January My Monthly Hero Countdown: Idea #5 + Giveaway!

Jessica Frost-Ballas

We are back with another look at the January My Monthly Hero release! The kit will be available on Monday, January 8th at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific. We’ll be sharing ideas for using the main kit and the optional add-on products all weekend long, so stay tuned for more inspiration! Now let’s join Jess, who is sharing a look at two of the add-on items, available on Monday!

Hi!  Jess here with a look at two of the add-on items debuting Monday! :) I fell hard for the adorable Lovebirds Stamp and Cut as soon as I saw them in my box and couldn't wait to use them!

I started by stamping the Lovebirds onto a piece of snow layering paper with intense black ink using my MISTI.  I left the stamps on the lid of my MISTI so that I could stamp them again later (it'll make sense in a bit).  Then I started coloring them with my polychromos colored pencils.  I'm not sure if it is as apparent as I had hoped but I was trying to make the red feathers for the shape of a heart.  It's a little abstract, but hopefully you can see it! ;) Once I finished coloring the birds I placed the paper back inside my MISTI, inked the stamp with versafine, stamped it, and then heat-embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Whenever I use my colored pencils I like to restamp and heat-emboss the outline when I'm finished to get a nice crisp image!  I fussy cut the birds and went over the cut edge with a black marker.  I also cut slits under their feet so they could perch on the branch.

Next I used an embossing pad to dry emboss the Window on Love Confetti Fancy die on white cardstock.  Instead of cutting all of the hearts out it simply impresses the shape of them onto the panel for a subtle texture!  I trimmed that panel down to 4" by 5.25" and adhered it to a pool card base.  I added the birds and branch with foam mounting tape and then tucked them together for a little snuggle!  I stamped the sentiment onto pool paper with versafine, heat-embossed it with clear embossing powder, trimmed it down to a label, and adhered it to the card with foam mounting tape.  Finally I finished the card with a sprinkling of ombre blush sequins!

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, January 8, before the kit launches at 1 pm Eastern. The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Good luck!


  • Judy Iverson

    Simply gorgeous! I have a thing for bird stamps and these are just beautiful. Great tip about the embossing.

  • stephanie

    So cute!!

  • ROSEMARY

    I love birds and this pair of love birds are the best ever.

  • Janet Pinho-Goldman

    The coloring on this card is great!

  • Hilde Larsen aka Tindaloo

    Gorgeous card! Wow, this bird couple is sooo cute! Loving the addons of this kit ♥

365 Responses

Maria B

Maria B

Jan 07, 2018

Nice how you made a little heart with their heads.

SarahC

SarahC

Jan 07, 2018

Beautifully done. Your colors and coloring really go well with the birds and I love the texture in the background.

Karthikha Uday

Karthikha Uday

Jan 07, 2018

What an adorable creation!! Love this one!

Betty Chen

Betty Chen

Jan 07, 2018

Oh I do love how those birds are nestled together! So adorable.

Julia Piccard-Naughton

Julia Piccard-Naughton

Jan 07, 2018

So adorable!!

Barbra Lawson

Barbra Lawson

Jan 07, 2018

Adorable lovebirds! The colors are striking!

Tanya Boser

Tanya Boser

Jan 07, 2018

I can definitely see the red heart in your birds, so clever! Great tip about the restamping :)

Renee VanEpps

Renee VanEpps

Jan 07, 2018

This is really beautiful and I definitely noticed the red feathers looked like hearts!

Laura Buehler

Laura Buehler

Jan 07, 2018

I just love the lovebirds & their heads make a double heart!

Rose W

Rose W

Jan 07, 2018

Two love birds…really great. And I especially like the heart that so cleverly forms.

Patt H.

Patt H.

Jan 07, 2018

Absolutely love this card and, yes, I can see the heart! So cute! This stamp is so adorable! Love your card. Such a great design!

Catherine

Catherine

Jan 07, 2018

Your coloring is amazing. Love how their faces form a heart!

Claudia N

Claudia N

Jan 07, 2018

Beautiful card! And who doesn’t love love birds!

Heidi Macy

Heidi Macy

Jan 07, 2018

Those love birds are adorable! Great job!

Jill S

Jill S

Jan 07, 2018

Saw the heart right away. Very clever!

Danielle Dietz

Danielle Dietz

Jan 07, 2018

Aww. The lovebirds are so cute!

Judy

Judy

Jan 07, 2018

I can’t wait to see the entire kit and the other add-ons!

Toni L

Toni L

Jan 07, 2018

These lovebirds are sweet—lovely job with the card.

Cindy C.

Cindy C.

Jan 07, 2018

These love birds are sooooo cute!!

Diane B

Diane B

Jan 07, 2018

Yes, I can see the heart. Lovely idea. Love the textured background. The birds are wonderful.

Lynn

Lynn

Jan 07, 2018

Soooooooooooooo adorable. Great for newlyweds or oldies still in love.

ljhart

ljhart

Jan 07, 2018

Live the birds. Can’t wait for the release

Sandra Krouse

Sandra Krouse

Jan 07, 2018

BEAUTIFUL! love the heart created between the birds.

Cynthia Cole

Cynthia Cole

Jan 07, 2018

Adorable love birds card!

Lynn

Lynn

Jan 07, 2018

Great Idea to cover your colored pencil coloring with clear embossing powder. I will have to try that. Going over something that you fussy cut with black marker is also another wonderful tip. I have been doing that for some time.
Can’t wait for the kit!!

Linda

Linda

Jan 07, 2018

The heart is a nice touch. Also liked the idea of re-stamping the outline.

MelissaF

MelissaF

Jan 07, 2018

Love your sweet lovebirds card, and I did see how the red feathers make a heart shape, so clever!

Debi Walton

Debi Walton

Jan 07, 2018

Love the Love Birds. A clever idea you had with forming the heart.

Melanie Ann MacKenzie

Melanie Ann MacKenzie

Jan 07, 2018

Oh…I can understand why you love them as they are just adorable. Lovely card. Cheers.

Janet Dand

Janet Dand

Jan 07, 2018

I love the parrots and you can definitely see the heart shape in the coloring. Very creative

Natalie Dominguez

Natalie Dominguez

Jan 07, 2018

Lovebirds! Omg! I’m dying!

meegs

meegs

Jan 07, 2018

Love the dry embossing idea! Also the heat embossing after coloring with pencils is a neat idea- I’ll have to try it!

Annie W

Annie W

Jan 07, 2018

Aww!! So cute! So many possibilities!! Love these
Great card!

Denise Bryant

Denise Bryant

Jan 07, 2018

Beautiful coloring of the lovebirds!

Cheri

Cheri

Jan 07, 2018

Such a darling card – very clever how you colored the parrots’ faces to form a heart. Clean & simple, but so pretty!

Kailash

Kailash

Jan 07, 2018

Such a cute image, love the bright colors too!!!

Terri

Terri

Jan 07, 2018

Love the birds..so cute!

Samantha  Coleman

Samantha Coleman

Jan 07, 2018

I love how you made the heart on the feathers! Your card turned out so sweet. I can’t wait to see the full kit and add-ons tomorrow!

Jeanne Thompson

Jeanne Thompson

Jan 07, 2018

I saw the heart right away! I love it! ?

Felicia C

Felicia C

Jan 07, 2018

Stop teasing me. I love these little guys! Going to be a must have!

Sharon O

Sharon O

Jan 07, 2018

Love your lovebirds! SO clever to do the faces as a heart; it works beautifully.

E Nelson

E Nelson

Jan 07, 2018

Cute lovebirds, especially with the heart design on the feathers.

Camala Aydelotte

Camala Aydelotte

Jan 07, 2018

Love all the subtle hearts including the birds feathers!

Amy H (Sevenscrafts)

Amy H (Sevenscrafts)

Jan 07, 2018

These snuggle birds are so adorable and the colors are so wonderfully bright. Well done!

Nancy Dempsey

Nancy Dempsey

Jan 07, 2018

Love how sweet and “grown up” this card is. Not mushy at all! Love the colors, too.

LaNell Taylor

LaNell Taylor

Jan 07, 2018

What a sweet card!

Cristina

Cristina

Jan 07, 2018

Beautiful! I love the heart shape, and the background!

D.Ann C

D.Ann C

Jan 07, 2018

How sweet are those birds?! And you colored them gorgeously! I love that you make a heart out of their red feathers… I’ll definitely CASE that! : )

Karen Hale

Karen Hale

Jan 07, 2018

These love birds are so adorable and so beautifully colored. Thanks, Jess, for the splendid inspiration.

Leyla Newman

Leyla Newman

Jan 07, 2018

Very cute. Love the colours you used and the idea of the little heart shape.

Donna Ligon

Donna Ligon

Jan 07, 2018

Adorable lovebirds. Thanks for sharing

Deborah Ziadie

Deborah Ziadie

Jan 07, 2018

The lovebirds are adorable and will have many uses throughout the year. Beautiful card!

Roxanne M

Roxanne M

Jan 07, 2018

How cute! Kiev the birds

Neudorf Terry

Neudorf Terry

Jan 07, 2018

What cute cards

Celeste

Celeste

Jan 07, 2018

This is such a sweet card. Looking forward to seeing the whole release tomorrow.

Amy McCue

Amy McCue

Jan 07, 2018

Love birds!

Sabrina Radican

Sabrina Radican

Jan 07, 2018

How adorable!!

Eileen Mikos

Eileen Mikos

Jan 07, 2018

I love this add-on. Such a beautiful card. The first thing I noticed was the heart shape on the birds!

Marlene Twilley

Marlene Twilley

Jan 07, 2018

What an adorable card with those sweet birds. This card is so creative.

Samantha O

Samantha O

Jan 07, 2018

You can absolutely see the heart. Such a sweet idea – true love birds.

Jeanne Beam

Jeanne Beam

Jan 07, 2018

Beautiful card. Idid see the heart on the birds. So sweet…
Thanks for sharing…

Jan Elmore

Jan Elmore

Jan 07, 2018

What a terrific kit this month!

Kim Sharabba

Kim Sharabba

Jan 07, 2018

I DO see the heart. That’s very sweet and imaginative (thanks for the pointer). I love dry embossing backgrounds!

Ashley Twigg

Ashley Twigg

Jan 07, 2018

Omg!!! These birds are so adorable. They really look in love with one another. It is a very cute card.

Katy

Katy

Jan 07, 2018

I have color pencils but I rarely use them. This makes me want to get them out!!

karenajo

karenajo

Jan 07, 2018

These love birds are darling – love the colors you used and the design of your card ! The background is so pretty and love the heart shape you added to the birds heads with the coloring!

Sue D

Sue D

Jan 07, 2018

So sweet—love the colors.

Nina Stallman

Nina Stallman

Jan 07, 2018

Super cute, and can definitely see the heart in the red feathers. :). That fancy heart die looks awesome.

Barb

Barb

Jan 07, 2018

Cute – I see the heart. Love the birds.

Ana A

Ana A

Jan 07, 2018

Color combination on this card is amazing- beautiful coloring and a gorgeous card.

littlen

littlen

Jan 07, 2018

What a cute card. I think the heart is obvious & adds the perfect touch.

Joy J.

Joy J.

Jan 07, 2018

So cute! I love the abstract heart! Those birds are adorable.

CherriB

CherriB

Jan 07, 2018

Such a sweet card! The heart does pop out with the bright colors. Super cute idea!

Mary Lehett

Mary Lehett

Jan 07, 2018

Thank you Jessica for such a beautiful and creative card and instructions. Your card is adorable. Those birds are so sweet.

Oliev

Oliev

Jan 07, 2018

gorgeous card:-)

Carolyn S

Carolyn S

Jan 07, 2018

What sweet birds – and I totally saw the heart in red on their joined faces even before I read it. Looks like this kit and add-ons are winners!

Dawn Thompson

Dawn Thompson

Jan 07, 2018

love birds in the shape of a heart – so freaking clever!!

Susan King

Susan King

Jan 07, 2018

Such bra birds. Love the way you emboss after you color. I am looking forward to trying this technique with Copic coloring!

Elizabeth Motyka

Elizabeth Motyka

Jan 07, 2018

I love the way you created a heart out of the birds faces. The embossing over the colored pencil is really pretty too.

Theresa

Theresa

Jan 07, 2018

This is such a cute card. I’m not one for “gushy” love cards for Valentine’s Day. So many folks don’t like that day.

glenda sultan

glenda sultan

Jan 07, 2018

Such clever hints used for this lovely card.

Andrea Shell

Andrea Shell

Jan 07, 2018

Those birds are so sweet! Great card!

Maggie C.

Maggie C.

Jan 07, 2018

These lovebirds are beautiful! I loved the way you colored them.

Helen Gullett

Helen Gullett

Jan 07, 2018

WOW… love the coloring on those birds! The embossed background is perfect for them. Beautiful CAS.

candy Hazzard

candy Hazzard

Jan 07, 2018

Very cute.

Ruth Davis

Ruth Davis

Jan 07, 2018

love the birds

Jackie Adair

Jackie Adair

Jan 07, 2018

Beautiful lovebirds! I really like your colors!

Patty  Haff

Patty Haff

Jan 07, 2018

w
What could be better to describe Valentine’s Day than two love bird? Great choice.

Theresa P

Theresa P

Jan 07, 2018

Love Your Lovebirds! How clever of you to create the heart of red feathers! Really caught my eye. So many great details in your design.

Ashley Shaffer

Ashley Shaffer

Jan 07, 2018

this has been my favorite so far!

Celeste

Celeste

Jan 07, 2018

Lovely! I can’t wait to start creating!

Miriam Prantner

Miriam Prantner

Jan 07, 2018

What a sweet little couple, love how brightly colored they are!

Dorothy Mutafopulos

Dorothy Mutafopulos

Jan 07, 2018

These love birds are so adorable !!! Love your colors that you picked. Can’t wait for the new kit!!!

Lynn R

Lynn R

Jan 07, 2018

Oh, the love birds how sweet!

Sharon Taylor

Sharon Taylor

Jan 07, 2018

These birds are just too darn cute! Can’t wait to see more!

Liz mca

Liz mca

Jan 07, 2018

I saw the heart righ5 away

Kelli S.

Kelli S.

Jan 07, 2018

This card is adorable, love the colors you chose. The birds are so sweet!

Maureen Morton

Maureen Morton

Jan 07, 2018

I am so crazy over these adorable birds – this set is really different! You did a great job with coloring and thanks for the re-stamping tip. Love!!!

Claudia

Claudia

Jan 07, 2018

Oh, wow, what cute birds, just fell in love with them and also the background ist fabulous. A great card, thanks for showing Jessica, great inspiration!
Hugs Claudia

Tomeika Horne

Tomeika Horne

Jan 07, 2018

Love it ❤️

Martha Berry

Martha Berry

Jan 07, 2018

Awww, who wouldn’t love the lovebirds? They are so sweet snuggling together on the branch! Hurry up, Monday ?

katherine

katherine

Jan 07, 2018

super cute birds!

Isabelle

Isabelle

Jan 07, 2018

These birds are adorable and the card simply beautiful !

Isabel Z

Isabel Z

Jan 07, 2018

Such a beautiful card.

Michele Hogarth

Michele Hogarth

Jan 07, 2018

Lovely coloring. The background adds just the right touch. Thanks for sharing.

Bunny Dobbie

Bunny Dobbie

Jan 07, 2018

Of course I see the red heart in the faces! How brilliant! Great design idea.

Paula Fuller

Paula Fuller

Jan 07, 2018

Thanks so much for sharing your techniques! That was a fantastic lesson in re-stamping after you’re finished coloring. The card AND the stamp is wonderful. I see the abstract heart, too. Love it!!!

Hannah

Hannah

Jan 07, 2018

So cute! Love the colors.

Kortney Wilson

Kortney Wilson

Jan 07, 2018

Adorable lovebirds ?

M'Liss White

M'Liss White

Jan 07, 2018

So cute. Can’t wait for the unveiling!

Susan Bennett

Susan Bennett

Jan 07, 2018

This is so adorable – And yes I can see the heart in the feathers.

Genevieve

Genevieve

Jan 07, 2018

I love what you did to the love birds . Great trick about restamping i am sure it makes it pop

Becca Yahrling

Becca Yahrling

Jan 07, 2018

OMG, you’ve colored the lovebirds perfectly!! I am a birdie lover, so I know! lol So beautiful, Jess.

Roger

Roger

Jan 07, 2018

Oh my gawd this is so cute. This is what my friend and I call each other. Love birds. Beautiful card.

Krystal Showalter

Krystal Showalter

Jan 07, 2018

I could tell the red feathers were in the shape of a heart, so it was neat to read that you did that on purpose. Fabulous card and I can’t wait to see the full reveal of this month’s kit!