Hero Arts Winter 2016 Catalog Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Hero Arts 2016 Winter Catalog Blog Hop! Today we are celebrating the arrival of all these fabulous new products in the Hero Arts Online Store.

I'm using three new products on my card today -- the Grateful Leaves stamp set, the Ombré Autumn Ink Pad and the Tag Infinity Dies.

First, I die cut the tag from some Sizzix Leather Paper and stamped the leaves using the Autumn Ombré ink. These ink colors are perfect for fall leaves and the texture from the paper really makes the leaves realistic!

I added a white heat embossed sentiment to the tag, which is also from the Grateful Leaves stamp set. And for the subtle tone-on-tone background I stamped some of the leaf images with VersaMark ink on a kraft card base.

I finished off the card with a scattering of Hero Arts Mixed Accents, which coordinate perfectly with the colors of the leaves. I just love the mix of gems and pearls together!

Hero Arts will be giving away three $25 shopping sprees, drawn from comments left across all blogs in the hop. Please comment by Sunday, August 28 at 11:59pm PT and they will announce the winner the following week.

Here's a list of everyone who is taking part in the hop today:

The Hero Arts Blog
Kelly Purkey
Jennifer McGuire
Kathy Racoosin
Wanda Guess
Lydia Fiedler
Alice Wertz
Amy Tan
Cheiron Brandon
Debbie Olson
Laura Bassen
Debby Hughes
Heather Ruwe
Ilina Crouse
Isha Gupta
Jenn Shurkus
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Joan Bardee
Karin Akesdotter
Yana Smakula
Kelly Rasmussen  (YOU ARE HERE!)
Amy Tsuruta
Clare Prezzia
Mariana Grigsby
May Sukyong Park
Libby Hickson


Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts Color Layering Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Hero Arts Color Layering Blog Hop!

Here's a little information from Hero Arts about Color Layering and today's hop:

Color Layering uses the technique of stamping progressively, building color and detail, resulting in an elegant, dimensional look. We've asked our talented group of artists to recommend their favorite colors to best highlight each Color Layering stamp set. The results have been developed into 4-cube ink packs, featuring the championing artist's name. While the inks were developed with a specific stamp set in mind, the packs offer wonderful and rich versatility; you'll find they work well with most any set and often produce stunning and unexpected results.

Hero Arts has also combined the new ink packs with their Color Layering stamp set (and dies in some cases) into bundles. Here's a look at the ink cube pack that I created called Kelly's Flowers as well as the bundle that is available using the stamp set and die that I chose.

Now onto the card I created using these products!

I started out by stamping the flowers and leaves with the colors in the Kelly's Flowers ink cube pack. I also added a white pigment ink for the third layer on my flower. It doesn't show up in the photo very well, but it adds another color dimension to the flower. I recently purchased a Mini Misti and it is a game changer...especially with these Color Layering Stamps!

I white heat embossed the message on a vellum panel and adhered the leaves and flowers. The black and white striped washi tape adds a fun element and was a great place for me to hide some adhesive on the vellum.

I created a subtle background using white embossing paste and the Criss Cross Stencil. And a scattering of some black sequins and pearls helped tie the card all together.

GIVEAWAY

Hero Arts will give away a Color Layering Bundle of your choice to FIVE lucky blog readers - selected from comments left across all blogs in the hop. Comments close Sunday June 19 at 11:59pm PT and the winner will be announced the following week.

Here's a list of all talented participants in the hop today:

The Hero Arts Blog
Lucy Abrams
Lydia Fiedler
Mariana Grigsby
Tami Hartley
Libby Hickson
Nichol Magouirk
Jayne Nelson
Clare Prezzia
Kathy Racoosin
Kelly Rasmussen
Yana Smakula
Amy Tsuruta

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hero Arts Summer 2016 Release Blog Hop

Hello! Today we are celebrating because the products from the Summer 2016 release are now available in the Hero Arts Online Store! And what better way to celebrate than with a blog hop featuring lots of talented stampers and new products!

My card features a couple of products that you may have seen before. The Prayers Stamp & Cut was previously released at Simon Says Stamp, but now it will also be available in the Hero Arts store. Yay!

I also used the Happy Mother's Day clear stamp set, which features some beautiful floral images and great messages for mom. I heat embossed the flower onto vellum with Brass Embossing Powder, which is such a stunning color! And to bring in even more of that gorgeous brass color, I heat embossed a strip of cardstock to add along the left side.
 

The subtle textured background was created with the Floral Pattern Stencil and white embossing paste. I thought the petals of the stencil perfectly mimicked the petals of the embossed flower.

Now how about a giveaway! Hero Arts will be giving away three $25 shopping sprees, drawn from comments left across all blogs in the hop. Please comment by Sunday, May 15 at 11:59pm PT and the winner will be announced the following week.

Here's a list of all the stops along the hop:

The Hero Arts Blog
Amy Tsuruta
Clare Prezzia
Debby Hughes
Jennifer McGuire
Jenn Shurkus
Joan Bardee
Julie Ebersole
Kathleen Graumuller
Kathy Racoosin
Kelly Rasmussen (you are here)
Kimberly Crawford
Laura Bassen
Libby Hickson
Lori Craig
Lucy Abrams
Lydia Fiedler
Mariana Grigsby
May Sukyong Park
Nichol Magouirk
Sandy Allnock
Teri Anderson
Wanda Guess
Yana Smakula

Have fun hopping! :)

 

May My Monthly Hero Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my stop on the May My Monthly Hero Blog Hop!

This month's kit was inspired by Jennifer McGuire and her wonderful Share Handmade Kindness campaign. The kit contains everything you need to say thank you, make someone's day or spread a little kindness. I am extra excited about this kit because I got to design the stamps, dies and a super fun backer card that's included in the kit. You can purchase the kit in the Hero Arts Online Store now!

THE KIT CONTAINS:

4x6 clear stamp set • gift card envelope die • 

four half sheets of cardstock in tiffany blue and green apple • 

four half sheets of vellum in turquoise and iridescent white • 

ten white tags • .5 oz silver embossing powder • Glue Dots • gray twine • gems

I have two projects to share with you today -- one using the gift card envelope die in the main kit and another using the Thank You add-on die.

I die cut the gift card envelope from watercolor paper and taped off a border on the front panel with painter's tape. Then I used Distress Inks to watercolor a background and dried it using my heat tool.

Next, I stamped the message with VersaMark ink and black heat embossed the image. The stamp set is designed to be able to use the handwritten thank you message together or just the word "you" like I did here. The smaller coordinating messages are also great for the insides of cards!

The backside of the envelope has a v-shaped flapped that folds over and tucks into a 1" slit. I used one of the images from the Happy Mail add-on to create a seal for the envelope. But you do not need to use any adhesive to close it -- the whole envelope can be assembled with no adhesive!

I easily attached the gift card with a glue dot that are also included in the kit. And you can see there is even space to write a message on the bottom flap. I love how simple and quick this gift card envelope is to pull together!

I also wanted to share a couple add-on's that are being offered with the kit because I think I love them just as much as the kit! There is a 4x6 clear set called Happy Mail and a Thank You Pair Fancy Die.

The word die is the same size as the "thank you" message in the kit stamp set and the words are separate so you can easily use one or both.  I love how delicate this die is and that it can be the focal point of a card.

I've covered the die in some gold glitter and adhered it over a subtle watercolor background. And I've included one of the coordinating messages from the kit stamp set.

 
Hero Arts is giving away one kit as a prize to one blog reader - selected from the comments across all of the blogs in the hop. So be sure to leave a comment on each of these fabulous ladies' blogs:

The Hero Arts Blog
Jennifer McGuire
Kelly Rasmussen  <-- are="" br="" here="" you="">
Yana Smakula
Lucy Abrams
Kathy Racoosin
Mariana Grigsby
Wanda Guess
Clare Prezzia
May Sukyong Park
Joan Bardee
Amy Tsuruta
Lydia Fiedler
Libby Hickson

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I can't wait to see what all of you create with this kit! Remember this kit is available for a limited time only - once it's gone, it's gone!

Hero Arts April My Monthly Hero Blog Hop

Happy Monday! The April My Monthly Hero Kit is now available for purchase! This kit features a 4x6 stamp set, a set of four coordinating flower dies, a paper layering die, a dot sheet of Daniel Smith watercolors, a waterbrush, heavy cream and white cardstock, notecards and pearls. Wow...that's a lot of goodness for $29.99!

To show this kit in action I've created a card featuring the stamp set and the amazing Daniel Smith watercolors. These watercolors are very high quality and I am amazed at how many cards I will be able to create with just a single dot of color.

I white heat embossed an arrangement of flowers on some watercolor paper. And then I just had fun adding color to those gorgeous flowers! I like to allow layers to completely dry and then come in with more color for extra dimension.

Then I stamped the sentiment, added a few pearls and the card was done!

Here is a complete list of bloggers participating in the hop today:

The Hero Arts Blog
Yana Smakula
Lucy Abrams
Mariana Grigsby
Amy Tsuruta
Kelly Rasmussen <--you are="" br="" here="">
Clare Prezzia
Wanda Guess
Joan Bardee
Sandy Allnock
Lydia Fiedler
Kathy Racoosin
Libby Hickson


Hero Arts will be giving away one kit to a lucky reader! The winner will be selected from the comments across all of the blogs in the hop.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Lasting Hearts Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Lasting Hearts Blog Hop! If you have arrived from the Hero Arts Blog, you're in the right place. If you haven't been to the Hero Arts Blog yet, I highly encourage you to go there and read all the great information about this cause and ways that you can support it through the wonderful hobby of cardmaking.

Lasting Hearts was started by Kimberly Saldaña, the Director of Sales at Hero Arts. Hero Arts has created three stamps exclusively for Lasting Hearts and are donating 25% of the profits from these stamps to support the Lasting Hearts efforts, in cooperation with Angela Miller, the author of “You Are The Mother of All Mothers.”

So today I have created three cards using the Mother of all Mothers stamp along with one of the heart dies from the So Sorry Stamp + Cut.

 

I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers to create a gradient of color on a strip of watercolor paper and then die cut six hearts. Then I stitched the hearts down the side of a white panel using gold thread.

To go along with the gold thread, I gold heat embossed this beautiful message.

I popped up the white panel on a colored card base so the hearts appear as they are floating off the edge of the panel. And then I finished off the cards with a scattering of Darice Crystal Sequins.

Be sure to visit all the stops on the hop and leave a comment! Hero Arts is giving away a special prize to three lucky commenters – Angela Miller’s “You Are the Mother of All Mothers” book, as well as the So Sorry Stamp & Cut set. Please comment by Sunday, March 6 at 11:59pm PT, and they will announce the winners next week.

Your next stop on the hop is the amazing Sandy Allnock!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts 2016 Catalog Blog Hop

 

Welcome to my stop on the Hero Arts 2016 Catalog Blog Hop! Today we are showcasing some of the awesome new products from the 2016 Catalog that are now available in the Hero Arts Online Store.

 

Hero Arts has released a new line of inks called Bold Inks that I couldn't wait to play with! They are a hybrid formulation and like the name says, the colors are very bold. There are 14 colors to the line right now and I managed to use all 14 of them on the three cards below, so you could see them all in action!

There are also several new stencil designs in the catalog and I used three of the new floral designs on my cards to help show off the inks. It's been a while since I've played with stencils and these fabulous designs reminded me how much fun they can be!

Bold Inks: Strawberry, Crimson, Mulled Wine, Orchid, Tangerine, Dandelion

Stencil: Large Flower Stencil

 

Bold Inks: Summer Sky, Aquatic, Deep Ocean, Indigo, Pine, Moss, Green Apple

Stencil: Bold Daisy Stencil

 Bold Inks: Dandelion, Tangerine, Strawberry, Caramel

Stencil: Bold Floral Stencil

And for those small messages on each card I used the new Many Everyday Messages clear set. This is a must have set in my opinion with a message for almost any occasion!

To celebrate this release, Hero Arts is giving away four $25 shopping sprees! Winners will be drawn from comments left on all the blogs in the hop today. Comment by 11:59pm PT on Sunday, February 14 and the winners will be announced on the Hero Arts Blog the following week. So hop along and comment for more chances to win!

Your next stop on the hop is the talented Suzanne Dahlberg!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hero Arts Launch Party Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Hero Arts Launch Party Blog Hop! You should be arriving here from Jennifer's blog. Today we are celebrating the launch of the new Hero Arts website as well as showcasing some of the fabulous products in our 2015 Holiday Collection.

I love to wrap presents and make gifts look extra special during the holidays, but it's such a busy time of year that it doesn't always happen. So this year I'm hoping to make some tags and embellishments ahead of time to have on hand and throw on those last minute gifts that need to head out the door.

These tags feature the new Joy Stamp + Cut which includes the the word "joy" as a die or stamp along with lots of coordinating messages. I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers to create a watercolor gradient on each diecut word.

Also, notice that stitched border and tag hole? Those are part of the Peace + Joy clear stamp set. They are great for adding that finishing touch to your homemade tags!

Next up, I couldn't resist assembling a few of these adorable bows using the Ribbon Cutting Set by Lia. These felt bows just might appear on every package I send out this holiday season! ;)

Be sure to leave a comment on this post because Hero Arts will be giving away one GRAND PRIZE $100 Hero Arts shopping spree! The winner will be randomly chosen from all of the blog hop comments received by 11:59pm PST on Tuesday, September 8th. Check the Hero Arts blog for the announcement of the winner.

Your next stop on the hop is the incredibly talented Laura Bassen!

Happy Birthday

Hello! Today I've got a card to share using some newer Hero Arts products that I'm currently loving.

I love the look of handwritten die cut words, so I'm thrilled about the four Hero Arts Stamp + Cut sets with coordinating word dies that I designed. (Check them all out -- Happy, Congrats, Hello, Thanks.)

I die cut the happy word four times and stacked them together to create a thicker embellishment. I colored the word "happy" with watercolor paints and white heat embossed the word "birthday".

The flowers from the Stamp + Cut Flowers set are stamped with various colors of Memento Luxe pigment inks -- such gorgeous colors! And those tiny white dots were stamped with one of the images from the same set as the die. I find tiny filler images like dots and hearts to be so useful...they can really pull a card together!

Also, I'm thrilled to be a guest over on the Simon Says Stamp blog today! Here's a peek at my card using lots of same products I mentioned above as well as some Simon Says Stamp dies.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hero Arts + BasicGrey

Hi! Today Hero Arts and BasicGrey are teaming up to share projects to show off the awesome stamps, stencils, papers and embellishments in the Prism and Adrift collections. Here's a peek at the two cards I made that you can find on the Hero Arts blog...

Be sure to visit both the Hero Arts and BasicGrey blogs for more inspiration and big giveaways!

Stretch Your Dies Class Winner!

Hi there! Just popping in to announce the winner of a spot in the Stretch Your Dies class from Online Card Classes. 

Congrats to...

Holly Denghel!

I have sent you an email and the gals at Online Card Classes will be in touch to get you all set up for class!

Thanks to everyone that entered and I hope to see you in class! :)

Stretch Your Dies Class Giveaway!

I love die cutting—and I’m always looking for new ways to use my die-cutting machine and dies to make cards. The girls at Online Card Classes felt the same way! Their new class, Stretch Your Dies, is all about discovering new, cool ways to use dies for card making. It’s based on the same concept as their popular Stretch Your Stamps class—each day the class will focus on a different kind of die, so it’ll be easy to find a die or two in your stash to follow along with. The class will have 20+ videos! For more information, visit Online Card Classes.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m one of the guest artists for Stretch Your Dies! But even better… one of you will get to attend! Just leave a comment on this post by Thursday, March 12th 11:59pm CST to be eligible. Class starts on Monday, March 16, 2015. I can’t wait! And I hope to see you there!

Hero Arts Holiday Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Hero Arts Holiday Blog Hop! Today we are featuring some of the fabulous products from the 2014 Holiday Catalog and hope to give you lots of inspiration for your holiday card making.

My card features the Peace Poinsettias clear stamp set. This gorgeous flower is perfect for many coloring techniques and I chose to use Distress Inks to create a watercolor effect

This stamp set also has a coordinating die that will help speed up your holiday card making, but I didn't use the die in the traditional way today. I trimmed out the flower and leaves by hand right next to the embossing so there was no border. Then I used the dies to die cut the flower and leaves on a white panel. When the flower is inlaid, you are left with a gap that will allow the color of the card base to show through. So fun!

Giveaway
Hero Arts will be giving away one GRAND PRIZE that includes an assortment of stamps, inks, stencils and dies valued at over $75. In addition, two $10 Hero Arts Online Store gift cards will also be awarded. The three prize winners will be randomly selected from all comments received on the participating designers' blogs, so the more comments you leave along the hop, the better your odds of winning! The giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Thursday, Oct 2 and the winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog on Friday, Oct 3.

Your next stop on the hop is the sweet and talented Donna Mikasa! 

If you come across any broken links along the way, you can find all the links to the stops on the hop over on the Hero Arts Blog.

Little Tangles Challenge Blog

Hi! Today I'm excited and honored to be a guest on the Little Tangles Challenge Blog. Their current challenge is to create a card base on this sketch...

And here's what I came up with...

I used the awesome You + Me stamp set from Neat & Tangled on my card -- I absolutely love all the sentiments in this set!

Be sure to check out all the fabulous cards the design team girls made and enter the challenge HERE!