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 cards, Yana! You have a unique style and I love watching your videos.
I love the non-traditional Christmas cards! I get sick of seeing Christmas trees on all of them haha!
SOOOO crazy cute! LOVE how you created a background with the stamps – and the selective coloring! Beautiful!
So playful and cute . I love this card.
What a fun Southwestern flare for a Christmas card. The sentiment cracks me up. Thanks for the fun blog hop!
Funtastic cards! Love the background with all the cacti.
I loved it – I live in San Antonio – this is a perfect Christmas card
I am from Texas so I love your card. I might just have to get the stamp set. Thanks
Fun background especially the succulents on a Christmas card.
Gorgeous! So fun and colorful, perfect for the holidays.
Great card. Lots of fun and color. Thanks for sharing.
giggle! so glad you finally got to play! these stamps are going to be great for those in warmer climates! so cute!!
Fun background
I love the holiday cacti!! Perfect for California!
Love the new HA stamp set and your cards! Thx for sharing your creativity.
Such a great Hero Arts Release!
sweet… i love that embossing powder.. and thanks for the card share.. i suppose thats a watercolor pocket set.. or travel set? thanks again and merry christmas to you 2 ; )
What a fun card! Hey, you can sing anytime.
Hehee this stamp set is so adorable!
I love Christmas cards!!!
fun cards!
Super fun and happy cards!
I love the clustered styled background. It’s just so funky!
thumbs up! I like how fun the card is and at the same time it is neat!
cute card.
This would make such cute card for my son in the Air Force. He still has a musical dancing Christmas cactus from a number of years ago. It lights up, plays a song (I am a cactus, I am a cactus…something, something…thank you very much) and dances all at the same time. It’s had to get the tune out of your head when you play it. He would get such a hoot from this.
What fun cards, Yana! I love the use of non-traditional images.
Great images for a hot summer Christmas, love your cards!
Love this cactus backround, thanks a lot for this idea!!!
I So Like the Cactus theme. Love your videos.
Love the vibrant colours
Fun 🙂
Beautiful card! Love the use of stamps!
Christmas cactuses, a refreshing idea
Cute card – you did a great job making those cacti look festive and I love how Santa’s cap just pops up!
Love this fun card.
Like the bloghop.
Jenny
Cute cards but personally I like a more traditional Christmas card.
So different and so cool, I love it! xxx
my bf is so into rockeries and cacti and sedum plants i think he would love to get a cactus christmas card, your’s is super duper awesome as usual
Such a cute (and different) Christmas card.
Love this Yana! Such a fun design for a non traditional holiday card – and I love the look of that new hero arts platinum embossing powder too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Different for Christmas cards, but awesome.
love every stamp but totally gaga over the bird set!
I love the playful look you created.
Hugs
Ela
Cool use of the new CACTUS stamps for Christmas. we love in the Northwest but these cards would be great anywhere!
love how you did a combo of grays and colors!
Those holiday cactus are perfect for a TX gal like me!
Very fun and playful cards. I liked the Santa hat!
I love the Merry Cactus. I live in Arizona and this is my reality-no white snowy Christmas for me. Love the Cards and the loose water coloring that you did. And I don’t mind your singing either.
Your card cracks me up!