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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

my monthly hero

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero May 2022 Blog Hop+Giveaway!

Good morning! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their new May collection, and it’s such a fun and unique release, filled with all things cooking and foodie! We’re hopping along today, and you should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s kit has so many fun elements included in it, all featuring a foodie theme. Here’s a peek at this month’s kit:

The May My Monthly Hero kit features: • 4″ x 6″ Clear Stamp Set, • Cover Plate Fancy Die, • 6 Additional Fancy Dies, • Cling Background Stamp (4.625″ x 5.875″), • 12 Sheets of Cardstock – 4 each of Pink, Mint, White (5.5″ x 8.5″), • Watermark & Embossing Ink Cube, • Cast Iron Embossing Powder (0.5 oz.), and • Blue Baker’s Twine (10 yards). The total kit value is $70, but is yours for only $34.99! These kits sell out frequently very quickly, so you can make sure to receive one each month by subscribing here. I have a crisp white-on-white project to share with you today, as well as a modern-but-vintage-inspired card, so let’s get started with the details!

I began by stamping an A2 card base using the May My Monthly Hero kit using Moonstone Pigment Ink from Hero Arts, then embossing over the top using White Satin Pearl embossing powder to create a pearlescent charcoal. (Did you know that you can heat emboss over the Hero Hues pigment inks? SO fun!)

Next, I die cut the fantastically detailed fancy die included in the May My Monthly Hero kit from some white cardstock. I trimmed off some of the sections to create a shelf just on the one side of the stove. I wanted to add a window to my scene, so I placed the Greenhouse Fancy Die to the left of the stove and die cut from the embossed tile background, then die cut a window from a separate piece of white cardstock. I backed the tiled background with another piece of A2 white cardstock, then mounted the window frame to it.

I backed the base of the kitchen cabinets with another panel of white cardstock (lots of layers on this card!) that I’d added some dark gray Copic to, which created the contrast for the handles of the drawers. I adhered the stove and shelves to the tiled background using foam adhesive to help make it stand out, then added a greeting from the sentiments included in the May My Monthly Hero kit, again stamped with Moonstone ink and embossed with pearlescent embossing powder. Visually crisp and simple, but with all of those layers of cardstock and details, it’s definitely not boring!

For my second card, I used the new Egg-celent stamps and coordinating frame cuts. I began by heat embossing the large image from Egg-celent onto some watercolor paper using the same White Satin Pearl embossing powder used in the previous project. I then used my Tombow markers to add lots of bright color to the images. I originally planned to go a bit more traditional with the color scheme, using reds, bisque, brown, etc. But once I took a closer look at that chicken, it reminded me of my “hen on nest” glassware that I collect, and I couldn’t resist making a jadeite breakfast set, complete with salt and pepper shakers, egg cup, and hen-on-nest glassware! Once I’d finished coloring the images using my Tombow markers and a damp paintbrush, I used the coordinating dies to cut the stamped image out.

For the background, I wanted to keep things subtle to allow the jadeite chicken to be the star of the show. I heat embossed the new Kitchen Shelf Background using some more white pearl embossing powder on an A2 white card base. I love how the pearly embossing adds subtle texture and interest to the background without overwhelming the focal point!

I die cut a white Oval Woodgrain Infinity Frame die and popped it up on the background using foam adhesive. I adhered the vivid breakfast scene with some more foam tape, then added a greeting from Egg-celent (using the same Moonstone/White Satin Pearl combo from earlier) using some more foam adhesive for lots of dimension. I love that these images can be so super traditional or vibrant and modern depending on your color choices!

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

Hero Arts is giving away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, May 8th 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 today, and have a marvelous day!

Hero Arts April 2022 My Monthly Hero Release Blog Hop+Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their April My Monthly Hero Kit and the coordinating collection, and the whole collection is a thing of beauty! You should have arrived here from Daniel West, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s kit is just beautiful, with a gorgeous floral background stamp, coordinating stencil set, versatile sentiment stamp and die set, inks, small blending brush! Here’s a peek at this month’s kit:

The contents of the kit retail for $75, but are available to purchase for only $34.99. These kits sell out frequently very quickly, so you can make sure to receive one each month by subscribing here. I have a few projects to share with you today using the April kit and some of the add-ons, so let’s get started with the details!

The beautiful background stamp included in the April kit just begs to be watercolored! I started by heat embossing the background stamp using gold embossing powder onto some watercolor cardstock. Then, I used the Daniel Smith Hero Arts watercolor dot card to paint the background in a lovely feminine color palette, perfect for Mother’s Day!

Once I had finished watercoloring, I trimmed the panel down slightly smaller than A2 and matted it on a piece of Amethyst cardstock, leaving a deep purple frame around the edge.

For the greeting, I die cut the amazing die from gold glitter cardstock and the outline from some more Amethyst cardstock and layered them together with liquid glue. I also heat embossed the sentiment strips using some more gold embossing powder, then adhered them to the card front using foam adhesive. A fairly simple card that allows the beautiful background image to be the star of the show!

My second card uses the April kit‘s background stamp with the coordinating dies to cut out some individual little floral sprigs and bee. I began by stamping the background using Intens-ified Black ink onto some white Copic-friendly cardstock, then used the dies included in the April kit to cut out a large bloom and smaller bloom, then used my scissors to fussy cut a few more smaller blooms. I colored the images with my Copic markers.

Next, I created my background panel by die cutting the Floral Border Fancy Die from some white cardstock. I backed it with some Pitch Black cardstock to allow little pops of black to peek through at various angles. I die cut another amazing die cut (love the font used for this die!) from some more Pitch Black cardstock, as well as white embossed a coordinating greeting on some strips of black cardstock. I adhered all of the components on the card front using a combination of liquid and foam adhesive for lots of dimension. This kit looks great colored with any medium and in so many different combinations!

For my next project, I used the beautiful new Floral Mandala stamps and dies. I began by stamping the images in a variety of pastel ink colors, including Soft Pink, Soft Sky, Soft Apricot, and Mint Julep onto some white cardstock, then die cut them using the coordinating dies. The soft pastel colors are perfect for springtime and Mother’s Day!

For the greeting, I die cut the beautiful new Mother’s Day Window die from some more white cardstock, then trimmed out just the greeting die cuts. I used the words by themselves for this project, but the window image is absolutely gorgeous and would be such fun to create with using a variety of techniques, styles, and mediums!

I arranged all of the die cuts on a white A2 card front, creating a kind of cluster of the beautiful and colorful floral mandala die cuts, and adhered them using lots of foam adhesive. I used a double layer of adhesive for the white die cut greeting to help it stand out even more on the bright white background. The final touch was to add some shiny iridescent white pearls for some shimmer and shine.

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

Hero Arts is giving away one $50 gift card. The winner will be selected from comments made across the hop before 11:59 pm on April 10th. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! 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!

March 2022 My Monthly Hero Blog Hop+Giveaway!

Hi there! Hero Arts is releasing their new My Monthly Hero Kit and collection for March 2022, and this art-themed collection is just so darn unique! We are hopping along today to share lots of inspiration with you; you should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. This month’s My Monthly Hero kit features a fabulous detailed silhouette scene die, as well as a 4×6 stamp set that will easily create your own miniature Jackson Pollack paintings! Here’s a peek at this month’s kit:

You will receive: • 4″ x 6″ Clear Stamp Set, • Fancy Window Die, • 4 Embossing Powders in Goldenrod, Orange, Blue, Purple (1/4 oz. each), • Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink Cube, • 2 Sheets Extra Thick Canvas Paper (4.25″ x 5.5″), • 1 Sheet Canvas-textured Paper (5.5″ x 8.5″). The kit contents are valued at $70, but are available to you for $34.99! These kits frequently sell out quickly, so if you’d like to be guaranteed to receive a kit each month, you can subscribe here! I’ve created my own rainbow Jackson Pollack scene for my card today, so let’s get started with the details!

I began by die cutting the main die from the kit from some Pitch Black cardstock. I love how detailed these fancy dies are even when cut from plain black paper. So unique!

I then did some ink blending using Berry Smoothie, Purple Galaxy, Blue Hawaii, and Pool Party Reactive inks in a vertical rainbow across the front of my white A2 cardstock base. I used the splatter stamps included in this month’s kit to stamp splatters in the coordinating color across the ink blended area. I love the subtle effect of the splatters! I also splattered a bit of metallic pearl paint with a damp paintbrush to really help enhance that arts, y splatter-y look.

I adhered the die cut frame using some foam adhesive, then used a double layer of foam adhesive to add the greeting from the stamp set in the kit, which I heat embossed on a strip of black cardstock using some white embossing powder. Relatively simple, but that vibrant ink blending and stamping in the center just pops so perfectly from that stark black die cut! Such a fun kit this month.

My second card uses the new Museum Busts Fancy Dies. I will admit, I was totally thinking of the Disney movie Hercules when I made this card. You know the scene, where Meg and the Muses are singing in the moonlit garden? I wanted to recreate that starry garden background for my busts, so I began by blending Indigo and Navy inks around the edge of a Lapis card base. I also splattered some pearlescent white paint to create some shimmering stars.

Next, I die cut the Museum Busts Fancy Dies from some Pebble cardstock. I used blending brushes to lightly blend some Charcoal ink on one side of the bust die cuts to create a shadow. It’s amazing what dimension taking that quick extra step added to the die cuts! They look almost 3D to me!

I wanted to add some foliage to create that botanical garden feel, so I die cut the Fairy Window Fancy Die from some Pitch Black cardstock, then did some selective trimming so that I had some tree branches just barely dripping down from the top corner and flowers popping up from the bottom right on my blended night sky card base. I popped up the busts using foam adhesive, then added a greeting from the new Impressionist Water Lilies, white embossed on a strip of Pitch Black cardstock.

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, March 13th 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!

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Hero Arts February 2022 My Monthly Hero Release+Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their fabulous new My Monthly Hero collection for February 2022, and we’re celebrating with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. Here’s a peek at this month’s tribute to the masters of Surrealism:

This month’s kit includes: 6” x 8” Clear Stamp Set, 15 Coordinating Frame Cuts, 2 Sheets of Black Watercolor Paper (5.5″ x 8.5″), Watercolor Dot Dream Palette (18 Dots), and Water Flow Brush. The total retail value is $74, but the kit is yours for only $34.99! These kits frequently sell out quickly, so if you’d like to be guaranteed to receive a kit each month, you can subscribe here! Each of the individual images in this kit are so wonderful and can be used for so many different themes. I’ve chosen to use the lovely beribboned moon to create some shimmery metallic baby cards with a celestial twist. Let’s get started with the details!

The Daniel Smith dot card and black watercolor paper that are included in this kit are absolutely marvelous. I began by gold heat embossing the beribboned moon on some of the black watercolor paper, then used the Duochrome Hibiscus, Iridescent Sapphire, and Iridescent Gold paints to the images. The Duochrome Hibiscus changes shades depending on the angle at which you’re looking at the image! So neat! I die cut the watercolored images with the coordinating dies and turned my attention to the backgrounds. I used the metallic shades included on the dot card to create a celestial aurora borealis sky for one background, then splattered metallic gold “stars” on the background of both A2 backgrounds. Those metallic watercolors pop so beautifully on the black watercolor paper!

For the first card, I used the new Cloud Window Fancy Die to die cut some clouds from Pitch Black cardstock, then trimmed it down to fit only the bottom portion of the metallic watercolored background. I popped it up with some foam tape to help it stand out a bit more, then added the metallic moon die cut and a gold embossed sentiment. (This kit has seriously some of the best sentiments-so many occasions and the fonts are so pretty!) I added a couple of shiny metallic gold jewels for even more added texture.

For the second project, I had the phrase “hung the moon” in my head. I conveyed that by combining the splattered starry night background with a glittering gold frame, cut using the Wood Frame Infinity Dies and some gold glitter paper. I popped the frame up with some foam adhesive and added the die cut moon and gold embossed sentiment. (Seriously, the sentiments in this month’s kit are amazing!!) The metallics pop so beautifully from the black paper. Such a fun and unique kit.

My second card uses the new You Sparkle to create this monochrome birthday card! I began by white embossing several of the images from You Sparkle on to some Pitch Black cardstock, then cut them out using the coordinating Frame Cuts.

Next, I cut the Star Confetti cover plate from some more Pitch Black cardstock and backed it with some white iridescent glittery cardstock. To create a more neutral backdrop for the black and white die cuts, I trimmed down a rectangle of Hero Arts’s Heavyweight Vellum. This semi-sheer paper creates a solid backdrop for the shooting star and clouds, while also softening the busy, glittery star background.

I adhered the You Sparkle die cuts to the vellum rectangle with Precision Glue, then flipped it over and added foam tape to the back of the solid die cuts. This hides the adhesive so that you can’t see it behind the sheer vellum! I adhered the vellum and die cut piece to the starry background, then added a few iridescent jewels to add some more sparkle.

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

Hero Arts is giving away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, February 13th 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, and happy hopping!

January 2022 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Blog Hop+Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, Hero Arts is releasing their first My Monthly Hero collection for the new year, and we are hopping along to give you lots of romantic Valentine’s inspiration! You should have arrived here from Debi Adams, and your next stop is Ilina Crouse. You can also start back at the beginning at the Hero Arts Blog. This month’s kit features a beautiful layering stamp set and dies, in addition to a gorgeous, super detailed cover plate die. Here’s a peek at the contents of the January 2022 kit:

This month’s kit includes : 6″ x 8″ Clear Stamp Set, 3 Coordinating Frame Cuts, 4.25″ x 5.5″ Fancy Cover Plate Die, 1 Key Fancy Die, 4 Ink Cubes (Key Lime Fizz, Taffy, Green Apple, Cup O’ Joe), and Red Iridescent Gems. So many beautiful products in this month’s kit, valued at over $80, but is available to you for $34.99! You can also subscribe to be guaranteed to receive these beautiful kits each month. I have a pair of projects using this month’s kit, so let’s get started with the details!

The beautiful fancy dies included in this month’s kit are so gorgeous that they can easily stand on their own, and I thought they’d be perfect to create some valentines for my big kiddos! I used some fancy glitter and foil cardstocks to really allow the details in the cover plate die to shine. I cut the fancy keyhole cover plate once from red glitter cardstock and once from shiny purple foil and backed it with some leftover stamp packaging to create a pocket for a shaker card. I adhered some coordinating Hero Hues colored cardstock on the back (Cherry for the red glitter card, Amethyst for the purple foil) and filled it with some coordinating sequins.

I heat embossed one of the darling greetings from the main kit onto some more coordinating Hero Hues cardstock using white embossing powder so that the sentiment would really pop. I also die cut two white keys using the fancy key die included in the kit.

I adhered the sentiments and the key die cut to the flat shaker card fronts using foam adhesive to help them stand out even more. I love the simplicity of the color schemes for both of these projects! I was going to try to do my favorite white-on-white, but I thought it would be more fun for Valentine’s Day for my minions to make things sparkly, shiny, and colorful.

My next project uses one of the sweet add-on sets: Flower Girls. The sweet images in this set are perfect for Valentine’s Day or just to send a sweet card to a friend or loved one! I began by stamping one of the little girls on some white, Copic-friendly cardstock using Intens-ified Black ink, then colored her in with my Copic markers, adding little black polka dots to her tights using a fine-tipped black pen. I cut the finished image out with the coordinating Flower Girls Frame Cuts.

I wanted to allow her bright raspberry colored frock to really pop from the card front, so I die cut a Paper Layering Floral Heart with Frame die cut from some more white cardstock. I offset the die cut to the right side of my card front, trimming off the edge with my sharp scissors. I adhered the white die cut to the white card base using foam tape to really allow those lovely details in the die cut to pop on the monochromatic background.

I stamped a greeting from Flower Girls on a strip of white cardstock, then trimmed around the sentiment using my sharp scissors to help keep things super delicate. (Isn’t that sentiment just precious?) I adhered the Flower Girls die cut and sentiment over the top of the heart die cut with some more foam tape, creating a double layer of foam tape in some spots and helping to create tons of dimension on this project!

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

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, January 16th 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!