November 2023 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Release Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi friends! Today, I’m hopping along with Hero Arts to help introduce their November My Monthly Hero Collection! You should have arrived here from Dana Joy, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. You can also start back at the beginning at the Hero Arts Blog if you get lost!

This month’s Classic Kit is absolutely spectacular, particularly if you are a Harry Potter fan or just love owls! Owls are such majestic birds, surrounded by a hint of magic and mystery, and this new kit shows them in so many different ways, and if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you might be able to imagine them as Hedwig or Pigwidgeon or another post owl! Here’s a peek at the Classic Kit:

And here’s a peek at the Premium Kit, which includes all of the elements of the Classic Kit with some amazing additions that work beautifully with the Classic Kit:

These kits are valued at more than double their purchase price, so not only are you getting fabulous crafty products, you’re also getting a fabulous deal! These kits frequently sell out very quickly and will not be restocked, so don’t hesitate to get them if you are loving what you see. You can also check out the subscription HERE. Hero Arts also offers the Premium Elements for sale separately, so that you can purchase those extras without having to become a subscription member. So many fun options to get your craft on!

For my projects today, I created a dramatic winter card using my colored pencils and my favorite Pitch Black cardstock, as well as a coordinating envelope using the layering stencils included with the Premium Kit. My projects today feature an homage to layering stencils, using the new Color Layering Holiday Neighborhood Stencils to create a pinkalicious holiday neighborhood of which even Cindy Lou Who would be proud! Let’s get started with the details.

To start, I stamped several of the images from the Classic Kit onto some Pitch Black cardstock using Unicorn White pigment ink. I love to use Unicorn White pigment ink when working with colored pencils on colored cardstock. I feel like the pigment ink blends beautifully into the colored pencil because it sits on top of the cardstock rather than sinking down into the cardstock, so it can be “folded in” (Schitt’s Creek reference, anyone?) when working with the colored pencils. I used my Caran D’Ache colored pencils to add traditional red and apple green, creating a majestic barn owl complete with cozy red scarf. After I had finished coloring all of the images, I used the coordinating Frame Cuts dies included in the Classic Kit to cut out each individual piece.

To create the wintry background, I first used a blending brush to lightly blend some Unicorn White pigment ink around the edges of a Pitch Black cardstock A2 card front, then used white gouache mixed with a bit of water to splatter some snowflakes on the background. Once my gouache had dried completely, I used a white gel pen to add some more defined snowflakes to the background. I also white embossed a few of the snowflakes included in the Classic Kit onto some more black cardstock and cut them out using the coordinating frame cuts. When creating a snowy backdrop, I like to vary the sizes of the snowflakes, from tiny gouache dots to medium sized gel pen snowflakes with more definition to the larger, more detailed embossed die cut snowflakes. I think that these three sizes scattered throughout the background help to add even more interest to the card!

After my background was dry, I arranged the mailbox, owl, and her parcel on the snowy backdrop, adhering them using black foam adhesive squares. To add some “snow” to the mailbox, I placed some “glue” from the the Sparkle Lacquer Pen where I wanted my sparkling snow, then sprinkled some Icicle Pure White Glitter over the top, pressing down lightly to make sure that it was really stuck into the lacquer. Finally, I added a white embossed greeting from the Classic Kit, also popped up using foam adhesive. The white blending around the edge adds a wintry feel to the card but also creates a little vignette to draw your eye to the focal point in the center of the card!

I also used the Layering Stencils included in the Premium Kit to create this coordinating envelope. I first blended the larger snowflake layer using Cherry Core Ink and the detail layer using the darker Cranberry Core Ink. Once I had completed both layers, I spritzed some Iridescent White Shimmer Mist over the first stencil, adding some subtle shimmer to the snowflake pattern. I also added some delicate white dots using the white gel pen to create a pretty pattern on the snowflake. Who wouldn’t want to receive a card in such a pretty envelope?

For my second project, I paired the new Color Layering Holiday Neighborhood Stencils with Pale Tomato, Cherry, and Cranberry inks and Peony cardstock to create this tone-on-tone background! After using blending brushes to blend each layer of ink on the pale pink background, I trimmed the panel down slightly and lightly blended some more Pale Tomato ink around the edges. I also used the Karin Star Spark Deco Gel pens to add some shimmering details to the neighborhood and kick the festive feelings up a notch!

For the greeting, I used the Christmas Holiday Stamp-n-Cut XL to create a tone-on-tone sentiment. I die cut the detail layer of the Happy Holidays sentiment from some shimmering ruby red glitter paper, adhering it to the die cut vellum background layer to help it stand out from the busy stenciled background. I also stamped a coordinating greeting (which I thought worked perfectly with the little houses in the neighborhood background!) on a strip of Peony cardstock using Cranberry ink, then stamped it again using clear embossing ink and sprinkled clear embossing powder over the top. The little extra step of adding the clear embossing powder over the top of the red sentiment makes the tone-on-tone sentiment pop a bit from the pink background. I adhered the sentiment strip to a slightly larger strip of red glitter cardstock to add another element of shimmer and shine.

To assemble the card, I added the stenciled layer to a full size A2 layer of Cherry cardstock, creating a thin red frame around the edge of my stenciled background. I popped up the greeting pieces using some foam tape for a simple and eye catching holiday card. I think this card definitely reminds me of Rifle Paper Co holiday designs. So classic with just a touch of modern whimsy!

Well, that’s all for my projects today. Now for some fun giveaway information!

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

Your next stop is Ilina. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!