Good morning! I am so excited to be hopping along with the Hero Arts Creative team and other special guests for their Winter 2016 Release! There are SO many gorgeous and adorable stamps and products in this release! You should have arrived from Jenn Shurkus’ blog but if not, you can head to the Hero Arts blog to start at the beginning! I created two cards using some of my favorite Christmas stamps from this year and last year’s Winter releases! My first card uses the new Color Layering Cardinal with one of my favorite holiday background stamps from Hero Arts.
Isn’t that cardinal gorgeous!? It’s really easy to line up the stamps and you get that great layered look just by using different inks! I stamped the cardinal, branch, and pine sprigs and then die-cut them with the coordinating dies. Then I inked the background stamp with versamark and pressed a piece of kraft cardstock over the stamp. I heat-embossed it with white embossing powder and then trimmed it down to an A2 card base. I stamped the sentiment on vellum and heat-embossed it with white embossing powder. Next I trimmed it down to a fishtail banner and layered it over red cardstock. I adhered them to my kraft base and then tucked my cardinal and branch around the sentiment. I finished the card by adding a little spectrum noir clear sparkle to the vellum.
I decided to make a shaker for my second card using one of the tag dies from last winter’s release. I die-cut it from white cardstock and then added a layer of acetate and foam mounting tape behind the cardstock. I filled it with a mixture of silver and sparkling clear sequins and beads and then sealed it with a white cardstock backing.
Next I stamped the same snowflake background stamp onto white cardstock and heat-embossed it with silver embossing powder. Then I blended Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough, and Peacock Feathers distress ink over the background. I adhered the distress inked background to a white card base and then adhered the shaker over it. I am really becoming fond of nontraditional colors for Christmas cards and I love the sparkle and shimmer from the embossing powder and shaker!
To celebrate the release Hero Arts is giving away three $25 gift certificates to comments selected from all of the blogs in the hop so make sure you leave a comment at each hop stop for the most chances to win! Please comment by Sunday, August 28 at 11:59pm PT and we’ll announce the winner the following week. Your next stop on the hop is the wonderful Joan Bardee! Here’s the full hop list in case you get lost!
The Hero Arts Blog
Jennifer McGuire
Kathy Racoosin
Wanda Guess
Lydia Fiedler
Alice Wertz
Amy Tan
Cheiron Brandon
Debbie Olson
Laura Bassen
Debby Hughes
Heather Ruwe
Ilina Crouse
Isha Gupta
Jenn Shurkus
Jessica Frost-Ballas —> YOU ARE HERE!
Joan Bardee
Karin Akesdotter
Yana Smakula
Kelly Rasmussen
Amy Tsuruta
Clare Prezzia
Mariana Grigsby
May Sukyong Park
Libby Hickson
Thanks so much for visiting and have a wonderful day!
Great cards! Like the way you used the tag die to make a shaker card and that snowflake background is great for both cards. Thanks for sharing!
The cardinal is gorgeous, I am sure you could use for a bluejay as well. Thanks for sharing.
such great cards! I love Hero arts stamps!
Gorgeous cards…love the snowflakes in the background. that cardinal is really pretty!
Great job on both cards. I have to admit the shaker card is my favorite. I love the heat embossing against the beautiful background color and the die cut is wonderful. Well done.
You’re getting me pumped for Christmas…. and cold weather!
OMGosh, your shaker card is stunning! I love the color combo!!!
Love every single detail on your Cardinal card…perched so eloquently. Your shaker using nontraditional colors really shines, Jess Eager to try silver EP with ink resist very soon – love your results!
Loving the ombré background effect!!!
It’s a good thing you didn’t ask us to pick a favorite because I couldn’t. Gotta say I love the shaker card with the non-traditional colors. I’m happy to see that ornament die being used in such clever ways.
Love the shaker card! Beautiful (and fun)!!!
Your winter cheer card is so elegant. Love all the silver with the blue.
I love that blue winter cheer card- love how blue and silver look for holiday cards. Thanks for sharing and for the chance to win!
What great looking cards. Love the cardinal. The shaker card is a really great color and looks great with the white ornament and silver embossed snowflakes.
Gorgeous cards!
Beautiful cards. The cardinal and the shaker card are delightful.