Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their newest My Monthly Hero kit and coordinating Add-Ons! We have a fun blog hop with lots of fantastic, super graphic inspiration for you. You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s kit features super fun, chunky images in a neat graphic style.
This month’s kit includes: 6” x 8” Clear Stamp Set, 16 Coordinating Frame Cuts, 3 Geometric Rotating Stencils, 3 Ink Cubes (Tangerine, Grape Juice, Raspberry Jam), 1 Ink Blending Brush. The total contents are valued at $83, but you can purchase the kit for only $34.99! These kits frequently sell out very quickly, so don’t hesitate to purchase, because once it’s gone, it’s gone! You can also subscribe to ensure that you get your own kit every month.
I am always in need of fun birthday cards for both kids and adults, and I thought that the super chunky and graphic images in this kit would lend themselves well to creating some fun background paper for both a feminine and a masculine color scheme. Let’s get started with the details!
I began by stamping a variety of images from the main kit stamp set on two white card fronts. For the feminine card, I used Neon Pink, Rose Madder, Pale Tomato, and Fresh Peach inks; for the masculine card, I used Ocean, Tide Pool, and Antigua inks, all from Hero Arts, and all linked below.
For both cards, I started with the largest images and stamped them randomly, but somewhat evenly spaced on my card front, then chose another slightly smaller image, and stamped it in a different ink shade, filling in the gaps with a smaller image in another shade. I frequently rotated my paper to try to keep the pattern from looking repetitive.
Once I had stamped my patterns, I white heat embossed the Happy Birthday greetings from the main kit (featuring that luscious graphic font!) onto some Pitch Black cardstock, then mounted them on some silver glitter cardstock. I also used the tiniest coordinating dies (the star and the heart) to die cut some silver glitter die cuts, which I added to the card front with some gems to add a bit more sparkle and texture to the card front. I mounted the A2 stamped panels on some more Pitch Black cardstock to create a bold black mat around the edge.
My second card features the new Graphic Reef stamp set, along with the new Flowy Stripes stencil. I began by silver embossing several of the images from the Graphic Reef onto some white cardstock using silver embossing powder, then coloring them with Copic markers and die cutting them with the coordinating Frame Cuts.
On the card base, I blended some Sapphire ink on the edges of a panel of Paradise cardstock. (I love blending on colored cardstock-the color saturation in the cardstock makes it so much easier to get a beautiful, color-saturated background!) I also used some sparkling glitter paste with the Flowy Stripes stencil to create a graphic “under the sea” vibe.
Once my stenciled background had dried completely, I used white embossing powder to emboss a greeting from Graphic Reef on a strip of Sand cardstock, which I adhered to the stenciled background panel using foam adhesive. I added my colored, embossed images using a combination of liquid and foam adhesive for a sparkly, colorful birthday card!
Well, that’s all for me today! Hero Arts is giving away one $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, April 11th at 11:59pm pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Your next stop is Ilina Crouse. Happy hopping!
Wonderful how the stripe stencil looks embossed.
Melissa
“Sunshine HoneyBee”
Love all of your beautiful cards! I love the colors and the cool backgrounds!!
Dear Emily – Good thing I saw your post – it gave me great ideas (thanks!!) and somehow I missed seeing that Graphic Reef stamp — ?! How did I do that??!! I am going back and adding it to my cart this instant!
Lori S in PA
Oh love the glittery paste in that last card!
— Dalis
Love that reef card but the others are nice too! Those stamps make great backgrounds.
Fantastic cards!
Stunning cards and release!
Awesome cards. Love the first pic.
Such a cute way to use the stamps to make your own background paper!!!
Love all of your cards, Emily! Especially the reef card… I would never have thought to use the swish stencil like waves. Super cool!
Cute cards!
I LOVE the fish in this kit! These are fabulous!
Fun cards.
Love the reef cards
you have been pinned! love this release
Fun cards, thank you for sharing them.
Love your cards. I have the flowy stripes in my cart, I will make a card very close to that one. I love it.
so cute. I like the colors and sparkle.
I love the “water background” you made!!!!
I like your bright, colorful cards! Fun new kit this month.
What wonderful cards!
I absolutely love, love, love your cards.
So pretty!
Beautiful cards! I love your color choices!!
Love the use of glitter paste on the underwater background.
Awesome looking cards! Thanks for sharing!
Love your use of color!!! Thanks for sharing and getting my creative juices flowing
Clever idea to use the stencil sideways to make waves. Have to try that. Lovely cards.
Awesome cards
Very cute “under the sea” cards.
Great color and turnabout … so fun
Awesome cards, thanks for sharing!
So pretty! Can we ever get enough? I don’t think so! Alwsys grateful for everybody’s take on these beautiful stamps and dies. Thank you!
Love the blue sea with the accent of shiny paste.
Sweet backgrounds!! Pretty colors!!
I so appreciate all the different ideas and uses of the products. I usually need help.
Fantastic cards! I really love how you used the sentiment on black and framed in silver glitter over the stamped background!
I like the flowy stripes stencil. It is perfect for water scenes. The kit has lots of animals which will come in handy.
Such fun cards! I really like this kit!
Your under the sea card is really cool. The glitter paste in the flowy stripes stencil plus the silver embossing on the fish give it the perfect sparkle.
Such awesome cards! Love the colors and the fish in the last card! Thanks for sharing…
Beautiful card, love the glitter paste!!
Fantastic cards! Looking forward to receiving my kit!
Wonderful cards. I like the birthday card backgrounds. And the ocean scene is so fun- that stencil is perfect for creating water movement!
Love how fun the images work as background stamps!
Great cards! I love the shimmery water!
Fun backgrounds, especially the embossed flowey stencil! I love the retro deco feel. Cool and cute cards.
Love your cards! They really highlight the stencils.
I love each of your cards. Such wonderful birthday cards! Thanks for sharing.
I just love the idea of using the icons to make a background! Thanks!
~Kim
Pretty cards! Love your stamped backgrounds with the new release!
Great sparkling wave. All the cards are nice over all.
This kit is so so funl! so many options. I love how you used the stamps to make a great background
Cute cards
The ocean scene was so expertly made, I LOVE IT!!!! Everything about it. LOVE IT
I agree, Emily! Those chunky, graphic images do make super fun cards for everyone!! Love your clever creations!! Thanks so much for the inspiration! Stay safe! 🙂
Great inspiration!