Abstract Painted Background // Hero Arts

Whenever I have an assignment for the Hero Arts blog, I usually take a couple tries before I figure out exactly what I want to post. That's because I want to have the very best for the blog - certain cards may not be executed cleanly enough, illustrate a technique as well as I'd like, etc. However, I still want to share with you my experiments and the cards that didn't quite make the cut, and that's what today's card is.

I shared the technique of creating your own custom colored acrylic paints with ink on the Hero Arts blog awhile back, and today's card utilizes that technique. This card was more of a total relaxation sort of card if anything - I pretty mindlessly brushed these colors on. The inspiration for this painting was my friend Lisa - this girl is amazing when it comes to painting. ;)

It's hard to tell in the picture, but the painted panel has a pretty sheen to it, since I used white Martha Stewart pearlescent paint.

I wanted to let the background shine, but had to have a bold enough sentiment to pop out, so I used the fun Love by Lia stamp set, and heat embossed it in gold.

Some string given to me by a friend and enamel dots finish off the card - short, simple and sweet. I'm planning on dropping this one of in my friends mailbox later this week. ;)

Thanks so much for stopping in today and God bless!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Canson, Bazzill
Stamps: Hero Arts Love by Lia
Ink: Hero Arts Soft Apricot, Tide Pool, Mint Julep, Fresh Peach and Soft Vanilla, Versamark
Other: enamel dots (My Minds Eye), gold embossing powder (Hampton Arts), string (stash)

Tools: paintbrush, water, heat gun, Fishers 1" circle punch

Quick Card Set // Hero Arts

While birthday cards might be my most request type of card from family and friends, encouragement cards are the ones that I use the most often. Today's cards are a quick set of just that - encouragement.

I used to underestimate the impact a simple handmade encouragement card could have, but after a couple years of friends telling me how much one card brightens their day, I've started trying to not only make the cards more often, but to also send them out more often.

I used some brand new, lovely Hero Arts stamps from the 2016 catalog. Hello Gorgeous and Dare to Dream are sentiment sets full of fun, quirky sentiments in some modern fonts - perfect for these cards!

Inspired by THIS pin, I used the Butterfly Pair Stamp and Cut set to create the butterflies.

And the set together...

All the stamps I used today will be available in the Hero Arts store February 8th - some are available right now in your local stamp store!

Thanks so much for stopping in today and God bless!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Hero Arts Snow Layering Papers
Stamps: Hero Arts Dare to Dream, Hello Gorgeous and Butterfly Pair Stamp and Cut
Ink: Hero Arts Mint Julep, Tide Pool, Fresh Peach, and Soft Apricot
Other: Hero Arts Pool Mixed Accents

Masculine and Feminine Valentine Cards // Hero Arts

Hi, today I'm here to share two cards that happened while I was playing around with ideas for THIS blog post. They didn't make the cut for the Hero Arts blog, but I still wanted to share them.

This is obviously the more feminine of the two - I'm planning on giving this one to my mom.
I added some ink splatters for a little extra oomph.

For both cards, I stamped the sentiment on a piece of masking paper, and then cut around it to create a mask for when I stamped my arrows and added the ink splatters.

This is a more masculine card, which could be even more "manly" if the pearls were removed. I just might do that before I give this to my dad.

For this second card, I only used two ink pads - the grey ink, and then a Hero Arts ombre ink pad. I really love these ink pads, because you can use them for the ombre effect, or you can use them to stamp individual colors, since the ink pad is made up of three separate ink colors.

Thanks so much for stopping in today and God bless!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Hero Arts Snow Layering Papers
Stamps: Hero Arts Love You Message and Love by Lia
Ink: Hero Arts Soft Yellow, Soft Apricot, Fresh Peach, Tide Pool to Navy Ombre, and Charcoal
Other: Hero Arts Sunshine and Pool Mixed Accents

Tools: paintbrush, water, Cuttlebug, Simon Says Stamp mini hearts dies

Custom Colored Paints // Hero Arts

I'm over on the Hero Arts blog today, showing how to create some fun backgrounds with your own custom colored paint! The two cards (second on the Hero Art blog!) were so relaxing and fun to make.

Head on over to the blog for the deets! Thanks for stopping in today!

Neutral Birthday Card // My Favorite Stamps

Today's card is one I had a lot of fun making, and am so pleased with how it turned out, mostly because it's a birthday card (which I seem to always need) that would work for boys or girls!

This card is for the My Favorite Things Sketch 263 challenge and the Marker Pop Challenge #86 Critters.

I colored this adorable bear during the 30 day coloring challenge in November, and finally got around to using him.
I backed the bear and sentiment with several overlapping vellum circles, to balance that side of the card, but to keep it light and airy at the same time, as all the black could be overwhelming.

The stars and present ribbons have some Glossy Accents for a little extra shine.

Thanks so much for stopping in and God bless!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Canson
Patterned paper: Crate Paper
Stamps: My Favorite Things Birthday Bears
Ink: Versafine, Versamark
Other: Glossy Accents, vellum, embossing powder (Hero Arts), wooden stars (Studio Calico), Zig Clean Color markers.

Tools: Cuttlebug, My Favorite Things Birthday Bears dies, W. R. Memory Keepers circle dies, heat gun

Simple Fall Scene // My Favorite Things

Today I'm popping in with a card I had an absolute blast making, even if it isn't exactly seasonal. ;)

I actually made this card a couple months ago, but I forgot to share it on my blog (I posted a quick pic of it on my Instagram for Kathy Rac's coloring challenge in November)

These little Harvest Mice are ridiculously cute and fun to color. I was afraid I wouldn't really use them, cute as they are, because of my coloring handicap, but I couldn't resist after seeing all the adorable cards Melania made using them (seriously, that girl is amazing). Lucky for me, my Zig Clean Color pens came in right when the stamps did - a match made in stampy heaven.

I embossed the kraft cardstock for some more texture, and topped off the card with the gems, but it was pretty simple, and ridiculously fun to make. I can't wait to give this one out - I'm not sure I'll wait until next fall. ;)

Thanks so much for stopping in today and God bless!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Canson, Hero Arts kraft
Stamps: My Favorite Things Harvest Mouse
Ink: Versafine, Versamark
Other: gems (Hero Arts)

Tools: Cuttlebug, My Favorite Things Harvest Mouse dies, Papertrey Ink Woodgrain impression plate, Zig Clean Color brush pens

Hero Arts 2016 Catalog Launch Blog Hop

Hi there! Today I'm participating in a super fun blog hop, revealing the brand new 2016 Hero Arts catalog!!
Included in this release are 31 new clear sets including 5 additions to our popular Color Layering line, 29 new woodblock stamps, 11 new woodblock sets, exciting new dies, 3 new ombre ink pads in neon colors, and a whole new line of bold colored hybrid inks.

My card uses the new Color Layering For You Flowers stamp set, as well as the new Valentine's You Are My Happy sentiment stamp set.

These flowers are so gorgeous - they look beautiful stamped without or without the layers. I was actually going to show you a card stamped without the additional layers, but I didn't have enough lighting yesterday to get pics for the set. Guess you'll see it soon enough, though. ;)

You will begin finding the new 2016 Catalog products at your favorite store soon! And all products will be available in the Hero Arts store beginning February 8.

We are giving a grand prize away to one lucky reader, drawn from comments left across all blogs in the hop. The prize consists of a selection of new products from this release! Comment by 11:59pm PT on Sunday, January 17, and we'll anounce the winner on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Hop along and comment for more chances to win!

Hero Arts 

Yana Smakula 

Suzanne Dahlberg 

Amy Tsuruta 

Jayne Nelson 

Clare Prezzia 

Libby Hickson

Thanks so much for stopping in and enjoy the hop!!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Hero Arts

Stamps: Hero Arts Color Layering For You Flowers and You Are My Happy

Ink: Hero Arts Fresh Peach, Soft Pink, Ocean, Mint Julep, Lime Green and Green Hills, Versamark

Other: Hero Arts gems and embossing powder

Tools: heat gun

Giveaway winner!

Wow guys, I apologize - I am the worst at remembering to post giveaway winners lol, but better late than never!
The winner of the Thoughts and Prayers giveaway post is (according to Random.org)...
#4! And that is...

cghundley

Please e-mail me at ctprezzia15@gmail.com with your name and address, and I will get the stamps and dies shipped out asap! Thanks to everyone who left a comment!

Watercolor Vellum // Altenew

Happy new year!! 

This post was meant to be my last post of 2015, but between enjoying my time with my siblings, and the terrible lighting, I've just gotten the chance to take pictures and narrate the video. 

These cards are for the Altenew video challenge #3 - I always have so much fun with these video challenges!

I apologize, the pictures are sooooo off, but I had to take them indoors because the weather has just been crummy whenever I had time to shoot.

Finally got a chance to use this Beautiful Day stamp set from Altenew! Red isn't usually my go-to color of choice when I make cards, but I thought it looked so beautiful paired with the white embossing and kraft.
I colored my flowers in using Festive Berries Distress Ink and water - yep, water! You can watercolor vellum! It's super fun, and holds up relatively well! The vellum I used here was from a large, cheapy pack I got from Joann Fabric's, and even though I added more water than I should've, it still held up relatively well.

Since the vellum was covering the entire panel, I made room for a little border on the top and bottom of the embossed panel, so that I could fold it over and adhere the vellum down behind the front of the card, like so...

For more tips on watercoloring with vellum, check my video below;

Thanks so much for stopping in and I hope your new year is off to a great start!

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Canson, Bazzill, Papertrey Ink
Stamps: Altenew Beautiful Day
Ink: Versamark, Tim Holtz (red), Hero Arts (white)
Other: embossing powder (Hero Arts)

Tools: heat gun, paintbrush, water, Cuttlebug, My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangles die