Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Release August 2022: Blog Hop and a Giveaway!

Hey everybody! The wait is over! It's time for the Hero Arts August 2022 My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is a stencil lovers dream! It's got a set of four layering stencils to create a beautiful desert scene. There are also a sentiment stamp set, some coordinating dies, four ink cubes, five sheets of Luxe watercolor paper and bronze PearlEx (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you)!

Before I get to my cards, if you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! This month's kit is valued at $70!

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the September release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly! There are also a ton of amazing add-on products! You can buy the add-ons as a bundle at a discounted rate or just pick up your favorite products. 

HOT TIP: Ok, so here's something I quickly figured out with this kit... I am someone who struggles with leaving white space on a card (especially in a landscape scene like this where white space within the design would really break it up). If you are like me then I suggest the easy solution of starting either with colored card stock and ink blending on that, inkblending a background in the colors of your choice before using the stencils, or, grab a background from your stash and have fun with that!

For my first project I decided to grab a watercolored background from my stash and be inspired by the vibrant colors. This panel was created with DIY Liquid Watercolor sprays and I believe I used Pink and Dandelion but it looks like I could've sprayed a little Creamsicle Reactive spray in there too. I decided to put the pink up top for a magically hazy sky and the yellow/orange tones worked well for a desert floor. I used the stencils from the kit and inkblended in Taffy reactive ink to add the gorgeous skyline and some sandy pits. For the next layer I used a sponge dauber to gently add in highlights with Gold Glimmer Metallic Ink. If you decide to do this make sure to go easy so that the gold doesn't run under your stencil and you can get some crisp highlights. I wanted more gold so after the first layer dried I went back with a paintbrush and thickened it up.

I wanted to give the mountains a little bit more definition since doing pink mountains against a pink sky didn't provide a lot of contrast. I grabbed a pink colored pencil and traced around the edges of the mountains and added a little shading where I thought it would look good. That was an easy way to make the mountains pop. I wanted to add to the sky as well so I masked off the bottom part of the card (coordinating dies make this easy) and splattered it with White Glimmer Metallic Ink. Before moving on, I heat embossed my sentiment onto the panel using Onyx Pigment ink and clear embossing powder.

Next, I used a separate piece of white paper to stencil my cacti in Key Lime Fizz and Green Apple Reactive Inks. I used the coordinating dies to cut them out and adhered them with foam tape. I finished my card off by adding it to a black mat and a card base. 

I made this next card using a new stencil called Desert Road Stencil. I used some Pixie Spray to lightly adhere it to my cardstock before working with it so that I could get clean lines. I inkblended everything above the dark brown section using Dandelion, Pale Tomato, Sand, Caramel, Cup O' Joe, and Espresso inks. It was too hard to keep the colors separated by section as I had originally planned so I blended over the tops of the stencil lines and ended being happy with the look

By the time I was halfway down the card I was tired of inkblending and started wondering if it would work well to use my copic markers with the stencil. I decided to try it out and this technique allowed me to get some nice shading in my gray road and to move quickly down the rest of the card. I do think the ink blending at the top looks smoother though. 

I added a sentiment from the Seaside Highway HeroScape set and a black mat to finish off this card.

Here's another card I made using the kit. This one has a watercolor look that was easy to achieve. If you'd like the details for this card you can find them by clicking here. 

Ok, that's it for today you guys! I hope you have an amazing week and that you'll keep hopping along with us for more inspiration. Remember to comment below to enter yourself in the giveaway!

Maria

GIVEAWAY:

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

BLOG HOP LIST:

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Kelly Taylor
Libby Hickson
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis: YOU ARE HERE.
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Seeka
Jennifer Kotas
Meg Brooks
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel

Andrew Granick: Visit him on Instagram

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you):

Hero Arts Countdown to Creativity: August 2022 Release!

Hey everybody! It's almost time for the August 2022 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is a fun one especially for all of you stencil lovers out there!

If you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! 

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the September 2022 release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly! 

Today is Day One of the Countdown to Creativity and I've got a card with an faux-ish watercolor technique to share with you. This month's kit comes with a set of four stencils that allow you to create a gorgeous desert scene. The kit also comes with Luxe Watercolor cardstock so I took that as my que to create a watercolor scene using my stencils as the guide. 

I used my DIY liquid watercolor sprays with the stencil to create layers of color. All I did was place my stencil down and then spray my color over the top. Once that layer had dried I added the next layer of color. The colors that I used were Cocoa, Mulled Wine, Leaf, Jungle Mist and Teal. Once I had the full desert scene I added color to the sky by masking off the scene (there's a die that makes this easy) and spraying it with White Iridescent Shimmer Spray followed by a splatter of White Glimmer Metallic Ink.

The final steps were to stamp my sentiment in Onyx Pigment ink and heat emboss it in clear, then add my scene to a Nautical mat.

Well, that is it for today folks! I hope you've enjoyed this little sneak peek. If you'd like a chance to win this kit before you can buy then head on over to the Hero Arts blog and enter for your chance to win!

Have an awesome day and I will see you back here on Monday for the full (super amazing) release!

Maria

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you):

Gina K. Designs: July 2022 Release!

Hello everybody! I am popping in with a quick post to show off a gorgeous new set from today's Gina K. Designs release. The set I'm using is called Birds of a Feather and it's got some beautiful florals and two gorgeous hummingbirds in the set. For today's card I decided to focus on on of the floral stamps and make it the star of the show.

To start my card I stamped the floral image multiple times onto a piece of white cardstock in alcohol friendly ink. Then, I used my copic markers to color the flowers and the background. I had fun adding drop shadows in cool grays and adding extra details with a fine tipped sharpie and a white Posca paint pen.

When I was done coloring I stamped a sentiment from the Spread Your Wings stamp set in black ink onto the bottom of the card front. I have a friend who could use a card right now and this sentiment is just perfect for her.

To finish my card off I added my floral piece to a black mat and glued that all to a top-folding card base. 

This Birds of a Feather stamp set is so beautiful and I love that it is so versatile because it includes so many pretty stamps. You can head on over to Gina K. Designs if you'd like to check out the whole release.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have an awesome day!

Maria

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero July 2022 Release: Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Hey everybody! The wait is over! It's time for the Hero Arts July 2022 My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is a flamingo loving dream! It's got a gorgeous layering flamingo stamp set with clouds, water and grass. There are coordinating dies and five ink cubes! There are also self-adhesive pink and teals gems as well as teal pearls (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you)!

Before I get to my cards, if you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! This month's kit is valued at $75!

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the August release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly! There are also a ton of amazing add-on products! You can buy the add-ons as a bundle at a discounted rate or just pick up your favorite products. 

For my first project I decided to make a birdday shaker card (get it?). I started out by spraying a piece of white cardstock with my DIY liquid watercolor sprays in Pink and Indigo and se that off to the side to let it dry. Later, I came back and ink-blended around the edges with Blue Hawaii ink. 

Next, I stamped my flamingos using the color-layering set from the kit. My bottom (solid) layer is Cotton Candy ink. My next layer (detailed layer) was stamped with Rose Quartz Pigment Ink and heat embossed in clear embossing powder. I love that the heat embossing gave a raised, shiny texture to the bird's feathers. Next, I stamped the legs and beaks in Onyx Pigment Ink and again, I heat embossed in clear. This caused some of the Onyx ink to melt into the Rose Quartz layer at the bottom of the birds which I think adds a fun, shadowed look to the feathers. I did lose a little detail on the beaks and I added that back in with a fine-tipped sharpie. After the flamingos were done I cut them out using the coordinating dies.

To create the shaker portion of my card I used a shaker pouch from Tonic Studios and added some glitter and sequins from my stash before sealing it up. I adhered the flamingos using foam tape and then followed it up by adding the sentiment stamped in black on Paradise cardstock.

For my next card I used the Large Toucan Bold Prints stamp and heat embossed it in gold onto watercolor cardstock.

I watercolored the image using Nuvo Shimmer Powders from Tonic Studios.

To finish the card off I added a sentiment from Zen Messages heat embossed in white on black cardstock. I matted the image piece on black cardstock and called it good!

I'm  not sure if you saw my post from Sunday, but just in case you didn't, here's one more card that I made using this month's kit. You can catch all of the details for this card by clicking here.

Ok, that is it for today but make sure to leave a comment below to enter the giveaway and continue on our blog hop for more incredible inspiration!

GIVEAWAY:

We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, June 10th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

BLOG HOP LIST: 

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis: You are here.
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Seeka
Jennifer Kotas
Kelly Taylor
Meg Brooks
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel

Instagram: Andrew Granick

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (Affiliate Links may used at no extra cost to you):

Hero Arts Countdown to Creativity: July 2022 Release!

Hey everybody! It's almost time for the June 2022 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is a super fun kit packed with flamingo goodness!

If you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! 

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the August 2022 release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly! The monthly releases always include a fun assortment of products that are a similar theme to the kit. You can buy your favorites or buy them all at a discounted rate.

Today is Day Three of the Countdown to Creativity and I've got a sneak peek of this month's kit to share with you... This kit comes with a really fun layering flamingo stamp set (and coordinating dies which I didn't use). I stamped my flamingos in Cotton Candy, Neon Ombre : Neon Red to Purple, and, Intens-fied black ink. 

Once my flamingos were stamped I added some water at their feet using Mist ink. I added the sentiment on top of that using Onyx Pigment ink and clear embossing powder. The final step was to cut my image piece down to size and mat it on both Pitch Black and Bermuda cardstocks.

That is it for today you guys but if you want a chance to win this kit before you can buy it please head over to the Hero Arts blog and enter to win! We usually launch the MMH kits on the first Monday of the month but tomorrow is a holiday so this kit will be launching on Tuesday, July 5th. I will see you on Tuesday for the full reveal!

Have an awesome weekend!

Maria

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (Affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you):

HERO ARTS: Color Week Kickoff! New Color System, Blog Hop, and Giveaway!

Hey everybody! Today is a most amazing day because today Hero Arts is launching a brand new color system! The CORE INKS are getting a makeover (lids will have a new look as well as a built-in palette), there are new colors and some of our old favorites (some which have a new name), new CARDSTOCK colors that match inks, and drumroll please..... INKERS for every single color so that we can ink up our ink pads and use them for techniques! So. Cool! There will also be BUNDLES available!

BASIC COLOR INFO:

There are 57 Core Ink pads and Inkers in this line.

6 brand new to Hero ink colors.

12 brand new to Hero cardstock colors.

Bundles are available for all 57 Core Inks - an ink pad + inker

Bundle is available for purchasing all 6 new Core Ink pads & Free Color Labels

Since we are talking Color we need to touch on color organization for a second... Hero will be selling color labels that you can use to label your products and keep everything organized! I cannot wait to get my hands on them! These color labels will also be included with the bundles mentioned above as well as with the following...

COLOR ME ORGANIZED PROMOTION:

Between June 20-26 you will receive Free Index Labels with your purchase of any 6 ink pads or ink+inker bundles!

Here is a link for you to check out the new collection. Here you'll be able to see old and new colors as well which colors have been renamed. You can also see which inks have a matching color of cardstock.

Last but not least here is a link to the FREE COLOR CHART! 

And, if you already have a favorite new color you can SHOP BY COLOR HERE!

Ok, let's get on to my card! So, my goal was to find a technique that worked well for all of the new inkers and would yield some consistently cool results. I came up with this Paper Towel Printing technique (I am sure someone has done this before but I did figure it out for myself while I was playing). 

I started by adding drops of both Ultra Pink and Summer Sky Inkers to my glass mat. Then I sprayed them with rubbing alcohol until they started to spread and blend together. I laid a piece of paper towel that had a cool, textured pattern to it on top of my colorful, alcohol mess. The paper towel absorbed the color and I removed it and placed it on a dry part of my glass mat. Next, I placed a piece of white cardstock (regular, not watercolor cardstock) on top of the paper towel and rubbed my fingers across the back to transfer the ink from the paper towel onto my cardstock. I lifted the cardstock up and it was left with this gorgeous, textured background that held the design of the paper towel. I set this aside to dry and it dried quickly since the alcohol evaporated much faster than water would have.

Once my background was dry I heat embossed part of my sentiment on it using Onyx Pigment Ink and Clear Embossing Powder. Next, I added the "Big Hugs" die cut sentiment using liquid adhesive. I wanted these die cuts to have some dimension so I glued together three layers of black die cuts and one layer of white to create a "shadow."

To finish my card off I added a Pitch Black mat and glued it all to a card base.

Well, that is it for today you guys! I hope you will join in our giveaway and keep on hopping for tons of inspiration! For more information you can head over to the Hero Arts Color Page, or, if you want to hit the shop right away you can SHOP BY COLOR HERE.

Have an awesome day!

Maria

GIVEAWAY!! 

We will be giving away one set of the six NEW colors of ink - Core Ink Pads and Inkers - to one lucky commenter. We encourage you to comment on every blog in the hop - the more blogs you comment on, the more chances to win! Comments for contest entry close Sunday, June 26 at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

BLOG HOP LIST:

Hero Arts
Mindy Eggen
Seeka
Michelle Short
Lydia Fiedler
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Ilina Crouse
Channin Pelletier
Pocono Pam
Daniel West
Emily Midgett
Maria Willis

Gina K. Designs June 2022 Release!

Hey everybody! I hope you're having an awesome day! I'm back with my second post of the day and this time we are checking out a stamp set from Gina K. Design's spectacular new release. Today I will be featuring the new stamp set, Window on the Water, illustrated by Melanie Muenchinger. My sentiment is from the Spring Floral Background by Hannah Drapinsky.

For today's card I made a 3.25". 5.75" mini slimline card. I started with a 3" x 5.5" piece of white Hammermill cardstock and I stamped the beach images and sentiment onto it using GKD Onyx ink. I stamped the image three times (once centered and once more on each side) so that the image would stretch across my panel.

Once my image was stamped, I used a combination of ink blending and copic coloring to add color and shading to my scene. I watered down some white acrylic paint and splattered the background to give the effect of stars.

The final step was to add a black mat to my card and call it done!

I hope you guys all love this new stamp set as much as I do and be sure to head over to Gina K. Designs to check out the full release!

Have an awesome day!

Maria

 

Sending Peaceful Vibes Your Way!

Hey everybody! I'm just popping in to let you know that I am up on the Hero Arts blog today sharing a bright and cheerful card. My card showcases the new Mermaid Cove stamp set as well as the Zen Messages stamp set (sentiment). 

I started off by spraying a piece of Luxe watercolor cardstock with my DIY liquid watercolor sprays. Then I heat embossed my images in Onyx Pigment ink and heat embossed them in clear. 

I splattered the background with White Glimmer Metallic Ink to add a little magic.

Finally, I heat embossed some of the tall kelp in white onto Pitch Black cardstock and cut it out by hand. I added the kelp using foam tape to give it a little bit of extra dimension and that was it!

For all of the details please head on over to the Hero Arts blog!

Have an awesome day!

Maria

 

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Release June 2022: Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Hey everybody! The wait is over! It's time for the Hero Arts June  2022 My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is an underwater dream! It's got a gorgeous mermaid and other underwater beauties, coordinating dies, an ombre ink pad, a water color paint brush, and pearls (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you)!

Before I get to my cards, if you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! This month's kit is valued at $72!

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the July release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly! There are also a ton of amazing add-on products! You can buy the add-ons as a bundle at a discounted rate or just pick up your favorite products. 

For my first project I could not resist coloring the gorgeous mermaid (and some shells and a sea star)! I stamped the mermaid in Onyx Pigment ink and heat embossed it in clear (I also did my sentiment on Mist cardstock at the same time). Then, I colored with my copic markers, die cut my mermaid, and set her aside. 

Next I took a piece of Hammermill cardstock and sprayed it with sprays I made from Hero Arts Liquid Watercolors. I used Teal, Leaf and Indigo as well as Grape Slush Reactive Spray. I let the background dry before adding to the background using my Cobblestone Stencil, Hero Pearls in Silver and Hero Wax in Gold and Black. Before the Gold Wax could dry I sprinkled some Sand Embossing Powder onto it and heat embossed it to give it a gritty, sand-like texture. Finally,  splattered my background with White Glimmer Metallic Ink.

I wound some gold thread around the left side of my sentiment piece, stapled it and added a shell and sea star for fun. I attached the sentiment and mermaid with foam tape. Then I used glue dots to attach a sea star to her hair and one on the sea floor. The final touches were made by adding gold to the mermaid using a gel pen and Hero Pearls in gold. I also added some Hero Pearls in Pewter to the background and to give the mermaid some pearls for rings.

For my next card I used a couple of the new add-ons: Mermaid Wishes and Tide Stencil. Before I go any further I need to let you know that this Tide stencil is uber delicate. If you pick this one up please know that you will need to be very gentle with it and that Pixie Spray is a good idea. Ok, I started this card off by using the Tide Stencil and Hero Wax in Gold to create my background on Mist cardstock. I set it aside so that it could dry.

Next, I stamped my mermaid image in Onyx Pigment Ink and heat embossed it in clear embossing powder. I colored with my copic markers and had fun adding a lighter shade of green to the bottle trying to show that the mermaid's tail was behind the bottle. I added some extra detail to the image using white and gold gel pens before cutting it out with the coordinating die.

I attached my stenciled background piece to a black cardbase. Then I heat embossed my sentiment in white on black so that it would match the base. I attached the mermaid and sentiment using foam tape before adding a few enamel dots as a final touch.

Just in case you missed it here is another card that I made using this month's kit. Instead of focusing on the mermaid I used the fish as my focal point. If you'd like more detail about this card, CLICK HERE.

Ok, that's it for today you guys! I hope you love this kit as much as I do. If you do, I recommend snagging one now because I'm predicting a quick sell out for this one. Remember to leave me a comment below to enter our giveaway and keep on hopping along with us for a ton of inspiration!

Have an awesome day!

Maria

GIVEAWAY:

We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, June 12th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

BLOG HOP LIST:

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Libby Hickson
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis: You are here.
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Seeka
Jennifer Kotas
Jenn Shurkus
Kelly Taylor
Meg Brooks
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel
And visit on Instagram: Andrew Granick

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (Affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you):

Hero Arts Countdown to Creativity: June 2022 Release

Hey everybody! It's almost time for the May 2022 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero release and this month's kit is a super fun kit packed with... well, I'm not telling you because my card doesn't give the theme away!

If you aren't familiar with the My Monthly Hero kit, it's a kit that is released by Hero Arts on the first Monday of every month. It always has a fun, themed, collection of stamps, dies and other goodies. The cost is just $34.99/month and the value is always much greater! 

You have the option to subscribe (subscribing now means your first kit will be the July 2022 release), or, to buy your favorite kits as one-off purchases. Be aware that once these kits sell out they are gone for good. If you see a kit you like make sure to snatch it up quickly!

Today is Day Two of the Countdown to Creativity and I've got a sneak peek of this month's kit to share with you... and this month's kit is one of my absolute favorite themes! I can't spill all of the beans yet because this is just a sneak peek so stay tuned because the full release is on Monday!

For today's card I started out by stamping the fish and the seaweed in Onyx Pigment ink and heat embossing it in clear. Next, I colored the images with my copic markers and die cut them out. I also die cut a circle frame in gold using my circle nesting dies and cut the center out of a piece of 4"x 5.25" piece of cardstock.

Next, I ink-blended Pool Party and Blue Hawaii Reactive Inks onto a cardbase making sure that the color was placed so that it would line up with the hole I cut in the smaller cardstock piece. I sprayed the color with White Iridescent Shimmer Spray and allowed that to dry. While that was drying I glued the gold frame to my front panel and heat embossed my sentiment using Sapphire Pigment Ink and Clear embossing powder.

I added foam tape to the back of my front panel and adhered to my cardbase. Then, I used foam tape to adhere my seaweed and my fish. The seaweed is tucked behind the front panel so it looks like it's growing out from the circle. The final touch for this card was to add a bunch of bubbles using the new Hero Pearls in White. 

Well, that is it for today you guys! If you'd like a chance to win this kit before you can buy it then head on over to the Hero Arts blog to enter. I'll see you back here on Monday for the full release (it's amazing so make sure to come back!)!

Have a great weekend!

Maria

PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST (affiliate links may be used at no extra cost to you):