Happy Friday everyone, and welcome to my final post for this week. Today I am sharing a flowery ‘Hello’ card that fits in with this month’s contest. I absolutely love the butterfly image from the new Greetings stamp set. And when I saw it was also featured slightly smaller in the new Just Because set too, I knew I had to pair them up.

Card by Lucy Abrams. Full supplies and instructions here.

I used beautiful patterned papers from BasicGrey’s Picadilly line, stamping the butterflies on pale aqua paper, then layering them up with foam adhesive beneath the wings.

I hope this inspires you to get creating, hopefully something for our current contest.

Speaking of contests, we have some blinkie contest winners to let you know about today. We love seeing so many blinking hearts and sweet squirrels out there in blogland! Thank you for displaying the blinkies and badges and sharing a little Hero Arts love with your blog readers! Now, the three randomly selected winners of a $20 Hero Arts shopping spree are…

• Dori (comment #28)
• Melinda Abrahamson (comment #43)
• Jennifer Harrison (comment #159)

Congratulations! Winners, please contact us at the winner’s email address listed over in the sidebar and we’ll arrange for your prizes to be sent out.

Have a fun and inky weekend,

Hello and TGIF! Or as we like to say today on the blog, TGFR… thank goodness for RIBBON! We’ve had so much fun playing with May Arts ribbon this week, and hope we’ve inspired you to try something new on your own projects. But we’re not done yet! Two more of our artists have combined Hero Arts stamps with May Arts ribbon for your viewing pleasure!

First up, Sally Traidman:

“My first card features our new Wet Cement ink pad and the giant True Friends background. I did that fancy fold and glued some BasicGrey Kissing Booth paper on the front fold.  Next I used our new Frame Cuts Heart Frame to cut through felt and tulle. The May Arts metallic ribbon (397-14-05) and a scrap of sparkly tulle make a great embellishment on the heart!”

Card by Sally Traidman.  Find complete supplies and instructions here.

“My second card uses the giant red rick rack (330-14) from May Arts as an edge. Again I added BasicGrey Kissing Booth paper for some contrast. The red on red  heart is from Four Hearts and is die cut with the same Frame Cuts die.  The little flower is made from bunched up rick rack held together with a needle and thread. I added glitter for a center and a touch of bling.  I love the texture of watercolor paper, so I cut a squarish card from that for the base card.”

Card by Sally Traidman. Find complete supplies and instructions here.

And one last Valentine before you head into the weekend, created by our own Tami Hartley. Tami worked with some adorable dotted grosgrain (DD-14) and some wonderful May Arts burlap string (SM-10) to create this happy little card. Take it away, Tami!

“This card started with a couple of hearts that I stamped and die cut using our new Frame Cuts (Heart Frame and Cupcake Frame sets.) After choosing a neutral kraft background, the card seemed like it needed a punch of color and pattern so I added some cute May Arts red grosgrain polka dot ribbon — first a flat piece adhered to the card with double sided tape, then a loop of it layered on top for some extra dimension. I love the playful touch it added! A bit of May Arts twine finishes off the clear button and ties in with the kraft paper.”

Card by Tami Hartley. Find complete supplies and instructions here.

Good news!  We have one more ribbon giveaway for you this week!  Just leave a comment here on this post and let us know how much ribbon you have!!  C’mon, fess up!  You have all weekend to let us know - comment by Sunday night at 9pm EST, and we’ll announce the winner on Monday!

We also promised to announce a winner today - are you ready?

We asked you to leave a comment on Monday’s post for a chance to win three rolls of May Arts ribbon.  Congratulations to commenter #352, Gloria, who said:

“Always love the card ideas! That ribbon looks fabulous.”

Gloria please send your mailing address to the winner email account, which you’ll find over on the sidebar!

There will also be a winner announced on our Facebook page today, so if you commented over there this week, be sure to check if you’re the lucky winner!

Thank you for joining us this week. We’ve had so much fun working with May Arts ribbon, and we hope you’ve enjoyed it too!  Head on over the May Arts blog as they wrap up our week together, too! And a heartfelt thank you to May Arts for sharing their fabulous ribbon with us!

We wish you a wonderful weekend! We’ll see you back here on Monday, when Lucy will be sharing her creativity with us!

Hello! It’s Julie back with another lovey dovey card! But first, I am super excited to announce that we have a new blinkie contest!

Three lucky winners will win a $20 Hero Arts shopping spree! To enter, just grab the code from the sidebar at right for the blinkie or badge — your choice. Add it to your blog, then let us know by leaving a comment on THIS post, making sure to include a link to your blog in the comment. We can’t wait to see those hearts blinking and we’re nuts about the sweet squirrel, too! Randomly selected winners will be announced Friday, February 3rd.

Now on to the card! Punched hearts tucked inside an itty bitty envelope sends such a sweet message, don’t you think?! Check this out…

Card by Julie Ebersole. Find complete supplies and instructions here.

I stamped the Friends Definition background stamp with a soft tan ink onto some cream colored stock and then trimmed it down just ¼” smaller than the A-2 card. I added some twine, and stamped a tiny heart from the  XO stamp set—I inked it with Barn Door Red Distress Ink then stamped it off onto scratch paper before stamping it onto the background to look like little hearts floating up into the air. A little banner with the “sending hugs” sentiment across the top completes the look. How could you not feel loved when you got this in the snail mail?

Thanks for joining me all this week during my time here on the Hero Arts blog. I hope you got some great ideas for letting the people you love know just how special they are!

Happy Friday and welcome to the final day of our 2012 Catalog Blog Hop with the Hero Hostesses! All good things must come to an end — but not before one last hurrah!

Five more Hero Hostesses are here to inspire, and as you can see by the sneak peeks below, it promises to be another fantastic day of creativity!

We know you must be eager to begin, but before you hop along we’d like to take a moment to extend our gratitude.

• First, to our 24 participating Hero Hostesses. Thank you for an incredible five days of inspiration! “Ooh” and “aah” became a permanent part of our vocabulary this week as we hopped along with everyone else and admired your amazing creations. Thank you for sharing so generously of your time and talents and for being a special part of the Hero Arts community. Hugs to each of you!
• A special shout out and heartfelt thanks to Hero Hostess Deborah Nolan for once again lending a helping hand to ensure the smooth operation of the hop. Those of you who know Deborah know what a gift she has for bringing people together towards a common goal.  Always a pleasure working with you, Deborah…thanks so much!
• And finally, thanks to all of YOU for joining us this week and for leaving such kind comments here and on the designers’ blogs. Your comments always make us smile!

Just a few final reminders in case you’re joining us for the first time this week:

• Every comment you leave along the hop (including this post) gives you a chance to win a fabulous assortment of new 2012 Hero Arts stamps!
• Three giveaway winners will be randomly selected and announced here on the blog on Monday, January 16th.
• If you’ve missed any days, you can go back to view and comment today and/or over the weekend. Daily links follow:  Day 1 • Day 2 • Day 3 • Day 4
• Oh, and we should mention that ALL of the new 2012 Catalog stamps you’ve seen showcased this week are now available in the Hero Arts Online Store! The newest designs can be found here in the “Shop by Catalog” category.

And with that…let’s hop to it! Start by clicking over to Anita Recksiedler’s blog and then follow the trail of links to the other Hostesses’ blogs.

Thanks again for joining us and sharing in the excitement of the 2012 Catalog release!

Happy weekend,

P.S. - If you happen to come across any broken links, you can always come back to this post and find links to all of today’s participating bloggers: Anita Recksiedler • Heather Doran • Tracey Kuzniak • Kryssi Ng • Jenny Suchin

Hi everyone! It’s Tami, here today to squeeze in one more card idea — and a giveaway! -- before we all ring in the new year!

I’ve created a thank you card with AC012 Just Because, a gorgeous new stamp set from the 2012 Catalog. This stamp also has a matching Frame Cut die. Stamp first, line up the die, then cut. Super simple! I paper pieced various sections of the image to add some color and dimension without too much bulk.

Card by Tami Hartley. Find complete supplies and instructions here.

And now…a giveaway!! We saved a goodie for the final giveaway of the year — THREE seats in the Clean & Simple Card Making class! Whether you’re a clean & simple kind of cardmaker yourself, or an admirer of the style, check this out…

Join Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire and special guest teacher Julie Ebersole for Clean & Simple Card Making!

In this class we aim to take the mystery out of creating a minimalist card that looks “complete,” and wow you with numerous tips and techniques for clean and simple cards! This upbeat and inspirational class will include nine fabulous guest artists, discounts to our favorite retailers, giveaways and a few surprises along the way! Clean & Simple Card Making will feature over 25 new card ideas and over 15 instructional videos. What better way to start the new year than with a wealth of new ideas to add to your card making arsenal and simplify your creations!

Class is January 9-23, 2012, but class materials (videos, pdfs, etc.) will be accessible for a lifetime. Click HERE for an introduction video and more info!

When the clean slate of 2012 is upon us, wouldn’t it be terrific to have lots of fresh cardmaking inspiration? For a chance to win a spot in Clean & Simple Card Making, leave a comment on this blog post by midnight PST on Sunday, January 1. We’ll randomly draw three lucky winners, to be announced on the blog next week. (If you’ve already purchased the class, a refund will be provided.) Good luck!

Thanks so much for stopping in for a visit today. Happy {almost} New Year, everyone!!

Happy Friday, everyone!  I’m so excited the holiday weekend is almost here.  It’s been a crazy couple of weeks and I am looking forward to spending some relaxing time with my family.

But first I want to share this quick and simple card set that I created using one of my favorite new sentiment sets from the 2012 Catalog.  The Say It All clear stamp set has a sentiment for every occasion in a scripty font that I just love.  It’s perfect to make a coordinating set of cards with a variety of sentiments.

Cards by Kelly Rasmussen.  Find complete supplies and instructions here.

I kept the design simple and limited my supplies so they would be easy to mass produce.  I was able to create all three of these cards in less than an hour! (Which is very fast for this slow card maker.) ;)  So if your looking for a last minute gift idea this might be a great option for you.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Hi all! It’s Tami here with a quick holiday gift idea that fits in with our December contest theme of card sets. I think stationery makes such a great gift. And when you can make it yourself and have fun in the process? Even better!

Today’s flat notecard set was inspired by something I saw marcyk924 share over in the Flickr group a few days ago. Check out her simply brilliant idea here! I just love it! With Marcy’s notecards in mind, I set out to create my own version using a few new 2012 Catalog stamps. I took some photos along the way to show just how easy it is…

1.  The bird label from the new CL591 A Little Note set is so sweet! I stamped it onto various Hero Arts Layering Papers and cut them out. And guess what? This stamp has a coordinating die coming soon — watch for our new line of Frame Cuts in the coming weeks!

2.  From one standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of cardstock, you can cut three flat notes as shown in the diagram below.

3.  Have fun decorating! I stamped an old favorite (Graph Background) onto the bottom portion of each note and a NEW favorite (Newspaper Background) onto the top. A thin strip of BasicGrey Picadilly paper separates the two patterns.

4. Stack them up, tie with ribbon or string, add a pen…and done! A set of 12 would make a nice gift, I think. These will be going to my daughter’s teacher.

Project by Tami Hartley. Click here for complete supplies and instructions.

Will you be creating any last minute holiday gifts this weekend? If you make a notecard set for the monthly contest, be sure to submit it to the Flickr group with the tag December2011B. You could win a $50 Hero Arts shopping spree — to spend on new 2012 Catalog stamps, perhaps?!

Speaking of the new stamps, the 2012 Catalog Debut Party fun continues at participating retailers this weekend — find a party near you over on our party page!

Whether you’re shopping, wrapping, baking, creating, celebrating, or just relaxing, I hope you’re enjoying the season. Joy to all!

Hello and welcome to the Hero Arts 2012 Catalog Blog Hop! We’re so glad you’re here!

This is the first of 20 stops on the hop that will give you inspiring previews of brand-new-for-2012 clear, cling, and woodblock stamps. The new stamps debut at Hero Arts Catalog Preview Parties around the world starting tomorrow, December 10th, continuing through January 5th when the new catalog is released! Wondering if there’s a Preview Party near you? Visit our party page for a list of locations. (P.S. — Don’t forget your camera. There’s a Catalog Debut Photo Contest with BIG prizes!)

So, are you ready to sample some 2012 Catalog goodness? Let’s hop right to it!

Our own Hero Artist Sally Traidman is here to get the party started. Sally says, “I am honored to be kicking off the hop with one of my favorite new clear sets, CL586 XO. The giant XOXO was one that I requested since I am always sending off giant ‘hugs’ cards! Of course, I could not pass up my signature pink and orange! I used our new bright ‘Bubblegum’ pad and our Poppy Chalk Ink.”

“I could easily use this set about 12 different ways, but today we only have time for one! The large XO looks great stamped tone on tone on envelopes too!”

Did you catch that hint about new inkpads? We’re so excited about them! “Bubblegum” is just the tip of the iceberg — there are more great colors coming your way that you’ll be seeing very soon!

Before you hop off to see the rest of the blogs, let’s talk about PRIZES!!

• We will be giving away 5 prize packs that include a fabulous assortment of the newest Hero Arts stamps — those from the 2012 Catalog, of course!
• How can you win? Simply comment on the blog hop stops (starting with this one!) The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! *Limit one comment per blog, please.* ALL comments posted by midnight PST on Monday, December 12^th will be included in the random prize drawing. The 5 winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog no later than Friday, December 16th.
  
• There may be additional prizes offered somewhere along the way, so be sure to follow the blogger’s instructions for a chance to win those goodies as well!
  

Just in case you encounter any broken links throughout your journey, here’s a complete list of the participating designers. You can always return to this post and click on the next blog to get back on track:

Shari Carroll
Ali Edwards
Tim Holtz
Jennifer McGuire
Kelly Purkey
Lisa Spangler
Julie Ebersole
Joy Taylor
Tami Hartley
Cristina Kowalczyk
Operation Write Home
Kelly Goree
BasicGrey
Kelly Rasmussen
Maile Belles
Kristina Werner
Mariana Grigsby
Nichol Magouirk

(…plus one more!)

Now, it’s time to hop onward and see those new 2012 Catalog stamps in action! Shari Carroll is your next stop — click over to her blog to see what she’s created!

We hope you enjoy the new stamp previews and the creative inspiration along the way. Happy hopping, everyone!

Today is a special day. It’s a day set aside for honoring our country’s military veterans — those who have returned home, those currently serving, and those who have passed. All of us at Hero Arts would like to take this opportunity to thank America’s veterans for their dedicated and loyal service. And it is with grateful hearts today that we join Operation Write Home’s 11.11.11 Blog Hop along with ten wonderful companies. Together, we’ll be bringing you inspiration that honors our country’s heroes.

To start things off, Kandis Smith created a beautiful, heartfelt thank you card. She shares, “I am so grateful for the sacrifice of so many men and women around our country–those who have served over the years and also their families who have given up time with their loved ones so that they could fight for our freedom. Both of my grandfathers served along with my brother in law. I’m in awe of their courage and bravery. And I’d like to thank them all for the gift they have given us, a beautiful country where we are free to worship, live, and do as we please. Thank you!”

Card by Kandis Smith. Click here for complete supplies and instructions.

Next up, we have a star spangled card of gratitude from Kelly Rasmussen. Kelly says,”I love to read the letters on the OWH Hero Blog from service men and women who are grateful for the handmade cards they receive. Ten years ago I would have never thought that my little card making hobby could affect someone on the other side of the world. It makes me so happy to know that just by making a card I can help soldiers stay in touch with loved ones back home.”

Card by Kelly Rasmussen. Click here for complete supplies and instructions.

And Shari Carroll brings us a lovely “missing you” card along with these thoughts: “I’ve always had a connection with the military, from my grandfather, father, brothers and then my dear husband. I was a military wife while Tom served in the USMC at Camp Pendleton. In more recent years, friends of my children are now in service for our country. Thank you, Adam Wolgast (USMC), and Ryan Race (USARMY). Both of these brave young men have been deployed to Iraq and have returned safely back on American soil. Another thank you to Audrey Weismiller for enlisting in the US Navy; she is currently in Boot Camp. I’m so proud of you all for your selfless deeds of bravey. With sincere thanks!”

Card by Shari Carroll. Click here for complete supplies and instructions.

You might want to take another peek at Shari’s card. Aside from it being a beautiful design, it represents some exciting news that we just can’t wait to share with you! Can you guess what it might be? If you guessed new stamps, you’re right! But not just any new stamps. We are thrilled to announce that we have created three new clear stamp sets in collaboration with Operation Write Home — stamps that are perfect for supporting our heroes and creating cards for our heroes to send home to loved ones. Woohoo! Watch for them in the upcoming 2012 Catalog, which debuts next month.

So what do you say we give away some of these new stamps?! Though they’re not yet ready to ship, we couldn’t think of a more perfect prize for today’s blog hop! (Stamps will ship to the winner around December 5th.)

There are a couple of ways to win:

1. Channel your feelings of gratitude for our veterans into creativity and make some cards to donate to Operation Write Home this weekend! Check here for OWH’s cardmaking guidelines. Their deadline for Christmas cards has now passed, but other cards are always needed. A few suggestions — thinking of you, missing you, love you, and Valentines. Upload your cards to the Hero Arts Flickr Group and be sure to include the tag OWHveteransday so that we can easily find your cards. Then send them off to Operation Write Home! We’ll select one card at random from all of the entries, and the creator of that card will win the new collection of Operation Write Home stamps! Please submit your cards by 8:00 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, November 14th. Create as many cards as you’d like — each one gives you an entry into the drawing!
2. And! Leave a comment on this blog post and you’ll be entered to win a $25 shopping spree to the Hero Arts Online Store! Simple as that.

Now it’s time to hop along and head over to the Sizzix blog for even more inspiration!

If you did not arrive here by way of Operation Write Home, we invite you to click over to their Stars and Stamps blog to start the 11.11.11 Blog Hop from the beginning…wouldn’t want you to miss a thing!

Thank you for joining us today! Once again, we’d like to express our deep appreciation to our country’s veterans, as well as their families, for the sacrifices they have made on our behalf.

Hello! It’s Friday which means it’s my last day on the blog… I thought I’d leave you with a gorgeous photo to inspire you for the weekend:

Photo credit: Pinterest

I hope this delicious picture gets your creativity flowing… I’d  certainly LOVE to see how the photo inspires you.  Just upload your cards to our Flickr pool and tag with HAInspirationfriday10 so everyone can see what you come up with. And don’t forget to combine it with this month’s contest themes too to be in with a chance of winning a $50 Hero Arts shopping spree.  I certainly see a link with the month’s colors…

And one last thing before I go! We’ve started Sneak Peek Fridays here on the blog, with sneaks of new stamps from the upcoming 2012 Catalog! See the first sneak peek right HERE.

Have a wonderful weekend, and see you again soon,