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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

my monthly hero

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!

Hero Arts September My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! It’s Tuesday, but the My Monthly Hero release for September is happening today due to the holiday… and it’s such a great release! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s kit is absolutely stunning, featuring one of the most autumnally-iconic flowers: sunflowers.

This month’s kit features: • 4″ x 6″ Clear Stamp Set, • Coordinating Frame Cut, • 2 Fancy Word Dies, • 5 Color Layering Stencils, • 1 Ink Blending Brush, • 4 Ink Cubes (Butter Bar, Caramel, Root Beer, Key Lime Fizz). The kit is valued at $87, but is available for only $34.99! I love the amount of value that you get with these kits. 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 project features some of the main elements of the September kit, including that absolutely stunning sunflower bouquet. I began by cutting a panel of white, Copic-friendly cardstock down to slimline size (3.5″x8.5″). I then stamped the image in a cascade down one side of the card front using Intens-ified Black ink. I used my Copic markers to add lots of and shadows to the beautiful illustration.

Once my coloring was complete, I used Hero Arts Blending Brushes to softly blend Butter Bar and Soft Apricot inks in the opposite corner of the sunflowers. I love how it looks like the sun is shining brightly on the sunflowers and they are turning their faces to it!

In order to highlight the pretty sunflowers and provide a focal point for the greeting, I die cut a black frame using the Slimline Infinity Dies from some Pitch Black cardstock. I didn’t want to cover up the pretty, sunny ombré blending too much, so while the “thanks” sentiment die from the main kit and halo were still attached, I die cut the greeting, reserving the center of the “a” and adhering it in the negative space. This technique allows the pretty, sunshine-y blending to be highlighted in the sentiment! To round out the “rule of threes” for the black accents, I added some black gemstones to add a touch of shine.

My second card features the new Autumn Messages stamp set, paired with the recently released Halloween Icons dies! I die cut the little scene using Papya and Pitch Black cardstocks, as well as the Holiday Sparkle and Basics Glitter Papers.


On a plain white A2 card base, I blended a little textured background using Soft Apricot ink using a stencil that I now realize is retired. (Whoops!) You could achieve a very similar look without the stencil. I just wanted a little halo to give some background to my Halloween scene. I adhered all of my Halloween die cuts to the stenciled area using both liquid and foam adhesive to help add dimension to the flat die cuts. I love how the different textures of the glitter paper and the plain cardstock work together to help keep the die cuts from blending into one another!

I stamped the greeting from Autumn Messages onto a rectangle of white cardstock using Intens-ified Black ink, then added it to the card front using foam adhesive to help it stand out even more. The final touch was to add some clear gemstones, which I think look like bubbles rising from the cauldron! It’s a kinda-cute-kinda-spooky Halloween card, which I am totally down for!

Well, that’s all for me today! To celebrate this month’s release and all of the autumnal goodness it brings, Hero Arts is having a giveaway!

We will give away one $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, September 12th 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 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!

Hero Arts June My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hi there! The new My Monthly Hero kit is here and we’re hopping to celebrate! This month we’re focusing on all things birthday, with the sweetest little festive critters. You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. Here’s a sneak peek at the June 2021 kit:

This month’s kit features some darling little critters all ready to par-tay! The kit includes: 6″ x 8″ Clear Stamp Set, 17 Coordinating Frame Cuts, Light Mint Dye Ink Cube, Round Clay Sprinkles, Sparkle Lacquer Pen, and it’s valued at $72, but is yours 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 have two projects to share with you today, so let’s get started with the details!

My first card is a shaker card featuring the sweet, sneaky little cake-eating kitty and one of the fantastic backgrounds available as an add-on! I started by stamping the kitty, the cake, a gift, and balloon (all from the main kit) using Intens-ified Black Ink on some Copic-friendly white cardstock. Using the confetti as my guide, I colored the images using Copic markers in shades of neon pink and bright blue.

I wanted to create a shaker using the confetti included in the kit, so next I embossed the new Candles Bold Prints background onto some Hero Arts vellum using silver sparkle embossing powder. I added heavy duty adhesive tape all around the edges of a white A2 card base, then placed some sprinkles from the kit in the center and adhered the sparkly vellum background over the top to create a thin shaker pocket filled with sprinkles! I also die cut a frame using another panel of A2 white cardstock and the Nesting Rectangles Infinity Dies, which I adhered over the top of my vellum shaker pocket to help hide the adhesive.

FInally, I arranged my Copic-colored kitty party scene atop a stamped sentiment strip (also from the main kit), using lots of foam tape for dimension. Who wouldn’t like to get this card for their birthday? Shaker cards are so much fun!

For my second card, I focused on the fantastic new Balloons Bold Prints stamp. This is one of those stamps that can look completely different depending on what color scheme you use with it. I chose to make this card kind of ethereal, but still with lots of color. I began by embossing the Balloons Bold Prints background onto some watercolor paper using white satin pearl embossing powder, then taped it to my watercolor board and used wet-on-wet technique to add a light wash of color (using Karin Brushmarker Pro markers) over the entire panel.

Once that initial wash of color had dried, I went back in withmore concentrated color to add details to the balloons to help them stand out further. I just love the way these balloons almost glow with this technique! Once my panel had dried, I trimmed it down to 3.25×5.75″, then mounted it on a 3.5×6″ panel of Paradise cardstock.

For the greeting, I used the new Birthday Stamp & Cut XL to die cut “celebrate” once from white cardstock and once from white iridescent glitter cardstock, adhering both pieces together to create a dimensional die cut. I white embossed the “it’s time to” on a strip of Paradise cardstock, then mounted both to the balloon background. Finally, I added a few iridescent gems to add a bit more texture and sparkle to the card front. So fun and festive!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! To celebrate this latest My Monthly Hero release, Hero Arts is sponsoring a giveaway!

We will give away one $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, June 13th 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!