October My Monthly Hero Countdown: Idea #1 + Giveaway!
Hello and welcome as we begin the countdown to the release of the October My Monthly Hero Kit! Release day is Monday, October 1st at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific. We will be here for the next three days, sharing ideas for using both the main kit, as well as the new optional add-on products that will also be available on Monday. Stay tuned for more inspiration all weekend long! Now let's join Jess for a first look at this winter holiday inspired kit.
Good morning! Jess here with a card featuring our October My Monthly Hero kit! I'm a sucker for cute critters and this set has quite a few of them (as well as a bunch of other holiday themed designs)! I thought I'd create a Christmas tree decorating party!!
I started by painting the background of my card using liquid watercolors and a very special addition to our kit this month: iridescent ink! I mixed a drop of it with the Black and Indigo liquid watercolors and it created this gorgeous shimmery watercolor! I used a round brush to watercolor the background and then let it dry. Once it was totally dry I flicked it with white acrylic paint and let it dry to create a snowy winter sky.
While the background was drying I stamped the animals, ornaments and trees with Versafine ink and heat-embossed them with clear embossing powder before watercoloring them using liquid watercolors. I let them dry and then die-cut them with the coordinating dies. Next I wanted to add a little more texture and sparkle to my card so I added drops of clear lacquer across the branches and then sprinkled it with white puff embossing powder. I heated the powder to get that puffy snowy texture and then added more lacquer to the branches. This time I sprinkled the lacquer with snowfall glitter and let it dry.
To assemble the card I adhered the background to a white card base. Then I stamped the sentiment with Versafine and heat-embossed it with clear embossing powder. Next I added a little lacquer, white puff embossing powder, and snowfall glitter to the snowy ground. Then I used a mixture of regular and foam adhesive to adhere the animals, ornaments, and tree to the scene. I added a few accents with a white gel pen and Spectrum Noir clear sparkle. Finally I added a coat of lacquer to all of the ornaments and sprinkled them with snowfall glitter. Unfortunately the photos just don't do this shimmery, sparkly card justice! It is so beautiful when it catches the light and I just love the idea of all those critters helping to decorate a Christmas tree!
I hope this sneak has gotten you excited for the big reveal on Monday! Make sure to come back all weekend for more sneak peeks. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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, October 1st, before the kit launches at 1pm Eastern. The more you comment, the more chances to win!
Click HERE to sign up if you don't have an account.
100 Responses
Dannielle
This card is amazing you did a great job on it! There’s just so much detail in it, even the little animals..you put a lot into making this card and it shows.
It came out so beautiful..
Lindi
really cute card, It almost makes me wish for a white Christmas instead of our REALLy hot ones…
Eileen Chalmers
Thanks for showing how beautiful a card can be with this stamp/die set. You are a great artist!
Cheryl Buck
Hi I am new to stamping but I love the hero stamps and dies they make beautiful images. Would love to win one.
Deneen Wilson
Absolutely beautiful!
LINDA G GUILLEMETTE
I love this! Cant wait!
Sandra Sear
Awwww.,so sweet!😍
Frances A Thorpe
love this card. thank you
Elizabeth M.
Love the build-up of different elements on the tree!!
Trudi Scheele
I love the design and use of watercolor background.
Darla Woodkowski
This set is amazing and I’d love to win it!
Evert
I’m curious to see how well the lacquer holds down the glitter. Beautiful colors!
Jeanette Butler
Oh my, I can’t wait for my kit. This looks fantastic and Jessica’s card is so cute with all those adorable animal helpers. Love the sound of the Iridecent ink. This kit will be well used this christmas and those sweet animals can be used all year long. Very excited by Jessica’s card, Jeanette x
Lily B
the little animals! What a wonderful holiday scene
alysia a
I love the animals
Diane Rizak
I just love this card! I love all the little critters decorating the tree! And the glitter and sparkle is just beautiful! I can’t wait to see the rest of the kit!
Theresa Sutherland
Love seeing all the little animals so happy in the forest decorating the tree. A happy, fun and warm scene!
Leigh Gardner
Love the animals!
Janet
Awesome scene! Loved how you used the lacquer pen and puffy embossing powder for the snow effects.
Kimberly Dorval
So very cute
SUZANNE KIMMELMAN
I was hoping this month would be Christmas themed.
Kellie
Now that’s a wonderful Christmas scene. Wow!
I want to add gold/silver foil to it too.
Evelyn Koll
Such adorable critters!! I am really excited abour everything iridescent – be it tape, ink, paper…so I cannot wait for this month’s kit!
Sheila
Christmas + cute critters=double joy!!!
Love the technique with flicking the ink for a snowfall effect…
Sheila
Christmas + cute critters=double joy!!!
Love the technique with flicking the ink for a snowfall effect…
Deanne
Great work here! Lovely sense of colors and good technique.
Susan Nichols
Can’t wait to play with the iridescent ink!
CyLee
Oh, and the amount of embellishing you did is wonderful!
Cherie
Thanks for sharing your beautiful card with us…love the look of that wintery background.
Renee Thompson
I love the stack of critters :)
Kim Alston
Wow, really cute card!
Leslie Birdsall
I love the sparkly goodness on the tree! So pretty!
Kate B
Wow, there’s so much texture and depth to this card! I love how you decorated the tree with snow and ornaments!
Georgette A
Love this card! So fun and original.
DUMONTIER Marjorie
What a lovely Christmas card !! Thanks for the inspiration. Love, Marjorie
[margessw(at)icloud(dot)com]
Jayne Hunt
This card is exquisite! I love the background and tree, and all the creatures below!
Flo
Can’t wait to see the whole kit. Great card.
Anastasia M
What a fun card! Can’t wait to see the kit!
Cindi Patton
I love the glittery ornaments and tree. So pretty!
Lynnea Hollendonner
This. Is. Stunning! Absolutely gorgeous! Love all the shimmer and extra touches!!
Mary Doran
Love the background with the iridescent ink added. Love the animals and birds!
Glenda Edmunds
What a beautiful set! Would love to have it!!!
Tracy Lee L Clark-Grant
Love this Christmas theme card!
KarenChester
What a sweet card. Are the a three animals one stamp or are they separate? You have my curiosity up.
Tanya Boser
I love that the birds are flying away with the star!
Lisa K
Fun, Fun, Fun! Jessica you’ve created such an entertaining card with each adorable animal participating in the joyous celebration of Christmas! I can see you enjoyed creating this cute & beautifuly festive card.
Jennifer L.
Love the big Christmas tree!
Jessica Barker
I love the animal tower. So cute.
K Kraft
So cute! Love the animals
Denise Lassiter
Cute critters. Great card!
Kathy Mark
Adorable animals, Cardinals, and tree decorating! Wonderful.
Nita moser
That poor dog. Hahaha
Jackie
I love how you decorated the tree. It’s just gorgeous!
CJS
Awe, what an adorable card..such great placement of all the animals!
Donna J. Billingsley
Theses stamps are adorable. What fun we are going to have making these cards! Thank each and everyone of you!!!!
Mary Lynn Willmott-Haas
THIS KIT IS 100% GREAT CAN’T WAIT TO GET IT. WONDERFUL
Glenda Sultan
This card makes me miss the snow Denver. It’s a special card that will make many people appreciate the snowy days. I just wish we had them here in Florida. With this kit, I can dream can’t I?
Deana Drummond
Absolutely love this kit, love the animals!!!
Kim Heggins
wow….so beautiful and magical. love that amazing tree!
Carrie C.
There is so much to love here, from the critters to the sparkle, and iridescent to boot, love it!
LEE BRETT
I very, very much like this card you’ve made using the critters trimming the tree.
Teddy Cohen
This background is really dramatic. I especially like the sweet faces of the dog and the cat, precious! Looks like a fun kit!
Dana M
Super festive and sparkly card.
Kelley Hamilton
Very nice snow scene.
Melanie
Reminds me of a book I read as a child. Just love the composition of all of the elements. Really look forward to the kit reveal.
Linda
Love all the animals. Looks like my house.
Louise Horner
I am loving that tree with its flocked branches. I have noticed There is excellent planning for multiple uses between kits. To be able to use the fluff powder from the coffee kit to make “tree fluff” is awesome! Can’t wait to try it!
Jackie Price
Beautiful! And such cute little animals too. Love that tree!
Lynn O'Sullivan
I love the feel of nightfall in the woods with the animals decorating the snow laden tree. Santa’s coming.
Lynn O'Sullivan
I love the feel of nightfall in the woods with the animals decorating the snow laden tree. Santa’s coming.
Julie Shetler
Your card is very magical.
CherriuB
Such a cute, cute card! Cannot wait to see the entire kit!!
Cheri
What a beautiful & FUN card! Looks like another great release from Hero Arts! Can’t wait to see it all……
Kay Seuferer
Looks like a great fit. Combining two of my favorite things, animals and Christmas!
Maria
So cute and whimsical. I would have never thought of all the techniques you used
Sara
Soo beautiful! Love all the animals.
Crystal Jensen
I believe of all the inspiration cards I like this one the best! Even without seeing the sparkle affect, the card looks fun and is gorgeous. I would definitely have to make this for special loved ones since it is so stunning! Thanks Jessica for sharing such an inspirational and fun card!
Lisa H.
This card is beautiful! The animals in this kit are the cutest!
Phi
Oh beautiful snowy scene. Love all the animals and little elements.
Carol Bostick
I love the thought of all the animals working togetherto decorate this beautiful tree!
Deborah Ziadie
Love the critters and the sparkle and texture added to the trees. This kit is going to be a big hit!
Rebecca Ednie
I love all the special snowy details on the tree! It looks so special and sparkly. I hate winter but I admit I love seeing the sparkly snow reflect light on the trees at night.
kiyomi
I love the colorful and detailed images you have put together!
Cindi Lynch
Oh, my!! A critter Christmas!
Ronda
Love this. The animals are so cute.
Lynne
Excited about this kit.
anna cullen
What a gorgeous Christmas scene, and to get iridescent ink included in the main kit….. Ohhhhh I cannot wait, SO many ideas already <3
Robyn S
Love the background colour, really makes the tree and animals pop more. Looking forward to the kit reveal and loving the snowfall glitter. Our cat used to climb our Christmas Tree – a live ornament!
Kris Reeves
Love all the critters!
Michele W
Beautiful card! Love your water coloring and the way you added all the detail to the tree. Thanks for all the tips! Looks like another great kit!
Judy
I love the adorable scene card and the cute images!
HeatherDG
I want this festive happy little tree in my yard!!! Such a very fun card!!
Lorianne Icalia
Wow! Nice effect on the tree with the white puff and the glitter.
Rose Mary Smalley
Jess, this card is just gorgeous!!! I love Christmas…..I do not get snow very often here in California…but when it does surprise us….it is just so wonderful. Your card is a wow for sure….I love the little critters trimming the tree…and of course Glitter….LOL….thank you so much for this sneak peak!!! Hugs
Kat
Love this kit and thank you for the chance to win.
Mitzi
Thanks for sharing your cute card & the opportunity to win a kit.
Debi Popish
I love this card. I can tell that the picture doesn’t do it justice. I can just imagine it is very sparkly, like something out of a Disney movie. Thank you for sharing and can’t wait till Monday.
Kim Smart
Beautiful card! Love that big Christmas tree!!! Can’t wait to see the rest of the kit!!!
Krystal Showalter
This is absolutely adorable! Even though it is still hot where I live, it is making me long for winter!
Susan Kaiser
OMGosh, I love your scene! So much sparkle, and the darling critters decorating the tree! Great use of materials from other monthly kits, too!
Jessica Frost-Ballas
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