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Hello, crafters! In this video, I’ll show you how to create a stunning night sky background for a handmade card with the help of Hero Arts stamps and inks. This technique, while looks complicated, is easy to replicate and is sure to give you great results.
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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 DETAILS
I am using a new background stamp from Hero Arts called Cathedral of Trees, it is from Hero’s new Oh What Hun Holiday 2019 catalog that was just released. It’s a 6×6 cling background stamp that can be used for both portrait and landscape cards. I’ve been on a lookout for a stamp like this for a long time as this look is very on-trend these days and I don’t have anything similar in my stash.
The idea is to stamp this image in black ink, heat emboss it to protect that black color from any ink that will be applied over it and ink blend the background.
To begin, I used a MISTI stamping tool and first stamped the image in clear embossing ink. I did not use white cardstock but went with Hero Arts Arctic cardstock instead. You can, by all means, start with a white panel, but it is easier to start with a light blue one instead. This will require a lot less ink blending down the road.
Next, I stamped the same image in black ink, covered the image with Sparkle embossing powder and heat set it. Several colors of ink are needed to achieve this look. I like to use a few blue and purple pads for this, including Hero Arts Reactive inks as they will give us that beautiful sky look.
I used Navy, Grape Juice, Blue Hawaii, Grape Slush, Splash and Sea Salt. The latter was applied direct to paper and blended out on the panel. Next, I sprayed the background with Iridescent White Shimmer Spray and let it sit for about 30 minutes for the moisture to absorb into the paper and dry. To add more stars to the sky I used a white pen and added a bunch of white dots in various sizes.
I made a very simple card using my background – I trimmed the background down a bit and added to a white card base, I white heat embossed a sentiment that reads “May Peace, Love and Prosperity Follow you Always”, this sentiment comes from a new Holiday Messages and Icons set. I heat embossed it on Hero Hues Cranberry cardstock and embellished the card with red enamel dots from the Sunset set also from Hero Arts, it’s another new product from Hero this year.
Have fun stamping!
BLOG HOP
Hero Arts
Caly Person
Debby Hughes
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Janette Kausen
Jenn Shurkus
Jennifer McGuire
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Julee Tilman
Laura Bassen
Libby Hickson
Lydia Fiedler
Mariana Grigsby
Nichol Spohr
Wanda Guess
Yana Smakula – you are here!
GIVEAWAY
We will give away $50 gift cards to the Hero Arts shop to two lucky winners drawn from all comments left across the hop. Comment by August 31 at 11:59 PST. Winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog 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 CG787 Cathedral of Trees Bold Prints Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts CM375 Holiday Messages and Icons Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts CH328 Sunset Hero Hues Enamel Dots Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Arts Ink Pad Intense Black Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts AF428 Splash Reactive Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts AF429 Blue Hawaii Reactive Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts AF432 Grape Slush Reactive Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts AF434 Sea Salt Reactive Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Navy Ink Pad Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Grape Juice Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Hues Premium Cardstock Arctic Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Hero Hues Cardstock Dove White Shop at: SSS | SC | HA |
 Hero Hues Premium Cardstock Cranberry Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Misti Stamping Tool Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | PPP | AZ |
 Hero Arts White Detail Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Heat Embossing Gun Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Hero Arts Silver Sparkle Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS | SC | HA | AZ |
 Ranger Mini Round Ink Blending Tools Shop at: SSS | SC | AZ |
 Spellbinders Circle Replacement Foam Shop at: SSS | SC | SB | AZ |
 FSJ Dauber Dowel Small (2 cm) Shop at: SB |
 Sakura Classic White Gelly Roll Pens Set of 3 Shop at: SSS | AZ |
Absolutely stunning card!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to post a video! That night sky is breathtaking! Love the release for Winter!
Love this stary night background and the trees….would love to look up and see that every night!
Absolutely gorgeous card! Love the trees and the colors…
Thanks for sharing.
That night sky is stunning. Will be trying this soon. Thanks for the video. 🙂
Super pretty card. Love all the ink blending and the red sentiment and enamel dots give it just the right pop. My favorite card of the hop.
Yana, I LOVE your night sky with the Cathedral of Trees silhouetted, and framing it! Stunning! I’ll bet the real life sparkle really makes it pop! The red sentiment strip and embellishments really sets off the whole scene. Great choice, and as always great work Yana!
Yana, that is gorgeous! I love it!
Oh Yana! You always design such classic and beautiful things! This is breathtaking!
Wow, this card is so hauntingly beautiful! I love everything about it. You always seem to create such gorgeous and unique things. I am always amazed at how some are easier than I expect them to be. Thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic way to end this blog hop. I love this card and think your night sky is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen and I’ve been looking because I want to create some galaxy looking cards as backgrounds for Christmas. I love this stamp set too and think it’s another must have from Hero Arts. My Hero Arts stash seems to be over running it’s space! 🙂
This is absolutely stunning!
what a cool effect with those trees
Absolutely gorgeous, Yana!!
I saw this card on Instagram and thought how beautiful the image and background were!
Lovely cards. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
I love this card! 🙂 The colors are amazing.
Wow this card looks amazing!!
Stunning card, thank you for the video! the sky is amazing!
WOWZERS! Gorgeous night sky forest!
Stunning!!!
I just recently started doing ink blending to achieve a night sky! It’s nowhere near as difficult to do as I thought and I can’t believe I was intimidated by it before! However …! You have some really interesting tips in your video! I didn’t know one could stamp in versa mark ink and then stamp black over top all before adding embossing powder!! That’s a great tip!! And I’ve seen you “cheat” before by using colored card stock as a base. I haven’t tried that yet, but I like the idea. Hope all is well with you. Thanks for taking the time to make a video.
Wow, the background of your card is stunning! Thanks for the inspiration.
Fantastic combo of the trees and the galaxy sky! Really beautiful!
Beautiful card! Perfect background for this die. Thank you for sharing your creative ideas & teaching how to duplicate the results!
Beautiful card! PatriciaD
Absolutely beautiful results with the layers of ink and embossing on the trees and a perfect night sky. I can practically smell and feel the crisp night air just looking up through the trees- thanks for a wonderful vision and for sharing your talents!
Your card is stunning! You are so creative! I always enjoy seeing your creations and think your card was a perfect way to use the Cathedral of Trees background stamp. Thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous card. I love how you create your backgrounds. Thanks for sharing your time and talent with us.
Oh this night scene card
is beautiful!
Carla from Utah
Great card, so striking. Thank you for sharing.
Great card. Thanks for sharing. : )
A card full of drama. I love the pops of red.
Beautiful card! Thanks for the chance to win and sharing.
The night sky is stunning. Thanks for sharing your process I enjoyed it.
A gorgeous card as always, Yana! Love your stunning night sky! Thanks so much for sharing all the wonderful inspiration!
Amazing and creative inspiration! Beautiful cards!
Wow! That starry night card is stunning! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beautiful card! I need to give this a try – you make it look so easy!!
Wow, you are right there are no stamps that look like this one and I like how you started with a light blue base.
This is such a beautiful card! I can just imagine lying down looking up at your sky through those trees.
stunning background!
Lovely card!
Beautiful card and technique.
Your night sky is beautiful.
Awesome card, amazing detail, great video, too!
Such a beautiful card 🙂 I’ve to try this technique.
Gorgeous. Love this stamp. x
What a stunning card! I can’t wait to try your technique myself. Thanks so much for the video tutorial.
So lovely. Enjoyed the video!
Beautiful card…..love the night sky background.
Beautiful card….love how you did the night sky background. I definitely will try this technique .