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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.
Like this project? Pin it and save for later!
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.
Ha ha. Those cacti rock!
Thanks for sharing the inspiration!
I LOVE your cards Yana – totally inspiring – you’ve a gift for card making – thank for sharing 🙂
Just discover this blog and i love it! 😀
The card is so refreshing and so edgy!!! Love it too 😀
very cute cards!
fun cute cards
this cactus Xmas card is fresh….great ideas & thank you for sharing with us!
Very fun cards Yana. Thanks for sharing your idea with us.
Love the combo of embossing and watercolor
Love the cacti!!!!
You caught the playful look! These are just great. 🙂
Theses cards are so creative, fun and cute! Thanks for sharing!
What a JOY you are in your Videos. Thanks Yana for sharing!!!
Very cute! Love the cacti!
I think you do great work!
Fun background!! Those are cute cards!!!
cute cards and great singing
Great Card
Darling cards. I need that stamp set because I live in the Southwest of the USA.
What a fun card!
Cute card. Cacti for Christmas, who woulda thought? Nicely done!
Great cards. Love the cactus!
Clever! Being from MN I will have to stick with the evergreens, but I know some people who would love this!
Oh! What prickly fun!
Great cards so different.
Such a fun card!!!
I love the cactus card.
I just started following you on YouTube recently and I love your cards! You are so original. Thanks for sharing!
Too funny! Love the cactus theme.
Fun FUN FUN! Great cards, awesome coloring and a super video! WOOHOO!!!!
great job! TFS! I sub to your youtube.
Yes, I liked very mucho the cactus card, excellent job.
What a great card. Its so different from normal cards. I love it!
Just love the idea of a cactus Christmas card!
Cute south western card !!!
Love your fun cards!!!
I love this playful and funny card. Perfect for someone with a sense of humor. Thanks for the video–great tips.
So cute, especially love the water coloring!
cute card!
I can’t get over these cactus’s!
Love that you used a “Christmas Cactus”. There really is such a thing. I love your water coloring and how you made your background. Love the embossing…….great design.
Thanks for the idea of creating backgrounds
Super fun cards!
What a cute background ! ! It’s fun to be ” non traditional”.
So unique. Love it!
Fun cards. I’m thinking these would be nice to send to my relatives who live in the desert with lots of cacti.
Thanks for sharing your talent with us. The singing was fun too. Very cute and festive cards!
Cute, fun card.
Your colors are great!
Great unique fun card.