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.
What a delight and fun card! The sentiment cracks me up. Thank you Yana for your great descriptions of your process 🙂
I love the watercolor look with that metallic embossing powder. Very nice.
Super fun cards – I love your use of the platinum embossing powder!!
Super cute card. Love your videos
I love the idea of making your own background papers. I have to try this technique. It makes it easy to get a basic layer to match the rest of your embellishments – or just use as it.
thanks for sharing.
Love the Christmas card. So fun!
Great use of Christmas colours to make the card still feel festive 🙂
That platinum embossing powder looks so pretty! I love your stamping. I have a hard time creating a pattern with my stamps.
Thanks Yana for sharing your techniques.
This is a cute different card for Christmas. Love it.
This stamp set is hilarious! 😀 Absolutely love your cards Yana xx
What pretty western Christmas cards!
Great non-traditional Christmas cards! I love the pop of watercolor.
Luv your card and thanks for sharing your techniques in the video. Really enjoyed
Love your card and water coloring.
These are such FUN stamped background cards! Thanks for the video!
What a fun set! Cute non traditional style!
Totally unexpected! Great fun. Thanks for sharing!
Loving your cactus card, Yana. The colors are traditional red and green and the card is fun, fun, fun!
This is so much fun! My grandpa winters in AZ and it would be perfect for him!
Yana, love the cactus background cards! They are very unique and cute! TFS! 🙂
Yana, your Christmas cactus cards are really cute! TFS! 🙂
such fun cards!
Darling cactus background, Yana! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Cute!
Yana, love your holiday card with cactus in the background! TFS!
These are such fun and unique Christmas cards!!! Love the Santa hat:)
Yana, these are such fun cards! I love the watercoloring!
I liked how casual and happy this card was. Beautiful!
Too Cute!!
Great càrd with nice sentiment
So cute! Thanks for the tips!
Super-cute, fresh and modern I love them!
Very cute cards. Love the background,
Whimsical and fun!
Love your cactus holiday card, Yana! TFS! 🙂
I adore this cactus Christmas stamp set. It’s just so different! And I love the loose watercolor in on them. Beautiful and yet playful cards. Great idea!
Your card is so much fun. I love the whimsical feel and the festive colors. Thanks to Hero Arts for the generous giveaway.
What a silly, fun card!
Very original idea! Simply love it, is my first time in your blog 😉
Greetings from Switzerland!
Very original idea! I Love the cactus 😉
Greetings from Switzerland!
Very original!
So cute!!
Love the cards!
Very festive card!!!
Love the way you turned the stamps into a background image that is so playful.
super cute cards – fun!
A cactus Christmas – quite unique! Thanks for the background tips!
Merry Cactus To You, wow very unique and beautiful set.
What a unique stamp set especially for people in the warmer and in-snowy climates.