Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by! We are having a Launch Party Blog Hop for Hero Arts to help celebrate the launch of their new website and Holiday 2015 collection!
I have been in a holiday mood for that past couple of days or I should probably say weeks and I been dying to make a card using a new stamp set by Hero Arts called Merry Cactus To You.
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We always have Christmas trees, ornaments, reindeer, Santa but rarely or probably never have a cactus on a holiday card. So today I’m using a cactus stamp set to create 2 simple heat embossed watercolor background holiday cards.
I’ve shared a video recently where I used rather large images to stamp a background pattern on a full letter sheet and create 4 cards, today I’m going to follow the same concept and use large images, well not as large as I used in that video, but still slightly larger than the images I usually use to stamp a full background. I’m going to be working on a half of a letter sheet piece of paper, so its going to be enough to make 2 background for standard A2 cards.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Please watch my video below or on my Youtube channel for more tips and tricks and a detailed tutorial. Thanks!
Like this video? Please give it a thumbs up and share with friends, thanks!
I’ve used Hero Arts new Platinum embossing powder for my heat embossing (had to change things up a bit from the usual gold). I mixed and matched solid and also outline images for my cards because I wanted to add a little bit of watercolor to these. I intentionally did not use just solid or just outline images.
If I were to use just outline images and would have water colored all of them I would have had a background that is a little bit too busy. And if I were to use just solid images I wouldn’t have had any room for water color.
HOP ALONG
- Jennifer McGuire
- Kelly Rasmussen
- Laura Bassen
- Debby Hughes
- Amy Tsuruta
- Kristina Werner
- Yana Smakula – you are here
- Suzanne Dahlberg – next stop on the hop
- Nichol Magouirk
- Clare Prezzia
- Lucy Abrams
- Mariana Grigsby
- Libby Hickson
GIVEAWAY (NOW CLOSED)
Hero Arts will be giving away one GRAND PRIZE $100 Hero Arts shopping spree. The winner will be randomly chosen from all of the blog hop comments received by 11:59pm PST on Tuesday, September 8th. Check the Hero Arts blog for the announcement of the winner.
SUPPLIES
 Hero Arts Red Royal Ink AF225 Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts Blush Mixed Layering Papers PS620 Shop at: SSS |
 ScraPerfect Perfect Crafting Pouch Multi-Purpose Craft Tool Shop at: SSS |
 Versamark Watermark Emboss Ink Pad Shop at: SSS | HA |
 Spellbinders Artisan X-plorer Die Cutting Machine Shop at: SSS | SC |
 Simon Says Stamp Big Momma Foam Tape Roll Shop at: SSS |
 Strathmore WATERCOLOR PAPER 5.5×7 Ready Cut Sheets 140205 Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Heat Embossing Gun PW200 Shop at: SSS | HA |
 Hero Arts Clear Stamps MERRY CACTUS TO YOU CL909 Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts Frame Cuts Dies MERRY CACTUS DI146 Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts Platinum Embossing Powder PW117 Shop at: SSS | HA |
This post was updated on July 5th 2016.
Cute! I love your handstamped background!
Beautiful! Love the Christmas cactus cards! Especially that background!
Love the cactus trees they are so cute!! Thanks for sharing your creation with us.
Very cute!!!!
This is a really cool card – love it!
Great, fun card.
Wonderful cactuses for Christmas cheer!
Such fun cards. Love the collage of images. Amazing coloring!
Lovely cards!
Love the card!
Love the background on your cards. The Holiday cactus set is looking very good to me. Great video. thanks for sharing. I really like the samples I’ve seen on your blog.
Neat background!!
Really great card, thanks for sharing!!!!
i am really liking the use of watercolors on cards. yours is a great example with making 1 sheet to use for 4 cards.
I am really liking the use of watercolors on cards. I like your use of the sheet to make 4 cards.
What a fun looking card. Thank you for sharing and the inspiration!
Interesting card. Like the new platinum embossing powder. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us.
What a lighthearted card.
This is a fun and unique take on a holiday card!
What a unique card!
I know some people who always sent southwest type cards at Christmas, they would love your card, the cactus with light. too cute.
love the card, so cute colorful and fun…just love the stamps
Super fun to try!
What fun cards! Great idea to stamp some solid and some outlines.
What a great idea to mix tons of Platinum embossing powder with splashes of color here and there!! Love your *merry cactus* card, I think it looks really special!! Thanks for the great inspiration! Yours, Steph
http://www.CraftedBySteph.blogspot.com
Such a fun stamp set! I love how you’ve used it, such a unique look. Thanks for sharing.
This just look gorgeous, the way you use the stamp for the card background is so great. The card look playful and i love the idea.
What an awesome background. Love it.
Very fun cards 🙂
Prickly but nice! As always, you’ve come up with a wonderful card. Thanks.
Such a cute, fun card! So petty!
Such a fun card, thanks for sharing 🙂
Cute cactus!! Love the card!! Such a fun card!!
-Berina
Moxie Craftie
What a fun card!!!
I really like your style and your card is beautiful!
Wow!! Such a fun and different card. Just love it!
Fun cards for Christmas! Love the idea of making more than one background at once. Thanks for sharing!
Super Cute Yana! Very colorful and bright!
What a fun card.
great card1
These are really cute cards! I enjoyed your video, you are a good singer!
Very cute, funny and humorous Christmas card. Postcard very much.
Love the card! I get tired of the same style of Christmas cards, love how you used the Cactus to give it a different look. P.S. love the singing!!
Very clever Christmas card! Love the way the colors pop against the neutral pots.
I live in Texas so a Christmas cactus makes sense to me! Love the card!
great card. love the colors. so festive
Great background.
Very cute card. Great idea!
Easy and cute cactus!