TGIF everyone! Sally here, and today I have another shaped card idea for you - this time a cloud! I simply cut a cloud shape from a Snow folded card, leaving a bit of paper along the fold. The umbrella is cut freehand as well, from some pretty paper from the Konnichiwa paper pad. It’s fun and easy to spell out whatever greeting you’d like to use with our alphabet stamps. I really do enjoy creating new shapes for my cards - it changes things up!

Find out how to make this card — click for complete supplies and instructions.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello, and welcome to Social Club! Today we’re looking at some gorgeous cards from the Hero Arts Flickr Group made with our Dot Flower Pattern stamp. This is such a fun and versatile background stamp, as you are about to see…

Our first card today is created by anikaberlin. Her fabulous distressed background is the perfect backdrop for her beautifully colored flowers. Such a delicious combination.

Next, donna mikasa, who stamped on kraft, creating a beautiful soft, fabric effect. Her sweet butterfly was created using a free template we provided on the blog a while ago. You can find it here.

And finally, Kelly Booth, who shows that the stamp is fun when used with bold and bright colors too. We love the way she’s used it both for the background, and to create the body of the butterfly. It really ties the card design together.

What a fabulous selection of cards! Our prize for today’s three ladies is our Patterns - Brocade digikit. We’d love to see how they use this floral background too.

Winning ladies, send us an email using our address on the sidebar and we’ll get your digikit to you. And if you’d like a Social Club blinkie, let us know.

And here’s a handy “did you know…?” Flickr tip! If there’s a stamp you want inspiration for, simply go to our Flickr pool, type the product number into the search box and voila… instant inspiration. Many thanks to the group members for tagging projects with the product numbers and providing this valuable resource! It’s so nice to be able to enter a tag into the search area and come up with loads of ideas using a particular stamp!

Happy Stamping,

April Showers bring May Flowers… Soooo….What do May flowers bring? This was a riddle I told forever as a kid… The answer is Pilgrims! Haha. With the challenge this month being sunshine and showers… I wanted to do a rainbow but also wanted to play with one of our sketches. So I devised my plan… I’d make a rainbow out of the strips of paper on my card. Here’s what I came up with.

You can find all the instructions and supplies HERE.

Thanks everyone for stopping by today and putting up with my silly sense of humor.  Wishing you all a fabulous Wednesday!!!

Hey you guys, it’s Lisa here! Hope you’re having a great week so far, and hope that you’re enjoying the monthly challenge themes of Sunshine & Showers plus shaped cards and a sketch challenge too. (Check the link for all the details!)

Today’s card is all about getting more from your stamps! You see, from the moment I saw the Plano stamp I thought it would make a great rainbow. So happy to finally get to give it a try!

Find out how to make this card — click for complete materials and instructions.

I decided the rainbow needed a little sun to go with it, so I grabbed one of the flags from the Studio Calico Hooray set and stamped them to form the rays, then added a punched circle for the center. Of course I had to have some clouds to finish it off! But, the woodgrain one just wasn’t working right until it hit me to stamp it in reverse, first. And then the whole card came together in a flash after that.

And! I thought I’d mention that the Studio Calico Hooray set is on sale for 25% off this week only in the Hero Arts Online Store!

This is one of my favorite Hero Arts-Studio Calico sets of all time, and I love it even more after making today’s card.

Wishing you a day full of sunshine and smiles,

Hi everyone, it’s Sheri here! Nothing says “Spring” quite like a wonderful collection of blooms. Today’s layout share includes a subtle tone on tone stamped floral background featuring Etched Flowers, paired with an elegant floral patterned paper, and a colorful collection of Art Flowers. Combined, they are the perfect accents to frame those sweet, springtime photos.

Find out how to create this layout — click for complete supplies and instructions.

Lisa will be here tomorrow with a card featuring our Stamp of the Week - see you then!

Hello and Happy Friday, everyone! This morning it’s our pleasure to introduce one more stamper to our growing Hero Hostess team!

Please join us in welcoming the fabulous…the “newly aproned”…Marcy Kaminski (marcyk924)! And just take a look at this stunning Newspaper Tulips creation she’s sharing with us today! From the eye-catching color combination to the patterned paper that so perfectly frames the focal image, this card is delightful…

Find out how to make this card — click for complete supplies and instructions.

As we’ve been doing all week, let’s sit down for a friendly chat with our new Hostess…

How long have you been stamping and how did you get started? I started stamping almost 4 years ago, but have been crafting my whole life. I was convinced I was going to be a scrapper, but when a friend (a former shipper for OWH) introduced me to cardmaking, I was hooked. Now, instead of making 30 cards a day, it can take me a whole day to make just one! I feel I’ve become a lot more creative over the years.

When did you discover the Hero Arts blog and did you leap into the Flickr group right away too? I was introduced to the Hero Arts blog in 2009, when the same friend was helping to organize a blog hop for OWH. It was amazing, seeing all those talented people, and when I came to the HA blog, I was blown away! The videos, card samples, the store and most of all, the warm feeling extended to hoppers that day, had me signing up to follow immediately. After spending a few hours back and forth on the blog, I noticed a little blurb inviting followers to join the Flickr Group. I took my poor little card, without even a stamp on it, and posted it. The welcome I received was like walking into a new church for the first time! I felt like the most talented person in the world! And do you know that everyone of those who posted on my first card, are still very active in the Flickr Group today!!

What is your favorite kind of card to stamp? I LOVE layered cards with lots of pretty papers, die cuts and ribbon. I think my style is casual elegant. I love shabby and vintage too, but that takes some time and effort to get it right. I’m very much a perfectionist. CAS scares the wits out of me, but I have been known to make one or two! I tell everyone it’s not as easy as it looks!

If you could have one “stamping wish” what would it be? WOW, good question! I actually have two, but they are good ones!  First, I would LOVE Shari Carroll to come spend a weekend with me in my studio, and give me private lessons. She looks like she would be SO much fun! She is a woman whom I admire very much, professionally. She has an amazing work ethic. My second wish would be to have a Hero Arts Flickr Group gathering. We always talk about it, and there’s a group of us here in the Northeast that are hopefully going to have one, but it’s a wish, nonetheless. So there ya have it!

You can see more of Marcy’s work here at Flickr and also on her blog. Many thanks, Marcy — we’re truly honored to have you as a Hostess!!

Congratulations once again to ALL of the new Hero Hostesses! We’re looking forward to the next three months, and can’t begin to thank you enough for the endless support and creativity you offer the Hero Arts community and Flickr group.

Are you wondering what the new Hostesses will be “wearing” over in the Flickr group? Cheiron, Kathy, Emily and Marcy have dyed their aprons in different colors, and we’re giving you a little peek below so that you’ll recognize their new avatars in the group! Don’t they look happy and cheerful? Fitting, since they bring so much happiness and cheer to the group.

Thank you so much for joining us during this special week and leaving such kind comments for our new Hero Hostesses!

Wishing you all a very happy weekend,

We are excited to announce that the new What’s Up and PB&J collections from Hero Arts-BasicGrey are here! The collections feature stamps and 6×6″ paper pads that coordinate perfectly together.  As usual, orders placed in the Hero Arts Online Store are fulfilled by local stamp stores.

And! If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the first round of winners from this month’s Sunshine and Showers contest — they’re sure to make you smile!

Happy stamping,

Welcome to the first of our April winners’ posts! What a sunny and happy Flickr pool we’ve had over the last 2 weeks - we loved judging the entries this month, and are excited to share seven gorgeous projects with you today. So on to the winners…

Our Fresh Face is Forgettable27(Sandra) with her stunning flower pot card. She used Bold Pop Design stamps and dies to create this fun and colorful card. We especially adore her floating butterfly - what a clever idea!

Our Digital winner is Jocelyn Olson, who used our new Jumbled Type digikit to create this fun interpretation of sketch 2.

And now our Fab Five, five of our favorite projects, presented in no particular order. Just like our Fresh Face and Digital winners, every member of the Fab Five will receive a $50 Hero Arts shopping spree.

Our first winner is ivgupta(Isha). She combined our theme of Sunshine and Showers with sketch 3, using our Starburst Lace stamp to create her stunning sun. Her hand stitching is utter perfection.

Next up, wteresa15, who created a rainbow of “inchies” with a stamped image from our Butterflies and Wildflowers set. What a lovely piece of art.

lostinpaper made this delicious card, using sketch 2. We love her background which uses our Circle and Envelope Pattern stamps. And her color scheme is perfection.

This bright and cheery shaped card by Chris Millar certainly matches our Sunshine theme. There’s lots of stamping here! What a colorful creation!

And finally, mimipipi craft (ayu) designed this sweet set of tags which match our 2nd sketch. She used our Untitled Postmarks set, adding fabulous texture with ribbon and feathers.

Congratulations winners! Please contact us at winner@heroarts.com with your address and phone number, and also include your list of $50 worth of product by Thursday, April 26th. You can look through our online store to create your list. Please include “April2012A Winner” in the subject line. There are also blog blinkies available for all the winners - if you’d like one, please let us know in your email and we’ll send it along as well!

And our April contest continues! To be in with a chance of winning the next round, upload your entries to our Flickr pool by next Thursday, April 26th, tagged with April2012B. Good luck and happy stamping!

Hello, friends! Here we are on the third day of our week of Hero Hostess introductions and it’s time to find out who will next be donning an apron alongside Cheiron and Kathy! Let’s get right to it…

Today we’re thrilled to welcome Emily Leiphart (eleiphart) as our newest Hero Hostess! You’re in for a treat, because Emily created both a card AND video to share here on the blog! When we saw how she used the stamped and die-cut flower as a sun, we thought it was (pardon the pun) pure brilliance! And we adore the happy pops of color against the kraft background.

Find out how to make this card — click for complete supplies and instructions.

You can watch her Hero Hostess video debut below. Take it away, Emily!

And now for a little chat with our new Hostess…

How long have you been stamping and how did you get started? I started stamping about 15 years ago. On a lunch break, a friend and I ventured into a stamp store at the lakefront during our lunch hour. It was right there and then that I was hooked. I stamped to make cards for family and friends but it didn’t become a serious hobby until three years ago, after the birth of my son.

When did you discover the Hero Arts blog and did you leap into the Flickr group right away too? I discovered the Hero Arts Blog in December 2010 and ended up building a huge collection of Hero Arts stamps since they’d just had a release and there were so many end-of-the-year holiday sales! I jumped into the Flickr group right away after being inspired by the Hero Artists as well as all the warm and talented Hero Arts fans.

What is your favorite kind of card to stamp? My favorite kind of card to stamp is a general hello or thinking of you card. I like to surprise friends with these.

If you could have one “stamping wish” what would it be? My one stamping wish would be to have the opportunity to design my own line of stamps. I hope to make that dream a reality someday!

You can find more of Emily’s creations here at Flickr and on her blog. We’re so happy to have you as a Hero Hostess, Emily…thank you!!

Before we go, we have some more good news - our winners from the Operation Write Home blog hop! We asked you to leave us a comment on that post and tell us which of our three OWH sets is your favorite for a chance to win that set. The winners are:

• Beverly Sizemore who said “Julie’s card is a hoot….so funny. Hard to pick a favorite from the three sets but ‘All The Time’ has wonderful sentiments for the OWH cause. ;)”
• Cynthia Chapman who said “I love all your products. I also LOVE that they are made in the USA! My favorite stamp set is ‘Right At Home’. It’s one that I don’t have. Thanks for supporting our heroes!”

Ladies, please send an email with your address to winner@heroarts.com to claim your prize.

Thanks for stopping by today. We’ll be back tomorrow with our first round of April contest winners and then another Hostess announcement on Friday. So much happy news this week!

Welcome back to our week of Hero Hostess introductions! It’s time to hand out our second apron of the week, and this one’s going to a talented stamper who’s been a member of the Hero Arts Flickr group since its formation in March 2008. It’s our pleasure to welcome our next Hero Hostess…Kathy Wade (krolski)! She’s created a Spring delight for us all today with this adorable card. Such sweetness!

Find out how to make this card — click for complete supplies and instructions.

Now how about a little chat with our newest Hostess…

How long have you been stamping and how did you get started? I have been stamping for about 12 years. I was invited to a stamping party and bought a couple of stamps and ink pads, and as they say, the rest is history.

When did you discover the Hero Arts blog and did you leap into the Flickr group right away too? I saw the HA website on the back of one of my wooden stamp sets so I checked it out. This was before Hero Arts started their blog. I looked through all the card ideas they had online at that time.  When HA started the blog, I was in awe of the ideas and inspiration and I still am to this day!  I then joined the Flickr group in March of 2008 right after it started.  I think I lurked around a bit before I submitted any of my own cards. The HA Flickr group is such a warm and friendly community and I’m continually inspired by all of the members and the awesome cards they create.

What is your favorite kind of card to stamp? I love to make all kinds of cards, but I make Birthday cards most often. I come from a huge family with lots of siblings, nieces, nephews, in-laws, etc., so I have no choice but to make A LOT of Birthday cards. When you have “no choice” in the matter, you must have lots of stamps! Ha!  I also like to make cards for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries for my husband.

If you could have one “stamping wish” what would it be? Well I’m already very blessed to have lots of Hero Arts stamps, and now, to have the opportunity to be a Hero Hostess is such an honor. I sure hope I can do the “hostess apron” justice. heehee…  My “stamping wish” would be to meet some of the ladies from the HA Flickr group in person….maybe one year at ScrapFest! 

I’d like to thank Hero Arts for their dedicated commitment to their customers, their amazing generosity and this exciting opportunity!  I’m thrilled to be on the Hero Hostess team!

You can find more of Kathy’s creations here at Flickr and also on her blog. Kathy, thank YOU and welcome to “The Order of the Apron” (as many of the Hostesses like to say!)

We have one quick housekeeping note before we go — this week’s Stamp of the Week! As you’ll notice from the image below, it’s not a stamp at all. It’s our Sunshine Designer Papers! Now through Sunday, this 12 sheet paper pack (4 each of 3 designs) is available in the Hero Arts Online Store for just $3.75. It’s the same great thickness as our notecards and layering papers…heavy enough to use as a card base, as Kathy did on her card above!

That’s a wrap for today. Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you tomorrow for our next apron announcement and a video!