Hero Arts Winter 2016 Release Blog Hop!

 

Hi everyone! Happy Blog Hop Day! Wowza, are you in for a treat today - this is a huge blog hop with many fabulous designers. I'm very excited to be part of the fun and merriment. Welcome to the launch of the Winter 2016 Hero Arts Catalog! I have to admit I've been keeping these awesome products under wraps at my house for months already! Dang! Finally so happy to share projects with you. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of my post (I am sharing loads of cards today) to find the Blog Hop Link List, information about prizes, and Product Links. I can't wait to see everyone else's cards today. To start at the beginning of the hop, CLICK HERE to go to the Hero Arts Blog!

Before I start sharing cards, I really want to say something from my heart about being part of this fun Hero Arts Catalog launch. I hope you'll indulge me for just a little bit. I started stamping in 1994! My best friend and I thought it would be fun and cost effective (LOL) to make our own Christmas present tags! I lived in the Bay Area back then and we had many awesome local stamp stores. Most of the very first stamps I owned were from Hero Arts. I clearly remember stalking the stamp stores to find out when when when would all the new stamps be arriving?? We literally could not wait for new products and also the new Hero Arts catalogs! I used to obsess over the card photos in the catalogs and try to figure out how the designers made everything. I would tab my catalog, put x's next to the stamps I already had and refer back to it over and over. I have such wonderful memories of being a beginner stamper when it was all new and so exciting! No blogs back then and no Pinterest!! We were old school! So, fast forward 22 years...and this year I was asked to contribute cards to the Hero Arts Winter 2016 Catalog! Things came full circle for me in that instant and I had a bit of a tug on my heart strings about it. HOW cool and amazing that now I get to be part of this all these years later? BLESSED!! It is never lost on me how blessed I am to be a member of our stamping community. Dreams do come true. In this new catalog, you'll see these cards I'm sharing today...and a couple are even on the cover! I feel like I need to buy a bunch of copies! Creating in the company of other designers that I admire is awesome. Thanks very much to the Hero Arts family for the opportunity!

Now, on to some card ideas! I made several cards, in several different styles. I'll just write a little bit before each card. If you need or want more information, please email me and I'll be happy to talk to you! Click on the email button to the left here. 

First up is a watercolor card made using the gorgeous new Holiday Floral Background stamp. I used Distress Markers and colored directly onto the large stamp. Then I misted the stamp with water and stamped it on watercolor paper for a nice flowy effect. I used the same technique for the sentiment stamp. Both of these stamps are wood mounted and they give such a nice impression. I trimmed the card down and gently distressed around the edges. A twine bow completed the card.  

 

 

Next up is a bright and cheerful red and green traditional card made using the Christmas Tree Trimmings stamp set. I stamped all the images in shades or red, green and pink and then trimmed my panel. I cut the corners with a corner rounder and added a few pearls. 

 

 

So I love coffee and I love Christmas! This coffee cup stamp set is entirely too fun! I stamped and cut out my focal images. Then I stamped some snowflakes for the background paper. Some sparkly glitter finished off the whole look! 

 

 

This next card is very classic Christmas and vintage too. Pretty shades of red and green and kraft. I used the Vintage Post stamp set and layered stamps onto the different panels and card base. My main layer is cream cardstock instead of white for a softer look. This is a beautiful stamp set. 

 

 

These guys are toooo cool and hip! I think they are hipster animals! This trio is the Winter Fox, Winter Bear and Winter Bunny stamps. I made my own background paper using clear stamps - the trees and snowflakes. Then I layered some die cut circles. I colored the animals with Copic Markers. 

 

 

Oh, Layering Cardinal, how I love thee.... I inked and stamped this lovely bird onto a square card for a classic look. Just a few enamel dots and a twine bow to finish it off. 

 

 

Lastly is this cute and fun Holiday Mittens card. I kept a clean card layout and stamped in vivid red, green and aqua for a fresh look. The snowflakes on the kraft paper were stamped in Versamark Ink for a watermark effect. This would be a great Christmas card to mass produce for your mailing list. (I need to get started on that)... 

Thank you for stopping by! Hope you have a great time hopping and shopping today! See you soon! 

PRIZES!!! Hero Arts will be giving away three $25 shopping sprees, drawn from comments left across all blogs in the hop. Please comment by August 28, 2016 at 11:59pm PT and they will announce the winners the following week! 

 

Here is your FABULOUS link list for today's Hop! 

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

Joan Bardee

Karin Akesdotter

Yana Smakula

Kelly Rasmussen

Amy Tsuruta

Clare Prezzia

Mariana Grigsby

May Sukyong Park

Libby Hickson

 

SUPPLIES FOR TODAY'S CARDS! 

InLinkz.com

 

Comments

[lynnviolet]

I like all of your cards but think the coffee cups are my favorite. I like how the background paper is offset, it looks great. Your story about how you started really touched my heart. I had a little bit of a flash back myself and remember how "it used to be" I think I miss all the brick & mortar stores the most. SO happy for you & I wish you continued success :o]

[Summer Sunset54]

These are beautiful and so much work! Love them!

[Carolyn]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[Kim Faucher]

Wanda what a beautiful group of cards!! Loving that Cardinal.

[Jeanie R]

Wow, you were busy! Beautiful cards!

[Denise Ward]

Wanda, I am so glad you get to do what you love and how "full circle" your story has come. Thanks for sharing your heart, as well as these lovely designs! I think my favorites are "sending Christmas cheer" with the beautiful cardinal and the "warm holiday wishes" with the cute mittens. They have a very "classic" feel to them that I enjoy.

[Rhonda Frerichs]

Great cards, ideas and techniques. You are very talented and I thank you for sharing your talents with us!!

[Karen B.]

Yep these are all amazing. love!

[Mary Holshouser]

I live across the river from St. Louis, MO, - the home of the baseball cardinals. So happy to see the layering cardinal. He will be at the hop of my list. The cards were all fantastic. thanks so much for sharing.

[Vesta McDonald]

Such lovely, colorful cards.

[Marta]

wow...these cards are so beautiful and rustic.

[Diann :)]

Your cards are sooo wonderful! Thank you for sharing :)

[Pam Joiner]

Wonderful cards! My fave has to be the Vintage Post with the cardinal! Beautiful, beautiful card!Thanks for sharing your work and thanks to Hero Arts for awesome stamps!

[Michelle Bourque]

Nice cards Wanda! Thank you for sharing. I love the color combos you used and the stamps!

[Teresa Godines]

Stunning cards, Thanks for the inspiration.

[Shelley E]

Love all your cards-a wonderful variety of styles. My favorite is the vintage postcard. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

[chevron2]

great cards! love your creativity!

[Michele K. Henderson]

I love your bright and beautiful cards! The first one is my favorite!

[Karen P]

Wanda your cards are sooooo pretty. Thanks for sharing them.

[bev p]

Simply wonderful! Thanks so much for the encouragement. I am still fairly new, so it's nice to know that there's hope! My favorite tip to newbies: accidents are merely occasions for embellishment! (big ink smear on my Mom's birthday card-> pearls and ribbon I hadn't originally planned to use!)

[Gabi MeWi]

I think my fav-one is the cardinal-postcard-style-card, but they are all awesome.

[shartl]

You just rocked those stamps sets Wanda! I love the different ways you stamped and colored, and really showed off the possibilities

[kirsty vittetoe]

Such pretty cards!

[Bonnie Thrasher]

These are an amazing collection of cards. I love the latest release.

[Jennifer B.]

Congratulations! Love your cards.

[SolarRay]

Thank you for so many inspiring ideas. The coffee card is my favourite!

[Mary Alice]

Great designs. I love the vintage look of that one stamp set. I have way too many Christmas stamps but I just might have to add a few more to my collection.

[Lindarub]

Love all your cards hard to pick a favorite.

[Mary H.]

WOW, WOW, WOW is all I gotta say...all so beautiful...love them all.

[carol]

A stunning array of cards to showcase the new release! And glad you didn't invite us to choose a favourite, because they're all tied for first place in my books! Your story of 'dreams coming true'...so heart-warming! Isn't if amazing how a step into a seemingly 'little' something turns out to be *the* first step into an incredible journey! So happy that you're part of the HA team!
~carol

[Katie M]

Really lovin the postcard look!

[Melissa Friedrich]

Amazing cards, I love them all! Your work is so inspiring, thanks for sharing.

[Angie Hall]

I enjoyed your Hero Arts story. Thanks for sharing so many cards with us. They are all lovely.

[Desmar King]

Thanks for the inspiration, keep it up.

[tasha]

fun release

[Vikki H]

Wow! that cardinal stamp set is awesome! beautiful cards!

[Cynthia Cole]

Love all your cards!

[Viveca]

Even it's still summertime, it is the end of summer once school begins. That's how it is in my household. Your fabulous samples with the Hero Arts release inspire me to start thinking about Christmas cards. Lovely and festive colors.

[DC]

Love your cards, especially the mittens!

[Donna Bowman]

Love the vibrant colors you used. Your Cardinal is perfection, I need it. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Loly Borda]

Wow! It's so cool to see your designs in the catalog! So well deserved! Your cards are fabulous! TFS

[Sue Denoncour]

Wow... what a great assortment of Christmas cards you've made for us; from classic to whimsical, to modern and just plain fun!! I love the variety and your artistic inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing it all.

[Lindsay S]

Love the cup of cheer card! Thanks for sharing!

[Elizabeth kelly]

Wanda, I look forward to your tutorial every weekend on Simon and I have not been disappointed with your artwork. I am glad that hero arts asked you to be part of this blog hop. Thank you for showing your variety of art. Hero art rules!

[Chesney]

The coffee cup tags are so cute! I see shaker cards in my future!

[Anne Sturgeon]

I could not be more proud and excited for you Wanda. Hero Arts has been a favorite company of mine also. Your cards for this hop are really good. The coffee cups too cute. The cardinal you already know is on my list. Thank you my friend this was like an early Christmas present!

[Tara Prince]

wonderful cards!!

[Tricia Ann]

You couldn't stop! Wow, so many beautiful productions. You're a one-woman blog hop! :-)
Heehee!

[Susan King]

Samples are beautiful although I really liked the mittens! Reminded me of when I was young!

[Jean McCurry]

Love all of your cards, my favorite product is the peace stamp and cut!