Hello everyone and thanks so much for stopping by to help celebrate the launch of Hero Arts December My Monthly Hero Kit (more about the kit, blog hop and giveaway below).
I have to say I love Hero Arts kits for how unpredictable they are. You never know what theme is going to be featured in the next month kit or what colors/images will dominate. I was pleasantly surprised and very excited when I saw the kit for December. The background stamps as well as the stencil inspired me the most and thus I made several cards featuring a few background ideas.
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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.
Like this video? Please give it a big thumbs up (you can do this on Youtube video page right under the video) and share with a crafty friend! Leave me a comment too, I love hearing from you!
CARDS & BACKGROUNDS DETAILS
To create a background for my first card, Another Day In Paradise, I heat embossed Mandala Background in Brass embossing powder (I used this powder for all of my heat embossing today) onto Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper and colored it using my Daniel Smith watercolors in Indigo and Ultramarine Turquoise.
Once my background was dry I cut it out right up to the edge of the image forming a semicircle. I trimmed it to 4 1/4″ wide and foam mounted onto a black A2 side folding card. I also heat embossed a tent, star and a sentiment from my kit onto a black panel and foam mounted it on top of the background.
To create a background for my second card, You Light Up The Night, I heat embossed Floral Tile Bold Prints background onto same Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper and watercolored it using Aqua Flow Pens from Tonic Studios. I used Azure Blue, Aqua Splash and Indigo Dawn colors and added a generous amount of shimmer using Tonic’s shimmer pen.
My background was trimmed to 3 3/4 x 5″ and foam mounted onto an A2 side folding card base. I also stamped two palm trees, heat heat embossed lanterns and sentiment and used those images to complete this card.
My third card, I’d Cross The Sahara For You, features a glitter paste background. I used the stencil included in this month kit with Black and Purple glitter pastes from Tonic to create a rich and bold background on white cardstock.
I adhered my background onto an A2 top folding card base, added several die cut palm trees, two oriental rugs and a sentiment.
MY MONTHLY HERO DECEMBER 2017 KIT
The kit is available for a limited time only – once it’s gone, it’s gone. If you love it – better grab it now! Kits begin shipping from Hero Arts on Friday December 7th.
You can now subscribe to receive the kit monthly and never miss one!
KIT & KIT ADD-ONS
There are several optional add-on items:
 Hero Arts Magical Nights Kit Shop at: HA |
 Hero Arts White Modeling Paste Shop at: HA |
 Hero Arts Onyx Henna Ink Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Lapis Henna Ink Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Scarab Henna Ink Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Amber Henna Ink Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Filigree Pattern Bold Prints CG724 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Floral Tile Bold Prints CG725 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Mandala Bold Prints CG726 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Make A Wish CM220 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Ornate Henna Patterns CM221 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Magical Nights Messages CM222 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Make A Wish Frame Cut DI460 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Henna Flower Pattern K6268 Shop at: HA | SSS |
HOP ALONG WITH US!
The Hero Arts Blog
Yana Smakula – you are here
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Wanda Guess
Lydia Fiedler
Amy Tsuruta
Janette Kausen
May Park
Michelle Short
Clare Prezzia
Libby Hickson
Ilina Crouse
Kelly Latevola
GIVEAWAY!
Hero Arts is giving away one kit as a prize to one blog reader – selected from the comments across all of the blogs in the hop so be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win! Giveaway closes Sunday, December 10th at 11:59pm, and the winner will be announced 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 Magical Nights Kit December 2017 Kit MH1217 Shop at: HA |
Hero Arts Floral Tile Bold Prints CG725 Shop at: HA | SSS |
Hero Arts Mandala Bold Prints CG726 Shop at: HA | SSS |
 Hero Arts Brass Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Snow Layering Papers Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Simon Says Stamp Black Cardstock Shop at: SSS |
 Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Pad 9×12″ Shop at: SSS | AZ |
 Hero Arts Heat Embossing Gun PW200 Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Hybrid Ink Pad Orchid Shop at: SSS | SC | AZ |
 Hero Arts Grape Juice Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 ScraPerfect Crafting Pouch Shop at: SSS | AZ |
 Tonic Summer Holiday Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens Shop at: SSS | SC |
 Tonic Winter Skies Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens Shop at: SSS | SC |
 Tim Holtz Tonic Craft Stamp Platform Shop at: SSS | SC | AZ |
 Versamark Watermark Emboss Ink Pad Shop at: SSS | HA | AZ |
 Daniel Smith Indigo 5ml Shop at: SSS | AZ | BL |
 Daniel Smith Ultramarine Turquoise Shop at: SSS | AZ | BL |
 Silver Black Velvet Brush Size 8 Round Shop at: SSS |
 Ranger Studio Paint Artist Brushes Shop at: SSS | SC | AZ |
 Jack Richeson 9 X 12 Inch Hardboard Panel Shop at: SSS | AZ |
 Scor-tape 2 1/2 Inch Crafting Tape Shop at: SSS |
 White Fun Foam 12 Pack 9 x 12 Shop at: SSS | AZ |
 Tonic Aqua Shimmer Pen Nuvo 2 Pack 888n Shop at: SSS | SC |
 Tonic Black Diamond Nuvo Glimmer Paste Shop at: SSS | SC |
 Tonic Amethyst Purple Nuvo Glimmer Paste Shop at: SSS | SC |
Oh my!! Gorgeous backgrounds!! The glass effect is awesome and I’m totally in love with your creations!! <3 The background stamps are too beautiful and really magical!!
Stunning backgrounds. Love the jewel tones that work so well with this kit. You just enabled my background stamp addiction! I can’t wait to play with my kit. TFS.
Yana these are spectacular! I love your beautiful carpets. Such brilliant colors. This kit is pretty awesome. Lots of bang for your buck…..
Beautiful cards ! Thank you for all the tips.
These are simply gorgeous! I am so excited about this kit!
Love the cards! Heat embossing and watercoloring is such a powerful and wonderful technique! Love the ideas!
Gorgeous cards! Inspires me try new techniques.
The embossing and colors really make these cards stand out.
Beautiful backgrounds and cards! Thanks for your awesome video showing products with this fun new Hero Arts release!!
Your cards are simply amazing as is this wonderful kit. Another grand slam home run for Hero Arts.
Lovely. This kit is a winner!
Great colors!
Such beautiful cards, I really enjoy watching you make these awesome cards. Someday I’ll win one of these awesome stamps but for now I’ll buy them. Merry Christmas
Now that I’ve placed my order for the kit,
I’m loving the ideas I’m getting on the hop.
thanks for sharing some fantastic cards.
Yana, these are all gorgeous! Such creativity with this kit! The tent card is my favorite!
Gorgeous cards, rich colorful backgrounds. Love the theme.
Love the backgrounds you created! And the mandala stamp looks really beautiful. Some the elements of the kit have a Moroccan feel to me and I love the colors of the Moroccan culture. Very different theme. Thanks for the video, Yana, as well as the tips you shared in it!
Beautiful, Colorful, Mystical, Magical, Elegant, Gorgeous Watercolor, Glitter Paste backgrounds! Love your Creative Works of Art! So Inspiring! Grand Kit to close 2017 with a Bang! Great Job Hero Arts Team! Well Done! Looking forward to what IS to come in 2018!
Wow Yana – beautiful backgrounds
Stunning cards! Love the theme!
Beautiful cards Yana, love the mandala stamp, just gorgeous!
Can’t wait to get my kit so I can try all the elements out. Way out of my comfort zone thought, which is great.
Yana, you are sooooo busy at the moment with all your Blog Hops, but we as your crafty followers are soooooo lucky that we get to see lots more of your unique designs. I love these different background techniques. I have just invested in some stencils for my stash and need to start to use these for my backgrounds. I want to try out these with different media such as watercolours, inks, chalks and embossing paste. I still need to get my embossing paste, I think I am going to get white and then colour it rather than get lots of other colours. What do you think Yana? :O)
Your cards are gorgeous.
All three cards are wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration!
These are gorgeous. The colors in this kit are absolutely amazing!!! I love how you used the background stamps.
Wow, great use of the kit for amazing backgrounds. Very inspiring. Thank you!
These are beautiful and sophisticated! i LOVE how you colored and cut the background for “Another Day in paradise”, and mounting it on black is striking. I also like how you used embossing powder on the “magic carpets”. They really do look magical! TFS these amazing creations.
Love these colors you did on your cards. Thanks for showing us how you did your cards. Have a great week!
You did an amazing job with these card samples. So Beautiful!
Beautiful cards, Yana. I love those new background stamps — they’re definitely on my wish list!
Love your cards. Great video.
What beautiful cards you have made from this kit–the backgrounds are amazing! Thanks for sharing your talent with us.
I’m so excited for my kit to arrive! I think I’m sold on the mandala background!
Very beautiful cards! Thanks so much!
The colors, images, and shapes are so beautiful and exotic. WOW
Love your cards, they are so inspiring!
Such a lovely kit and fabulous add ons! Sweet..
I love the new backgrounds, they have so many possibilities. Thanks for sharing a few!
Beautiful work
What beauty!
Your cards are gorgeous!
Beautiful backgrounds! Thanks for sharing. This new oasis stamp set is really versatile.
This kit has my heart, the beautiful carpets and gorgeous backgrounds. Love it.
such beautiful color combos with that brass embossing.
Beautiful backgrounds and beautiful cards.
Fabulous kit! I love
your cards, so pretty
and elegant.
Carla from Utah
Oh Yana, lovely, as always. You are on a roll with these beautiful backgrounds. Thanks for sharing your creative ideas and your talent.
Yana, You did an amazing job with this kit. It is by far my favorite.
Stunning cards! I especially love the Mandela background!