Hero Arts - handmade card.

I chose not to use the base stamp because I wanted to emphasize the linear grapic look of this stamp set. The set also comes with coordinating dies that you can find HERE.

TIP: Prior to stamping the Pool Party color building, I masked the Indigo and Purple Galaxy buildings with post it notes for clean stamping.

Supplies Used:

cardmaking · Die cutting

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

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.

Hero Arts Hero Studio September 2024 Card Kit of the Month handmade Heroscape scene card.

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.

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:

  1. 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!
  2. 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!

Hero Arts

Channin Pelletier

Charlene Madrid

Ilina Crouse

Jeannie Lieu

Jennifer Kotas

Kailash Naidoo

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Lydia Fiedler

Michelle Short

Natasha Polite

Natasha Vacca

Pocono Pam

Rachel Kleinman

Rosie Lopez

Seeka

Special Guests:

Nichol Spohr

Ralph Tyndall

Mindy Eggen

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 Kit

Sunny Beach Theme Cards | July 2024 Hero Studio Release

Karen Brown22 Comments
Colorful aquatic under-water theme Heroscape card created with Hero Arts Tropical Fishes stamps and die + Pebbles and Stones stencil.

Welcome to the July Hero Studio release, where we are bringing a summery beach theme in Hero Arts signature style and quality! Get ready to ignite your creativity and elevate your crafting experience with the brand new lineup of the July Hero Studio cardmaking kits. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your crafting journey, these 5 cardmaking kits offer something for everyone.

Summer is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate the sunny season than with a couple of beach-themed handmade cards. Today I’ve created two delightful designs that I hope will help inspire your crafting adventures.

Tropical Underwater Scene Card | Extraordinary Extra

Today, we’ll dive into making a vibrant, underwater-themed card featuring a stenciled background and beautifully Copic colored die-cut tropical fish. This project is perfect for celebrating summer or simply brightening someone’s day with a splash of color.

How to create a water/ocean/lake background with Hero Arts Pebbles and Stones stencil.

This aquatic card was fun to create!

  • I tried a new trick for stamping and it worked great! I put the acetate sheet with the Tropical Fishes (SB406) stamps on the sticky mat in my StampWheel and taped my cardstock to the lid and stamped away. This was a real timesaver. So much faster than peeling each stamp off and positioning it.
  • For my background, I took a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ panel of Arctic cardstock and stenciled the Pebbles and Stones (SA276) with Pool Party ink and my XL Blending Brush.
  • I Copic colored my fish with blues, corals, aquas and tans and then die cut the elements.
Key Products Used:

Create Your Own Beach | Studio Kit of the Month

Heroscape Beach Scene handmade card with silhouette stamped fence, grass, cabanas and birds.

The July Studio Card Kit of the Month has SO many wonderful elements to create Heroscape Victornian beach themed cards. There are endless combinations and possibilities!

Watch a quick reel on how I created a second beach scene card.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Curious about this month’s kit? Let’s take a quick peek inside The July Hero Studio Kit:

KIT INCLUDES:
• Victorian Seaside Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
• 22 Coordinating Dies
• Sand Castle Fancy Dies
• Rock Cling Stamp, 6″ x 6″
• Victorian Seaside Reactive Palette Ink Pad
• 2 Sheets Map Hero Transfers (Rub-ons), 6″ x 8″
• 2 Sheets Each of Blue, Purple, Green Vellum, 5.5″ x 8.5″
• 2 Sheets Each of White Lava Holographic, White Rainbow Holographic Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″

Kit Cost:

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

My Process for This Easy Heroscape Scene Card:
Hero Arts July 2024 Studio Card Kit of the Month Beach Theme Handmade Card.

5 Wonderful Kit Options:

I created with three new Hero Studio kits and Extras in this blog post, but there are 5 kits and 6 Extraordinary Extras altogether. You can also buy The Whole Studio!

Blog Hop:

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, July 7th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Heather Ruwe
Ilina Crouse
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Kailash Naidoo
Karen Brown You Are Here 🙂
Lydia Fiedler
Michelle Short
Natasha Polite
Natasha Vacca
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka
Special Guests:
Jenn Shurkus

Nichol Spohr

Emily Midgett
Kelly Taylor

Happy crafting!