Today I will be sharing some cards that use the same stamp set as yesterday…but look very different. I have always liked combining a darker color with bright happy colors. The cards today have a special place in my heart because I am sending them to people who need a little “mood lift”.

Here is the first card created with the “celebrate today” stamp from the new Together Special Edition set.  The inside of this card reads…”and every day“.

Each ribbon is tied around a different layer of paper.  Did you notice the butterfly wings? For Valentine’s Day I am sending this very same card in light pink colors and coloring one of the hearts in the wings with red colored pencil.

I am using the same brown ink pad as yesterday, along with colored pencils. I have added one of our amazing new background images (Raindrop Background). Today I inked it with a single color, and later this week you will see it inked in a several colors for my scrapbook page.

Supplies:

• Together
• Raindrop Background
• ArtPrint Brown Dye Ink
• Green Apple, Kraft, Chocolate, White and Pool Notecards
• Other:  assorted ribbons, colored pencils

Instructions:

1. After stamping the image in ArtPrint Brown ink and trimming the image, cut all the papers to the desired sizes. Stamp the Raindrop pattern on the Pool paper.
2. Color the image with colored pencils, overlapping the darker colors over the lighter ones.
3. Arrange the papers on a Green Apple Notecard. The ribbons are wrapped and attached under the card, and the knots are glued on top of the ribbon…much easier than trying to tie the knot on the front of the card.

Now for another card in the same bright and cheerful colors.  I love layering colored pencils over brown ink — it adds a rich color in unusual shades.

Layering small gemstones over the Sparkle Gem Blossoms is so easy, and it makes the Blossom Gemstones look really fancy too.

Supplies:

• Together
• Raindrop Background
• ArtPrint Brown Dye Ink
• Sparkle Gems Blossoms
• Teal Gemstones
• Citron Gemstones
• Lavender Gemstones
• Sparkle Gems Hearts
• Green Apple, Kraft, Chocolate, White and Pool Notecards
• Other: colored pencils

Instructions:

1. Stamp the “from the heart” image in ArtPrint Brown ink on a piece of Green Apple paper. Add color with pencils around the edges and over the brown hearts. Place one purple heart to the side of one of the colored hearts.
2. After stamping Raindrop Background on Pool paper in ArtPrint Brown ink, layer the colored papers as shown.
3. Add the Sparkle Gems Blossoms in a row, placing a different color of gemstone on top of each.

All of the brand new stamps I’ve used on today’s cards are now available in the Hero Arts Online Store! 

And I’m happy to say that today we’re giving away THREE of the the Together Special Edition sets.  For a chance to win, just leave a comment here and tell me…if there were a “neatest desk” challenge, do you think you would win?  Not me…another permanent New Year’s resolution.   Let me know how the top of your desk (or other stamping surface) looks and on Friday morning I’ll randomly select three winners from the comments.

Have a great time with layering gems, papers, and colored pencils. I can’t wait to see your cards and projects.

Happy New Year everybody! In my continual quest to make life simpler…and more fun…I will be using my blog week to create background papers from stamps, accessories and dimensional effects from stamps, and using Hero Arts supplies in unique ways throughout the year.

This week is about layering, layering and more layering! Why layering? Because one of my (permanent) New Year’s resolutions is to use up the paper I have. Then I started thinking about all the other layering possibilities: paper flowers, buttons, ribbons, colored pencils, felt flowers, gemstones and images. So this week is all about layering and I am using a single set with three additional background images the entire week.

The minute I got the Together Set (LP141) I knew it was destined to be one of my favorites. Use any of the images with the techniques shown each day. Because the sentiment can be used for many different occasions this set will always have a place on my desk. I look forward to seeing what layering techniques you all come up with.  Your ingenuity always inspires me.

These new felt flowers are so much fun! Try using paper with a small pattern to mount under the flowers.

Supplies:

• NEW Together
• NEW Houndstooth Background
• StazOn Jet Black Ink
• ArtPrint Brown Dye Ink
• Kraft Notecards
• Chocolate Notecards
• NEW Neutral Felt Flowers
• Neutral Art Flowers
• Small & Medium Accent Pearls

Instructions:

1. Stamp “Together” image in black ink on Kraft paper, allow to dry and trim close to image. Stamp houndstooth pattern on Kraft paper in ArtPrint Brown ink and trim close to the pattern.
2. After mounting the houndstooth pattern on black paper, set aside. Mount the trimmed “together” image on Chocolate paper. Add the additional layers shown, matching bottom and right sides.
3. Attach the mounted houndstooth pattern on a Chocolate notecard and add the layered “together” image. Remove the backing from a white and a brown felt flower and attach to Kraft colored paper. Using the scissors, trim around the flowers. Add the felt flowers, layer with smaller flowers in contrasting colors and add pearls to the center of each flower.

Now think of all the messages you can put inside that go along with “together”:

• “…we can have fun”
• “…is the best way to spend a vacation”
• “…for the rest of our life”
  
• “…we can overcome anything“

Please add any other idea in your comments, as this is one of my favorite easy-to-work-with sets.

Using basically the same supplies as the card above you can create a very different look (and use up those “adorable” little knots of ribbon you are saving).

Using layers of chalk pencils gives you the opportunity to change the colors of the bird image to match the colors of the paper you wish to use. Chalk pencils are available at most craft stores and are very forgiving to use. They can be blended with cotton swabs and several colors can be layered together.

Supplies:

• NEW Together
• StazOn Jet Black Ink
• Notecards in Kraft, Hyacinth, Black, Chocolate & Cantaloupe
• Other:  ribbons, chalk pencils

Instructions:

1. Stamp “Together” image in black ink on Kraft paper, allow to dry and trim close to image.
2. Add color to the image using chalk pencils. Add a soft layer of color, blend with a cotton swab and add more layers if desired. Layer the trimmed image on Black, Hyacinth, and Kraft papers as shown and mount on a Cantaloupe notecard.
3. Add small knots of assorted ribbons to the upper corner of the card.

As you’ve probably guessed, this week’s challenge is to include layering on your projects.  Please use at least one Hero Arts stamp and load your creations into the Hero Arts Flickr pool by Sunday, January 11th at 11:59pm PST.  Tag your submissions with the word “layers” and have fun!  Here are the prizes…

• Fresh Face Winner (someone who has not yet won a contest): $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
• Scrapbook Page Winner: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
• 1st Place: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
• 2nd Place: $25 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
• 3rd Place: $10 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog

And…as a special surprise the winner of this week’s challenge will receive (in addition to the regular prize) an autographed copy of “Footsteps In The Fog”, an intriguing book about Alfred Hitchcock by Aaron Leventhal (the owner of Hero Arts). More about his book can be seen on www.santamonicapress.com.

Tomorrow the cards will look very different but use the same stamp set as today. We will be layering colored pencils, gems and ribbons. Changing the color of the paper you stamp on dramatically changes the look of your card.

See you tomorrow!  In the meantime we are so excited to have our entire new catalog up on the website for all of you to see. Read all about it HERE in this post.

The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived…

…the Hero Arts 2009 Catalog is HERE — click the link to begin browsing the catalog!

Click on a sample for complete materials and instructions. Or, click on a stamp to see a sample using it — soon there will be a sample for EVERY stamp!

Purchase a copy of the catalog, selected stamps, and kits HERE in the Hero Arts Online Store! Or, use our Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

[Update at noon PST: We have finished adding a selection of kits and stamps to the store.  Watch for more in the coming weeks!  Also note that if you have a coupon for a free 2009 catalog, you may redeem it at checkout.]

Happy New Year and Happy Stamping!
Hero Arts

Hi everyone!  It’s Saturday and before we wrap up our week of thank you cards, I have a bonus idea to share from Robyn Werlich.  Check out this snowflake thank you she created.  Isn’t it wonderful? I love the colors and the way she layered the snowflakes.

Card by Robyn Werlich.
Supplies:

• Clear Design Winter’s Butterfly
  
• Clear Design Let It Snow
  
• Clear Design Anytime Messages
  
• Snowflake Gemstones
  
• Assorted Crystal Gemstones
  

Thanks Robyn!  And thanks to you all for stopping by this week.  It’s been fun…

• We started off on Monday with four cards plus a video on spotlight stamping with glitter.
  
• On Tuesday, special guest Heather Nichols stopped by to share several fabulous cards and I showed an idea for a personalized photo thank you.
• Wednesday brought even more cards and a video on stamp kissing — a fun technique to try with our new shadow stamps and inks.
• And Friday, we closed the week by offering up four more fun thank you card ideas plus a layout.

Hope these ideas have inspired you to create some holiday thank you cards of your own!  You have until Sunday at 11:59pm PST to upload your challenge cards to the Flickr pool.  Details can be found at the bottom of this post.  We’ve got lots of great prizes to give away so I hope you can play!

And a reminder…we’ll have the brand new 2009 catalog (and LOTS of samples!) online on Monday. You won’t want to miss it!

Happy weekend,

I have good news!  Dani Peterson is the winner of the CardMakers SketchBook from Tuesday.  I will email you.

Thanks again for stopping by this week.  See you soon…

Happy Friday!

As a New Years gift to you, I have lots of projects to share with you today.  Consider it a “thank you” from us for visiting us throughout the year.

First up, I thought I would share a holiday thank you card I made for my mom.  I used some wide ribbon that was from my grandma - adding a special touch.  The stitching was done using a Hero Arts Tall Tree stamp as a guide.  It is actually very simple:  I cut a piece of cardstock to fit the back of the ribbon and adhered it there.  On the cardstock, I stamped the tree.  I then used it as a guide to poke holes and stitched along. Keeping the cardstock attached, I added the ribbon piece to the card with pop dots.  This is fun and works great with fabric!

Supplies:

• Tall Trees
• Clear Design Thoughtful Messages
• DesignBlock Holly Flourish
• Black and White Memories Inks
• Hero Arts Green and Kraft Notecards
• Other: Wide ribbon, silk ribbon (Creative Impressions), embroidery floss (DMC), button (Buttons Galore), permanent pen (Sharpie - to color the button gold), embossing tool (Cuttlebug)

Check out this next card - a super classy one by Tami Hartley.  Wow!  She is so clever - she turned the holiday gift tag into a glittery ornament that says “thank you.”

Card by Tami Hartley.
Supplies:

• Clear Design Holiday Gift Tags
• Clear Design Thank You Messages
• Chalk Ink Queue - Christmas
• Hero Arts Notecards
  
• Prisma Glitter
• Other: snowflake embossing folder (Cuttlebug), scallop border punch and frond punch (Martha Stewart), 1 3/4″ circle punch (EK Success), silk ribbon, pop dots

Next up we have a fun card from the stamper extraordinaire, Lisa Spangler.  She used a holiday owl with a NEW Woodgrain Background.  Love it!

Card by Lisa Spangler.
Supplies:

• Clear Design Owl Christmas
• Clear Design Thank You Messages
• NEW Woodgrain Pattern
• NEW Raindrop Background
• White Embossing Powder
• NEW Light Green Pearls
• NEW Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• NEW Diamond Glitter Glue
• Strawberry & Mocha Notecards
• Other: Prismacolor pencils, American Crafts ribbon, Tonic paper edge distressor, EK Success corner rounder punch

Now it is time for a delightful card from Sally Traidman.  We always tease Sally because she is so very fast at creating cards!  (And we are insanely jealous because the rest of us are slow!) :)  But her quick cards always make me smile.  Isn’t this great?

Card by Sally Traidman.
Supplies:

• Sparkle Clear Happy Winter Occasions
• Whimsical Flower
• DesignBlock Thank You
  
• Hero Arts Notecard
• Chalk Ink Queue - Christmas
• Green and Red Gemstones
• Other: punches (EK Success)

I am sure that you all have some great photos from the holidays, so I thought I would share a bonus holiday layout.  This one is from Laura Vegas.  It simply brings a smile to my face.  I love the white embossing for the background and how she stamped lightly with black ink on the white cardstock so the texture would show through.  Fabulous!

Layout by Laura Vegas.
Supplies:

• DesignBlock Holly Flourish
  
• Large Christmas Circles
• Pocketful O’ Holiday Trees
  
• Three Tall Trees
• Black Memories Ink
• Versamark Ink and White Embossing Powder
• Clear Gemstones
• Other: Circle cutter, buttons, string, punches (EK Success), embossing tool (Cuttlebug), letter stickers (Making Memories) and patterned paper

Oh!  And I have BIG news for you!  The catalog will be online on Monday, along with a sample for every stamp!  You are gonna love it all.

Have a fab weekend…

Happy New Year everyone!  Thank you so much for spending time with us here at the Hero Arts blog.  I know all of us have so much fun putting this blog together.  We truly appreciate your support and are looking forward to a creative new year with you!

I’m here today to announce the winners of the Sketch Challenge with BasicGrey.  WOW…it seems the holidays kicked everyone’s creativity into overdrive! We were happy to see so many fantastic sketch entries.  Thanks for making time to play along.  And now…let’s start off 2009 by showcasing some wonderful creations!

First, the Fresh Face prize this week goes to cassie017.  She rotated one of the sketches and created this absolutely beautiful butterfly card…

We also loved this card of hers — simply sweet!

The winner in the Scrapbooking category is mjphotos2007 with this fantastic page… a great mix of stamping, patterned paper, and embellishments that keeps the focus on the photo.  Great job!

Coming in First Place this week is kimberlykscrawford with her fabulous take on the Friday sketch. I just love this combination of colors and kraft - bold yet pretty.

Second Place goes to stampyng for this adorable owl Christmas card that’s full of charm and wonderful details.

Elin A is our Third Place winner.  I love the dimension she gave the butterfly wings and the pearls provide the perfect touch.

This week we also offered a special bonus prize for featuring BasicGrey paper on your creations.  The winner of the BasicGrey Bonus is stampstudio1(Susan)…look at the beautiful way she used the papers from BasicGrey’s Urban Prairie line in combination with some of Hero’s new 2009 stamps.  Stunning!

And…we’d like to give special recognition to a couple of outstanding Honorable Mention creations.  You will each get several packs of Hero Arts notecards!

This knockout card by Kelly Rasmussen is so pretty and fresh and makes me think of spring.

And we have an honorable mention for Ashley M as well.  Her lovely card in soothing shades of blue is perfection!

Congrats to all!  Winners and honorable mentions, please email us at the address in the blog sidebar with “BasicGrey Sketch Challenge” and your prize in the subject line and we’ll send your prizes.  Thanks!

There’s still time to play in this week’s “thank you” challenge –  check HERE for more information.

Happy New Year from everyone at Hero Arts!  We wish each of you a happy, healthy, and creative 2009!

Happy New Year!

We have a lucky winner of the Clear Design Thank You Messages set from Monday… Margaret C!  We will email you.

Have a good one…

Thanks for stopping back by for our “thank you” week!

Yesterday, I shared some fun and colorful designs.  Today I have some softer projects.  In fact, I created two thank you cards that incorporate holiday stamps, but in a very subtle way.  The cards also demonstrate something fun that you can do with our new shadow stamps and inks - a technique called kissing. :)  And how better to show techniques than with a video…

Here are the two cards.  (Click to see it bigger.)  You can see the grid pattern on the leaves, caused by kissing the new Three Ferns and Screen Shadow stamps together.

Supplies:

• NEW Three Ferns
• NEW Screen Shadow
• Mixed Thank You
• Lily Pad Greetings (many thanks)
• Clear Design Holiday Wishes (joy)
  
• Flourish Christmas Tree
• NEW Shadow Soft Green, Soft Pool and Soft Sand Inks
• Artprint Brown Memories Ink
  
• Pumpkin Patch Chalk Ink Queue
• Hero Arts Notecards
• NEW Green Pearls
  
• Other: vintage paper, patterned papers (Bo Bunny), circle punches (EK Success), Ranger Ink Applicator and string

Oh, and you may be wondering where the holiday stamps are in those two cards.  For the “many thanks” card, I stamped the word JOY repeatedly from the holiday Clear Design Holiday Wishes set.  On the “thank you” card, I stamped the Flourish Christmas Tree in different directions to create a swirly background.  Since these are subtle, they could be used for any card.

And, of course, I had to ask my favorite stamper, the wonderful Shari Carroll, to create for us this week.  I am in awe at her creations - aren’t they magnificent?  Wow!

Scrapling and card by Shari Carroll.
Supplies:

• Pocketful o’ Holiday Trees
• Clear Design Thank You Messages
• Felt Snowflakes
• White Embossing Powder
• Card Buttons Neutral
• VersaMark Ink
• Pumpkin Patch Chalk Queue
• White Notecards
• Kraft Notecards
• Other:  patterned paper (BasicGrey Wassail), embossing folders (Cuttlebug), Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink, string and ribbon.

Thank you, Shari!

I have one more great card for you today.  I was blog hopping a week or so ago and came upon a very creative card by Kimber McGray.  I just LOVED what she did with the Flourish Christmas Tree on THIS card.  So, I asked her to create another with this technique for us!  Here it is.  She was so clever to cut the tree to varying heights.

Card by Kimber McGray.
Supplies:

• Clear Design Jolly Christmas
• Flourish Christmas Tree
• Gems
• Other: cardstock (Worldwin), punches (EK Success and Marvy), ribbon (Making Memories)

And, not only did Kimber create a great card for us, but she also gave me something to giveaway here!  She has cards in the CardMaker’s SketchBook… and a copy of the book could be yours!  Just leave a comment here by 11:59pmPST on Friday telling me a favorite gift you have given to someone and I will pick a winner of this…

(Oh, and I hear that Kimber will be having a Hero Arts giveaway on her blog today, too…)

Glad you stopped by today,

Take a look at this wonderful year-in-review layout by Robyn Werlich — what a great way to wrap up 2008!  Complete supplies and instructions are HERE.  Enjoy!

See you in 2009!