Two Christmas Cards This Year

I traditionally make 60+ Christmas Cards each year and it is a labor of love.  I have one dear friend who has kept the past 9 years worth and displays them as decorations.  When I saw the picture of them all, my heart melted!

My first card is made with Honey Bee Stamps Winter Bouquets Honey Cuts and a sentiment from a My Monthly Hero Kit.  Those beautiful poinsettias caught my eye and I was hooked.  I had my Gemini Jr working overtime to cut all those layers.  Next came inking with 3 colors of distress ink.  A stardust pen accents the pinecones and then the gluing began using Connect adhesive (it really holds together and dries fast).  Using a My Monthly Hero sentiment I stamped using my Mini Misti with Versamark and Heat Embossed with Ranger Gold Embossing Powder.  The background paper is The Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby.  Finally all elements were attached to a white card base.

Now for the second card...I was at Hobby Lobby buying background paper and found the Merry Christmas Wreath from Momenta.  Loved this delicate die and decided right then and there to add a second card.  So my Gemini Jr chugged right along cutting more die cuts.  So I said, I loved it...also hated it!  It's so pretty but is really a booger working with and glueing together.  Before I glued I sprayed Shimmer Spritz on the white layer, I know you can't see it in the photo but trust me it's there.  Inking the background paper always adds a little extra so I did that too with Distress Ink.  Finally all elements were attached to my red card base.

I chose no rhyme or reason when sending these out as to who got what card - I liked them both that much!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by my unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Crafty Cards - May My Monthly Hero Kit

Have I told you how much I love Hero Arts?  Especially their My Monthly Hero Kit?  This month is my absolute favorite, all crafty goodness images and dies along with other goodies!  Plus there were soooo many add ons for this kit...my wish list certainly got longer - if only my budget were bigger!  Oh the trials of crafters and their money woes....lol.

At the recent Creative Keepsakes Convention I purchased some Pearl Alcohol Inks and played with them.  I grabbed the large fancy die and backed it with a small piece.  Next, some shiny silver card stock to die cut knitting needles in my Gemini Jr.   Finally, a VersaMark stamped sentiment from the kit - heat embossed with silver embossing powder.  Fun Foam backs the panel and a glitter pen adds details.

The next card is all about those markers.  Using my Misti, I stamped the marker repeatedly in a row using Tuxedo Black ink.  The sentiment is stamped with VersaFine Ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Using Copic markers, I colored them in rainbow order.  Stitched Rectangle die trims the piece and it's backed with red card stock and then mounted on my black card base.  A white piece is placed inside to sign.

I had a blast whipping out these two cards and can't wait to get back to the kit to play some more!

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by my unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Expresso Yourself - More August My Monthly Hero

Here's another card using the August My Monthly Hero Kit.  Just like my last post, I watercolored the images using distress ink after I stamped with Versafine Black Ink on Canson Mixed Media paper. Using the included dies, I used my Big Shot to die cut the watercolored images along with the swirl of steam out of vellum.
Also die cut the Bold Graphic Confetti Die out of White Neenah 110lb card stock.  The sentiment is stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Silver Stampin Up Embossing Powder three times.  To hide the adhesive on the vellum, I ran the whole strip through a Create a Sticker Dispenser covering the entire back.  This is an excellent way to attach vellum!  

To bring my card together the white die cut background was adhered to the card base.  The center coffee cup is raised with foam tape and the other two are adhered to the die.  Those vellum steam dies were covered with Clear Sparkle Pen for shine and also covered the back with adhesive with the Create A Sticker Dispenser.  Finally the embossed sentiment is attached.

Have a great day and keep of crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by my unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

#mymonthlyhero

Watercolor with Tombow Markers Card

Hero Arts is one of my favorite companies, I love their products so much, I subscribe to My Monthly Hero Kits.  Todays card uses the February 2018 Kit.  To change it up a bit, I decided to use my Tombow Markers as watercolors.  

First up, you need to use watercolor paper, otherwise, you'll have a muddled mess with paper pilling up, that's been the case for me.  Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock is great and resists buckling when wet.  The February Kit has lots of birds and feathers, I chose feathers for the background.  Orange, gold, light brown and a bit of green color markers were scribbled directly onto the stamp.  Then I houghed (blew moistened breath on to the stamp) and stamped.  Not enough moisture, so I used my Water Brush Pen (Kuretake) to blend water on the cardstock and mix those colors around.  After that dried I scribbled a light blue marker on a palette and again used that water brush pen and lightly colored the rest of the background sky blue.  Following the same process as the leaves, I stamped a leafy branch and bird from the kit.  Using coordinating dies, I ran those through my Big Shot.  I used a stitched rectangle die from The Stamps of Life.  To get that 1/16 border of Kraft cardstock I used mini paper layer tool and my PenBlade.   Finally, I stamped the sentiment in Versa Mark ink and heat embossed Zing Glitter Gold embossing powder.  

Have a great day and keep crafting!

July My Monthly Hero Card

Hero Arts July My Monthly Hero Club sets are Awesome!!  If you are like me and adore flowers, this one is for you.  I paired this set with the Avery Elle's Horizontal Stripes Die.  It just came Saturday and I couldn't wait to use it.

The Flowers and containers were stamped with Versafine Black ink  on Canson Multimedia paper.  Coloring with Tombow markers on this paper is fabulous!  It was very easy to blend.  Topped the flowers with Wink of Stella and added Glossy Accents on the butterfly.   The sentiment was stamped by curving the the stamp on a block and using Wilted Violet Distress Oxide ink then die cut with a Spellbinders banner die.

This card's sentiment was stamped and embossed, then cut with a punch.  Also both purple pieces were raised with pop dots.

Have a great day and keep on crafting.