Hello everyone and thanks so much for stopping by to help celebrate the launch of Hero Arts Valentine’s Day products (more about these new goodies, blog hop and giveaway below).
Even though Valentine’s Day is just once a year I think it’s important to make (and give) little love notes to each other throughout the year. I have several favorites in this new release and one of them is the Cherub stamp set with the sweetest little angels. I used this set to make both cards I’m sharing today.
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VIDEO TUTORIAL
As always, I filmed a video tutorial showing how to create this project from start to finish. I’m hoping you’ll enjoy it. Watch it below or on my Youtube channel.
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CARDS & BACKGROUNDS DETAILS
I had a very simple card design in mind for these and to somehow spice my cards up I added selective dry embossing to my white stamped background panel and I made sure to avoid the area with the stamping. I didn’t use my die cutting machine or any embossing folder to add this dry embossing, but went with a good old manual embossing. I used my scoring board and a bone folder and added manual embossed lines to my background.
The idea was to avoid adding dry embossing to the area where you have a stamped image. And this is the beauty of this technique, because really you can dry emboss with anything as long as you have a die cutting machine, you can dry emboss with dies, embossing folders, die cuts, stencils, even little pieces of paper. But the technique I used doesn’t require the use of a die cutting machine and lets you do selective dry embossing.
I started working on my cards by stamping clouds from the Cherubs stamp set in the Soft Sky ink forming a little cloud cluster. Next, with the help of my bone folder and scoring board I added score lines to my panel avoiding the area where I had my stamping. I added horizontal lines to one of my cards (spaced at 1/2″ intervals) and diagonal lines (also spaced at 1/2″ intervals) forming diamonds. There’s not a whole lot of designs you can create using this linear scoring method, but there are a few.
I also stamped and die-cut the little angels for my card (I used Pool to Navy Ombre ink pad) and ink blended a blue panel for my card using same color of ink to match my stamping.
I trimmed by dry embossed panel to 3 3/4 x 5″, foam mounted onto the card, foam mounted the cherubs on top and added a “Forever Yours” sentiment heat embossed in white over black paper. Finally, I embellished my card using Frost sequins from Hero Arts.
HOP ALONG WITH US!
The Hero Arts Blog
Yana Smakula – you are here
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Janette Kausen
Amy Tsuruta
Ilina Crouse
Michelle Short
Clare Prezzia
Libby Hickson
GIVEAWAY!
Hero Arts is giving away three $25 shopping sprees, drawn from comments left across all blogs in the hop. Comment by Thursday, December 21st at 11:59pm PT and Hero will announce the winners the following week.
SUPPLIES
I’m listing the products I used below. Click on the link to go directly to the product. Where available I use compensated affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
 Hero Arts Cherubs Clear Stamps Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Cherubs Frame Cuts Die Set Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Soft Sky Ink Pad Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Ombre Pool To Navy Ink Shop at: SSS |
 Scor-Pal Mini Scor-Buddy Scoring Board Shop at: SSS |
 Martha Stewart Mini Scoring Board Shop at: SSS |
 Simon Says Stamp Black Cardstock Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Snow Layering Papers Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Heat Embossing Gun PW200 Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts White Embossing Powder PW110 Shop at: SSS |
 Crystal Katana Pick Up Tool Shop at: SSS |
 Spellbinders Platinum Die Cutting Machine Shop at: SSS |
 ScraPerfect Crafting Pouch Shop at: SSS |
 Ranger Mini Round Foam Refils Shop at: SSS |
 Ranger Mini Round Ink Blending Tools Shop at: SSS |
 Tonic Deluxe Adhesive Nuvo Glue Shop at: SSS |
 Scrapbook Adhesives Black Foam Tape Shop at: SSS |
 White Fun Foam 12 Pack 9 x 12 Shop at: SSS |
 Scrapbook Adhesives White Foam Squares Shop at: SSS |
 Hero Arts Frost Sequin Mix Shop at: SSS |
 Tonic Studios 8.5 Inch Paper Trimmer Shop at: SSS |
 Tonic Aqua Shimmer Pen Shop at: SSS |
I love the simplicity of this masculine card. It’s difficult to make a non frilly card for a man. This is cute.
I love the simple layout of this card and how it will work for male or female.
Cute cards! Sometimes we forget how to make simple backgrounds with a lot of elegance. Thanks for reminding us!
Wonderful cards….nice to see something other than red or pink. Cheers.
Your dry embossing technique is a good idea. I like the soft background behind the cherubs.
Always nice to have more ideas for man cards.
This is so cute, Yana!
Perfect answer to those hard to make men cards.
Yana, What a great masculine card; I never seem to have enough of them for all the men in my life. This one is just perfect and very classic. Thanks.
I love your darling little Cupids! So sweet!
Absolutely love your little Cupids on your card! And the simple ‘faux embossing’ was so clever and added beautifully to the overall effect.
Love the cherubs! Nice simple card for both sexes. Thanks for sharing.
AWESOME cards, love the faux embossing on backgrounds!
These cherubs are so cute! Thanks for the selective embossing technique; great idea that I will try soon.
The new Cherub Stamp and Die set is adorable. Great Masculine card, Yana!
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Just beautiful!!
Yana, your cards are wonderful. I especially like the diamond background.
Great cards! I love the embossed white backgrounds 🙂
These cards are beautiful especially the embossed background and clean & simple look. Great choice of colour too.
Love the embossed
background and the
inking. The cupids
are darling.
Carla from Utah
I have never thought of doing the embossing like that. I LOVE the diamonds!!!!!!
Great CAS man card! Nice white simple embossed background created with a score board and bone folder stamped with ombre ink and subtle bling…Sweet! Well Done!
Love the masculine card idea!
I love this stamp set as well as your color palette! Thank you
Love the idea of a masculine card! You really did an amazing job combining color and textures !
Love these cards!
Sweet cherubs, sweet card, Yana. Love the color!
So simple and elegant. Lovely card.
Great cards, I love how you embossed your backgrounds, nice detail!
Love the non-traditional colors!
Beautiful card
I love those backgrounds and the soft clouds….beautiful.
So cute!
The scoring gives such depth to the CAS card. It’s beautiful.
Such simple and cute cards
Love the scored background. Great cards.
Very cute. Love the background.
It is always difficult to do masculine cards. This is a good solution and the horizontal lines just make it.
Very pretty. I like the embossed background and the clouds behind the cherubs.
Thank you for showing a masculine card. I struggle each year to make my husband a card that doesn’t look cutesy, or childish. This is a great design and has inspired me to dig deeper.
Great card, Yana! Love it!
Very nice card. Loved your use of the color blue and your blending.
thanks for sharing this darling cards – nice to see masculine cards:)
The simplicity and beauty of your cards is stunning. Love them 🙂
Your cards are beautiful ! The embossed background is a technique I should use more often.
Yana awesome cards, love the colors, very pretty.
Cute cards, love the colors. I also like that they are clean and simple cards
The diamond dry embossing is beautiful and it looks almost like it is quilted. For a bit of added Pizzazz I would add tonic glitter drops or Jewel drops to the intersection points at all the diamonds to enhance the quilting effect. I like the cherubs a lot too and I like that you used blue instead of the traditional pink or red for Valentine’s.
I’m going to have to try this embossing technique. Love the cards!