Hi everyone!  Shari here.  I am so excited since I have had my eye on the work of THE fabulous Pia Overgaard for sometime and couldn’t wait to share a Win-A-Day with her. Pia is such a joyous and gracious soul who has an eye for design through her ability to see a stamp for its many uses.

Let’s get to know Pia Overgaard a little better…

Pia comes to us from the Northern part of Denmark in a small fishing village at a fjord.  Her and her super supportive husband Jan (of 18 years)  have 2 British Shorthair cats Fiona & Harry. Pia works full time as a senior IT Developer in Telecommunications, loves gardening and stamping. Pia is grateful for the people that she has met through this wonderful hobby,  in the Hero Arts Flickr community and close to home.   Pia is also a proud retailer spreading Hero Arts joy in Denmark.

Here is what Pia had to say when we asked…

Q1: What is your favorite stamping technique? (Simple stamping, embossing, collage, etc.)
I love simple stamping and recently I am using the resist embossing technique often.  I always like to try out different stamping techniques.

Q2: What is your “go-to” color combination?
I don’t think I really have a “go-to” color combination – for me it depends on the season. Right now making Christmas cards it is definitely Kraft & Red. Actually, I often reach for Kraft & the natural colors when I am creating

Q3: What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments? (Gems, pearls, buttons, etc.)
Definitely pearls!

Q4: What inspires you?
I would have to give the Hero Arts Flickr Group 1st place. I have learned so much from that talented and wonderful community. Amazing inspiration & support! The fabulous Hero Artists – can’t live without the daily doses on the Hero Arts Blog Besides that, I am inspired by many blogs (not only related to crafting), colors in everyday life and at last but not least, just taking out the wonderful Hero Arts products on my crafting table.

Q5: What is your favorite dessert?
It would have to be the Italian “Panna Cotta” & “anything with lemon” as a 2nd Runner-up.

I had to look up Panna Cotta, looks like it’s a sweet creamy geletin served with fruit, total yummyness!

Get a load of his first card that Pia created, it is so special!  She colored the camouflage clothes as an idea for sending cards to the Danish troops serving in Afghanistan.  How sweet is that!  Pia’s use of the Kiss From the Sun set is an example of how creative her mind works.

Card by Pia Overgaard.  Get full supplies and instructions here.

When Pia was telling me about her card, she mentioned that she considered putting a Santa hat on the line to make it Christmas themed.  BINGO…. and I was off to make my interpretation.  So folks, here is my Groovy Santa’s Jammies (they look a little old and dirty) hanging on a leafless tree.  The  Magical Background stamped in white really sets the scene for winter.

Card by Shari Carroll.  Get full supplies and instructions here.

This next card of Pia’s is so precious, colorful and I love how she stamped and layered the Circle Design image.  It’s just a fabulous way to think of using your stamps!  The resist is brilliant with the red ink.  Oh and she curved her greeting to mimic the round edge of the lace.  It’s PERFECT!!

Card by Pia Overgaard.  Get full supplies and instructions here.

My inspiration came from Pia’s card design, the way her Circle Design was stamped off center, the resist, and of course the Bird in the center.  I’ve used one of my favorite stamps the Wreath of Leaves as my main design, then added the Two Birds set to finish off the arrangement.

Card by Shari Carroll.  Full instructions and supplies can be found here.

And finally, this one is SO cool!!! Pia stamped the Starry Night onto very old book text with Walnut Stain ink , then stamped again on white cardstock, the words transferred over!!.  Pia said the key to this technique is the special ink used on the 1919 book.  Now, take a look at her wreath, it’s actually the Starburst image, you could knock me over with a feather, she’s so talented!

Card by Pia Overgaard.  Get full supplies and instructions here.

I chose to fully case Pia’s card by using her same design layout.  How can I improve perfection?  I stamped on top of the Starry Night with a tree from the Season’s Greetings set.  Then I inked up a Hero Arts Silhouette Snowy Birdhouse using the Technique of the Month.

Card by Shari Carroll.  Full instructions and supplies can be found here.

Isn’t she simply amazing? You can see more Pia Overgaard masterpieces in her photostream on Flickr.

Pia, I have had a wonderful time getting to know you and appreciating the inspiration you bring to me and the many others who have the opportunity to enjoy your designs.  Thanks for being such a great artist, communicator and friend!  Hugs!!

And now a note from Pia:
It has been such an honor to work with THE Shari. I have been one of Shari’s biggest fans since I began stamping 2 years ago.  It is absolutely fantastic to be able to share this day on the Hero Arts blog with you. Thank you so much, Shari, your kindness just shines across the big pond! And of course, I can’t leave without sending huge thanks to the Flickr Group – the inspiration and support in this group is out of this world.

Before I go, we need to share a VIDEO since after all…it’s Watch it Wednesday!

Thanks for joining US today, be sure to come back tomorrow for the second group of October contest winners!

Hi everyone, it’s Lisa here! Please join me in welcoming my Win-A-Day pick: Clare Prezzia (aka ctprezzia on flickr.) For those who don’t know Clare, she has a sweet, simple style — just like Clare herself. And the more you look, the more amazing little details you’ll see!

Now, let’s get to know Clare a little better!

Q1: What is your favorite stamping technique?

Paper piecing - I really can’t do anything fancy with stamps, such as embossing, so I just stick with paper piecing. And why not? It can look really cute!

Q2: What is your “go-to” color combination?

Pink, green, blue and cream, with a dash of brown.

Q3: What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments?

Pearls - they add such a nice, creamy touch to cards.

Q4: What inspires you?

Papercrafters! I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve found over the Web, especially cards/layouts from the Hero Arts blog and Flickr group.

Q5: What is your favorite dessert?

COOKIES! I am not even kidding when I tell you I could eat ten cookies without thinking twice! Luckily for me, cookies are pretty much the only sweets I’m addicted to.

Hee hee, I wish cookies were the only sweet I was addicted to! YUM.

Now, wait until you see these super sweet cards that Clare made for her day! Let’s start with a card and folio set that Clare made with one of my favorite stamp sets of all time — the Poly Clear Russian Dolls!

Card by Clare Prezzia. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I fell in love with the whole set, from the twine to the hot chocolate to the layers of scalloped paper, to the soft kraft notecard, but most of all with the subtle texture that Clare achieved by stamping on watercolor paper.

Now, here’s my take!

Card by Lisa Spangler. Get the full materials and instructions here.

I decided to try stamping on textured paper too — but I used some flower texture for mine — rubbing it with distress inks really makes the flowers bloom.  And I was inspired by Clare’s scallops to sew on some ribbon ruffles!

Now for Clare’s next card — another sweet and simple stunner!

Card by Clare Prezzia. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I just love that doily stamped in white on kraft, don’t you? And the pink bird and flowers with the little touch of green really POP!  And the bird in the circle is just brilliant, including the white edge that Clare made with a gel pen.

I thought this color combo would be perfect for Christmas — here’s what I came up with:

Card by Lisa Spangler. Jingle on over here for the materials and instructions.

I wanted to use the deer stamp  for Christmas, but he wouldn’t fit inside the doily without cutting most of it away — plus I didn’t want to trim his antlers! So I decided to die cut a circle out of the card front, then line the inside of the card with white cardstock and and stamp him on the inside of the card. And then I had to give him a green nose — to go with Clare’s green highlights, of course!

Finally, I was totally smitten with this card from Clare — from her watercolor sky background, to all of the colors on the flowers, to the ruffled flowers at the bottom — all on a watercolor paper again. Swoon!

Card by Clare Prezzia. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I took my inspiration from Clare’s technique of adding multiple colors to an image to come up with this tag:

Tag by Lisa Spangler. Click for full materials and instructions.

I also got the idea to add a row of poinsettias from Clare’s green ruffled flowers — love how it looks like Santa is peeking up out of them.  And the Santa is from our Stamp of the Week set – Four Holiday Tags — I thought it went perfectly with our Gift Tag and Handmade Gifts contest theme this month, too! This week it’s 25% off, right here in the Hero Arts store. And! Did you know that orders are fulfilled by Hero retailers?  Yep, it’s true! Woo hoo!

And now a little note from Clare:

“I want to send a huge, HUGE thanks and many hugs to the Hero Arts Flickr community, and to the company! I can honestly say that without all the kind words and sweet comments that I’ve received over the past year, I would NOT be involved in this wonderful craft right now! And thanks to Lisa for picking me - I am so honored, and I’ve had such a fun time with you! This has truly been an amazing, fabulous experience like nothing else! And finally, THANK YOU HERO ARTS for the generosity and inspiration you have provided me and all the rest of the ladies!”

Thank YOU, Clare!  You are truly inspiring to me with your sweet, simple style. I had so much fun stamping “with” you — enjoy your BIG day. And! Big HUGE hugs!

And that’s not all for today!  Did you see how Clare talked about how she wouldn’t be in this hobby without receiving all of the comments from the Hero community? It really does mean so much to see your comments.  And, each month one lucky person wins a $100 shopping spree right here on the Hero blog — just for leaving a comment! All you have to do to enter is join the club and leave a comment on any blog post. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to WIN! And now I get to announce the winner for last month…

Are you ready?

Drumroll…

It’s Sue Downey! Congratulations Sue! Please email us at the winner’s address located over in the sidebar and we’ll get you all set up to start shoppin’!

Thanks so much for joining Clare and me today. Be sure to visit tomorrow to see Shari and her Win-A-Day pick, Pia!

Hello and welcome to another week featuring the talents of our Win-a-Day contest winners! I’m so very happy to be sharing this day with Carole Kisch – carole-ish to those of you on Flickr. Carole is an amazing artist and a kindhearted person whose work simply speaks to me. She has a style all her own and I can’t wait to show you what she’s created today! You’re in for a treat…several actually.

Carole lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband and two daughters. She was introduced to the art of rubber stamping five years ago, and she says it was an instant attachment. Let’s get to know Carole with our “5 Questions”, shall we…?

Q1: What is your favorite stamping technique?
I really enjoy collage stamping ~ I often add butterflies, flowers, ferns, swirls, flourishes and old letter writing to my background papers. And I’m a big fan of the vintage style. I love distressed & torn edges.

Q2: What is your “go-to” color combination?
I tend to put dark chocolate brown on almost everything!! The colours I choose are definitely on the earthy side: deep, rich, borrowed from nature.

Q3: What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments?
I like all of them!! The pearls & gemstones, of course, but also the paper flowers and felt shapes. It’s all good.

Q4: What inspires you?
Can I say “everything”? Is this an acceptable answer?

Q5: What is your favorite dessert?
My mom makes a wonderful apple pie. It’s more like a strudel actually, it’s not very sweet, and the pastry is paper-thin. Piles of fruit, spiced with cinnamon and cloves…it’s very nice.

And now…onto the stamping! Carole’s first masterpiece is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cards I’ve ever seen. Just look at those lovely stamped layers and soft, subtle colors. Pure elegance. As always, the finishing touches Carole has added are just right. Perfection in every detail!

Card by Carole Kisch. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I created a holiday card with similar “carole-ish” elements — earth tones, layered images, script, embossing, distressed edges & crochet trim. The Music Background was stamped onto canvas for texture, and splatters were added to the tree with acrylic paint and a toothbrush.

Card by Tami Hartley. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Check out this next beauty Carole created — just gorgeous! The patterned paper provides the perfect backdrop to the white embossed Silhouette Grass image here. She is such a pro at layering, whether it’s layering stamps with other images, with inks, or as shown here, with patterned paper. It’s all good…so very good!

Card by Carole Kisch. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I loved Carole’s idea of stamping the Silhouette Grass image right onto patterned paper, so I came up with a simple card using this same stamp and some ledger patterned paper. Very different in color but similar in design.

Card by Tami Hartley. Get full supplies and instructions here.

As soon as I saw this next card by Carole I smiled at the sweet & clever pairing of mittens with the “sending warm fuzzies” sentiment. I love how she took a non-holiday message (this one is from the Everyday Sayings set) and extended its use. I also adore all of the finishing touches she added here, from pearls and buttons to felt and twine.

Card by Carole Kisch. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Along the same lines, I decided to pair the “warmest wishes” message with two mugs of steaming cocoa. Carole’s mittens and my mugs look like good friends with their white snowflakes and red backgrounds.

Card by Tami Hartley. Get full supplies and instructions here.

You can see more of Carole’s inspiring work in her Flickr photostream and on her wonderful blog.

Carole, I want to thank you for sharing your creativity and talent with us all. It has been a pleasure to work with you on this day together. You’re an absolute sweetheart and an inspiration!!

A message from Carole:  I would like to say a great big thank you to Tami, for choosing me for this amazing day. It means so much to me, I can’t even say. And of course I’d like to thank all of the Hero Arts groupies: you are all so talented, and incredibly kind & warm & welcoming ~ I couldn’t imagine a happier, more uplifting group of people.

And finally, it’s the start of a brand new month, so today I bring you the announcement of our next theme and challenge!

Our month long theme is Gift Tags & Handmade Gifts, with Inking Techniques of all sorts as our featured technique. The first round of projects are due into the Flickr group pool Thursday, November 11. To keep things simple, we have a handy calendar that explains all the important dates throughout the month. You can find that, along with more details on the themes, right here on the contest information page. We have LOTS of prizes to award this month — fourteen $50 stamp shopping sprees, to be exact! We’re looking forward to seeing what YOU create!

Thanks for joining us today. Tomorrow Lisa will be here with our next Win-A-Day stamper, so be sure to stop back for more eye candy!

I am very happy to be sharing a day on the blog with Nicky Hsu. I first noticed Nicky’s cards on the Flickr group. She showed an amazing sense of color and a very creative use of accessories and coloring techniques. Since then her cards have continued to make me smile and I am sure they will continue to do so.

What a fun day I had creating cards from Nicky’s supply list! I had such fun looking at Nicky’s intricate cards and deciding how I could adapt her beautiful designs into my simple style. I have been making cards for over 20 years. My first years with Posh Presents (now Posh Designs) were based on the limited supplies available at that time, black ink pads, colored pencils and some markers. 20+ years later with Hero Arts my style reflects the many options for coloring, layering and accenting. As most crafters look back on their art they see the different stages of life reflected in their cards and projects. I love Nicky’s fresh perspective and innovative use of supplies.

Here are some more facts about Nicky:

Q:What is your favorite stamping technique?

My favorite stamping technique will be embossing. You can do so much with it. Simple emboss, using different color embossing powder, emboss on different material or do emboss resist technique. There is endless possibility. I just love the magic powder.

Q:What is your “go-to” color combination?

My go-to color combination is everything with kraft, especially pink+brown+kraft or white. It’s funny that I am not a girly girl but in love with this color combo.

Q:What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments?

A:Definitely gems and pearls. Can’t finish a card without them.

Q:What inspires you?

I am inspired by all the Artists on Hero Arts blog and all the amazing entries on Hero Arts Flickr pool. I am so glad to join the Hero Arts Flickr group . It’s a warm and super talented family. If you are not join yet, what are you waiting for?

Q: What is your favorite dessert?

The Hsu’s family signature Pistachio Green Cake. We had it on birthdays, holidays and the best part–My husband makes them all the time.

The white embossed tree on blue paper is a beautiful celebration of the holidays. I love the combination of the soft brown and deep blue and I am sure all who receive one of Nicky’s cards will too. Although Nicky used a different tree for her beautiful blue card, either tree can be used for both cards…just another example of how card makers can be flexible and make use of holiday images to mix and match.

Card by Nicky Hsu. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I know you won’t believe this card is as easy as it sounds, but it is. Embossing is sort of like riding a bicycle once learn how you never forget.

Card by Nancy Taylor. Get full supplies and instructions here.

This sparkling ornament on pink satin ribbon is so lovely against the light pink ink, I had a hard time coming up with colors as innovative. I went back to my old standby - gold ink on cream paper with green accents, I think I will leave the innovative combinations to the young stampers that are very inspiring.

Card by Nicky Hsu. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Card by Nancy Taylor. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Nicky’s beautiful use of color against the white embossed flourish was breathtaking. Using the brown colors on Nicky’s card, I decided on a photo card using the same colors. I was so glad Nicky chose to use the Fabulous Flourish, and I used her brown tones to pick up the brown branches in the picture. By changing colors of paper and ink to match your photo you can make a made-to-match card for your favorite holiday photo.

Card by Nicky Hsu. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Card by Nancy Taylor. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Here is a message from Nicky:

I have loved playing with paper and coloring ever since I was a kid. I believe I got this from my mom. I love stamping because this is another way to expand the fun even more and the best part is I get to share the joy with my friends and family. I love seeing people smile when they open the card or receive a message from a friend. A gift I didn’t expect when I first joined are the many friends I have made from the Hero Arts Flickr group. People are super talented and so nice in this group. Not only am I inspired but I also get lot of encouragement. I am proud to be a part of the Hero Arts Flickr family.

Thank you Nicky for an adventure in color I will not soon forget.

I’d like to introduce Rosemary Dennis to everyone today. She won the Win-a-Day card contest with me. I am sure you will love her cards!

She lives in Tacoma, Washington and has been married to her husband, Dave, for 15 years. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two boys (ages 4 & 12). Rosemary started making scrapbooks when her 12 year old was about 18 months old. She began making cards in about 2002 when she incorporated her love of cross-stitching (something she had been doing for years) with paper crafting. Shortly after that she started buying a few stamps here and there (many of her early purchases were Hero Arts stamps). She started to get more serious about card making in late 2007 when she discovered the online paper crafting world. Things really took off in January of 2009 when Rosemary joined the Hero Arts Flickr group.

Here are a few more details about Rosemary:

Q1: What is your favorite stamping technique?

My favorite stamping technique would have to be paper piecing.  I love taking an image, finding the right papers to stamp it on, stamping, then cutting out all the pieces and reassembling the image.  The whole process, especially the cutting aspect, is very relaxing for me.  One of the things that I love about Hero Arts stamps is that there are so images that are perfect for paper piecing.

Q2: What is your “go-to” color combination?

This is kind of boring, but I guess my go to color combo is black & white with a bold color or kraft with just about anything.  Lately, though, I have been using a lot of fall colors when making cards (yellow, red, orange, etc.).

Q3: What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments?

The Hero Arts Hero Hues gems and pearls are a favorite embellishment.  The colors are so rich and vibrant and just add so much to a project.  I really like the new lace ribbon as well.

Q4: What inspires you?

I love doing sketch and color challenges and find a great deal of my inspiration there.  But the majority of the time I get my inspiration simply from the stamps that I’m using.  I love looking at a stamp and trying to figure out what I can do with it that will take me “out of my box”.

Q5: What is your favorite dessert?

I don’t eat dessert all that often, but if I were offered a Red Velvet cupcake, I certainly wouldn’t turn it down!  So yummy!

Her first “just fabulous” card uses our Sew Stylish set. I could use those all day long. I love to collage the pieces and parts together. And I love how she pleated her paper on the side. First up is Rosemary’s card…and then mine below.

Card by Rosemary Dennis. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Card by Sally Traidman. Get full supplies and instructions here.

The graphic flower is our second card. Rosemary backed it with my favorite Canvas Stripes with bright red cheery coloring, while I chose soft yellow and green. I loved using the little flower in that set for a background, and you can barely see them, but I used the stitching for a subtle background pattern.

Card by Rosemary Dennis. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Card by Sally Traidman. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Her last card is using our Wild Flowers stamp. She chose a pale pink with a black sentiment. My first inclination was to use my markers. Look how color choice can make one stamp look so different.

Card by Rosemary Dennis. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Card by Sally Traidman. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Here is a message from Rosemary:

I cannot begin to describe just how excited I was to learn that Sally had picked me for win a day!  In fact, my excitement lasted for days because being picked for win a day was something of a dream of mine from the time I joined the hero arts Flickr group in January 2009!  Working with the very talented Sally has been a lot of fun and really kept me on my toes creatively!   I would like to say thank you to hero arts for the fantastic products they make, for starting the Flickr group (the nicest group of crafters you will ever meet!) And for offering opportunities like win a day to stampers of all levels.  Hero Arts has truly shown us that “anyone can stamp”!

I hope you enjoyed our day together. Rosemary was a dear to work with. Go to her Flickr page (or her blog) to see all her pretty cards using her stash of HERO goodies she won! Come back tomorrow to see another Win-a-Day on the blog winner.

This week and next week we are going to be featuring the Win-a-Day winners on the blog.  I am so excited to be first up. I have a very talented girl to introduce you to!

I will never forget the first time I saw one of Jill Foster’s cards. My jaw hit the floor, followed by a “wow” and a smile. Her stamping talent is remarkable and she clearly has a gift for cardmaking. Every day I look forward to visiting her blog where she shares daily a card she created inspired by another stamper. What a fun concept! As I have gotten to know Jill, I am even more impressed by her as she is as sweet as can be!

Jill grew up in South Dakota but now lives in sunny Arizona where she enjoys the warm winters and the break from shoveling snow.  She and her husband love animals and have three dogs, ranging in size from a dachshund to a Saint Bernard.  The three pups are quite the motley crew but they all love keeping Jill company in her craft room while she stamps!

Here are some facts to get to know her better!

Q1: What is your favorite stamping technique?

I’d have to say that my favorite stamping technique is anything to do with Distress Inks.  I love using Distress Inks to create colorful backgrounds and also to color in stamped images.  Almost all of my cards are created using only white paper and lots of ink!

Q2: What is your “go-to” color combination?

This is a tough question because I don’t have one specific color combo that I turn to frequently.  I do tend to use bold/bright colors more than pastels and I love these colors paired with light tans and browns.

Q3: What are your favorite Hero Arts embellishments?

Definitely the gems and pearls!  These always find a way on to my cards.  I love the subtle finish they add without lots of bulk.

Q4: What inspires you?

My Hero Arts Flickr Family always inspires me!  I could spend hours perusing the Hero Arts flickr gallery.  I love to take a card that catches my eye and make one using similar elements (for example, similar colors, layout, or stamps) but with my own inky twist.  I also find lots of inspiration from the Hero Arts artists here on the blog.  I have learned soooo many techniques just by visiting the HA blog on a daily basis.

Q5: What is your favorite dessert?

I have two favs - chocolate chip cookies and my mom’s homemade cherry cheesecake!

Now - time for some stamping!

Next I get to share a few cards Jill created, followed by cards I created that were inspired by her masterpieces.

This first one? Talk about classy! The colors. The design. Everything. It just oozes class! This card is by far a favorite.

Card by Jill Foster. Get full supplies and instructions here.

And here is an ornament I created that was inspired by Jill. Simple and fun…

Ornament by Jennifer McGuire. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Next is another treasure from Jill. Jill is the master of using Distress Inks to create colorful creations. This bold card is sure to cheer anyone who receives it! Love it.

Card by Jill Foster. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I decided to follow Jill’s lead and create a bold color over white embossing.

Card by Jennifer McGuire. Get full supplies and instructions here.

Finally, check out this gorgeous goodness from Jill. One of her signature styles is to create layered stamping masterpieces. By stamping over stamping, she creates such a marvelous look of dimension. Amazing!

Card by Jill Foster. Get full supplies and instructions here.

I also did lots of layered stamping to create my colorful card…

Card by Jennifer McGuire. Get full supplies and instructions here.

A note from Jill:

Wow! I don’t think words can express what an honor it is to share a day on the blog with sweet Jennifer!!  Her work always leaves me speechless and she is the one who introduced me to Distress Inks and artful stamping through her blog and videos.  I am truly grateful to her for sharing her talent and teaching me so much!

Thanks also to the entire Hero Arts community who constantly provides me with rich inspiration and, most importantly, genuine encouragement and support.  Finally, I send BIG hugs and BIG thanks to Hero Arts-for amazing products, staff, and creativity!  You are THE BEST!

Thank you, Jill, for sharing your gorgeous creations with us.  You never cease to amaze me.  Smooch!

When I pulled up the entries tagged “winaday2010″ my eyes widened and my heart started beating faster. Over 1600 entries? And on page one alone, masterpiece after gorgeous masterpiece. You all are truly amazing! AMAZING!!

I’m honored today to introduce the stamper whose art ultimately won my heart — carole-ish! Carole’s creations blow me away every single time. Her beautiful style is on the shabby chic side, leaning to the vintage, romantic and delicately distressed. Yet somehow, there remains a lovely cleanness about her cards. I suppose “perfect” and “shabby chic”, by definition, do not belong in the same sentence, but her cards are always perfectly composed, perfectly embellished, perfectly Carole. I happen to know she can also rock the clean & simple style…a woman of many talents!

It was this stunning little number that first grabbed my attention among the entries. The beautiful inked and text-stamped background, the white embossing, the distressed edges — I just love it all! (Sidenote: She claims to have some difficulty with the color blue. One look at this card and I think you’ll agree, Carole and blue are on quite friendly terms.)

And how about this hydrangea easel card? Out of this world! Carole has a knack for combining stamped images in the most wonderful ways — the scripty/flourishy/floral mix she used here is so lovely and elegant. And the easel presentation takes it over the top!

I adore the charming, vintage feel of this next piece by Carole. Yet another amazing example of stamp layering — she’s SO good at the collage thing! This really should be in a frame…

Want to see more? Enjoy a visit to Carole’s photostream and blog — both are filled with delightful creations. Filled! Carole, I’m so looking forward to working with you on our blog day!

Thank you for stopping by this week and for offering your sweet words of congratulations to our six Win-a-Day stampers. And BIG thanks to everyone who entered the Win-a-Day contest! We’re continually amazed at the works of art that pour into the Flickr pool. You all inspire us daily!

Wishing you a happy day and wonderful weekend ahead,

Hi everyone! It’s Lisa here, announcing my pick to Win-a-Day on the Blog. I had the most awful time picking a winner to join me for a day on the blog — what amazing entries — all 1,548 of them! I looked and I looked, and it seemed to be an impossible task to pick just one.

I narrowed it down to eleven. Then five. Then two. Finally I decided on someone who caught my eye from the very beginning — Clare Prezzia! She has such a sweet, simple style that’s loaded with perfectly fun little touches. Just feast your eyes!

Clare’s sweet baby card caught my eye right way! I just love all the darling little details, such as the doily, the elephant holding the balloons, and the hand stitching. Just too cute!

This card may seem simple at first, but take a minute to look at all of the little extras that Clare has added: there’s the sanded edges, the little pearl in the flower center, and everything has been stamped on patterned paper and cut out, including the tiny flower leaves!

And then! This darling creation has me totally smitten!

Once again, it’s all in the details! From the holes along the edge that echo the polka dot paper, to the tissue paper flower, to the thread tied around the stem just so!  I just love it.

Congratulations, Clare! I just cannot wait until our day together!

For the Idea Friday inspiration this week we have some fun birthday cards to share with you.  Check out the cards with the links below.

• Happy Birthday
• Jasmine
• Celebrate
• Simply Wonderful
• Happy Happy

BIG hugs!

P.S. - If you want to see a Holiday peek, keep scrolling or click here!

Hello, Nancy here! Today I’m excited to reveal the next winner in our Win-a-Day on the Blog contest. Please join me in congratulating the very talented Nicky Hsu! You can check out her blog for more inspiration.

When you see a “Nicky card” you can tell how much she loves the craft of stamping. Often times I spend evenings looking at our Flickr cards and I can usually tell a “Nicky” card. I am so glad I could choose her as my Win-a-Day partner. I know we will have a lot of fun stamping together and I look forward to using the stamps she chooses.

Nicky’s white on white card has so many applications. The simplicity and subtle coloring make this card perfect for wedding invitations, garden parties and just “sending a smile” cards. The embossing is beautiful and adds just the right amount of texture to the background, without taking away from the softly patterned flower.

This Mother’s Day card is another example of how Nicky uses subtle details to make each card unique. The delicately torn edges of the watercolor paper and the light addition of color to the edges of the message and card make this work of art a piece worth framing.

Here is another example of Nicky’s beautiful embossing. Maybe we can get her to give us some tips on embossing on our day. Embossing on textured paper is difficult at best and combining different shades of green makes a nice backdrop for the charming punched butterflies. Although this card has no message, the soft colors speak for themselves conveying serenity and calmness.

Win-a-Day weeks are really what Hero Arts is all about…sharing ideas and creativity with friends and other stampers, we might not have met if it were not for the amazing technology of the computer and internet. Thank you Nicky for always making me smile when I see one of your posted cards.

P.S. - Scroll down to the post below this one for another CHA update. It’s a colorful peek at an addition to the Hero Hues line of accessories!

Hello everyone!

This gets harder and harder each time!  Wow! So many wonderful entries and awesome cards. I am happy to announce that my next Win-a-Day blog partner will be Rosemary D. (You can see more of her work on her blog.)

Here is the card that was the clincher! So bright and so simple, and totally cheery. The pinky orange flower really makes a statement and is one of my favorite stamps! I love using it on fabric and making brooches to wear.

Next up we have her paper flowers card on our Write Your Own cling stamp. I just LOVE paper flowers. So elegant and sweet with it’s birthday message.

AND how about these vintage girls? They are “SEW” fun! Fabrics and sewing are SEW back in style!!

I can’t wait to see what she selects to work with for our day together. I am sure we will have BIG FUN!

Speaking of fun, we have an extra fun Watch It Wednesday video to share with you today! It’s an inside peek into the CHA Summer trade show in Chicago, where we’re debuting our new Holiday collection!

Sending smiles from the Windy City,