Hello and welcome as we begin the countdown to the release of the February My Monthly Hero Kit! Release day is Monday, February 3 at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific. We will be here all weekend long, sharing inspiration before the launch on Monday. Now let’s join Emily for the first look at using this sweet birthday kit! 

Hi there! Emily Midgett here with you sharing some inspiration that I've created using the utterly darling stamps from February's My Monthly Hero kit!! This month's kit is birthday-themed, with a sweet storybook aesthetic with which I am totally besotted. My project today focuses on the stunning A2 sized background stamp... the detail and design of this stamp is truly amazing. Let's get started with the details!  

To start, I stamped the gorgeous background stamp on a panel of Sand cardstock using Unicorn White pigment ink. I love to use Unicorn White ink for no-line pencil coloring on colored cardstock; I find that this particular formulation of white pigment ink is easily covered with colored pencil, making it easy to fake that hand-drawn look! 

After I'd stamped the background from the main kit, I used my Caran D'ache Luminance colored pencils to add some color to the images in a springy pastel color palette. I've found that most brands of colored pencil blend like butter on the Hero Arts Premium Cardstock. Isn't the effect so dainty and pretty? It would be easy to adapt this concept to a more masculine or feminine color scheme, as well! I also used a white gel pen to add a few accents here and there. 

After I'd finished coloring the images, I heat embossed a greeting on a scrap of Lapis cardstock, which I then die cut using the Tag Frames Infinity Dies, adding a slightly larger mat cut from vellum. I popped up the die cuts in the center of the colored panel using foam tape. Simple and super sweet, but still an element of elegance!! 

Well, that's all for my project today. This kit is turning out to be one of my absolute favorite My Monthly Hero kits. So pretty! Now, for some information on how to win a kit of your own...

Win a kit before you can buy it! Just leave a comment on this (and every) Countdown to Creativity post! We’ll randomly draw one lucky winner from all the comments left across all countdown posts, and announce the winner first thing Monday morning, February 3, before the kit launches at 10am Pacific. The more you comment, the more chances to win!