Hero Arts Studio Release for June - Coastal Vibes

 I am so pleased to share with you some cards I've made using some of the new June Hero Studio release!  The collection is called Coastal Vibes, and it's a great mix of goodies you'll use for summer cards!

First up today are the Layering Stencils, Hydrangea.  These are so easy to use and with such great results that I made 2 cards.

supplies: light and medium blue cardstock, Hero Studio June Hydrangea Layering Stencils, 2 shades of blue and green inks, sentiment from The Whole Studio bonus, HiYa Friend stamp and cut

The stencil set is 4 parts, 2 for the flowers, and 2 for the leaves.  

I've always wanted a blue hydrangea bush, but haven't been able to sustain one - ours look more like my 2nd card below, various shades of pinks and blues.  

supplies: white cardstock, vellum, Hero Studio Hydrangea Layering Stencils, 2 shades of blue, lavender, pink, and green inks, stamp/die from The Whole Studio bonus: HiYa Friend Stamp and Cut, clear ink and white embossing powder

For my sentiment on this one, I used one of the large block stamps and its matching die from The Whole Studio bonus item for this month: HiYa Friend.  I clear stamped it onto vellum, white embossed it, then cut it out with the die and glued it right to my card base.

Oh both cards, after finishing my stenciling, I put the first floral stencil back over my panel and ran it through my machine with an embossing pad and plate.  That gives a subtle dimension to these simple designs. 

Now here are some cards made with the Card Kit for June.  First I played with the Beach Bag Fancy Dies set in the kit, called Beach Bag.

supplies: cream and various colors of cardstock, peach gingham dp, Studio June Card Kit (Beach Bag fancy dies and sentiment from Summer State of Mind clear stamp/die)

Here I used stand-alone fancy dies in the kit; besides what you see here, there are also a loaf of bread, 2 wine glasses, a tassel, a bow, a whale, a crab, a seashell - 20 pieces in all!  It was really fun to make this straw tote, and then fill it with fun goodies!  The sentiment comes from the stamp set/matching dies in the set, more of which you'll see below.

Next are 2 cards using the Summer State of Mind stamp/die set from the kit.  

supplies: colored cardstock, watercolor blue and striped dps, Hero Studio June Card Kit Summer State of Mind stamps and matching dies

I really did try to color these, but did not like my results, so I stamped over colored cardstocks and printed papers instead, paper-piecing a few of them.  Then I chose just a few of the stamps to construct my little beach scene.  The set also includes 6 other sentiments.  And there are dies for everything!

Here's another using the largest stamp and die. This time I used markers to color, and popped some flowers in the basket.

supplies: white cardtock, Summer State of Mind June Studio Card Kit stamps/dies, sentiment from Whole Studio Bonus HiYa Friend

And finally, I went back to the Whole Studio Bonus item for an easy simple design.  I started with an interesting printed paper, stamped "friend" in the center of a trimmed panel, cut it out with a rectangle die, matted it, then popped it back onto the card front, along with one of the smaller sentiments from the same stamp set.

supplies: cream cardstock, printed dp, June Whole Studio HiYa Friend stamps/die, cream embossing powder, Nested Rectangle dies

The Studio Collection is available now through the 27th of the month.  This is subscription-based, discounted from retail, and includes FREE shipping (for US customers)!  

You can subscribe anytime and cancel hassle-free.

Currently the Studio includes 5 separate kits: a Card Kit, Layering Stencils, a Cling stamp, Fancy Dies, and a Clear Set of Stamps and matching Dies.  You can also get The Whole Studio, which includes all of the kits at a discount, plus a bonus item each month.  

A really nice bonus is that, once you subscribe to any of the kits, you also will get free shipping on all orders that you make at Hero Arts between the 1st and 5th of each month!

Beveled Sentiments Embossing Folders!!

 Here's something new and different!  Spellbinders has released a set of 4 A2-sized embossing folders that use big block letters for a bold sentiment that is the focal point of your card.  The collection is called Beveled Sentiments.  I have 2 cards for you today.

supplies: white cardstock, Beveled Thanks Sentiment 3D embossing folder, picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks, white pigment ink, sentiment from A Little Hello Sentiments

I started by making a blended ink panel using 2 distress inks, then ran that through the folder.  I swiped the letters with white pigment ink, then attached the panel to a white card base, and added my sentiment.

Next I started with a patterned plaid white-core paper, embossed it, then sanded it.  As you can see, only the very top highlights showed up with this technique, so I felt I should add some white embellishments to it.

supplies: white cardstock, blue plaid designer paper, Beveled Hello 3D embossing folder, flowers and leaves from Mini Blooms & Sprigs, blue enamel dots

If you have a steady hand, you might try embossing one of these folders on white cardstock and then painting in the letters.

There are 2 other sentiment folders in this collection: Happy Birthday, and A Gift for You, so there's something for everyone!

Thanks for coming by today - see you again soon, I hope!

More October Birthdays

Here's some more birthday cards for this month.

First, I used the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit from September once again, this time working on kraft as my background and bringing in a magenta/color in place of the red I used last time.

supplies: kraft cardstock, Simon pink/apricot Color Blend Pastel cardstock, Hero Arts September Card Kit: window wreath die and stencil set, Simon Joys of Spring sentiment, Gelli Roll white pen

Next is a much simpler design, letting design paper and a large die do all the work.

supplies: kraft and cream parchment cardstock, Paper Rose Autumn Plaid design paper, My Favorite Things Big Birthday Wishes die

I trimmed the plaid paper and cut out the large die, then mounted it onto a cream cardstock matted with kraft.  Since this is for a guy, I decided to keep it simple and just finished by paper-piecing the letter details back in. 

Hope you're off to a great week - thanks for visiting!

Tim Holtz Big Tidings

I loved all of Tim's new Christmas dies from Sizzix this year!  This set of Big Tidings is the first of them to come home with me, and I made a card with each of the big words, first in traditional colors and a woodsy theme.

supplies: cream, Lipstick Red, and green cardstock, woodgrain and buffalo plaid patterned papers, Big Tidings (word, shadow, and bow), Mini Holiday Greens (pine sprigs), and Funky Festive (berry sprigs) dies, sentiment sticker from Idea-ology Christmas 2023 sticker book

And the second is in frosty cool colors.

supplies: white, glitter white, 2 shades of aqua cardstock, Tim Holtz Big Tidings Noel and star dies, Plaid stencil, sentiment from his collaboration with Simon Says Stamp in 2013, pine needles distress ink, a retired snowflake folder

I really liked the effect that stencilling on the words has - got that idea from several of Tim's Makers when this set was first introduced last month.

So many wonderful possibilites with this new set of dies!  

Emboss Resist

I wanted to make another card with this sweet sentiment die, and took my inspiration from a couple of cardmakers, Yoonsun and Barbara.  Then I remembered this old favorite Hero Arts cling background from 2012, and I was off and running!

supplies: white cardstock, (retired) Hero Arts Leaf & Floral Background cling stamp, saltwater taffy and worn lipstick distress inks, VersaMark and clear embossing powder, Paper Rose Sending Love and Hugs die, little flower and leaf dies, Doodlebug Tiny Heart sprinkles

Do any of you remember that background stamp?  It's a classic!

I enjoyed making that so much that I dug out another oldie background and made a blue version.

supplies: white cardstock, (retired) 2012 Penny Black Floral Thread cling background, salvaged patina and broken china distress inks, VersaMark and clear embossing powder, Hero Arts Thinking of You  Stamp and Cut die, enamel hearts

What a beautiful font, don't you agree?  Wish my handwriting looked like that!  The process is the same for both cards.  Brush on the lighter of 2 inks, dry thoroughly, stamp and emboss in clear, then brush on a darker shade of the same color.  My sentiments were cut multiple times for stability and stacked.

It's fun to mix your old stuff with brand new, isn't it?  Gives us more possibilities!

Simon Says.......Thinking of You

Welcome to the new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

Out theme this week is Thinking of You, and the team is playing with Paper Rose Studio products.  I chose 2 die sets for my card today.  

The word "pansy" is derived from the French word "pensee", which means "thought", and the flower has come to symbolize remembrance.  So I thought these pansies would work nicely with our theme this week.

supplies: white, Fog, and green cardstock, Paper Rose Etched Pansy 1 and Sending Love and Hugs die sets, markers, tiny heart sprinkles

I chose fog as the background so my white sentiment would stand out nicely.  It was cut 3 times and stacked.  Isn't it a pretty mix of fonts?  The leaves were cut from green cardstock, but I colored the flowers with markers in blues and purples.

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

to the Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!  

Simon Says......Christmas

Welcome to our weekly challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog!

 Our theme this week is Christmas, and the team is playing with Spellbinders products!  You don't have to use this brand to enter our challenge, but if you have any of their products, we'd love to see you using them also!

supplies: Cream, Lipstick Red, Green Apple, Peacock Teal, Green Leaf, Schoolhouse Red, and Audrey Blue card, gold glitter cardstock, Spellbinders Be Bold Color Block Christmas dies, Holiday Blooms (poinsettia) and Winter Welcome Sled (pine sprigs) dies

I took "colorblock" to heart, and cut this die from 6 different cardstocks.  After paper-piecing the big Christmas, I cut the "Merry" and the centers of the poinsettias from  glitzy gold, then used Cream cardstock for the poinsettias and for the card base.  This makes a slimline card that measures 8 3/4" X 3 3/4" that will easily fit into a business envelope.

 Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

Sending Christmas Joy

 I bought this die late last year and used it mininally, so this year I have more time to play with all the options it presents!  I've got 3 versions for you today.

supplies: Schoolhouse Red card, candy cane patterned paper, My Favorite Things Sending Christmas Joy die, and Christmas Cardinals stamp, adhesive foam squares 

For this card, I cut the words from red card, then used the negative die-cut to glue them into place over my patterned paper.  Then I just lifted the bird above the card.

For these next two, the die was cut from patterned paper, then attached to a solid backing before I added my embellishments.

supplies: Green Leaf card, glitter card in 2 greens, red, and gold, a Christmas tree dp, MFT Sending Christmas Joy die and a long retired Simon Christmas Tree die and star die, adhesive foam squares

supplies: Lipstick Red and kraft card, reindeer patterned paper, MFT Sending Christmas Joy and Simon Retro Deer die, a tiny red pearl for his nose, adhesive foam squares

As I said, the options are endless for embellishing these simple cards - holly, snowmen, santas, snowflakes!  And the bonus is that I got to use some of my patterned papers!

Happy Friday!  How are you coming with your Christmas cards?

Color Block Christmas dies

 I've got some really fun Christmas cards for you today, using Spellbinders new Be Bold Color Block Merry Christmas dies.  I really had fun making these!

supplies: kraft, Green Apple, Lipstick Red, and Polished Gold mirror card, Be Bold Color Block Merry Christmas die set, adhesive foam strips

This set is engineered to make a regular slimline size card, 8 1/2" x 3 1/2 ", and for my first play I went with traditional Christmas colors and gold.  On this card, I raised my letters above my kraft card base - the foam strips I used were perfect for doing this.  By cutting my letters from 2 colors, I automatically get enough to make 2 cards....the same would apply with however many colors you choose, so this is a great design for mass producing!

Next, I chose some different colors, added some snowflakes to the mix, and glued my letters down flat to the base, lifting the "merry" on this one.

supplies: white, Lipstick Red, Green Apple, Doll Pink, Audrey Blue and silver glitter card, Be Bold Color Block Merry Christmas die set, some snowflake transparencies

This time my small sentiment is cut from silver glitter card, 5 layers deep, and the snowflakes are as old as dirt from my stash.  Since they're printed on acetate, they add just a little somethin' without taking away from the bold lettering.

I think this would also be fun to use small-scale printed papers for either the letters or the background.

Many thanks to Spellbinders for sharing this set with me!

Simon Says........Spooky/Halloween

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog!

Our theme this week is Spooky/Halloween, and the team will be highlighting our very own Simon Says Stamp exclusive goodies!

supplies: Green Apple, Orange Peel, Smoke Grey, purple, and black card, Simon Halloween Sentiment Strips, Spellbinders Hey Boo dies, Pink Fresh Adore Alpha dies, googly eyes, (retired) Spellbinders/Tammy Tutterow Blistered embossing folder

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

 

Christmas Traditions Collection

 Once again, Spellbinders was kind enough to send me some new goodies from their new Christmas Traditions Collection!  Here are the projects I made with them.

I was excited to play with these new Holiday Florals Background glimmer plates, so much so that I made 3 cards with them!  

supplies: white and pink card, gold metallic card, Holiday Florals Background glimmer plate set (includes sentiment), bright gold glimmer foil, Hemstitch rectangle die, markers to color flowers and leaves

These florals come as half of the design you see here - just line it up in 1 corner, foil, then line it up at the opposite diagonal corner, and foil again.  There is also a 3-piece sentiment included in the set, and I  foiled the largest in the center.  After trimming my panel so that I could put it on a card base, I used my old favorite Hemstitch rectangle to cut out the design around the foiled sentiment, then matted the whole panel on gold metallic card, then onto a pink card base.

Here's another pink card, using silver foiling, with a die-cut sentiment.

supplies: Cotton Candy and Chrome Silver Mirror card, Holiday Florals Background glimmer plate and silver foil, sentiment from Santa Parade die set, silver sequins, markers to color flowers and leaves

And the 3rd card is much simpler, using a rich burgundy card with gold foiling.

supplies: burgundy and Polished Gold mirror card, Holiday Florals Background glimmer plate and gold foil, sentiment from Joy die set, gold sequins

Next I played with the Rejoice Nativity dies.

This die set has a little die which I couldn't figure out at first, until I saw that it was a piece to make this set into an ornament!  So that's what I did first, using silver mirror cardstock, along with an old piece of polished stone made years ago for the starry background (there's an oval die that makes teensy holes for light to shine through!).  I just cut out all the pieces and assembled them, adding a silver sequin to the center of the star, and some silver thread to hang it with.  If placed in front of a Christmas bulb, I think the effect will be magical!

 

supplies: silver mirror card, my own blue polished stone background, Rejoice Nativity dies, a silver sequin

So then I decided to make a really simple card that this ornament can be placed inside for presentation.  I used silver glitter and soft navy cardstock and silver-embossed the sentiment (which is from another new stamp set in this collection: Three Kings). I didn't use the starry background for this version.  

supplies: Soft Navy and silver glitter card, Rejoice Nativity dies and sentiment from Three Kings stamps set, silver embossing powder

As always, I thank Spellbinders for the chance to play with these lovely products!

My Favorite Things, PinkFresh Studio, and Lawn Fawn

 I recently grabbed the Small Butterflies stamps and stencils that I've been wanting, and used them to  make some birthday cards.  When I use this Big Birthday Wishes die, I always get a two-fer!  You can never have too many birthday cards, right?  

supplies: white cardstock, (retired) Lawn Fawn Spring Fling and Knock on Wood paper pads, MFT Big Birthday Wishes and Wonky Stitched Rectangle dies,  PinkFresh Studio Small Butterflies stamps and matching stencils, gold embossed, Altenew Cherry Blossom and Sweet Dreams mini inks,  black marker to outline, gold sequins

This one uses the letters from the die.  I cut it a 2nd time (giving me a 3-fer!) from yellow woodgrain patterned paper and paper-pieced the floral letters back in.  They just didn't stand out well, so I went back and outlined them with a fine-tip marker - that solved the problem nicely.  Then I added my butterflies, gluing them only in their centers and pulling up their wings for dimension, and adding gold sequins to help bring out their gold embossing.

Here's a closer pic to show the gold embossing on the butterflies a bit better:

Next is the card that uses the negative cut of the big sentiment cut from the floral paper.   I simply added dotty papers from the same pad behind the letters this time, then attached my butterflies.

supplies: white cardstock, (retired) Lawn Fawn Spring Fling patterned papers, MFT Big Birthday Wishes die, PinkFresh Studio Small Butterflies stamps and matching stencils, gold embossed and colored with Altenew Cherry Blossom and Sweet Dreams mini inks

Thanks for stopping by - have a great week!

Thinking of You, Take 2

 I really liked this cover die set from Concord & 9th called Thinking of You Perfect Pairings, and made THIS card just by cutting out the border and sentiment in white and adding it to a blended ink background.  This time I've added the coordinating stamp set to the mix and embossed my background.

supplies: white and mauvy-pink cardstock, Thinking of You Perfect Pairings dies and stamp set, markers to color, a retired Sizzix floral embossing folder

I did my die-cutting, and before separating out the waste pieces, I moved the whole panel to my Misti and overstamped the floral spray.  It was easy to line up.  Just for fun this time, I embossed my pink background panel for some more texture.

It's Friday!  Hope your weekend is a great one!