Category: Hero Arts

Kraft, Red and Green

I’ve been enjoying myself this week in the Christmas in a Flurry class at Ellen Hutson’s. Julie has shared some fantastic projects and ideas. What’s emerged from the class for me is how much I like the combination of kraft cardstock with red and green inks. Maybe it’s the dark, or the frequent rains here in the Pacific Northwest, whatever the reason, the combination feels warm and cozy.

This CAS-style card came together quickly using the Hero Arts background stamp. I dipped the wood veneer tree in Versamark and then WOW embossing powder. I heat embossed the tree and then reapplied the ink and powder two more times for a smooth finish.

Trees

I also crafted a couple of tags – super simple and fun.

Tags

Supplies: WOW gold embossing powder

Holiday Card Workshop Days 6-8

We’re into the second week of the Holiday Card Workshop. This week, I’ve been using a lot of Ranger Distress inks. I’m sharing cards crafted with some of my favorite combinations.

My first card was inspired by one of Jennifer McGuire’s. I blended Tumbled Glass and Evergreen Boughs for my background. I placed a landscape cut from an Impression Obsession die on top.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 6-8

My next card is a variation of one made by Kristina Werner. My version is a bit simpler than the one she shared in class. She had stamped snowflakes onto her card in pigment ink. When I did the same, the snowflakes didn’t make much of an impact, so I remade the card adding a little sparkle with Stickles. There’s Iced Spruce in the right-hand corner, Evergreen Bough in the left-hand corner, and Peacock Feathers along the top.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 6-8

For the card I made today, I combined a design from class by Amber Kemp-Gerstel with one I saw made by Cheiron Brandon. The trees are die cut from the card base and the panels with the distress inks are adhered to the back – Peacock Feathers, Evergreen Bough, and Tumbled Glass.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 6-8

You’ll notice that the sentiment is the same on all three cards. It’s from the Hero Arts + Studio Calico “Spread Joy” set. I’ve had it on my stamping block all week!

Supplies:

Holiday Card Workshop Days 2 + 3

I’ve been busy making cards for the Holiday Card Workshop. It’s been raining and dark out, so unfortunately my photos aren’t the best – there’s just not enough light inside my house!

Day Two’s focus was on using background stamps in interesting ways. The class cards by Lisa Spangler used the Hero Arts Snowflakes & Edges Stamp. I don’t own that stamp, so I used Hero Arts Studio Calico Chevron.

I stamped the background stamp with different Distress Inks. The Festive Berries and Evergreen Bough were my favorite. The third strip is stamped with Encore silver ink. I added a sentiment from Technique Tuesday’s Jingle All the Way by Ali Edwards. The stars are die cut with some glitter paper I bought at Target.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 2 + 3

My second take on Lisa’s card is decidedly simpler! I paired a panel stamped with Shabby Shutters distress ink with one stamped with Festive Berries.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 2 + 3

Today’s lesson covered dry embossing. I wanted to give Julie Ebersole’s card a try. I added gesso to the embossed panel (using a portion of the Hero Arts Sizzix Large Christmas Words folder). I then applied Tumbled Glass Distress ink and some Rock Candy Stickles to the raised section with my finger (the Stickles are impossible to see in the photo). I added some Distress ink to the edge of the panel as well. The patterned paper is from Echo Park and the wood veneer stars from both Studio Calico and Maya Road. I colored the snowflakes with gesso. The style of this card is completely different than most cards I make. (And I probably wouldn’t send a card with the wood veneer. I happened to have those on hand. Julie’s card used something less dimensional!) That being said, it was fun to do something a little messier than what I usually do.

Holiday Card Workshop Days 2 + 3

Holiday Card Workshop Day 1

The Holiday Card Workshop taught by Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire kicked off today. I’ve taken every one of their Online Card Classes classes – the instruction and inspiration never disappoints. Today’s cards were both fabulous, but  as I was running short on crafting time, I created them digitally with the Hero Arts “Holiday House” kit.

My variation of Jennifer’s card pairs some holiday brights that I’ve recently enjoyed playing with. The digitally created panel was printed and mounted onto Hero Arts cardstock.

Holiday Card Workshop Day 1

 

For my take on Kristina’s card, I colored one of the kit’s houses digitally, printed and fussy-cut it. I glued the house onto a cardstock panel that was created digitally as well. The card base uses the Hero Arts cardstock.

Holiday Card Workshop Day 1

 

Pirate Owl

I recently read the Happiness Project and Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. (I highly recommend both titles.) Rubin mentions how she enjoys children’s literature aka kidlit, and I realized how much I do as well. As a result, I’ve recently been rediscovering children’s picture books.

This card, featuring the owl from the Paper Smooches “Spookalicous” stamp set, is inspired by such illustrations. As you can see I’ve added origami to the card, for which the Hero Arts newspaper background stamp works well to create a textured sail.

Paper Smooches Pirate Owl

 

Supplies: Bazzill gray cardstock; Hero Arts pirate digital kit (pirate’s hat); Echo Park Letter stickers; origami paper