A Blog Named Hero

A challenge blog dedicated to our love of Hero Arts!

Tone on Tone Monochromatic Card

Hello Crafty Folks!!
I hope all of you are doing great and inspired by the wonderful monochromatic cards the DTs have been creating all throughout the month.

I decided to create a Blue Monochrome Birthday Card, after my Orange Monochrome Card which was Travel themed card. If you missed seeing it, click here to have a look.

So for today’s card, I wanted to keep it simple and introduce you to the tone on tone technique in the card. A technique that not only accentuates the beauty of the stamp and the color but also is quick and simple.

To create this card I trimmed the Hero Hues Premium Dove Cardstock of the measurement 4x 5.25 inches and then treated it with anti static powder to prep up for the heat embossing. For today’s card, I stamped the tulips from the Hero Florals Tulip Stamp set randomly and heat set with the Hero Arts White Embossing Powder.

After I was happy with my heat set, I started ink blending this panel using the Hero Arts Dusty Blue Shadow Ink Pad and created an Ombre effect by ink blending at the bottom of the panel with the heavy hand and taking it up to the top with the gentle hand.

Now the technique of the tone on tone begins, I used Hero Arts Hawaii Reactive Ink to color the petals and the flowers very gently and with little strokes. Once I was happy with the whole panel, I splattered the panel with the same Hero Arts Hawaii Reactive Ink, Titanium White and Black acrylic paints to give it a dimension and added interest.

I completed the card by adding the sentiments Happy Birthday from the same stamp set by heat setting it on the Hero Hues Premium Cardstock Pitch Black using the Hero Arts White Embossing Powder and stuck it on the panel using the 3D foam tape. I then pasted this panel on the Hero Hues Dove White Top Folded Card.

I hope you are inspired by this Tone on Tone Monochrome Card. Do not forget to create your card and link it up with the current challenge at the Blog. You can link up your creations here and win a chance to win the $50 gift card to shop it at Hero Arts.

Seashells and Sand

Welcome back, crafty friends! We continue this month’s monochromatic theme to challenge your creativity. This card idea came easily but was one of the most time consuming cards I have ever created. But, it is also the one I am most proud of, so challenge yourself! It will be worth it and you’ll probably learn something new.

I have always wanted to make a see-through card but didn’t have dies large enough to do the job. When Hero Arts came out with these Seashells Fancy Dies, I knew exactly how I wanted to use them. The monochromatic part was easy peasy; I used antique ivory, and sand Hero Hues cardstock. I started by die cutting lots of seashells from antique ivory. I die cut each shell 6-8 times and then adhered them using precision glue. I ended up with  3-4 of each shell. 

Then I took each shell and ink blended the edges with cup o’ joe, cocoa, and sand stone ink. Cocoa and stone came in a previous My Monthly Hero kit but you could use any neutral brown tones. After adding some variation with ink I added some texture with sand embossing powder! I swiped embossing and watermark ink on the edges of some of the shells and embossed with the sand embossing powder. Have you tried this embossing powder yet? It is magical! Maria Willis, from the Hero Arts creative team, is the queen of sand embossing powder. Go check her out!

Now the most time consuming part, placing the shells in a way that made the card stable, gave variation and looked pleasing. I probably laid them out 6 different ways before I landed on the final placement. I used washi tape to hold things in place while I glued everything in place. I will definitely be purchasing some Press N Seal, it would make the process much easier. I stacked my Misti on that seashell panel and out a heavy cup on it while it dried, I did not want it to warp.

While the front card panel was drying, I started working on the back and sentiment. I made a card base from sand Hero Hue cardstock and cut off the front leaving a 1/2 inch tab so I had something to attach the seashell panel to. I made a double mat with antique white and sand cardstock so the back panel would be nice and thick. 

I used a sentiment from the May My Monthly Hero kit, which is surprisingly still available today. You could use any sentiment you have on hand though, the card could be given for any occasion. I heat embossed the “sending you a little vitamin sea” sentiment with white detail embossing powder. 

After everything had plenty of time to dry I attached the seashell panel to the flap using precision glue. I put a thicker layer down and then put something heavy on it while it dried. The glue dries clear and holds strong! Lastly, I glued the sentiment on to complete the card. 

This is one of my favorite cards I have ever made. I love walking along the beach looking for even the smallest seashell. I am thinking about doing this project on a larger scale and framing in a 5×7 shadow box. What do you think, should I give that a try? 

Don’t forget to enter this month’s monochromatic challenge, there are only a few days left to enter. There are 2 Hero Arts gift vouchers up for grabs so get your monochro-magic on! Don’t forget to follow me at Pocketful of Rosie in Instagram and visit my blog.

City Blues

Luckily this month’s challenge made me ponder a monochromatic card….which led me to all blue (my favorite color)….which led me to a male card…and then I realized I needed a birthday card for my hubby’s June birthday!


I’m a native New Yorker (I’ve only been in NJ for 11 years now) so whenever I see a NYC skyline stamp, I snatch it up.  And this Heroscapes Color Layering City (CM502) was first on my list from the new catalog.
I took out all of my blue inks and stamped the 3 layers of the skyline in 2 different color combinations.  Soft Pool (AF146), Pool (AF212) & Tide Pool (AF223) for one panel and Blue Hawaii (AF429) Aquatic (AF339) & Navy (AF234) for the other.  Using a stamping platform (for me, the Misti) is a huge help!

Next I glued down the lighter panel to a side folded card front and fussy cut it from the card front, leaving the fold intact (if you have the dies, you can always use them).  I also hand cut the darker panel, popped it up with foam tape and adhered to the card base.  Basically you are creating a partially diecut card.  Pop up the darker skyline with some foam tape along the bottom of your card. 

Add some clouds to the inside of your card with some Soft Pool ink and a blender brush.

The happy sentiment from the Happy Stamp and Cut (DC150) and a birthday strip finishes the card.

I’d love to see your take on my card!  Tag me on Instagram @katedeignancards so I can see your creation!  And don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a gift certificate from Hero Arts!

A blue delight

Hi friends. We are well into the challenge for June and hope I inspire you to enter creating a monochromatic project.

 

I love creating with colors but our current theme made me look at my supplies and color scheme differently. I guess that’s why it’s fun to follow a theme to play and challenge ourselves creatively. I however couldn’t stray too far from my floral images :-)))

I started off by stamping the togetherness flower bouquet with hero arts black intensified ink and blending the image with pool party ink and die cutting it. I set that aside and then used the tile pattern stencil with the same ink to color a panel of white cardstock. 

After inking, I die cut the word happy found in the congrats stamp & cut set from the inked panel and twice from inexpensive white cardstock. I then stacked each of the happy die cut together to add more dimension.  I then stamped the birthday sentiment from the togetherness flower bouquet set onto the inked panel just below the happy die cut.

Just to add some interest to the design I cut 2 strips from the bottom of the inked panel. Adhered that panel onto my card base and then nestled the word happy die cut with liquid glue. It fits into place like a puzzle piece. I love the effect that gives. Lastly I glued my floral die cut to the front panel and my card was done.

I hope to have creatively inspired you to play along in our current challenge and enter for a chance to win one of 2 gift vouchers from our wonderful and generous sponsor Hero arts!

 

Monochrome card : I love this challenge !

Hello dear crafters,

Our June Challenge is “Monochrome” and I think this theme is very interesting, as ( I don’t know if you’re like me) I use many colors most of the time to create my cards, it’s great to go back to basic things with less products sometimes.

For this card, I really wanted to make a true monochromatic card, I made a black and white card for the 1st of the month, but the definition of monochrome is one color, so I wanted to make a real one and I found the technique to do it and I chose to give a kind of vintage look, like an old greeting card.

Are you ready ?

To begin with, I chose sand cardstock and the kit from February 2021, to make a kid of vintage hawaian look to this card.
You’ll see that it was very simple to achieve.

I had the idea of using embossing ink to stamp with, the color would be darker as the ink is transparent but it would be the same color on a different ton, so it would be a true monochromatic card with a ton on ton effect.

This are the steps for making this card :

1 – Stamp every element needed using the clear embossing and watermark ink from February 2021 kit.
2 – Use both clear embossing ink and clear embossing powder to make a watery effect on the sea, on the bottom part of the card and use the same technique for the sentiment.
3 – Optionnal : I used a twinmarker alcohol marker ( ref color : 109 pearl white) to create soft shadows on the elements and some dots for the sand on the beach.
You could use a light tan copic marker or from another brand to make the same effect.
4 – To finish the card, “dip” every side of your card in the clear embossing ink pad to make a frame look, or use a blending tool for that, the new ink blending brushes are perfect !
5 – Finally, glue the card using precision glue on a white card base and it’s done ! BRAVO ! 😊

I love the vintage look of it and now that I had those ideas, I think it’s simply to recreate many cards like this, with other color carstock to give a different look to your cards.

I hope you’ll have fun with this great challenge, maybe it is out of your comfort zone, but I’m sure you’ll make wonderful cards. 

Take care.