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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

Hero Arts

My Monthly Hero November 2021 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is celebrating their newest My Monthly Hero release with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. We have a darling new kit for you today, featuring some super fun standalone dies and some pattern stamps to make customizing tags and holiday cards even easier! Here’s a peek at the kit:

November is here and the holiday season is upon us! With our November My Monthly Hero kit, we have everything you need to create adorable handmade tags and/or gift toppers for all of your Christmas gift-giving. The dies in this kit are equally great for cards, scrapbook pages and even felt ornaments! We’ve included a stamp set with patterns to decorate the tag pieces, and plenty of holiday-themed messages, too. To round out the kit, we’ve included cardstock and glitter paper for die cutting your characters. White Puff Embossing Powder is fun for adding some dimensional texture, and our Lacquer Pen adds dimensional shine. And last but not least, there’s festive red & white twine for embellishing, or attaching your tags to gifts.

This month’s kit includes: 4″ x 6″ Clear Stamp Set, 13 Coordinating Fancy Dies, 10 Sheets of Snow Cardstock (5.5″ x 8.5″), 1 Sheet of White Glitter Paper (5.5″ x 8.5″), White Puff Embossing Powder (0.5 oz.), Lacquer Pen (0.5 oz.), Holiday Twine (1 yard). The contents of this kit are valued individually at $70, but the kit price is only $34.99!  If you love the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kits, you can always  subscribe to ensure that you get your own kit every month. I have three projects to share with you today using both the kit and some of the add-ons, so let’s get started with the details!

My first two projects are made using the sweet dies from the main kit. These standalone dies are so iconic and graphic, and super simple to put together! I love that they even include the little tab at the top of the hats so that you can easily create gift tags or with a few snips of your scissors can create a sweet die cut for your holiday cards. I have used the dies to create a tag and a card, and I think they’re just darling!

For the card, I created a super graphic project using just the “details” of the Santa and Rudolph dies. I die cut the iconic beard, hat, and ears from colored and white cardstock, then used my Copic markers to add a few details (the red on Santa’s nose, some shading on Rudolph’s ears). I love that you don’t need to complete the face to know exactly who we’re representing with these characters!

On the card base, I created a subtle, shimmery background so that my Santa and Rudolph would be the main focal points on the card. I stamped the new Argyle Pattern Bold Prints background stamp on some Arctic cardstockwith some Embossing Ink, then brushed Perfect Pearls over the sticky ink and spritzed it with water to set the shimmer powder and keep it from rubbing off. I love the super subtle, almost tone-on-tone effect that this has. Just adds a little bit of interest to the background and lets the die cuts stand out! I mounted the My Monthly Hero die cuts on the patterned card base using foam adhesive, then added a greeting from Warm Wishes Penguins that I heat embossed on some more Arctic cardstock using red embossing powder. Finally, I added a red iridescent gem for Rudolph’s nose! I love minimalistic holiday cards that have just enough detail to fancy them up a bit!

My second project uses the snowman dies from the My Monthly Hero kit to create this sweet gift tag! I die cut all of the components for the tag, including a glittery hat band, red scarf, and green holly to adorn the top hat, from some white and colored cardstock. I die cut two eyes from some black cardstock and adhered them to the snowman, rather than using the included die to cut the negative space and back the cardstock. Doing it this way allowed me to leave space for a carrot nose, cut from a sliver of orange cardstock and adhered to the center of the white oval! I also added a few flicks of Copic marker to the scarf to add some shadow and some red gems to the holly leaves on his hat. Frosty is very festive!

To create the tag portion of the project, I die cut a small oval using the Oval Infinity Dies, making sure that the top of my oval die was hanging over the edge of a folded piece of cardstock. This allowed me to create a perfectly shaped tag/tiny shaped card! I stamped the to/from (included in the stamp set in the My Monthly Hero kit), adhered the snowman die cuts to the front, and added a twine loop to easily hang it on the gift.

My second project features the new Color Layering Merry Christmas stamp set. This set is so much fun. The font is so quirky, but still classic, and the layers are super easy to line up. I began by stamping the layers using Pale Tomato and Red Royal inks, then die cutting the finished image using the Circle Infinity Dies.

In keeping with the graphic feel of the Merry Christmas sentiment, I used some strips of Cherry, Cranberry, and Dove White cardstock to create a striped background, which I then die cut using the Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies. I adhered the die cut striped panel to a full A2 panel of white glitter paper from the Glitter Basics pack, then adhered the sentiment die cut using foam adhesive.

Well, that’s all for my projects today! To celebrate this release, Hero Arts is hosting a giveaway:

We will give away ALL OF THE NOVEMBER ADD-ON PRODUCTS, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, November 7th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

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

Hero Arts October 2021 My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their October My Monthly Hero products, and we’re doing a Victorian Christmas this month! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. We have a beautifully detailed Victorian theme for you this month. Here’s a peek at this month’s kit:

Look through the window onto a joyous holiday scene with the October My Monthly Hero Kit. The candles are lit, the classic toys are under the tree and the champagne is flowing. This month’s kit includes Victorian Christmas-inspired imagery in a large 6×8 stamp set, and a gorgeous window die that sets the stage for the scenes you will create. Rounding out the kit are acetate sheets to mimic window glass, lovely jewel tone cardstock and glitter to add a bit of sparkle.

This month’s kit features a large 6″ x 8″ Clear Stamp Set, 12 Coordinating Frame Cuts, Window Shop Cover Plate Die, 6 4.25″ x 5.5″ Sheets of Biodegradable Acetate, 7 5.5″ x 8.5″ Sheets of Cardstock in Assorted Holiday Jewel Tones, Prisma Glitter, 0.5 oz. The contents are valued individually at $72, but the kit is for sale for $34.99! If you love the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kits, you can always  subscribe to ensure that you get your own kit every month. I have two projects to share with you today, so let’s get started with the details!

White on white is one of my most favorite elegant looks for holiday cards, especially when paired with sparkling silver accents. I began my card by die cutting the beautifully intricate window die from the main kit from some plain white cardstock, then backed it with acetate to create a crisp white window front.

Inside the window, I heat embossed the super detailed tree on a white card base using Silver Sparkle embossing powder. I used a few Copic markers to add some color to the ornaments and candles on the tree.

I filled the shaker window with some sparkling sequins, then heat embossed the greeting from the main kit using some more Silver Sparkle embossing powder. The final touch was to add a few sparkling clear gems to the top of the window.

For my second project, I created a pair of sweet, simple gift tags using the new Vintage Toys Fancy Dies, the older Paper Layering Poinsettia dies, and the Tag Infinity Dies. I continued my white-on-white color scheme, beginning by die cutting the teddy bear and rocking horse Vintage Toys Fancy Dies from some white cardstock, then used my Copic markers to add some simple red and black accents to the toys.

Next, I die cut the Paper Layering Poinsettia from some Cranberry cardstock for the flowers and sparkling silver leaves and flower centers using the Holiday Glitter cardstock.

I die cut two tags from Decorative Woodgrain Cardstock using the Tag Infinity Dies, then layered the die cuts on the front of the tags using foam adhesive. I added a greeting from the Hero Greetings Christmas Gift Shop stamped in black on some strips of white cardstock. The final touch was to add some cheery red ribbon. I love crisp white with that pop of vivid red at Christmas!

Well, that’s all for my projects today. Hero Arts is sponsoring a giveaway to celebrate this release!

We will give away ALL OF THE OCTOBER ADD-ON PRODUCTS, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, October 10th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

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

Simon Says Stamp Stamptember with Hero Arts!

Hi there! I’m back again today with another Stamptember collaboration set, this time with Hero Arts! The limited edition set Make A Wish is absolutely darling. Take a peek:

Isn’t it so sweet and festive? I couldn’t resist making a fun, flat shaker card with it! This is my first time making one of these flat shakers, and it definitely won’t be my last!

I began by stamping several of the dessert images from Make A Wish onto Copic-friendly white cardstock using Intens-ified Black Ink from Hero Arts, then used Copic markers in shades of chocolate, mint, and raspberry to color all of the sweets. Don’t they just look scrumptious? I fussy cut them out with my sharp scissors.

To create the base for my card, I used the Streamer Stencil from Hero Arts and blended some Simon Says Stamp ink in shades of Twirling Tutu and Hollyhock to create a pretty background for my array of sweets. To create the shaker, I slipped the blended card base into a cellophane wrapper from a stamp set that I had in my reuse pile, then filled it with an older shaker mix (that has since been retired) from Little Things by Lucy’s Cards, but this Enchanting Sequin Shaker Mix would be a good substitute with the minty green and raspberry pink! I used some Scor-Tape to seal the top of the cellophane bag to keep all of my shaker bits safe. I love how flat it is, but how easily the shaker bits move around! No more messing with foam tape for me!

Finally, I arranged the sweets and the sentiment in a cluster on the card front and adhered them with more Scor-Tape. Isn’t this just a super sweet and festive birthday card?

Well, that’s all for my project today! These Stamptember collaboration sets sell out quickly, so if you like Make A Wish, don’t hesitate to purchase! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Hero Arts Winter 2021 Catalog Release Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! I am so excited to be hopping along with Hero Arts today to help introduce their Winter 2021 Catalog! It’s always such fun to work on the catalog projects, and seeing the finished printed product is such a thrill. The glossy pages are so beautiful and colorful and full of inspiration! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. I have two frosty, wintry cards to share with you today, so let’s get started with the details!

The new Color Layering Snowflake set is so. much. fun. There are so many things that you can do with these snowflake stamps: you can layer them on the big die cut, you can die cut them individually and layer them (as I’ve done here), you can use the individual stamped die cuts to create a fun background, you can stamp them by themselves for a beautiful snowy card base…. so many fun possibilities! I began by stamping the main snowflake die cuts- I cut one of each size snowflake then stamped them each once in an ombré color scheme. Once they were stamped, I layered them together using foam adhesive for tons of dimension. So much depth and dimension when you layer them on top of each other!

I wanted to let that big, dimensional Color Layering Snowflake die cut be the star of the show, so I created a background with the individual stamps using the stamp-off method. I didn’t want the snowflakes in the background to be the same strength of color as my snowflake die cuts, so I inked up my stamp (I used an adhesive block for this technique so that I could move quickly between the stamp sizes) with Aegean ink, then stamped once on a piece of scrap paper and then stamped on my card front. To create my swirling pattern down the front, I began with the largest stamp and worked my way down to the smallest stamp, filling in gaps with the teeny snowflakes included in the Color Layering Snowflake stamp set.

Once I’d finished my stamped background, I used one of Hero Arts’s new Blending Brushes to blend some Tide Pool ink along the sides of the card to really highlight the swirled shape of the background stamping. I adhered the dimensional snowflake die cut with even more foam tape (this one would take extra postage, ha!) and added a greeting from the Color Layering Snowflake stamp set, stamped in full strength Aegean ink and adhered to the card front using more foam tape. I wanted a touch of sparkle (can’t have a snowflake card without some sparkle!), so I dabbed some Crystal Lacquer on the card base, then added some Snowfall Glitter and spread it out with the tip of my finger.

My second card features more white space to help highlight the new Merry Snowmen stamps and dies! I began by stamping the lamppost and winky snowman using Intens-ified Black ink on some white cardstock, then colored them with my Copic markers. I used some pale gray, lavender, and aqua Copic markers with the Colorless Blender marker to add some shadows to the snowman, but still allow for plenty of white space to keep my snowman “white.”

Next, I die cut some white trees using the Tri-Fold Edge Winter Pine Fancy Die. I also blended a soft wintry sky with the blending brushes using Soft Sky, Soft Purple, and Soft Blossom. I adhered the trees on the blended background using foam adhesive for lots of dimension, then added the snowman, lamppost, and a sentiment strip.

The final touch was to add some Sparkle Clear Lacquer pen to the trees to add some snowy sparkle!

Now, to celebrate this new release, Hero Arts is sponsoring a giveaway!

We will give away THREE $50 gift cards, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, August 29th at 11:59pm pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts is also running a great promotion to celebrate their new catalog:

Receive a free printed catalog with your order of $50 or more through the end of the month (or while supplies last). You can have a glossy catalog of your own! 😉

One more fun piece of information to share: Hero Arts is hosting a Holiday Stamp-A-Long!

Join us for a day of “LIVE” card classes, hosted in a private Facebook group! During this virtual event, you will have the opportunity to create ten beautiful cards from start to finish, learning tips and tricks from some of your favorite cardmakers. The event will take place in a private Facebook group – you must use Facebook to participate. You can watch everything live as it happens and “stamp-along”, or you can choose to view when it is convenient for you. There will be giveaways throughout the event – everyone who registers will be eligible for the drawings, you need not be present to win. The event will take place over two days. Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19, 2021 (all times are EST) 10:00am – 5:30pm – Our artists will lead five card demos each day, with breaks in between. 5:30pm – Wrap-up and giveaways both days! Once you purchase this event, you will be sent an email with details regarding how to join our private event Facebook group. Please keep an eye out for this email with Stamp-Along in the subject line. It is critical that you request membership in the Facebook group, linked in this email. Please be sure to ask to join the Facebook group AT LEAST 24 hours before the LIVE event begins. It may take time to be approved into the Facebook group as this is a manual process – please allow 72 business hours. The sooner you join the group, the sooner you can join the conversation and find your bearings! We will be there to help answer any questions. All of the LIVES will be available for replay in the private Facebook group if you are unable to attend the event live on September 18 & 19. Also included in the class: Downloadable project sheet with step-by-step instructions. Supplies listed per card so you can plan your day. Images of all the cards, including detailed shots. A short list of homework to prep prior to the event. Did we mention giveaways??

Class Supplies: We will not be shipping kits for this event. We know many of the necessary supplies will already be available in your crafty stash, but we are featuring newer released stamps and dies as well. Take a look at the supply list HERE, and consider supporting a local stamp store with your event-related purchases (check out our STORE LOCATOR)! Or find Hero Arts products here in our shop.

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

Hero Arts August 2021 My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! Hero Arts is celebrating their August 2021 My Monthly Hero release today with a blog hop, and we’re all about loving all of the colors this month! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s kit is so much fun, great for use with so many different coloring mediums, color schemes, and techniques!

This month’s kit features 4″ x 6″ Clear Stamp Set, Coordinating Fancy Dies, 5.4″ Square Cling Stamp, 5.25″ x 6.5″ Stencil, three Liquid Watercolors (Pink, Indigo, Dandelion), and six 5.5″ x 8.5″ Sheets Watercolor Paper. The contents are valued individually at $70, but the kit is for sale for $34.99! If you love the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kits, you can always  subscribe to ensure that you get your own kit every month. I have two projects to share with you today, so let’s get started with the details!

My first card today features several elements from the main kit, focusing on the cling background stamp and die cut letters included with the stamp set. I began by stamping the cling background on some white cardstock using Embossing Ink, then added some clear embossing powder and heated it. I then blended the rainbow using different shades of ink and blending brushes, using one shade of ink for each circle in the patterned background. Ink colors (in ROY G BIV order, of course): Pale Tomato, Fresh Peach, Soft Vanilla, Mint Julep, Soft Pool, Passion Flower, Soft Purple, and Bubble Gum. Once the blending was complete, I spritzed some White Iridescent Shimmer Spray over the top to add some extra shimmer and shine to the card base.

Next, I die cut a vellum heart using the Heart Infinity Dies to place in the center of the blended background on top of which I placed my sentiment. The vellum provides a grounded area for the sentiment die cuts to rest, so that they’re not just floating out on the front of the card. For the greeting, I die cut the “love” included in the main kit from some Pitch Black cardstock, as well as white embossing the “sending” on a strip of Pitch Black cardstock. I used my gridded craft mat to line up the die cut letters, then adhered them to the vellum heart. I love the crisp black die cuts on that bold, colorful background!

I adhered the sentiment die cuts on the vellum heart using foam adhesive for lots of dimension. Adhering the die cuts to the vellum first also gives you a spot to hide the foam tape so that it’s not visible through the vellum! Sneaky sneaky. 😉 I added a few black adhesive gems to help finish off my rule of threes for the black accents!

My second project features the new Rainbow Heroscape. I don’t love primary colors as a general rule, so I was very specific in choosing non-primary colors for my rainbow, and I just love the result! I began by stamping all of the stripes of the rainbow using Bubble Gum, Orchid, Dusty Blue, Mint Julep, and Soft Vanilla. I then stamped the clouds using Soft Sky, and using my Misti, added a layer of Embossing Ink over the top, then sprinkled Sparkle Embossing Powder over the top and heated it up to create sparkly, iridescent clouds! Such a fun effect with this technique. I also stamped a couple of single clouds using the same technique and fussy cut them all out using some sharp scissors.

Next, I die cut some white and vellum clouds using the Cloudy Sky Scene dies. After determining their placement on my Periwinkle card base, I blended some Passion Flower ink so that it would just peek out of the corner where the clouds would be adhered. I added the vellum cloud with some liquid adhesive, then added the white cloud over the top with some foam adhesive.

I added one of the several curved greetings to the rainbow, then stamped a “happy birthday” (I just love that typewriter font included on the sentiments in the Rainbow Heroscape!) on a thin strip of white cardstock. I adhered the rainbow, clouds, and sentiment using lots of foam adhesive for tons of dimension on the card front. It’s so cheerful and sparkly!

To celebrate this release, Hero Arts is hosting a giveaway!

We will give away one $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, August 8th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

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