June My Monthly Hero Release!

Hello! Today I'm joining the release blog hop for the June My Monthly Hero kit from Hero Arts! I am so in love with this beautiful mermaid-themed kit. The images are large and fun to color, and the artwork is spectacular!

For my project, I created a mini flat-lay art journal! If you're interested to learn how I made the actual journal, leave a comment and let me know. Maybe I'll pull together a video - I've been wanting to get back into video making.

But for my project today, I'm sharing the art journal spread I created using the kit.

I used some old acrylic paints from my stash to create the background. Texture was layered on with Abstract Waves and Tile Pattern stencils using more paint and Glitter Hero Paste. White bubbles were adding by painting white paint onto bubble wrap and pressing it gently onto the page.

For the ocean floor, I added one of my very favorite things - Sand Embossing Powder!

The mermaid and seaweed were stamped onto Dina Wakley Collage Tissue Paper with Intens-ified Black Ink, colored lightly with Copics and added with matte medium. Once the glue was dry, I added Stabilo pencil - blue and green to the seaweed, and some black around the images. I used a water brush to smear it a bit.

To finish up the page, I added some White Hero Wax around the edges for some extra shine. The mermaid has a lot of texture under her, since I added her over top of my stenciling. If I were to redo it, I would probably add her first, and then add the stenciling. Live and learn. 🙂

Here's a look at this beautiful kit:

Now it's time to hop! Visit these amazing artists and see what they've created today. Every comment you leave along the way gets you in the running for a $50 gift card to the Hero Arts store, drawn randomly from the comments. You have until Sunday, June 12th at 11:59pm Pacific to enter, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Libby Hickson
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Seeka
Special Guests:
Jennifer Kotas
Jenn Shurkus
Kelly Taylor
Meg Brooks
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel
And visit on Instagram:
Andrew Granick

Thanks for stopping by,

Here's a look at the products included in this release. I don't use affiliate links, this is only for information. If you're going to click to shop, please considering supporting one of the other artists in the blog hop.

June 2022 My Monthly Hero [ HA ] Get Them All June Add-ons [ HA ] CG883 Dark Sea Bold Prints [ HA ] CG884 Antique Hero Map Bold Prints [ HA ] CM625 Mermaid Wishes [ HA ] DF061 Mermaid Wishes Frame Cuts (D) [ HA ] SB318 Mermaid Wishes Bundle [ HA ] CM626 Jawsome Sharks [ HA ] DF062 Jawsome Sharks Frame Cuts (C) [ HA ] SB319 Jawsome Sharks Bundle [ HA ] CM627 Message in a Bottle [ HA ] DF065 Message in a Bottle Frame Cuts (D) [ HA ] SB320 Message in a Bottle Bundle [ HA ] CM630 Mermaid Cove [ HA ] DF063 Lighthouse & Sailboat Cover... [ HA ] DF064 Looking Glass Pearl (E) [ HA ] SA197 Tide Stencil [ HA ]

Supporting Ukraine Fundraiser & Blog Hop

Hi friends. Today I'm joining the Hero Arts team for a special blog hop. We are honoring Ukraine, and our friend Yana Smakula. I worked with Yana for many years when she was part of the Hero Arts Creative Team. She is such a wonderful, talented, sweet person. I watch in horror to see what is happening to her beautiful country. She is on my mind nonstop.

Hero Arts has created a new printable file that can be purchased, downloaded and printed. All revenue from this digital stamp set will be donated to the Ukranian Red Cross. It's a beautiful sunflower image and coordinating messages.

I created a card today using the download. I actually just printed it out on regular printer paper and colored it. I was just testing it at the time, but I decided to go forward and put it onto a card. It worked great! But many printers (mine included) also allow you to print directly onto cardstock. For mine, I need to use the back feeder to run the cardstock through. Here is my card...

I colored the gorgeous sunflower image with my Copic markers and then fussy cut. I found an ink-smooshed background in my stash, and stamped over it with the Novel Prose background stamp. I also did a little ink blending through my Floral Tile stencil, and added a die cut Oval Woodgrain Frame.

The sunflower is part of an entire collection of products Hero Arts has gathered together into the Support Ukraine collection. To honor Ukraine, and help counter the devastation and destruction, they are donating 100% of our net profits from sales of this Support Ukraine collection. Funds will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross for immediate, on-the-ground help. And they will continue our fundraising efforts to also support the long-term rebuilding that will be required to restore schools, roads, homes, and the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

I'm joining a blog hop today, let's see what the others are sharing.

Hero Arts

Lydia Fiedler

Seeka

Ilina Crouse

Mindy Eggen

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Daniel West

Debi Adams

Michelle Short

Emily Midgett

Channin Pelletier

Libby Hickson

Thanks for stopping by,

I do not use affiliate links on my blog. But here are the thumbnails that can be clicked on to purchase these Support Ukraine products:

Giving Sunflower Digital Download |... [ HA ] AF341 Indigo Bold Ink | Hero Arts [ HA ] AF331 Dandelion Bold Ink | Hero Arts [ HA ] CM411 Sunflower Field HeroScape |... [ HA ] DI737 Sunflower Field HeroScape Frame... [ HA ] CM496 Good Vibes | Hero Arts [ HA ] K6289 Hero Florals Sunflower Stem |... [ HA ] K5517 Tall Wheat | Hero Arts [ HA ]

March 2022 My Monthly Hero Release!

Hello and welcome to the March 2022 My Monthly Hero release blog hop! This month's release is so much fun - it's a trip to the art museum. The main kit includes a stamp set with images of paint splatters, which are so much fun to ink up. But especially fun are the four bold embossing powders in the kit, which can be layered on top of each other.

There is also a fabulous die in the kit, that can be used in so many ways. I was inspired to leave the art museum and travel to the aquarium!

For my fish, I stamped on an old alcohol ink panel I had in my stash. I didn't love the panel on it's own, but when used as a base for my fish it's so much fun!

For the frame, I inked it up with my Copics. The coral is die cut from ...

I made a bunch of card using that fabulous frame, pairing them with bits and pieces of backgrounds I've had in my stash.

Well that was fun! :) 

Now it's time to hop. Go visit these amazing artists and see what they've created!

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Libby Hickson
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Seeka
Special Guests:
Jennifer Kotas
Meg Brooks
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel

And grab your kit before they are gone!

Hero Arts Spring 2022 Release Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome! Today I am hopping along with the Hero Arts team to launch the big 2022 Spring Catalog! There are so many fantastic new goodies in this catalog - if you just stumbled upon my blog, I highly recommend you start back at the Hero Arts blog post and take it all in!

For my first card today, I used this GORGEOUS new Magnolia Branches Cover Plate die. Being from Georgia, they had me at the mention of magnolias. But being ME, I went and made it purple, nothing like an actual magnolia. But there are no rules in art, right? And actually, there are some rather hot pink magnolia blossoms out there, so this isn't THAT far off.  🙂

I used my Hero Arts Liquid Watercolors to paint the cut out piece, then rubbed a little Sparkle Clear Lacquer Pen onto the base of each blossom. The greeting was added by die cutting messages from the new Celebrate Words Fancy Dies set. There are three different word die sets in this release, similar to the ones I used. I love them, I'll be using them again and again! I cut them from silver glitter paper for my card, with a vellum offset shadow - which all proved a bit difficult to photograph.

For my second card, I had fun with a whole bunch of bees from the Sweet As Honey stamp set and coordinating dies. You may recognize this adorable chunky bee - he was part of the January 2021 My Monthly Hero kit, which won the "favorite kit" poll last October and became a new product in this catalog release. Yay!

I arranged the die cuts on a panel of Adriatic cardstock, which was in turn mounted on Cranberry. Little hearts were die cut and added to each bee, and bit of Wink of Stella on the wings finished off the card.

Now it's time to hop! There is so much fabulous inspiration on this hop, you won't want to miss it! Hero Arts will give away THREE $50 gift cards, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, February 20 at 11:59pm pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you'll have to win!

Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Dana Joy
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Libby Hickson (you are here!)
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Pocono Pam
Seeka

Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Jennifer Kotas
Meg Brooks
Rebecca Keppel
BreAnn Loveland
Kelly Taylor

Everything is at Hero Arts and ready to ship, other than the new (AWESOME!) tools. They will be available in March. (Hint! Look up the tools on the Hero Arts website & sign up to be notified when they come into stock - that way you won't miss them, AND there's a fun surprise happening when you sign up!)

Thanks for stopping by today!