October My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hi friends! I am thrilled to once again be joining Hero Arts for their October My Monthly Hero Release Hop! You're in for such a treat as this amazingly talented list of designers share their products with this month's gorgeous main kit and all the FABULOUS add-ons.

The kit and add-ons this month are filled to the brim with winter splendor and possibility. And there's an awesome giveaway! You could win the October main kit by hopping along and giving a shout out in the comments to each of these amazing artists. The giveaway closes Sunday, October 7th at 11:59pm, and the winner will be announced the following week on the Hero Arts Blog.

If you're just popping in, the hop started over on the Hero Arts Blog. If you've been hopping along already, you should have arrived from the oh-so-fabulous Jessica Frost-Ballas' blog. Seriously, you don't want to miss her stunning snowflake cards!

Now, let's get on with my shares for today! Warning... you might want to grab a cuppa something de-lish, because this post is going to be another long one! I had so much fun stamping with this kit. 😊

As soon as I saw the kit, I knew some shabby chic creations would be happening with that stunning tree image. I couldn't wait to pull out the Prima Santa Baby paper collection and start in on this card. I stamped the tree in soft sand and embossed with clear embossing powder on cream cardstock. Next I colored with copic markers in pinks and tans, then cut with the fancy paper layering tree die and frame from the kit. To bring out a bit of sparkle, I added some white liquid pearls and some stardust stickles to the branches and then accented with an iridescent star from the kit. I sponged a little around the edges, then decided to stamp one of the birds from the kit and die cut it to accent on top.  I embellished with lace trim, some seam binding and a couple of paper roses.

I set this aside and layered my papers, sponging the edges with the soft pink and sand colors from the Kelly's Coffee and Donuts Ink Cube set. I added a few highlights to the flowers with the same colors of copics and a dusting of stardust stickles here and there.  The sentiment is embossed in white on a piece of designer paper I backed with chipboard and cut with the Tag Frames Infinity Dies.

While I was figuring out what to do for the senitment on that card, I first tried the winter wishes sentiment in the sand color on designer paper and then stamped the icicles image below it three times, fussy cut and added icicle stickles to it. I loved how it looked, but it didn't quite fit the space I had, so I set it aside for this sweet little ornament project. I used the adorable Tree Tags Fancy Dies add-on to cut the tree shape from designer paper, chipboard and felt. I then layered the three together with the felt on the back so it could be given as a tree ornament. I sponged the edges, then added the winter wishes/icicle piece I had made previously. The fawn is stamped and colored with copics, then die cut to add to the ornament.  I trimmed the tree with some star rhinestone strings and different sized pearls, then finished off with some gold cord.

For my next card, I stepped out of my usual comfort zone and tried something new to me... masking and ink blending. I had this picture in my head of exactly what I wanted to do with this beautiful little ice skater, and set to work with masks and inks in hand to make it happen! I started by stamping the skater girl onto smooth Bristol in intense black ink. I then stamped and cut a mask for her, the pond and an oval frame. I laid down the oval frame mask where I wanted it, positioned the ice skater mask, and then stamped the pond. To this I added the pond mask, and then started blending with the three blues in the Winter ink cube pack (soft pool, cornflower and navy). I then added a little unicorn ink splatters for some snow.  After I removed the pond mask, I watercolored with the navy and cornflower inks and added shimmer with a wink of stella glitter pen.  My skater girl is colored with Arteza real brush pens and accented with a white gel pen.

I wanted a bit more texture to the card, so I used the oval I had cut from sticker paper to make my oval frame mask as a mask over my blended background, then inked up the Graphic Snowflake Bold Print add-on with soft pool ink and embossed in clear embossing powder.  I added a bit of that fabulous silver shimmer paper below, then worked on the sentiment. I love the gorgeous script sentiments in the Peace.Love & Joy add-on set, so embossed the peace word on vellum in silver. Before I fussy cut it, I added a bit of double-sided adhesive to the back, so I could stick it down easily. Since the entire piece is coated with adhesive, there are no marks to show through. To finish off, I masked the May your Holidays be filled with sentiment into two lines, embossed on silver, then added a bit of midnight muse cardstock to make the sentiment pop.

For my next card, I wanted to play with that tree again, this time just using the fancy die, cut from designer paper and then highlighted with a crystal clear lacquer pen and white puff embossing powder. I "fluffed" the branches up a bit to give some dimension as well.

The boy and the fawn from the main kit  are stamped in black and colored with copic markers. I added a few white gel pen accents, and used pewter metallic glimmer inks for the boy’s ice skates. I wanted to build a little winter scene for them, so decided to watercolor a night sky. For the background, I used navy, cornflower and soft pool to paint the sky, then added a watered down layer of the pewter metallic ink for a snowy shine. A bit of unicorn ink splatters give the effect of snow, and I embossed the happy tidings sentiment from the main kit in white. The final touch was the Snowflake Edge Fancy Die from the holiday catalog cut from the silver shimmer paper in the October kit.

For this winter card, I was inspired by the beautiful twilight shimmer paper in the kit. So I grabbed my Arteza brush pens and headed off to color this sweet little skater girl while watching football with my boys. When I came back to die cut her and the sweet birdy, I realized that the purples I colored with didn’t match the paper! Eeek! So I started scrounging around for something to match and found some Authentique double sided paper to fill the job.

I wanted to build a winter wonderland scene, so stamped the pond in intense black and fussy cut from silver shimmer paper to give her a place to skate. Kind of like the Lake of Shining Waters, right?! Next I cut the Snowflake Fancy Edge Die from white cardstock and embossed it with white puff embossing powder for a little texture. To accent, I used some dew drops on the centers of the bigger snowflakes. The sentiment is from the Stacking Snowflakes add-on kit, and I added a teeny snowflake to the left of it and embossed in silver to complete this fun winter wonderland card.

I hope you've enjoyed my creations and gained a bit of inspiration for using your own kit! The add-ons this month are simply beautiful, as well, and I'll have more cards later this week sharing my projects with them. Hope to see you back here again soon!

If you're still reading, CONGRATULATIONS! You made it to the end of my super long post! 👊

Your next stop on the hop is the fabulous Kelly Latevola! Head on over and check out the incredible winter scene she's created. Reminds me of something you would see on a vintage Christmas tin.,

Be sure to check out all of the fabulous new products available from Hero Arts today. The main kit is only available while supplies last and tends to sell out quickly. The add-ons are here to stay and will continue to be stocked. If you're loving the kits you've seen so far, consider subscribing so you never miss out on one!

Here's a look at the whole release...

Hero Arts October MMH Kit - available while supplies last!

Hero Arts October Add-Ons

And last, but not least... for a chance to win the fabulous giveaway, be sure to leave a little comment love on each of the hop spots below!

The Hero Arts Blog

Caly Person

Debi Adams

Emily Midgett

Ilina Crouse

Janette Kausen

Jennifer McGuire

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Julee Tilman (You are HERE)

Kelly Latevola

Laurie Willison

Libby Hickson

Lydia Fiedler

Michelle Short

Nichol Spohr

Yana Smakula

Affiliate links are used on this blog. When you order, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you and you receive happy mail! Win, win! Thanks so much for clicking on my links to shop. 💙

MH1018 My Monthly Hero Kit October 2018 [ HA ] WB1030 Get Them All October Add-ons [ HA ] CM306 Color Layering Trimmings [ HA ] DI572 Color Layering Trimmings Frame... [ HA ] CM307 Ice Fishing [ HA ] DI573 Ice Fishing Frame Cuts (D) [ HA ] CM308 Stacking Snowflakes [ HA ] CM309 Peace, Love & Joy [ HA ] CM310 Merry and Bright Messages [ HA ] DI575 Ornament Tags Fancy Dies (C) [ HA ] DI574 Tree Tags Fancy Dies (C) [ HA ] DC258 Sledding Stamp & Cut [ HA ] CG752 Delicate Snowflake Bold Prints [ HA ] CG753 Graphic Snowflake Bold Prints [ HA ] PD125 White Liquid Watercolor [ HA ] Hero Arts - Kelly Purkey Collection -... [ SBC | HA ] AF296 Winter, 4-cube pack - Hero Arts [ HA | SBC ] AF345 Intense Black - Hero Arts [ HA | SBC ] GM100 Gold & Pewter Glimmer Metallic... [ HA | SBC ] PW101 Silver Embossing Powder - Hero... [ HA | SBC ] PW110 White Embossing Powder - Hero Arts [ HA | SBC ] PW104 Clear Embossing Powder - Hero Arts [ HA | SBC ] NK350 Crystal Clear Lacquer Pen -... [ HA | SBC ] PW121 White Puff - Hero Arts [ HA | SBC ] DI532 Snowflake Edge Fancy Die (C) -... [ HA | SBC ] DI445 Tag Frames Infinity Dies (H) -... [ HA | SBC ] 6 Inch - Permanent - Double Sided -... [ SBC ] Ranger Ink - Stickles Glitter Glue -... [ SBC ] Ranger Ink - Liquid Pearls -... [ SBC ] Prima - Santa Baby Collection -... [ SBC ]