Blog Named Hero Blog Hop // Hero Arts

Today the Hero Arts blog is hopping with A Blog Named Hero!

I had so much fun making this little scene - I can't seem to stop using this wreath stamp! One of the things I love about this multi-step stamp set is that you don't have to stamp every layer. I've already made several cards with this wreath stamp set, and I don't think I've used the second or third layer yet!

I added some glitter to the wreath - this was one of the last things I did to the card, and I was going for more of a snowy glitter look, but I didn't want to have too many textures going on in the card, so I left it at this more translucent glitter.

Again, I used my ombre ink for the wreath, and it adds such a nice little touch. When I use the Hero Arts ombre ink, I have a special way of doing it.

Basically, when I use the ombre ink pads, not only do I do the little stamp "dance" recommended on the Hero Arts website (which is moving your stamp up and down the pad to get a more even ombre look), but I really ink up my stamp.
I press my stamp pretty firmly against the ink pad until I'm sure it's completely covered with ink, then I lightly tap it against the ink pad to even out the ink and prevent the ink from pooling on any particular spot on the stamp. It is especially important to do this if you're stamping on vellum, because the more ink you have on your stamp, the easier it is to slide and smear on the vellum. 

I don't have the brick stencil background, so to create my brick background, I first embossed my brick die into the red cardstock, then I used the die to cut into a piece of thin transparency. I used this transparency as a cheap stencil, and added some more red coloring to the bricks using some Distress Inks. This is a great way to stretch your dies - use them as stencils!

Giveaway - Hero Arts stashed away THREE of the November 2015 My Monthly Hero kits to giveaway to readers of this hop. The winners will be randomly chosen from all of the blog hop comments, across all blogs, received by 11:59pm PST on Sunday, November 22nd. Check the Hero Arts blog for the announcement of the winner on Tuesday, November 24th.

That's it for me! I'm the last stop on the hop, but if you missed any of the other blogs, here is the full hop list!

Hero Arts 

Linda Trace

Libby Hickson 

Lisa Stein

Niki Garcia

Amy Tsuruta

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Mateja Povse 

Suzanne Dahlberg 

Michelle Lupton

Bhavana Kesarkar

Mariana Grigsby 

Chitra Menon 

Murali Isabel 

Rivera Ruiz

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Hero Arts Blush Mix cards, Papertrey Ink kraft, Bazzil black, Michaels white
Stamps: Hero Arts Color Layering Wreath and Build a Wreath by Lia
Ink: Hero Arts Black, Light to Red Royal ombre, Lime to Forever Green ombre, Versamark, Distress Ink
Other: Hero Arts white embossing powder, Martha Stewart glitter, black gem (Darice), ribbon (stash)

Tools: Cuttlebug, Hero Arts Color Layering Wreath Frame Cuts, Papertrey Ink woodgrain impressions plate, My Favorite Things brick cover plate