Last Day with Lawn Fawn at Die Cut Divas!

Hello Diva friends - Today's the last day to enter a Valentine in our

January Die Cut Diva Challenge with our fabulous sponsor, Lawn Fawn. 

The end-of-month Diva team has an inspiration post at Die Cut Divas. I shared this card:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah Solar White;

Lawn Fawn Sparkle Cardstock - Spring & Watercolor Wishes Petite;

Neenah Solar White & various scraps

Dies - Lawn Fawn Heart Garden Border,

Wonderful Window, & Quilted Heart Backdrop: Portrait

Stamps with Dies - Lawn Fawn Scent with Love Add-on (dies HERE)

 & Simply Celebrate Critters (dies HERE) 

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Simply Celebrate Critters Add-on

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape

Lawn Fawn has amazing customer service and they quickly sent me the new products I ordered in January - thanks Lawn Fawn! I combined these newly purchased items with some I had bought in December & used on a previous post.

Process: Used a prefab lilac A2 card base. Stamped and diecut critters, bouquet, and sentiment speech bubble. Colored critters and bouquet with Copics. Trimmed the right-hand kitty off the row for this card and saved the other four for future. Stamped the sentiment on the left-hand speech bubble and trimmed it off from the others in the row.

Die cut the window twice, sandwiched acetate between layers. Die cut the window's heart from red and replaced one of the white ones with it so it was flush with the window. Put the kitty in the window & backed it with pale pink paper. Die cut the window box three times from white and once from woodgrain, then layered. Die cut the heart garden border from a dotted green scrap as well as the window set's tulips (trimmed the tulip tops). Die cut a bunch of hearts and arranged on the border and the window box stems. Adhered window and box to the card base with foam tape and the border to the bottom edge. Added the skunk & bouquet to the card as if he's using the heart flowers as steps to reach his kitty friend.

Does it bother you that the flowers are wonky? Did it on purpose so I wouldn't have to line them up straight - LOL! The bitty glitter heart I added to the sentiment speech bubble came from the quilted heart backdrop. When I cut the backdrop from gorgeous Lawn Fawn glitter card stock, I ended up with a bunch of them to use for embellishments.

And here's a bonus card!

Supplies: Paper - unk pink card; Neenah Solar White; Paper Studio Holiday;

Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes Petite Paper Pack & Sparkle Cardstock - Spring

Stamps with Dies - Lawn Fawn Scent with Love Add-on (dies HERE)

& Bannerific (retired)

Dies - Lawn Fawn Tiny Tags (burgundy heart) & 

Quilted Heart Backdrop: Portrait;

Hero Arts Box of Chocolates

Ink - Hero Arts Rose Madder & Memento Tuxedo Black

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts clear & Sparkle Lacquer

Process: Die cut the heart background, saving as many bitty hearts as possible for embellishments (as on card one!) & adhere to A2 card. Extremely sparkly so I die cut a heart to serve as my focal point for the embellishments. Didn't have a jumbo Lawn Fawn heart so I used one from a new Hero Arts set. Stamped various Valentine items, colored with Copics, and die cut; arranged on the big heart. Added lacquer or glitter to some items.

That's it - really making progress on my Valentines, thanks to Lawn Fawn products! And special thanks to them for being a great sponsor of the Divas. I hope you get a chance to link up your Valentine using a die cut &/or embossing folder HERE by 9pm Pacific Time today. Any brands welcome!

I'll squeak card one into Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since I'm using the new border and the new-to-me window die set.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Valentines for Hospitalized Kids

Hey everyone - remember, tomorrow is the last day for the January Die Cut Diva Challenge to make Valentines. I made a few more last week and sent a box off to Cards for Hospitalized Kids with 24 cards. Here are a few more of the designs I made:

The top two used more items I'd stamped, cut and colored from the Hero Arts December My Monthly Hero kit and their Nebula Cluster stencil. The Space Rocket Die is also by Hero Arts. I sprayed a bunch of their White Iridescent Shimmer Mist through the stencil too!! Valentine sentiment on the moon is from Lawn Fawn's Scent with Love Add-On set.

The bottom two used some Hero Arts Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies with some stickers from EK Success & a retired Taylored Expressions sentiment. I stenciled Lawn Fawn's Falling Hearts stencil on the background. The gorgeous red cards came to me as a gift from Poppystamps - thanks, Dave!

Another funny story about not being able to find something... The ladder with clouds (top left card) also has a coordinating cloud mailbox that the ladder tries to reach. I couldn't find that dang mailbox for the life of me when I was creating the card (and I looked through a bunch of stuff!). Can you believe I found it on the floor this morning - don't know where it was hiding?! 

I'll be back tomorrow with an end of the month Diva post - hope to see you then! Thanks for stopping!!

Hero Arts Valentine Stamp-Along 2023

Hey everyone - I've been doing the Hero Arts Valentine Stamp Along today - it's a mini so only 5 classes in one day. Very doable! **WARNING** - photo heavy post ahead... And sorry, I didn't link any of the products - they are listed, though, so check them out at Hero Arts.

On Friday night Hero Arts kicked it off with a tutorial video by Jennifer McGuire - fantastic tips! Then Jennifer got on LIVE with Aaron Leventhal, CEO & co-owner of Hero Arts. It was such fun to hear their banter of a long time friendship. I first met Jennifer and Shari Carroll at a Scrapfest in Mall of America; they taught several HA card classes which were amazing! Here's the card I made based on her tips, one of which was using a die cut as a stencil (made this today during the lunch break). I used some leftover stuff from Saturday morning classes too (like the foiled heart we cut out of Erica's background):

Class one - Nichol Spohr - foiling with a coverplate die!

Hero Arts STAMPS & DIES: DC281 Love You Stamp & Cut XL 

DI483 Window On Love Confetti Fancy Die 

DI334 Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies

I had some overfoiling on the edges so I just cut my panel down with a stitched rectangle. Nichol also made a second card using the left over foil but mine went very wonky! I was using my solid coverplate for the first time & here's what I got (second one was even worse!):

It's a Waffleflower one so I'll have to consult with them as to what I'm doing wrong...

Class two - Erica A-B - heart foiling!

Hero Arts PRODUCTS: D1334 Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies 

DC281 Love You Stamp and Cut XL 

SA220 Color Layering Wild Columbine Stencils 

HF111 Hearts Hot Foil Plate

We die cut the love from a panel we'd stenciled - such a tropical vibe, love it!!

Class three - Laurie Willison - quartet of Columbine cards! I popped them all in one photo:

Hero Arts STAMPS & DIES: SB349 Wild Columbine Bundle 

SA220 Color Layering Wild Columbine Stencils 

DC281 Love You Stamp and Cut XL

Class four - Debi Adams - dry embossing with cover plate!

Hero Arts STAMPS & DIES: DI334 Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies 

DC281 Love You Stamp & Cut XL 

DI483 Window On Love Confetti Fancy Die

First cut the coverplate in white and glue to cherry, then emboss with the coverplate. Mine shifted in the Platinum 6 but, hey, no reason not to use it anyway! Debi's trademark is the golden shadow - love this!!

So, I didn't read the instruction sheet and thought everything was inlaid - had a pile of hearts ready to inlay. Nope! Then I thought I'd emboss my cherry panel quickly. Nope - adhere die cut first, then do heart cut out, then emboss! Oh well, I used the other panel for a bonus:

Class five - Channin Pelletier - watercolors plus Copics!

Hero Arts STAMPS & DIES: SB349 Wild Columbine Bundle 

DC281 Love You Stamp & Cut XL

At the end Libby Hickson, who did the moderating and coordinating for the event, did a wrap-up with prizes and I won a $10 gift card - Woo Hoo!! It's been a while since I've won any kind of prize so I was excited. Now, the person who won the grand prize of entry & bundle for the Spring 2023 Stamp-Along was probably dancing all around her crafty space!! Congrats and thanks Hero Arts for their generosity and for quality products & events!!

I'm entering the current Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Challenge and also Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since I used mainly new products. Only the hearts infinity dies were old to me. I'll do the card from class one for NBUS since, technically, that was when everything was used first! 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the weekend - let's watch some football?!

Hearts, hearts, hearts with Lawn Fawn!

Hey there - I'm posting the card below for Die Cut Diva inspiration today! Our January challenge theme is Valentines with our fabulous sponsor, Lawn Fawn. I adore Lawn Fawn products and own a fair few. That didn't stop me from picking up some newly released items when I was in Arizona back in December. After the holidays I got busy with my valentines, first using the new Heart Garland Backdrop: Portrait die set. I love how Lawn Fawn has portrait and landscape versions of their cover dies! Since I make more portrait style cards, that's the orientation I bought.

Supplies: Paper - Lawn Fawn All the Dots Petite Pack &

Sparkle Cardstock - Spring;

Neenah Solar White & unknown

Dies - Lawn Fawn Heart Garland Backdrop: Portrait &

Stitched Hillside Borders

Stamps with Dies - Lawn Fawn Scent with Love Add-on (dies HERE)

 & Love You S'more (dies HERE)

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape

Process: After forming a pale pink A2 card base, I die cut three of the backdrops and stacked for dimension. I'm not sure which brand carried the salmon pink creamsicle cardstock but it's gorgeous in real life! Before adhering the backdrop to the card base, I backed the lower portion with a piece of LF dotted paper cut into a hill. Stamped, colored & die cut the critters and candy box. Stamped and die cut the sentiment flag. Then I die cut a set of white and a set of glitter hearts using the 8 heart die including with the backdrop set. Assembled & done!

The skunk set was a 2022 LF Valentine issue but I just bought it when I got the backdrop die. It was an add-on and I didn't get the original skunk set so I used a different critter for Mr. Skunk's companion. I colored him to be a polar bear to fit better with my color scheme. If you remember that I couldn't find my hillside dies, no worries - found them!!

And here's a bonus card!

Supplies: Paper - Parklane A2 card; Neenah Solar White:

Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes Petite Paper Pack

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Happy Everything

Stamps with Dies - Lawn Fawn Simply Celebrate Hearts (dies HERE),

Happy Happy Happy (dies HERE)

 Scent with Love Add-on (dies HERE) 

Dies - Lawn Fawn Say What? Gift Tags (heart).

Heart Garland Backdrop: Portrait &

Scalloped Box Card Pop-Up (heart)

Ink - Hero Arts Grape Juice

Other - Copic Markers

Process: Stamped the row of hearts four times onto purple LF Watercolor Wishes paper and die cut. Die cut 12 heart rows from heavyweight white cardstock. Stacked 3 white with each purple. Formed a frame with the four stacks on an A2 card. Stamped and diecut each of the large HAPPYs from LF's Happy Happy Happy set. Stamped Valentine's Day (from Happy Everything) onto a flag end banner (from the backdrop set used on card one). Stamped, die cut and colored another candy box. Die cut some mini hearts from white cardstock. Assembled & done!

The heart row set is another newly released item. I wanted to do something different than I'd seen on the LF product page (great ideas there too!) so tried making a frame. Love how it turned out!

That's it for today. I hope you'll join the Divas & link up your Valentine using a die cut &/or embossing folder HERE by January 31st at 9pm Pacific Time. Use of Lawn Fawn isn't required but they certainly have some wonderful Valentine worthy products!

I'll send card one over to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since my banner frame is new. Card two has newly used products too but I'll just send the first one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kids among the Stars

Happy Monday everyone! I'm sharing a couple cards I made yesterday while on a Hero Arts Make-Along. Channin Pelletier did a LIVE using the December My Monthly Hero kit & I watched online and crafted along. You can see her card at the links above; I chose to use a different image from the kit for my first card.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Pitch Black;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps (with dies except for background & sentiment)

all from Hero Arts Dec 22 MMH kit

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; Versamark ink with white ep;

various water reactive inks, Distress & Hero Arts; foam tape

Process - Stamped the background cling stamp onto Neenah white using various inks; spritzed lightly with water & let dry. Die cut with rectangle and added to A2 card formed with black cardstock. Colored a few of the background stars with yellow Copics. Stamped and die cut images, then colored with Copics. Stamped and heat embossed sentiment using black cardstock, embossing ink and white ep, then fussy cut. Added colored images and sentiment to card - done!

Channin covered one card in the LIVE but I had started a different background beforehand, then finished it & made a card afterwards. I used the new stencil, Nebula Cluster, from the December add-ons. This time I used the little girl on a star that Channin used, along with a planet & a die cut rocket. Hard to see the texture of the paste and the shimmer from the mist but it's very pretty in real life.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Pitch Black; TH kraft metallic;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; scraps of yellow & red

Stamps (with dies except for sentiment)

all from Hero Arts Dec 22 MMH kit

Stencil - Hero Arts Nebula Cluster

Dies - Hero Arts Space Rocket;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Hero Arts Hero Paste Glitter & Iridescent Shimmer Mist

various water reactive inks, Distress & Hero Arts; foam tape

Process - Stenciled the nebula with grape juice ink, then applied glittery paste over top. Let dry & blended various water reactive inks over it. Spritzed with water then the shimmer mist. Let dry & die cut with a rectangle and inked edges, then glued to card. Stamped and die cut images, then colored with Copics. Stamped and fussy cut sentiment (the "you're" is from a different sentiment in the set). Diecut and assembled the rocket. Added everything to black A2 card. The glitter paste blobbed in a few spots but I'll call it part of the scene - LOL.

I'll add card one to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since my kit is newly used. Rocket and stencil on card two are new as well but I won't link up twice. I'm sending both of these cards to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, a charity started by Jen Rubino when she was a teen. So inspiring & recently Jen was interviewed for national TV - you can see the video HERE. I'll be making some Valentines too.

Thanks for stopping by!!

January Anniversaries

Happy Anniversary to two special couples! Today I'm sharing cards sent to my lovely neighbors Therese & Greg who celebrated last week and to dear Darnell & her hubby "Mister", celebrating tomorrow. Congrats friends!! All cards have been received - yay!

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders 12/22 kit Love Grows Here;

Neenah Solar White; Lawn Fawn Sparkle Cardstock - Spring;

TH Vintage (blue texty); Authentique mix (floral)

Dies - Creative Expressions Happy Anniversary;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Hearts from various Lawn Fawn sets

Other - Ephemera from same Spellbinders kit

I was making cards for my January 21st Diva post and had a bunch of leftover bitty hearts. They found their way onto this card, along with larger hearts and flower ephemera from the December 2022 Spellbinders kit. Somehow the Spellbinder boxes have stacked up, unopened - bad me - but I started playing with the December kit right after the holidays.

I love the layered Creative Expressions sentiment die and decided to use it on Darnell and Kevin's card too. 

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Michael's lime green; 

unk Rose; Pink & Main Enchanted Garden 6x6

Dies - Creative Expressions Happy Anniversary;

Spellbinders Floral Set (retired)

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders Fan Motif

Other - enamel water drop from an old Hero Arts kit

I used a 2017 Spellbinders stamp/die combo set that I've had for ages and never used until now. The rose and leaf cluster is so pretty - why did I wait?! I also broke into the November Spellbinders box and found the Fan Motif emblossing folder - so gorgeous! Since both the flower die and fan motif are getting first play, I'll add (appropriately) to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge.

Thanks for stopping & I hope you're enjoying the weekend!

Stenciled Ornaments

Hey friends - how's your weekend going? Lovely sunny day here, albeit a bit windy and 25F! I'm playing along at the January Christmas Kickstart Challenge today - gotta keep that Christmas card production going, right? We're to use Stencils &/or Masks; I've used both.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card (trimmed);

Hero Arts Glitter Basics; Paper Studio glitter & vellum

Stencil - Hero Arts Ornaments Grid

Stamp - Penny Black Christmas Story

Dies - Birch Press Design Felicity Snowflakes;

Michael's Recollections b Handwritten Words (retired)

Other - Hero Arts Hero Paste Glitter & Grape Juice ink

Here's another example of a "make it work" project. I started with an A2 horizontal card base & stenciled a row of the ornaments (masking off the other rows) in Grape Juice ink, then applied glitter paste over it. Allowed to dry and noticed a blob on each outside ornament - ugh! Decided to trim the card to be a 4" square - blobs gone!!

Next I masked off the ornaments to stamp at the top. It didn't stamp very well along the mask and I also decided I'd left too much space. I tried a patterned strip - no bueno. Then I spied some glittery die cut snowflakes with a vellum mat layer - ooo, a trio of those would be lovely. Adhered them with foam tape along with a JOY die cut sentiment. I think I'm done when I spy a mark above one snowflake - noooo. Got out some more snowflakes and added them - whew! Now it kinda looks like a Christmas tree outline. doesn't it? Only my sentiment could've been the trunk but it was already glued down at right. Oh well.... The vellum I used comes in single sheets at Hobby Lobby & is a gorgeous ombre; I picked a midtone for the snowflakes and also used it to shadow the sentiment.

After all that, I really love how this turned out. I will also add my card to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since the ornament stencil is new. I don't think I've used the Felicity snowflakes before either. But then again, I used snowflakes from my bits box and didn't know the brand so I can't say for sure. I do know I spotted Rosemary using them recently on a gorgeous card & thought, I have that die set - should use it, LOL. 

Oh - and here are a couple lovely holiday cards I received after I posted the beautiful batch I received in December. I could definitely spot a Hilary card in the mailbox since she loves decorating her envelopes. Thanks Jo & Hilary!!

Thanks for stopping & have a crafty weekend!!

Hero Arts ShopBox - Take Three!

I'm baaaack! Here with day three of sharing pre-release Hero Arts products I bought via the ShopBox Spring 2023 program! My favorite Twin Cities brick and mortar store - Anchor Paper Express in Plymouth MN - participates in the ShopBox program. Limited online retailers will offer these products next week, starting January 19th. 

Usually I go to the trouble of seeking out the ShopBox stuff and then forget to use them until they're widely available. This time, in keeping with my plan (I won't say "resolution") to use new stuff quicker, I've been creating every day. So proud of myself & I'm getting needed cards done too!!

Both of today's cards use the new Daffodil die set & the new sentiment bundle, Friendly Messages. On card one I also used a new cling stamp called Burlap Bold Prints.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card (aqua & vanilla); Neenah Brights;

Michael's green; My Mind's Eye Necessities (woodgrain); 

Anchor Paper kraft; upcycled greeting card (orange patterned)

Dies - Hero Arts Daffodil & Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Stamps with Dies - Friendly Messages Bundle

Stamps - Burlap Bold Prints

Other - Foam tape; Park Lane gems;

Black Soot Distress Ink; Hero Arts Sand Stone ink

Yesterday I used the Lily of the Valley set, loving those flowers as I do. But daffodils are another fave of mine and these dies make adorable ones in two styles. This time I trimmed the sentiment into two pieces after I die cut - very simple to do! This card will go to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since my die set & burlap stamp got first play with it.

Here's a twofer with the daffodils & using the same sentiment set (love, love, love it!) but for a birthday. This one will go to my friend Debbie who loves to garden.

Thanks for continuing to visit! My only other ShopBox purchase was some spring rub-ons and I probably won't do a special post for those. You can see them in the video at the ShopBox link above, if desired. Happy crafting & TGIF!!

Hero Arts ShopBox - Take Two

Welcome back to day two of sharing pre-release Hero Arts products I was able to purchase through the ShopBox Spring 2023 program! I visited my brick and mortar store on Monday - Anchor Paper Express in Plymouth MN, a ShopBox participant. As I mentioned yesterday, ShopBox products will be available at limited online retailers on January 19th. 

Today's cards use the new Lily of the Valley die set. On card one I also used the new sentiment bundle called Friendly Messages (see a different sentiment on yesterday's post - card two).

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white;

Michael's green; My Mind's Eye Necessities (woodgrain)

Dies - Hero Arts Lily of the Valley &

Cabinet Door (retired)

Stamps with Dies - Friendly Messages Bundle

Other - Foam tape; Copic Marker BG70;

Black Soot Distress Ink

While shopping on Monday, I found the Cabinet Door die set in clearance - not sure why I never spotted it before, but it reminds me of a trellis or garden gate. Love, love, love it! The left side doesn't cut, instead scores, so you could open it if desired. It also comes with some hinges - so cute! Anyway, I left it closed with a larger woodgrain edge.

But the second I saw the ShopBox post at HA, I knew I'd want the Lily of the Valley set. I've mentioned it in the past but a former coworker gave me some of his lilies before we retired. His were running rampant, escaping under the neighbor's fence! I contained mine in a narrow plot between my front sidewalk & alongside the garage - perfect for minimizing the spreading. The bitty white flowers really make me smile when they start blooming in the spring. My lily of the valley card will go to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since my die set got first play today.

Next up, a crazy idea to change the bitty lilies into hearts for a Valentine card. This one will go to the January Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Challenge. They're doing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - how fun!! I'm delighted with how this turned out - just how I envisioned it!

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white;

Michael's green; unk pink; MFT Party Time

Dies - Hero Arts Lily of the Valley &

Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Stamps - Hero Arts Celebrate Every Day (retired)

Stencil - Lawn Fawn Falling Hearts

Inks - TH Black Soot Distress; Hero Arts Taffy Reactive 

Other - Foam tape; white gel pen; Hero Paste Glitter

I really enjoy using the glittery Hero Past - this time with a new Lawn Fawn stencil. BTW, Die Cut Divas have Lawn Fawn as our January sponsor and we're looking for Valentines with diecuts or embossing folders. Check out our challenge HERE - no need to use LF products but our random winner will get a prize from LF!! I will be back on January 21st with my usual Diva post (I took December off) so I hope you'll stop back!

Thanks for the visit and have a crafty day!

Hero Arts ShopBox - Take One

Welcome!  Today I'm sharing two cards made with advance release Hero Arts products only available through their ShopBox Spring 2023 program. At the link, you'll find a video of these products and which brick & mortar stores carry them prior to release at online retailers. 

I typically shop at Anchor Paper Express in Plymouth MN. If I leave home early enough, I can get there to shop before they close at 4p on a Monday, then grab dinner and head to chorus rehearsal. That's just what I did this week! Such fun!!

Here's my first card using a Spring 2023 ShopBox item:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Solar White; 

Poptone Black Licorice; Bazzill A2 card

Dies - Hero Arts Bee Florals Window & Friend Words 

Stencils - Hero Arts Color Layering Bee Florals

Other - Various inks and Copic Markers; Hero Arts sparkle lacquer;

Simon Says Stamp sentiment strip; white gel pen; foam tape

I can't provide links to new Hero Arts yet; items will be available, though, on popular online sites like Simon Says Stamp & Scrapbook.com starting January 19th.

Process: Die cut Bee Floral Window and snip the spots around the outside where it's held to the paper (intended to remain in place with just the center and a few details cut out). Color the die cut using the layering stencils, inks and foam brushes. Add shading if desired with Copics, a few white gel details, and glitter lacquer to wings. Adhere to card with foam tape. Die cut hello from black and adhere into center; add friend strip. It's hard to see in the photo but I inked the corners of the card in Rustic Wilderness Distress Oxide.

I struggled a bit lining up the 5 stencils since I die cut first. I recommend stenciling before diecutting! The stencils have little line-up squares to help get the perfect position. I used them on this next card and it went much better. I chose not to die cut using the frame though; just used a stitched rectangle  die, then inked the edges a bit.

For the "thank you" portion of the sentiment I used another ShopBox item - Friendly Messages Bundle. Hero Arts now bundles the stamps and dies so you can't buy dies separately. You typically can buy the stamps as a stand-alone item but I prefer to bundle. I cut 3 extra white ones to stack behind the stamped 'thank you". The "for everything" was stamped using the Sunny Studio Words of Gratitude set. I'm still using the little words I stamped and cut with this set back in September (go HERE for more details, if desired).

I'm adding card one to Darnell's January NBUS Challenge since my die and coordinating stencils are new. Card two has the new sentiment but anyone who pops over from NBUS can check it out :)

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Snowflake Mug

Hi everyone - I'm playing in the January Christmas Kickstart Challenge today using some new Hero Arts products I bought before the holidays. I finally had a chance to create with them over the weekend but couldn't blog the card until today.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Paper Studio Holiday;

Neenah white; Hero Arts Glitter Basics

Die - Hero Arts Light & Mug Tag;

not sure which brand of snowflake

Stencil - Hero Arts Snowflake

Other - Simon Says Stamp printed sentiment; 

Copic Markers R39 & BG70; foam tape;

Hero Arts Hero Paste Glitter & Fog Reactive Ink

Process: Stencil the snowflakes onto the card using fog ink and then apply the glitter paste over it. Allow to dry. Die cut the mug tag and snip off the tag loop. Shade with Copic. Die cut the whipped cream and shade with Copic, then adhere to mug. Add snowflake to mug and adhere to card with foam tape. Adhere sentiment below mug - done!

I really love the look of the soft fog ink beneath the glitter paste - so pretty in real life! My lightweight card base warped a bit with the paste but I'll try to flatten it better before I have to send it at Christmastime. Since my mug die and stencil are getting first play with this card, I'm also joining Darnell's January NBUS Challenge.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!

 

December 2022 Card Chain Reveal

Happy January 2nd everyone! Hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration!

Today we're revealing cards mailed around the world for the December 2022 Card Chain Challenge. Twenty-six people participated & my card went to another Linda (Linda Grady on Flickr). You can see the full reveal HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Purple A2 card by unk; Hero Arts Glitter Paper Basics;

Neenah white; Poptone Black Licorice; Paper Studio Glitter cardstock;

Momenta Watercolor Print

Stamps - Hampton Arts Ellen Krans Penguin Holidays (retired);

Hero Arts All Occasion Messages (retired)

Embossing Folder - Sizzix Tim Holtz Snowfall

Stencil - Hero Arts Sprinkled Dots

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set; 

Sizzix Tim Holtz Cozy Winter (branch);

My Favorite Things Torn Paper Edges & Essential Speech Bubbles

Other - Spun Sugar & Villanous Potion Distress Inks;

Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Mist;

Copic Markers; foam tape

For December we had a fabulous, over-the-top 5x5 tic-tac-toe grid to inspire us. I used the center vertical row since I love, love, love purple! Didn't want to use the horizontal row with purple since that row also had a rocker card. If anyone was ambitious (crazy??) enough to do a coverall, they would be in the running for a prize. Well, I was already avoiding the rocker card, so I guess a coverall wasn't meant to be this year - LOL.

For the background I ink blended Distress Inks on a panel of Neenah white, then stenciled the dots. After die cutting with a stitched rectangle, I embossed the panel with the snowfall ef and spritzed it with shimmer mist. Layered with a black mat and onto an A2 card. Stamped and fussy cut the bear & bird from a 2008 Hampton Arts Ellen Krans design set, colored with Copics. 

I used three different scraps - the bear's scarf was stamped on a scrap of watercolor print paper, the glittery ground beneath the bear was die cut from a scrap left from cutting tops to stocking tags, & the branch from a scrap of purple glitter card. Here's the pile of scrap from whence came the scraps for my card:

I have a small bin next to the Vagabond for scraps - well, it piled up to four times the height of the bin and was spilling onto the floor - time for a clean up, I'd say! I had a nice chunk of glitter paper left from cutting stocking tops (just below the lamp in the photo) - used it to cut the bottom of a rectangle, then I die cut the top edge with a torn paper die. Couldn't find my Lawn Fawn stitched hills for the life of me! Used that for my scene's snow.

You can see the purple glitter scrap towards the bottom middle of the photo (used for the branch) and the watercolor print scrap has a big oval cut out of it. I fussy cut the stamped scarf and glued onto the bear. Just love that bear & remembered using the same bear image for the Feb 2021 Card Chain, as well as the same sentiment stamp! You can see that card HERE if desired.

I still awaiting a fabulous card from dear Carol G. (Crafty Stamper) in the UK. The holiday mail service can be slow but I look forward to receiving it soon! ** Update - the card arrived 1/7/2023 - yay!! We had some serious snow the first week of January and mail was definitely delayed. Thanks Carol - love your beautiful slimline!!

Start the new year right with handmade cards & join the Card Chain! You still have until January 6th to sign up for the January chain - go HERE for full details.

Thanks for stopping!