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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

Hero Arts

Hero Arts and Pinkfresh Studio Collaboration Celebration Blog Hop!

Hi there! Today, I’m super excited to be taking part in another fabulous blog hop featuring a collaborative effort from two of my favorite stamp companies: Hero Arts and Pinkfresh Studios! I am lucky enough to serve on the design teams for both of these fantastic companies, so I was extra thrilled when I heard that they were going to be working together for a collaborative stamp set! This beautiful new set features a gorgeous floral frame, as well as some fantastic sentiments drawn by my friend Caly Person. You should have arrived here from Cathy Zielske’s blog, and your next stop is Heather Hoffman’s blog.

The stamp set, called You Make A Difference (you can see it here on the Hero Arts website as well as here on the Pinkfresh Studios website), features such beautiful, poignant sentiments in addition to that gorgeous floral frame. A must-have, to be sure! I’ve paired it with my Caran D’Ache colored pencils for a hand-drawn look. Let’s get started with the details!

I began by stamping the beautiful floral image from the stamp set on an A2 panel of Pebble card stock using Unicorn White pigment ink. I then used a variety of plum, blue, and fuchsia pencils to add color to the beautifully detailed image, coloring directly over the top of the stamped images.

After I’d finished my pencil coloring, I used Wet Cement ink and the Life Changing Blender Brushes from Picket Fence Studios to blend a bit of a halo around the edges of the panel. The gray ended up picking up a bit of the green from the foliage as I blended, but I really liked the effect! It reminded me of a mystical glen or something. (Ha, that’s stretching it a bit, Emily…)

After I’d finished with my card base, I die cut the Love Stamp and Cut from Hero Arts three times using Plum card stock and adhered them together to create a dimensional die cut. I also white embossed the coordinating greeting, also from the Love Stamp and Cut, on some strips of Pebble card stock. I popped them up with a bit of foam tape for extra dimension.

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now, I’ve got some fun giveaway information for you!

3 different prizes are up for grabs, drawn from comments left across the blog hop:
One winner will receive the stamp set!
One winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at Pinkfresh Studio
One winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at Hero Arts

The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

Your next stop on the hop is Heather Hoffman. You can also head back to the Hero Arts blog to start at the beginning if you get lost. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Hero Arts and Gina K. Collaboration!

Hi there! Today, we have an extra special collaboration between Hero Arts and yet another of my most favorite companies (and people!): Gina K.! These two rockstar companies epitomize kindness to me. Gina is just about one of the nicest people you could ever meet, and the kindness and community spirit that Hero Arts exudes makes me insanely proud to be part of their Creative Team. Today’s blog hop is celebrating this gorgeous new stamp set: Friendship Blooms (HA|EH|SSS). (Such a perfect name for a collaborative stamp set like this, right?) We have a stellar blog hop list for you today, with lots of beautiful floral inspiration. You should have arrived here from Caly Person’s blog, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse’s blog. You can also head back to the Hero Arts blog if you get lost.

This stamp set is absolutely stunning. Like, I literally gasped when I saw images of it. Gina’s florals are always so gorgeous, and this trendy, beautiful spray of peonies is a perfect way to represent the two companies. And let’s not forget the eloquent and meaningful sentiments included in this large 6×8 stamp set! Here’s a peek at Friendship Blooms (HA|EH|SSS):

Gorgeous, right? I had to create a quick project before I left on vacation, so I can’t wait to get back and delve into Friendship Blooms (HA|EH|SSS) a little further!! That peony spray is just stunning! I think that keeping the project fairly simple shows off the beauty and detail of the large peony spray.

For my project today, I started by stamping the Friendship Blooms (HA|EH|SSS) main image onto a panel of white Neenah card stock using Intense Black ink. Then, I colored the beautiful peony image using my Copic markers in shades of R59, R56, RV34, RV32, and R81 for the flowers and G46, G21, and YG61 for the leaves. I colored the little berry sprays with a black Micron pen to keep things simple.

After I’d finished coloring the image, I used my Micron pen and T-square to make a neat black rectangular frame around the edge of my card front, skipping over the flowers to allow the blooms to spill over the edge of the frame. I love adding a simple frame like this to floral cards; it gives them such a clean, elegant finish, I think!

The final touch was to add a greeting created with White embossing powder and Pitch Black card stock. I popped it up using foam tape to add a little extra dimension.

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now, for some fun giveaway information! Hero Arts is giving away one Friendship Blooms (HA|EH|SSS) stamp set to a lucky commenter! All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment on the hop stops. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Comment by Sunday, August 4 at 11:59pm PST. I hope you’re enjoying the hop! Your stop is Ilina Crouse’s blog. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Hero Arts
Gina K. Designs
Jennifer McGuire
Kristina Werner
Kathy Racoosin
Laura Bassen
Jaycee Gaspar
Yana Smakula
Michelle Short
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Janette Kausen
Caly Person
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse

July My Monthly Hero Blog Hop+Giveaway!

Hi there! Today’s the day…. it’s the first Monday of the new month, so we have the newest My Monthly Hero release and blog hop to share with you today! This month’s kit is perfect for those difficult-to-create masculine cards. Let’s get started with some of the details!

In this month’s kit, you’ll receive a large 6×8 stamp set, coordinating frame cuts, 2 fancy dies, 5 ink cubes, 4 5.5×8.5 sheets of two new Hero Hues cardstock colors, and new blue pearl embossing powder, valued at over $75, all for $34.99! These kits frequently sell out, and once they’re gone, they’re gone… so don’t wait and miss out! You can also subscribe to make sure that you get first dibs every month. The kits will begin shipping from the warehouse on Friday, July 5th. I have two projects to share with you today, so let’s get started!

I will admit something… I struggle to create scenes on a full card front. The “canvas” almost seems too big and is intimidating to my mind’s eye. I have found that I can create scenes if I limit the canvas size, and my favorite way to do this is to create a die cut frame. I began by masking the edge of a white panel, then stamping the mountains from the main kit on the horizon, then lightly blending a sky above. I masked the bottom of the mountains with some Post-It notes and blended some blue water towards the bottom of the framed in area.

After the stamping and blending was finished, I removed the masks to reveal a rectangular scene. I used that scene to create a white die cut frame with the Infinity Rectangle dies. I also die cut a line of trees using one of the fancy dies included in the main kit, cut from some dark green card stock, as well as stamping the little boat with it’s captain and first mate. 😉 I also stamped a greeting from the main kit on a rectangle of white card stock.

After I’d die cut and stamped all of the pieces, I adhered them to the blended and stamped card base using foam tape to create lots of dimension! Perfect for that outdoorsy guy in your life, right?

For my second card today, I wanted to put to use my favorite of the add-ons: Camper Fancy Die. There are some really fun add-on stamps and dies that coordinate beautifully with the main kit, but as soon as I saw the Camper Fancy Die, I wanted to pair it with the Paper Layering Desert Cactus and Paper Layering Prickly Cactus. I used the new Meadow card stock for both cacti, die cutting them both and doing a bit of blending around the edges for dimension using Moss ink and some blending brushes.

Next, I die cut the new Camper Fancy Die from some plain white card stock, ink blending some pale gray ink around the edges and adding details with Copic markers. (I have no idea if campers have red doors like that, but if they don’t they really should! Such a fun detail!)

I trimmed down a panel of the new Lapis card stock and blended some Stone Wash ink around the edges. I layered the die cuts using foam tape and added a greeting from the main kit heat embossed in white on a rectangle of Pitch Black card stock.

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

Hero Arts is giving away one kit to a lucky commenter (and if you’ve already purchased one, they will reimburse you!). All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment on each stop on the blog hop. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

Your next stop is Ilina Crouse. Here’s the full lineup in case you got lost:

The Hero Arts Blog
Caly Person
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Janette Kausen
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Michelle Short
Amy Kolling
Debi Adams
Julee Tilman
Laurie Willison
Lydia Fiedler
Mariana Grigsby
Libby Hickson

Hero Arts and Concord and 9th- You Amaze Me!

Hi there! Today, I’m thrilled to be a part of an extra special blog hop collaborating between two of my very favorite stamp companies: Hero Arts and Concord and 9th! These two fantastic companies have worked together to create this awesome stamp set: HA+C9 Props Turnabout! It is now available on the Hero Arts website, and it will be available on the Concord and 9th website (as well as other retailers) as soon as July 10th! You should have arrived here from Caly Person’s blog.

From Hero Arts: Hero Arts is celebrating 45 years, and we are honored and humbled that Concord & 9th is sharing in the celebration!  A special “Partners” Hero Arts + Concord & 9th 6×8 clear set, and other related products, is available on www.HeroArts.com starting June 26, and will be available online and in a store near you starting July 10.

Here’s a peek at the turnabout:

These turnabout stamps are so fun, right? It’s an amazing concept, and the results that you can get are fantastic. You can totally change the look of your turnabout depending on the color scheme that you use. I have two projects for you using the new HA+C9 Props Turnabout, as well as the coordinating Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies, so let’s get started with the details!

Confession. The turnabouts used to scare me a little. Lining the stamp up exactly right the first time seemed basically impossible. Enter: The Turnabout Jig. That thing is worth it’s weight (and a lot more, since it weighs basically nothing, ha) in gold. Between the jig and the little printed acetate guides included in the HA+C9 Props Turnabout stamps, you are set up for success! I happened to have the Hero Hues Azalea, Pebble, Nautical, Arctic, and Adriatic card stock next to each other on my desk and absolutely loved the combination, and so I used it as the basis for my cards today!

I began by stamping my HA+C9 Props Turnabout using my Misti, Turnabout jig, and four colors of Hero Arts ink: Blue Raspberry, Ultra Pink, Navy, and Wet Cement. I did all of my stamping on a panel of white card stock, then trimmed it down slightly smaller than A2 and mounted it on a panel of Nautical card stock.

I stamped the block image (included in the large 6×8 HA+C9 Props Turnabout) using the same shades of ink, as well as some silver sparkle embossing powder. I cut the image out using the Hero Arts Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies. (The stamp set was designed to work with these dies. Score for multiple uses!) I trimmed some strips of Hero Hues card stock in the same shades of ink, then layered them over the turnabout card base using foam tape, adding the rounded rectangle label over the top, as well. Super cheerful and colorful!

For my second project today, I wanted to do something that was more bold and graphic, focusing mostly on that fantastic label image included in the HA+C9 Props Turnabout. I began by trimming several strips of various widths from Hero Hues card stocks: Azalea, Pebble, Nautical, Arctic, and Adriatic. I then placed lots of very strong double sided adhesive on a panel of A2 card stock and began layering stripes of color at an angle to create a bold, custom pattern for the background! I trimmed the excess strips off of the panel to create a perfectly rectangular A2 panel.

After creating my graphic striped background, I stamped the block sentiment using Navy ink on Pebble card stock, adding the details in colored ink and the sentiment in white embossing powder. I created a frame using more Nautical card stock and the Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies, popping it up with foam adhesive around the edge of the striped background panel. I also die cut the block sentiment again using the Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies and adhering with foam tape.

Now, for some giveaway information!

One lucky winner will receive one HA+C9 Props Turnabout set, one jig and one rounded rectangle infinity dies set. Blog hoppers have until Sunday night June 30 11:59pm PST to comment and enter. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! The winner will be announced next week on the Hero Arts blog.

Your next stop on the hop is Ilina Crouse!

Meet the Maker-Hero Arts at Ellen Hutson!

Hi there! The folks at Ellen Hutson and Hero Arts have a fun blog hop for you today, featuring two of my favorite companies!! You should have arrived here from Ilina Crouse’s blog, and your next stop is Libby Hickson! Aaron, the owner of Hero Arts, was featured yesterday on the Ellen Hutson blog as part of their Meet the Maker series, and to celebrate, all in-stock Hero Arts products are on sale 25% off through the end of the weekend! I am honored and lucky enough to work for both Hero Arts and Ellen Hutson, so combining the two was a no-brainer. I did a little ink blending, a heat embossing, and a lot of die cutting for today’s project, so let’s get started with the details! Be sure to read all the way to the end to find out the details of the giveaway!

I began by blending Rose Madder, Orchid, Indigo, and Navy inks (all dye inks from Hero Arts) on a panel of A2 card stock using blending brushes to get a nice smooth blend. I die cut the starry background using the Ellen Hutson Starry Night die and backed it with some glittery silver card stock to create twinkling stars.

Next, I did some die cutting using Pitch Black card stock from Hero Arts and the Tree Arch and European Plaza dies. I layered them over the top of my blended night sky using both foam and liquid adhesives to create lots of dimension and different depths.

Finally, I added a sentiment from All My Love on a small rectangle of more black card stock using silver embossing powder. I love the drama of the black card stock die cuts against the vibrant night sky! The stars just poking out from behind the trees are the perfect added touch, I think!

Now, for some fun giveaway information:

You can win one of three $25 gift certificates to the Ellen Hutson shop! Winners will be drawn from commenters along the blog hop so make sure to comment at each stop before Friday, June 28th at 11:59pm PST. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Winners will be notified by email. Your next stop on the hop is Libby Hickson!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!