The Lovely Letterpress Collection

 Some gorgeous new press plates just dropped over at Hero Arts! The best part about Hero Arts plates is that they can be used with your Glimmer Hot Foil Machine AND with your BetterPress Letter Press system - a twofer!

This card features the new Floral Border plate. I inked the plate with Hero Arts Intense Black ink and used Hero Arts Watercolor Paper as my letterpress paper. It works like a dream in my BetterPress!

I did simple Copic coloring (no shading, just one color per image) which looks so rich and vibrant on this Watercolor paper.

I added some very light splatter with Royal Purple + Gold Metallic Spray and also Bright Yellow + Copper Metallic Spray. I then used the 'hello' sentiment from the new Hello & Thank You plate. I inked up the 'hello' in Fresh Lawn ink and ran it through my BetterPress, then fussy cut to add it to the center of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Some links are affiliates at no charge to you. I really appreciate your support!

It's Your Special Day

 When I excitedly purchased my BetterPress machine many many months ago, I was so intimidated by it that it stayed in the box for weeks (months). I have no idea why, because it is SO EASY to use! I think the beautiful results made me assume it was complicated but that's not the case at all. 

Hero Arts creates the most beautiful plates for BetterPress, and the best part is that their plates are specially created to work with your Glimmer Hot Foil Machine, too! You'll see this Floral Frame plate in many of my cards in the future :) Once you pop you can't stop!

I inked up the Floral Frame in Hero Arts Intense Black Ink. I used Hero Arts Watercolor Paper because it's thick like letter press paper - and cheaper to buy! I colored the image with Copics and added the sentiment from Special Day Butterfly Stamp Set (also brand new!).

Look at that beautiful letter press indentation - swoon! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Some links are affiliates are no charge to you. I appreciate your support of rwkrafts!

Mixed Media Tag with Hero Arts

 I'm over at the Hero Arts blog sharing my process creating this fun mixed media tag. You can all the step outs over at Hero Arts. Here, I have the quick video for you! It's only 1 minute and 45 seconds... enjoy 😀

Watch the short on YouTube by clicking here.

Here are all of the supplies used:

Spellbinders Platinum Die Cutting Machine

Hero Arts Watercolor Paper

Liquitex Gloss Gel

Hero For You Stamp & Cut

Intens-ified Black Ink

Bright Yellow + Copper Metallic Spray

Bright Green Liquid Watercolor

Tag Infinity Dies

Fuschia + Gold Metallic Spray

Orange + Shimmer Metallic Spray

Hero Paste White

Floral Garden Stencil

Palette Knife

Thanks for stopping by! Some links are affiliates at no charge to you. I appreciate the support!

Hero Arts Studio April Release Blog Hop

 It's time to hop! The April Hero Arts Studio release is called Tranquil Terrarium and I'm pretty certain you're going to looooove it.

The April Card Kit has so many incredible elements to build gorgeous scenes... but me? I just want the dang frog!...

I want to adopt that dang frog and give him all the hugs he wants on his sad rainy day!

This kit card came together so quickly and just uses kit stamps and dies, that beautiful arch die (also included), clear enamel dots (included!), and I colored the images with my Copics.

Be sure to subscribe to this kit because that's the only way to guarantee it makes it to your mailbox!

My second card uses the April Stamp and Cut set, which is truly full of endless possibilities and patterns.

This set comes with a print out of the final mandala pattern you can create with this set. I did a similar interpretation for my card...

I used a big variety of Hero Arts inks to match up the perfect layering combos: 

Lighter green leaves: Key Lime Fizz + Green Hills

Darker green leaves: Fresh Lawn + Pine

Blue leaves: Paradise + Bermuda

Purple flowers: Thistle + Purple Galaxy

Yellow leaves: Lemon Drop + Butter Bar

There are so many unique ways these stamps could be aligned. I can't wait to see what others create with this great set!

Now it's time to hop! Leave comments throughout the hop list for a chance to win a $50 Hero Arts gift card! 🎉 The more comments you leave, the better your chances to win. Remember to sign in or sign your name so your comment isn't anonymous.

Hero Arts

Hero Arts Creative Team:

Mindy Eggen

Anna Mahtani

Seeka

Channin Pelletier

Rosie Lopez

Charlene Madrid

Michelle Short

Rachel Kleinman *YOU ARE HERE*

Jeannie Lieu

Natasha Vacca

Jennifer Kotas

Natasha Polite

Karen Brown

Lisa Tilson

Michelle Lupton

Special Guests:

Nichol Spohr

Kelly Taylor

Some links used are affiliated at no charge to you. Thank you for your support.

Topflight Stamps 8th Birthday Blog Hop!

 It's Topflight Stamps 8th birthday!! To celebrate, I’ve teamed up with some great designers to showcase celebratory projects using the unique products available at Topflight Stamps. Please hop along with us and see all the beautiful talent from this group of amazing designers! There is a master list of hop stops on the Topflight Stamps blog! We are also Hopping on Instagram! You can start at the Topflight Stamps account @topflightstamps .

Did we mention there will be prizes?

Of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday celebration without prizes! Topflight Stamps is giving four lucky winners $50 Gift Certificates to the store. Two winners will be chosen from commenters on the blog hop and two will be chosen from commenters on the IG hop. For a chance to win, make sure to visit the stops on the hop and leave a comment by April 1st. Winners will be announced on the Topflight Stamps blog on Thursday, April 3rd. U.S.A winners only due to shipping issues. Good Luck!

I'm happy to share these two cards with you all today! I used the same color palette for both. One celebrates BIRTHDAYS (of course!) and the other celebrates SPRING... finally, it's spring!

How cute is this little birthday kitty?! All of the stamps used for this card are from Polkadoodles Sweet Birthday stamp set. I colored the images with my Copic markers and fussy cut each piece to put together this cute little scene.

The background uses a lovely stencil from Art by Marlene called Hexagon Stars. I blended over the stencil using Distress Inks in Abandoned Coral, Tattered Rose, and Wild Honey.

My second card is in honor of Spring, which has finally sprung in the Bay Area! I use the same background as the previous card. I used rubber stamps from Crafty Individuals, called Robin and Floral Abstractions Leaves. These were also colored with Copics and fussy cut.

Thanks so much for hopping! Make sure you're logged in, or sign your name in your comment so it counts towards the big prize!

Your next stop is Connie! Or visit the Topflight Stamps blog for all the hop links. Happy hopping!

Hello Friend Easter Card

 Happy Monday! The weather has been just perfect out here, and I wish the same for you, too! Since I'm in a very Springy mood, I have another spring-themed card to share today.

I had fun with all the woodgrain textures, as you can tell. I used a lot of new releases from the Hero Arts In the Garden collection. First, I have this sweet Rabbit Pair fancy die. They were colored lightly with Copic markers, mostly just to give shading. The lovely Flowery Vines Fancy Die covers the entire background. That die was ink blended with some greens and purples to match the border.

The border is the Wood Frame Infinity Die cut from Passion Flower cardstock. The sentiment is from Altenew Timeless Sentiments Die Set.

Thanks for stopping by!

Some links are affiliates at no charge to you. Thank you for your support!

Spring Instagram Hop with Hero Arts

 It's Instagram Hop Day with the Hero Arts Creative Team! Today there are THREE COLLECTIONS dropping! Join the hop here. 

My card uses items from the perfect-for-spring Blossoms and Birdsongs collection. 

This card uses the Spring Floral Cover Plate cut from the beautiful Azalea cardstock. For a bit of a subtle accent to the background, the Peony cardstock was ink blended with the Sparkle Weave stencil.

Aren't the birdies so cute?! The branch and the birds are from the Branches and Blossoms Die Set (which also comes with its own cover plate to match). 

Be sure to join the Instagram hop for a chance to win a $50 Hero Arts gift certificate!!!

Some links used are affiliates at no charge to you. Thank you for supporting rwkrafts!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day! Last night I learned that I do not own a single stamp set even remotely St. Patrick's Day related... so I pulled together some random bits and pieces to create this cute and festive card...

I started with the beautiful new rainbow stamp from Hero Arts. I used a wide range of green Copic markers to make a lovely green tinted rainbow... I even used colors I am certain that I have never ever touched before!

The darling frogs are from a Lawn Fawn set "Beary Rainy Day", and the clovers... the only clovers I own! They are from an oooolllllddddd Lawn Fawn set that I've probably owned for 10 years called Holiday Party Animal.

The background stamp has been on constant rotation for me: Rain Texture Cling Stamp inked with Key Lime Fizz. And that sentiment, I learned, is quite literally the ONLY sentiment I own in my entire stash that uses the word "lucky"! Thank you Ralph Tyndall for the Eight Ball stamp set that saved my card!

Happy St. Patrick's Day 🍀

Some links are affiliates at no charge to you. Thank you for supporting rwkrafts!

New Video - Unique ways to use matching cover plates

 Hello everyone! Happy Monday right after a time change switch! I hope you're feeling rested and ready to create some beautiful spring themed cards. Today I'm sharing a video that shows you a unique way to use the Gardening Tools and Flowers Cover Plate with matching stamp set from Hero Arts. I was determined to go beyond the standard concept of these products!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO DIRECTLY IN YOUTUBE! 

The main items used on these cards are the Gardening Tools and Flowers Stamp and Cover Plate Die. I also used the Butterfly Foliage Die, Wood Fence Die, and the Abstract Criss Cross Cling Stamp. With these larger sized dies, I highly recommend using the Spellbinders Platinum 8 Diecutting Machine. I love mine so very much!

The grass is cut from Pesto cardstock and ink blended with Green Apple ink. The fence is cut from Sand cardstock and inked on the edges with Root Beer ink. The background Criss Cross stamp is inked up with Arctic ink on top of an Arctic cardstock base. Each image was colored with Copic Markers.

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy the video!

Some links are affiliates at no charge to you. I really appreciate your support of rwkrafts!

March Hero Studio Release Blog Hop!

 It's time for a very celebratory themed release from Hero Arts! Be sure to leave a comment (sign in or sign your name!) because Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Saturday, March 8 at 11:59pm PST, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!

Isn't this fun?! My first card uses elements from the March Card Kit of the Month: Bows and Beyond. This kit is packed with dies, stencils, stamps, shaker bits, new paper, etc!! There's so much packed into these kits - they are worth every penny!

My card uses some of the new Color Wheel Cardstock colors from Spellbinders, that versatile Thin Stripes Stencil, and the lovely Ribbons Cover Plate. I used these to create a fun birthday shaker card.

The stencil and the sentiment were inked up with Dusty Blue ink. To create the shaker I also die cut the Ribbon Cover Plate (from the kit) out of foam and glued the foam to the die cut cardstock. This added enough dimension to add my colorful shaker bits (please note - these shaker bits are from a past card kit but there are gorgeous ones included in the March kit).

My second card uses the gorgeous BONUS DIE! If you purchase the WHOLE STUDIO (includes ALL of our March subscription releases!) you receive this bow die for free. I had so much fun creating with this lovely die...

Isn't that card so sweet?! I made a mini slimline (measures 3.5"x5.5") and first used Gold Hero Wax on my thin line stencil over Dove White Cardstock.

Here's how I created the bows:

1) Cut the bow die from your favorite cardstock (I chose Ultra Pink and Kiwi) using your Spellbinders Platinum Die Cutting Machine.

2) Place the thin lines stencil over the bow die pieces and ink in a coordinating color (I used Azalea ink and Green Apple)

3) Flip your pieces over and ink up with the stencil again on the backside. Since the bow is 3D, both sides will show when assembled.

4) Use your Precision Glue to place a dab in the center. Start to fold in your bow pieces to meet the glue and add single glue dabs as needed.

5) Use your handy Hero Arts Reverse Tweezers to hold all pieces in place in the center. Use this tool until the glue dries! This is really helpful and highly recommended!

6) Once the center glue dries, add the hanging ribbon to the back with another glue dab.

7) TIP - I used a pencil to "curl" the bow edges so they were easier to manipulate toward the center.

They are very dimensional so this card will certainly be hand-delivered or included in a gift package.

Thank you so much for getting this far along the hop! Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a $50 Hero Arts gift card.

Please note that some links used are affiliates at no charge to you. I truly appreciate your support.

Keep hopping! Here's the list:

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Anna Mahtani
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Lisa Tilson
Michelle Lupton
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Natasha Vacca
Rachel Kleinman *You are Here*
Rosie Lopez
Seeka
Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Rebecca Keppel

Smile - Insect Party!

 With an atmospheric river downpour occurring outside, and my Magnolia tree blooming for the 3rd time this year (seriously, why?), I think it's time to start welcoming Spring! Sorry if you're one of those folks living in a snowy climate... I did that for a decade and feel for you :)

I'm very fortunate that our neighborhood also has daffodils out! This card just had to happen. I used the beautiful new Hero Arts February 2025 Fancy Dies to mainly build this card. Unfortunately, the Fancy Dies have already sold out. So let this be your sign to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss out on a future release!!!

For the background, I stamped a simple but versatile Rain Texture Bold Print in Dandelion Ink.

Are you as obsessed with those little insects as I am? I made 8 of each little buggie so you'll certainly see them in a card again. Those insect dies are a special bonus for those who subscribe to The Whole Studio! I wouldn't pass up the opportunity. By the way, that beautiful "smile" sentiment is part of the main February 2025 Card Kit.

The grass die is from a previous Spring release, called Butterfly Foliage Fancy Dies. It was a perfect match for all of the beautiful daffodil and hyacinth flowers (and insects, obviously).

My favorite adjustment I made to the winged insects is the vellum addition. So I cut the wings of the bee and the dragonfly in the colored cardstock I wanted, but then also cut them in vellum. The vellum was only glued on in the center so the wings to pop out. I then added Wink of Stella glitter to the wings for extra shimmer.... and Wink of Stella to the ladybug shells because, why not?

Thanks for stopping by! Some of the links used today are affiliates, at no charge to you. Thank you for supporting rwkrafts and Hero Arts!!