Hero Arts - My Monthly Hero January Kit Release

I know many of you love using dies in your papercrafts, and this month's Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit includes several beautiful dies along with a cute set of sentiments. How cute is that evelope ad bouquet wrap die!!

Please Note: This post includes affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

The kit is available HERE  (ETA: sold out) along with this month's "Add Ons".

This set is so tempting to me....but I don't really use dies a lot on my cards so I'm still debating it......

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and post about this new Hero Arts release.  The kit is available HERE, and don't forget to take a look at this month's "Add-Ons" just released as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Allsorts Challenge 521/522 - Anything Goes

It's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. This time the challenge runs for 2 weeks to cover the holiday season and Lynn is making it easy for you with the theme of Anything Goes.

I made a masculine card using products from this Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit (the car & matching die, stencil and golden paper) along with an old sentiment from Stampin Up and an old Star Die set from Whimsy Stamps. I love this star die set as an alternative and it's on my wish list.  

The car and sentiment were heat embossed. I used the matching die to cut out the car. Distress inks were used to color the car and I added subtle sparkles with a Wink of Stella clear glitter brush. The pattern papers are from my stash. 

This fun Art Deco inspired Hero Arts kit is still available HERE if you're interested.

Thanks so much for visiting! This is my last new post for this year. I am planning on sharing my yearly "Year in Review" post at the end of the year, hope you'll check back then!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!


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This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - October Challenge

This is not a sponsored post, but it does include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support!

Hello and welcome to the October Crafty Wednesday challenge right here on my blog! I'm so glad you decided to check it out! Before I get to the new theme I wanted to thank all of you that decided to play along last month. Some wonderful creations and lots of inspiration! Be sure to scroll down to the end of this post to see if you were the lucky prize winner or a top pick. As always, the linky tool is also at the end of this post.

This Month's Theme

Stamp It!

This month it's all about using your traditional stamps (rubber or clear). You may still use digital products on your creations, but I ask that the focal point is hand stamped, this means you can use a large hand stamped sentiment with smaller digital stamps or papers, or you can stamp a focal image and use a digital sentiment on your creation. Should be an easy one I think. I can't wait to see what you will share this month!

It's been a while since I used the Hero Arts September 2018 stamp kit. Since this kit is fall themed I decided it's time to ink it up and use the matching dies that came with this kit. I don't know if I'm a lazy card maker of what...but I always find matching dies too much to fuss with. Am I the only one??!! Well, after making this card it wasn't really that complicated or time consuming and I love how it turned out! Maybe I'm just too lazy to get off the chair and walk over to the die cutting machine :-)

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I started out by masking the edges of a 4"x5.25" Bristol Vellum card stock with some Washi tape. (I like the width of Washi tape for this border, but you can also use painter's tape.) Next I inked the open area of the card stock with Victorian Velvet and Stormy Sky distress inks using Ranger's Ink Blending Tool. Have any of you used the new dome shaped ink blending applicators by Scrapbook.com? I recently heard about them and they sound promising. I always seem to get too much ink here and there when using the Ranger tool, and it sounds like these are easier to use. 

When the inking was complete I added a stencil pattern with Stormy Sky distress ink to add some interest to the background. After this step I removed the Washi tape. All images are from the Hero Arts September 2018 Stamp Kit, stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and then I heat embossed using Clear Embossing Powder. For coloring I used the Daniel Smith paint dots that were part of this kit and my Zig Detailer waterbrush. Before adding color to the images, I brushed over each image with clean water which makes it easier to add color.

All images were die cut using the matching dies from the kit and then adhered to the card with foam tape. The sentiment (also from this kit) was stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink as well. To finish off the card I added a small strip of yellow polkadotted paper to bring in some more color. The card base is a 110 lb heavy weight card stock I recently picked up from Michaels. Their 110lb white card stock by Recollections works really well as card bases and it's s such a good value too using a coupon.  A clear wink of stella glitter brush was used to add some sparkles to the images.

Hero Arts September 2018 Stamp Kit // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Victorian Velvet Distress Ink // Stormy Sky Distress Ink // Ranger Ink Blending Applicator // Clear Embossing Powder // Heating Tool // Bristol Vellum Paper // Recollections Heavy Weight Cardstock // TCW Mini Tile Stencil // Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush // Zig Detailer Brush // Washi Tape // Paper Strip from Stash

Also sharing with these challenges: 

Color Throwdown // Mod Squad Challenge - Back to Nature // Make My Monday - Fall Colors // Everybody-Art-Challenge - Use Dies // Crafting Happiness Challenges - Orange // Stamps & Fun = Creativity - The Magic of Fall // Addicted to Stamps - For a Lady // A Place To Start - Masking (masked edges) // 

Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday // Double Trouble Challenges // Lemon Shortbread // Through The Craft Room Door // Tuesday Throwdown //Always Fun Challenges // Get Creative Challenges // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // The Corrosive Challenges // A Gem of a Challenge // Crafty Catz // Creative Fingers // Jo's Scrap Shack // QKR Stampede

This Month's Prize

For the ease of things I am continuing to offer the winner a $6 Gift Certificate to either Mo's Digital Pencil Shop, Tiddly Inks or Bugaboo. I am not affiliated with any of these companies and the prize will be supplied by me. 

Last Month's Winner and Top Picks

No. 14 - Lena

Congratulations, Lena. You won a $6 Gift Certificate to either Mo's Digital Pencil, Tiddy Inks or Bugaboo Stamps. Please be sure to email me with your choice of company at ellibellescorner at gmail dot com by October 16th to claim your prize.

As I am sure you can imagine, it's never easy to choose top picks, but it had to be done and here they are in the order of entry.

No. 16- Linda Mc Enery

No. 34 - Maxine D.

No. 65 - Kuni

Congratulations ladies. Your top pick logo is below. Feel free to post it to your own blogs if you like to. 

As always, in order to follow GDPR regulations, I am not linking back the individual blogs, but you can see these gorgeous top picks following the "something with B" theme by visiting last month's linky tool.

To play along in the October challenge simply use the linky tool below. The usual rules apply:

• Enter up to 3 times with a new project.
• You may combine with any other challenges.
• You may use any brand of stamps/digis (no company restriction).
• Be sure to add a link back here to my blog.

Btw, you can also find me here:

Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook

A New Stamp Kit

So I recently decided to subscribe to the Hero Arts "My Monthly Hero" stamp kit. It's my first time ever subscribing to a stamp kit and my September kit arrived this weekend! I wasn't sure what the kit would look like when I subscribed, but I thought it might be fall themed and I have to say I am LOVING it!

This is what the September kit looks like.

Aren't the stamps just beautiful!! And I'm loving the leafy oval die!

I spent some time this weekend playing with my new goodies, and here are 2 cards I made so far.

The first one uses only stamps from this kit.

Hero Arts MMH September Kit // Fabriano Pre-Folded Watercolor Paper // Versafine Onyx Ink // Ranger Clear Embossing Powder // Ranger White Embossing Powder // Versamark Ink // Tumbled Glass Distress Ink // Black Card Stock by Stampin Up // Piercing Kit by Stampin Up (retired)

I first heat embossed the vase using my Versafine Onyx ink pad and clear embossing powder. Then I stamped and heat embossed the floral stem from the Hero Arts September kit (with a post it note covering the vase).  I used the Daniel Smith watercolors and the little brushes that came with the kit to paint the image.  I wanted to add a little color to the background, so I cut out the shape of the floral branch and vase using the dies from the kit and I placed them over the image as a mask.

I splashed some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink onto the background by making a little puddle on my craft mat using the ink spritzed with water and then patted the card stock onto the mat. 

The sentiment is part of the stamp kit, this time I used Versamark Ink and white embossing powder for stamping and heat embossing on black card stock. Stamped, colored and cut out the leave and added it to the card with a glue dot. The paper piercing was done with an old piercing kit by Stampin Up. 

I am sharing this card here:

Little Red Wagon - CAS or One Layer

Simon Says Wednesday - Stamp on it

 If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie... - ATGoes this time

CAS on Friday –  Flowers 

Crafty Catz -  ATGoes or Add a Butterfly

Crafty Friends Challenge - embossing (wet or dry)

Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes

heARTful Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes + option: Fall

Di's Digis Designs - Happy Fall Y'All

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes 

A Bit More Time to Craft  - Anything Goes

Fabrika Fantasy - Autumn

The Creative Crafters - Anything Goes 

For my next card I only used the leafy oval frame from the My Monthly Hero stamp kit.  Love how it frames my cute Penny Black. 

Penny Black Sweet You // Hero Arts MMH September Kit // Distress Inks: Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Aged Mahogany //  Bristol Vellum Paper // Versafine Onyx Ink // Ranger Clear Embossing Powder //  Zig Clean Color Markers //  Zig Detailer Brush //  Scotch ATG Glue Gun

I started out by die cutting the leafy oval shape from September Hero Arts kit with my Big Shot machine on white card stock. I then used some distress inks to ink up the die cut (Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Aged Mahogany were used). The cute image from the Penny Black set Sweet You and was stamped on Bristol Vellum Paper. I used a mix of Daniel Smith colors from the  September kit and a couple of Zig Clean Color Markers  for the skin tones. Would you believe I forgot (again!) to color the quills part of the hedgehog - I usually leave his tummy white - and just now as I type this I am noticing. Guess I can always color them later :-)

The bottom portion of the image panel was inked with shabby shutters distress ink to give it some color. Layered the leafy oval die cut over the image panel, then added the sentiment which is part of the stamp kit. A little May Arts jute twine finish off the card. 

I am sharing this card here:

Stinkin' Inkers - Leaves are Falling

Paper Shelter Challenge - Make it Bloom

Sunny Day Crafting - Any Animals Always

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Alphabet Challenge -  L is for Leaves (3rd entry)

Brown Sugar –  All Creatures Great and Small

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes with PB

Send a Smile for Kids -Kids Halloween or ATG for Kids

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter

A Perfect Time To Craft - Always Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Always Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas - Yellow

Crafting With An Attitude - Always Anything Goes
Cutie Pie Challenge - Shades of Autumn

Below is a little more info in case anyone is interested in this kit. The September kit is now available for purchase while supplies last. 

If  you'd like to sign up for a subscription box and receive a kit monthly, your subscrition will start with the October kit (last year's October kit was Christmas themed!) But there is no way knowing yet what the October stamp kit this year will look like!

There are options for monthly subscrition, 3-months or 6 months subscriptions. I am signed up for the monthly subscription,  with this option you can cancel anytime before the 15th of the month if you no longer want to receive the kit, otherwise the kit will auto ship at release time. At this time you will have the the option of adding any additional stamps from that month's release and everything ships free with the kit (within the US). 

There were some beautiful additional sets released this month, but I didn't get any extras. Hero Arts does ship their kits an add-ons internationally as well, but shipping charges apply. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you're having a fabulous day! I woke up with neck pain today so I need to get my heating pad out. And hopefully I'll get some relief before my Pilates class, can't skip that today - I skipped too many over the summer!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. The kit featured today as well as all other products have been purchased by me at full price, and all opinions are my own.