Christmas Card

More new Hero Arts stamps. I made the card from a Stampin' Up! exclusive Big Shot die and I made the mat from the Stampin' Up! scallop border punch. All 3 stamps are from Hero Arts.

Playing with my brayer

It's been awhile since I have had my brayer out so it is time I start using it again. Got some new Hero Arts stamps for this specific purpose so thought I would get back in the swing of rolling that brayer. I don't have it mounted and think I might add to it but this is the beginning.....

JustRite tags

Here are some tags I made with the JustRite Autumn Blessings set. I colored them in with Copic markers.

Clear Stamps FYI

Ok, this is an FYI that I received from someone who knows stamps. I am not going to mention names because I do not have the specifics of what she said.....I was busy creating cards. So, I can only say bits of what I heard her say and take from that what I heard....so you are not getting the complete explanation of what was said.

What I took home with me was this....not all clear stamps are created equally.

This was an FYI and we could do anything with this information that we wanted to do with it.
But, if you want to get a good clear stamp, I would recommend you make sure the stamp is made in the USA. Now, I cannot tell you every stamp NOT made in the USA is bad, but IN MY EXPERIENCE EVERY CLEAR STAMP I HAVE EVER PURCHASED NOT NOT MADE IN THE USA IS JUNK.
I have always got so frustrated with clear stamps....the ink always pooled up on the surfaced....no matter what I did. I tried priming them, sanding them, cleaning them...everything. The ink still pooled on the surface...I still got a mottled image when I stamped. I finally threw them aside and gave up on them.
Then I would buy a clear stamp, hold my breath, use it and it would be a perfect image!! I didn't get it. Same ink, same cardstock....what is the deal????
Now I get it.
The FYI.....Stamps outside of the USA are made of a different composition than the ones inside the USA are made of. This composition makes the ink pool on the surface of the stamp ....when we were told this, she actually told us what the stamps were made out of....sorry I was not listening better....wish I would have been, but, like I said, I was making cards :) I listened enough to hear her say some of the companies that make stamps within the USA and I know Technique Tuesday was one she said....and that was a stamp I had bought previously and thought hard about getting because I was making a card for my sister...a very important card..... I was very worried about the outcome......and it was beautiful! I was shocked at my stamped image!! Hero Arts clear stamps are gorgeous, too. And I have maybe one or two others that I like....I have very few.
However, I have many I hate..... When I got home from that class, the first thing I did was flip them over to see where they were made and every one of them were made outside of the USA!!!!!!!! I just stood there looking at them.
So, I am here to tell you.....all clear stamps are NOT created equally and I will now only buy USA made clear stamps (and I don't care how much I like them!). I am sorry to not give others a chance but stamps are too expensive to try out and be stuck with junk.....I have enough of those already.
I know there are probably ways to get around these problems, but I just want to grab my stamps and stamp. I don't want to prep or mess with my stamps to get them to stamp good images. I want to slap them on a block, ink them up and stamp my image! THAT is the way it is supposed to be!
Happy Stampin' !! And remember......this is just my opinion...... :)

Hero Arts FallColors Challenge

This is a wide open challenge!! We can do anything we want to do as long as we use a Hero Arts stamp and use one of 4 choices of cardstock colors they have listed on their blog!
Go HERE if you want to go to the Hero Arts blog and play along!
So, anyway, I wanted to do a Halloweenish card so I picked the green, purple, orange and black cardstocks to create with. I had fun with it! I finally got to use my core'dinations cardstock!!!! I used the black so when I sanded it, it was purple! I used my oval punches to make the pumpkins out of pumpkin pie cardstock. I inked the edges with pumpkin pie, too. The green cardstock is kiwi kiss from Stampin' Up! (retired, sorry...). I also used the branch punch from Martha Stewart and the stamps.....ahhhhhh, yes, the stamps...........
I have always hated clear stamps. But, I have quickly come to find out there really is a difference! I was given an FYI on clear stamps.....different post on this.....
I used Hero Arts "Happy Halloween" set for this card. I love the tiny spiders and webs!!! They can be used for so many things!!!! The faces on my pumpkins are stamps from Peachy Keen stamps.
Hope you like it!!!! I had fun creating it!!

Hero Arts Manweek Challenge

This is my attempt at the man card challenge . I always have a hard time with man cards. I never realize I don't have guy stamps until I am hit with a challenge, then I hit a wall.
So, anyway, here is my attempt at a man card. It is the same criteria....I had to use at least one Hero Arts stamp on my card. I used the "Woodgrain" design stamp for the background and I used a thank you stamp from the set "Thank You Sayings." I also used the Marth Stewart branch punch to make the bushes, some vintage brads and the Crop-A-Dile to round off the corners to make the banner on the front. The main card is made from some kraft card stock I bougth form Hobby Lobby. Enjoy!!

Hero Arts ColorIt Challenge

I made this card for a coloring challenge Hero Arts had. You could do anything you wanted to do as long as you use at least one of their stamps....that is always their rule. For the coloring challenge, we had to color....that simple. We could use anything....colored pencils, markers, crayons, anything we wanted. I actually colored with my Stampin' Up! watercolor markers. I used Hero Arts' new cling stamp called "Special Moments" and their design block stamp called "Antique Flower" for the background. After coloring it I brushed over it with a watery perfect pearls mixture. It really ran my watercolor markers but I liked it so I left it as is. The camera glared so the pic is not really good but the card is beautiful in person!
I also used Stampin' Up! Rich Razzleberry cardstock, Fiskars lace punch, Crop-a-dile 1/2" corner chomper,Ranger paint daubers in pearl, gold and silver, embossing powder, halfback pearls and some generic ribbon and string.

Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! has implemented a new policy for demos to sign as a demo agreement. We have to agree not to promote any other stamp companies or products electronically...meaning on our personal blogs. So, we cannot link to any other persons blog that sells other products. And I cannot tell you when I make a card that I bought something at Target or that I used Copic markers or Hero Arts stamps, etc....
I am saying this because I have not signed the agreement yet. I have until the end of September to sign the agreement. I am not sure I am going to do it. They are saying if I don't sign by the end of September, I won't be dropped as a demo, but I won't be allowed to place orders ????? (so I will be dropped as a demo).
I don't have a problem with not promoting other products at workshops at all, but my personal blog is mine. I don't even use it that often, but I do use other products. I am a hobby demo and now I feel they are infringing upon my hobby.....I don't know. I am going to give it some serious thought and in the meantime, I am going to blog away....so I hope you enjoy my creations!!