Hi everyone and welcome to another week on the Hero Arts blog! We’re super excited about this week and can’t wait to tell you who will be joining us for the next few days…

We’re happy to welcome the Hero Hostesses!  These encouraging, helpful, and oh-so-talented gals even came up with the idea for this week’s theme. Each Hostess will be creating a card based on one of the first cards they uploaded to the Hero Arts Flickr group, but that is somehow enhanced and incorporates things they have learned since then. The focus is on learning and growing as a stamper– a fitting theme for this time of year, since so many kids are back to school. One exciting thing about stamping is that there’s always something new to try! So, this week we will be showing you two cards from each Hostess — one of their first creations for a Hero Arts challenge AND a brand new card, inspired by the original.

First up today is Hostess Kathy Racoosin with a fantastic card makeover. Here’s Kathy now with more:  “For this challenge I wanted to use the same stamp that I used in the first challenge I submitted to Hero Arts. Here is the card…”

(Click image for a larger view.)

“What I have learned since last February is that you can color a lot of images at one time by using your distressing inks and I thank Jennifer McGuire for this great tip. I also have learned more about incorporating layers, textures and adding embellishments. I love how Hero Arts buttons, gems, pearls and flowers all coordinate with the note cards so it’s really easy to pull a card together fast. Check out my blog here for a tip sheet to show how I added the dimension to my heart!”

Supplies:

• Clear Design: Hugs and Hearts
• Clear Design: Spring Borders
• Summer Mixed Notecards
• Peeled Paint & Broken China Distress Ink
• Baby Blue & Clear Gemstones (I used the baby blue)
• Medium Accent Pearls & Small Accent Pearls
• Light Blue Accent Pearls
• Summer Felt Flowers (I inked up the backside of the felt flower)
• Art Flowers Summer
• Other: vintage buttons, large pearls (Crystal Stickers), tiny blue gemstones (Memory Box), white accent pen

WOW, get that card a frame — it’s gorgeous!

Our second card makeover today comes from Hostess Lin Brandyberry, and it’s another beauty. Lin shares, “This card is one I made last October. I chose it because I love autumn, and I wanted to create more of a feel for what this season means to me: swirling, colorful leaves and harvest groupings.”

(Click image for a larger view.)

“I think distressing gives more interest by adding some depth to a flat image, so I distressed many of the edges in this new version. I overstamped the pumpkins with secondary patterns (script, woodgrain, and screen shadow), again giving more interest. I also added a little raffia bow to the largest pumpkin. And lastly, I raised a few of the elements above the card for more dimension; the original was completely flat.”

Supplies:

• Clear Design: Happy Thanksgiving
• Clear Design: Season of Giving
• Artistic Windows
• Screen Shadow
• Memories ArtPrint Brown Ink
• Other: rust, orange & olive inks, orange & gold cardstock, various patterned papers for quilt strips, raffia bow

I love how Lin’s card shows how small details can really take a card to the next level — and I always love seeing her beautiful quilt inspired designs!

Thanks, Kathy and Lin, for the wonderful inspiration today!

So…we have a fun challenge for you this week. The challenge is to create a project trying something new or something you have recently learned. (If you would like to base your project on one of your first cards and link to it you may, but it is not required.) All you have to do is use at least one Hero Arts stamp or digital element and upload your projects to the Hero Arts Flickr Group by Sunday, September 20 at 11:59 pm PST. Please tag your creations with the code word learning. By entering, you could win a shopping spree of your choice of Hero Arts products from the NEW Hero Arts Online Store! (Shipping charges apply.) Winners will also receive a 2009 Hero Arts catalog, sent separately. The prize amounts are as follows:

• Fresh Face Winner (someone who has not yet won a contest): $50
• Digital Winner (create something using a Hero Arts Digital Kit): $50
• Scrapbook Page Winner: $50
• 1st Place: $50
• 2nd Place: $25
• 3rd Place: $15

This should be fun!! We have lots to share this week so be sure to visit each day for more inspiration from the Hostesses. See you tomorrow!

Filed under: learning

This entry was posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 4:10 am and is filed under Motivation Mondays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.