Hello, stampers! I’m back today to announce the winners of last week’s birthday challenge! Thanks to all who created projects and submitted them to the Hero Arts flickr pool. What a treat it was to view all of the entries – lots of yummy cupcake creations, several personalized projects, and many playful animal cards – so very inspiring! The judges each picked their favorites and the winners were randomly chosen from that pool. Now without further ado, I present the birthday challenge winners!

Third Place ($10 Hero Arts shopping spree + 2008 catalog) goes to lunerasilver for her super creative bonsai birthday card. Notice how she designed the bottom of the card to look like the bonsai pot? Very clever!

Second Place ($25 Hero Arts shopping spree + 2008 catalog) goes to kiaraleestudio for her cupcake birthday card. Look at that cute little owl perched right atop the cupcake — it looks as if he might sneak a little taste of the chocolate frosting at any moment! What a fun and playful touch!

And finally, First Place ($50 Hero Arts shopping spree + 2008 catalog) goes to Emmy74. Her beautiful card features a butterfly spinner that goes round and round. The judges fell in love with the gorgeous mix of colors, patterns, and textures she used on her card.

Congratulations, winners! Please email us at the address over in the sidebar so that we can send your prizes right out to you!

There were so many incredible birthday entries that we’d like to share a few more of them here today. Take a look at these outstanding Honorable Mentions — you will receive a selection of fun embellishments!

1scrappycat impressed the judges with this sweet scalloped cupcake card complete with glitter and a cherry on top. Yum!

roxiejr2000 created a colorful one-layer beauty filled with lots of fantastic details.

Last, but certainly not least, scrapperjjb delighted the judges with with this terrific personalized card. The pairing of the images with the play on words is just a hoot!

Congratulations honorable mentions!  Please email us at the address in the blog sidebar so that we can get your embellishments right out to you.

Finally, congratulations all around! You are all winners in my book. Again, thanks for sharing your super birthday ideas with us!

I hope you’re all having fun with Lisa’s book challenge this week. Go forth and create — you might just see your name in this spot next Thursday! Happy stamping!

Happy Saturday everyone! The fun continues today, as we literally wrap up birthday week with birthday gift wrap ideas! Imagine the possibilities when you use your stamps to create not only birthday cards, but also one-of-a-kind packages. I’m excited to share two creative wrapping projects from Web Artist Laura Griffin today. Take it away, Laura!

“This first project is a great way to add color to a plain kraft gift bag (the kind you can find in most stores in the gift-wrap section). I’ve used a summer color scheme in this example, but you can change the look by going with a completely different palette.”

”To make the flowers, simply punch out two scallop circles in different sizes from a notecard. (I’ve used Marvy’s mega & giga-scalloped circle punches here.) Cut in between each scallop towards the center of the circle to create flower petals. Adhere the two pieces together with foam adhesive, curling the edges of the petals upward. Finally, stamp the center of the flower from the Circular Designs set onto another notecard, trim, and adhere to the center of your dimensional flower.”

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Circular Designs
• Birthday Set
• Summer Notecards
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Pumpkin Patch
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Misty Meadow
• Versacolor Fresh Green Ink Cube
• Other: scallop circle punches (Marvy), ribbon (Offray), foam adhesive dots, scallop edge scissors (Provocraft), kraft gift bag (Target)

Aren’t those flowers a clever and gorgeous addition to the bag? I just love them. Laura provides us with one more creative packaging idea – take a look at the incredible altered box she created. So pretty!

Laura shares, “This project uses one of my favorite color combinations, green and purple. I’m particularly drawn to the Wisteria & Apple Green colors in Hero’s collection and wanted to find a way to use them on a larger-scale project without being limited by the size of the notecards. By stamping individual notecard panels and alternating them around the entire box, you can easily cover the entire piece in minutes. You can stamp a sentiment for the top of the box or add a message with alphabet stamps to personalize it further. Don’t forget to add pearl accents and coordinating Art Flowers to finish the look.”

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Circular Designs
• Birthday Set
• Green Apple Notecards
• Wisteria Notecards
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Misty Meadow
• Versacolor Fresh Green Ink Cube
• Accent Pearls
• Other: gift Box (Target), circle punches (Marvy), ribbon (Target), foam adhesive dots, large scallop edge scissors (Provocraft), heart-shaped straight pin (JoAnn)

What a great way to wrap up birthday week — thanks Laura!

And now it’s time to announce the DesignBlock Birthday stamp winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered yesterday’s random drawing. I used random.org to choose one number from all of the comments. And the winner is…

#125 Michelle, who commented at 9:26 am, “Great birthday background stamp. I can think of at least 6 birthday cards I need to make in the next month that I could play with this stamp. Also, I loved the wedge idea from Jacki’s birthday card. It makes it so not store bought!”

Congratulations, Michelle! I will email you for your address and will get your new stamp right out to you. Enjoy!

Enabler alert! The Design Block Birthday stamp is available HERE in the Hero Arts Online Store!

Thanks for joining the Web Artists this week! I hope you’ve been inspired to create some birthday projects of your own. I have to tell you — I’m blown away by all of the wonderful birthday creations you’ve already submitted to the Hero Arts flickr group for the birthday challenge! WOW! Remember, you have until Sunday at 11:59pm PST to enter your projects.

Imagine, create, and celebrate!

Cake and frosting and sprinkles, oh my! It’s going to be a sweet Friday here at the Hero blog, because cupcakes are on the menu today. Web Artists Jacki Jones and Kandis Smith have whipped up some truly yummy birthday creations – indulge your sweet tooth and take a peek!

First, Jacki Jones is here to share a cupcake card featuring a unique fold and sixteen individually stamped candles. What a great way to personalize a card!

Jacki shares, “My youngest daughter celebrated sixteen years of life recently. Although she’s on the verge of sassy and sophisticated, when I look at her, I still see my little girl. Her birthday party is this weekend and I thought a cupcake card with sixteen candles was perfect for this occasion. Impressing a sixteen year old is no simple feat, so I tried a new fold to give her card a little something extra.”

“Before gluing a Kraft notecard to a Pool notecard I trimmed a wedge from the front of each card. By adding a piece of the same pattern paper I would use for the cupcake papers, I eliminated the white space from the inside of the card. The candles were stamped in groups of four and then masked before the cupcakes were stamped over them. I hope she enjoys receiving this card as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Cupcakes
• DesignBlock Butterfly
• Memories Ink Pad - ArtPrint Brown
• Memories Ink Pad - White
• Kraft Notecards
• Pool Notecards
• Other: patterned paper (Prima Marketing), colored pencils, Cricut, magnetic snaps (Basic Grey)

Next, Kandis Smith puts the icing on the cake with three absolutely adorable miniature gift bags. Look at all of the wonderful little details on these!

Kandis says, “I found these adorable mini gift bags at my local craft store, and thought they would make the perfect birthday present. I decorated them all with bright colors, cupcakes and gems. Luckily, a couple of my sister-in-laws are having birthdays this month – you girls will see these soon!”

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Cupcakes
• ClearDesign: Four Bold Messages
• Sparkle Clear: Live It Up
• Versacolor Celadon Ink Cube
• Memories Ink Pad - ArtPrint Brown
• Gemstones
• Other: patterned paper, ribbon, decorative scissors, corner rounder, ribbon, bags, machine stitching

Thank you, Kandis and Jacki – your cupcake creations are delightful!

In honor of the sweet creations today, how about another sweet giveaway?! Up for grabs is a giant block of birthday wishes – the DesignBlock Birthday stamp.

This stamp is perfect for backgrounds but also has many other possibilities! Look at THIS CARD by Lisa Spangler for one fabulous idea.

Just leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm PST tonight, and I’ll randomly select a winner from all of the comments. Stop by tomorrow to find out if you’re the lucky winner. And remember, you still have a few more days to enter our birthday challenge! Click HERE for the details.

[Saturday update: The winner has been announced! Click HERE to see who it is!]

Have a sweet Friday! Until tomorrow…

Welcome to day two of birthday week! Today is all about personalization, and since it is Take Two Tuesday, two Web Artists are here to share personalized birthday card designs. Using different elements, Leslie Lightfoot and Robyn Werlich have specially tailored their cards to the individuals receiving them. Next time you want a fresh, unique idea for a birthday card, you might consider doing the same. Try one or more of the following ways to make it personal:

• Age – Use the Whimsical Numbers set or any alphabet set that includes numbers.
• Monogram – I love the Monogram Alphabet and the Bold Caps Alphabet for this purpose.
• Birth Month – How about the Whimsical Months set or one of the single month sets such as August.
• Birthstone – Think gems! For example, May’s birthstone is the emerald, and Green Gemstones would be perfect.
• Birth Month Flower – A quick online search will provide a list of birth month flowers. Did you know March’s flower is the daffodil?

Now for the Web Artists’ cards! First up is Leslie, who has included both letter stamps and number stamps on this awesome, one-of-a-kind greeting for her husband.

Leslie says, “One of the best things I find about making my own cards is that I can add little things to my projects to make them personal and special. Here I made a card for my husband’s next birthday. I made a tiny circle tag with S35 to represent his initial and his age. Also, I made a tag that pulls out with a personalized message to him.”

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Bracket and Tags
• DesignBlock Birthday
• DesignBlock Reverse Leaf Pattern
• Decorative Bamboo
• Crimson Notecards
• Pool Notecards
• Memories Ink Pad - Cherry Red
• Versacolor Bamboo Ink Cube
• Assorted Clear Circles
• Bag of Tags
• Embossing Powder - White
• Sparkle Gems Hearts

Next, take a peek at this irresistible personalized card by Robyn. It’s a shining example of the birth month flower concept I mentioned above.

Here’s Robyn to share more about her card.

“My dear friend’s birthday is in August, the month of the poppy flower, and so this flower stamp was the perfect addition to her birthday card. It personalizes it for her birthday month and by also adding her initial, A, it makes it even more personal for her. I hope that she enjoys it! I stamped the flower on both the green and pink circle and embossed them both – the pink with clear powder and the green with white.”

Supplies:

• Play Print
• Sparkle Clear: Messages
• Etched Flower
• Assorted Clear Circles
• Assorted Crystal Gemstones
• Embossing Powder - Clear
• Green Apple Notecards
• Blossom Notecards
• Cotton White StazOn Ink

Well done, Robyn and Leslie! Your cards are both beautiful and meaningful. Thank you for the inspiration.

I think it’s time to celebrate birthday week with a giveaway! One randomly chosen winner will receive the Clear Design Birthday Messages set pictured below – it’s chock full of fabulous birthday sentiments and has several cute images mixed in as well. (If you’d like to purchase one, it’s HERE in the Hero Arts Online Store!)

To be eligible, just leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite kind of birthday cake (or other birthday dessert) is. (Mine is coconut cream pie!) Comments will be accepted through Thursday at 11:59pm PST, and the winner will be announced on Friday.

[Update: The winner of the Clear Design Birthday Messages set has been announced! Click over HERE to see if you are the winner! If you didn't win, then check out Friday's post HERE for a new giveaway!]

Hope to see you tomorrow when we’ll be showcasing two more talented Web Artists and their birthday creations. Until then, happy stamping!

Hello and happy Monday everyone! Tami Hartley here. I will be leading the blog this week, and I’m excited to announce the Web Artists are back to share some fun stamping projects with you! I hope you have your party hats standing by and some confetti at the ready, because this week is all about birthdays! Let’s kick off the festivities with a beautiful card from the talented Sheri Reguly. Here is Sheri to share some thoughts about creating handmade birthday cards…

“Everyone loves receiving a homemade card. On special occasions, such as birthdays, a homemade card is often appreciated and cherished more than the gift itself, not to mention, it will be treasured and enjoyed for many years to come…long after store bought ones have vanished. It’s the special little touches, such as using the recipient’s favorite colors, personalizing it to their style, and the heartfelt message within, that will let them know just how very much you care.”

“My current favorite stamps to use on cards are the large DesignBlock images. They quickly offer flawless results and come in such a wonderful variety of patterns. I find myself reaching for them time and time again.”

Supplies:

• DesignBlock Line & Flower Pattern
• DesignBlock Butterflies and Flowers
• Fabulous Birthday
• VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad
• Clear Embossing Powder
• White Embossing Powder
• Lime Notecards
• Pool Notecards
• Art Flowers Summer
• Sparkle Gems Blossoms
• Accent Pearls
• Other: cardstock, patterned paper, decorative edge scissors, punches, brads

I love the pretty mix of colors and elements on Shari’s card, and the design is such a versatile one. By changing out the colors and images, the card could suit just about anyone celebrating a birthday.

Next up is a simple card I created for a friend that features the same sentiment stamp Sheri used on the card above.

The balloons on this card were actually made with an egg shaped punch. I punched eggs from three different notecard colors and positioned them with the narrow ends facing downward. I then outlined them with black pen and grouped them to make a colorful “lift” for the cute little messenger bird. The doodled line from the Sparkle Clear Cupcake Set provided the perfect balloon strings. Tip: Mount one balloon on a pop dot for added dimension.

Supplies:

• Fabulous Birthday
• Sparkle Clear: Hello Birdie
• Flourish Wave
• Sparkle Clear: Cupcakes
• Blossom Notecards
• Pool Notecards
• Green Apple Notecards
• Strawberry Notecards
• Memories Ink Pad - Black
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Rose Petals
• Other: egg punch (EK Success), corner rounder, colored pencils, black pen, machine stitching, pop dots

Lastly today is a fun altered project that will help you keep track of all of those important birthdays. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it brings you a step closer to being the person who never forgets to send a birthday card on time! I created a birthday reminder calendar by simply altering a freebie pocket calendar I had laying around the house. (These calendars can also be purchased inexpensively at discount stores and dollar stores.)

I plan to keep mine on my stamp desk so I am able to see at a glance who I need to make cards for in the upcoming weeks and months. Tip: I recommend using double-sided tape to adhere the outside cover to the calendar.

Supplies:

• ClearDesign: Bold Caps Alphabet
• ClearDesign: Branch & Leaf Long Borders
• ClearDesign: Bird Branch Alphabet
• Versacolor Bamboo Ink Cube
• Versacolor Cyan Ink Cube
• Versacolor Raspberry Ink Cube
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Sand Dune
• Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
• Kraft Notecards
• Summer Notecards
• White Embossing Powder
• Art Flowers Summer
• Other: white cardstock, ribbon, brad, pinking edge scissors, pop dots

Are you ready for a challenge?! The challenge this week is to create a birthday project (card, layout, or other) using at least one Hero Arts stamp. Please post your projects to the Hero Arts Flickr photo pool by 11:59pm PST on Sunday, August 24. Entries should be tagged with the word “birthday.” (See the FAQ for more information about posting on Flickr.) Three prizes will be awarded:

* 1st place: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog

* 2nd place: $25 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog

* 3rd place: $10 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog

Wishing you a wonderfully creative week!