Welcome! Today I'm happy to be playing along with the Hero Arts August My Monthly Hero kit launch blog hop! The August MMH Kit , inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, is available starting TODAY. Be sure to comment on the Hero Arts Blog Post for a chance to win one of these kits too!
Here's what the main kit looks like, but there are four optional add-ons to increase versatility. You can check the Hero Arts site at the links below for more details on the optional add-ons.
- Floral Border with Fancy Frame Die
- Dreamy Nights Stencil
- Dreams Are Made (4 x 6 clear stamp set)
- Shakespearean Poetry (4 x 6 clear stamp set)
I wanted a soft background to go under the lovely oval-shaped woods die cut (frame Fancy Die), so I airbrushed a gradation with my Copic Sketch Markers and Airbrush System. Starting at the top and going to the bottom, I used B66, B32, and G24. Next I die cut the frame Fancy Die (without the large oval) from the Woodgrain-textured white cardstock in the Hero Arts Kit--I loved this texture and could use a good supply of it! (You can see it close up in the picture below.)
Shown here are the Copic Sketch Marker colors that I used to color the fairy images.
I wanted to incorporate the lovely patterned cardstock from the kit and decided that it would be perfect to create an envelope liner with. Just a hint here: whenever I attach an envelope liner to the envelope, I do NOT tape or glue the part of the liner below the fold. I used my X-Press It Double-Sided Tape Runner to tape only the TOP portion. By leaving the portion that is under the fold/inside the envelope unattached, I can easily open and shut the envelop without making it wrinkle oddly. Since the X-Press It Runner holds well, I won't have to worry about my liner coming loose in the mail.
If you're wondering, it's really easy to create an envelope liner for a straight-edged envelope. I simply slip my patterned paper inside the envelope, cutting the paper slightly narrower than the envelope, and then turn the envelope over with the patterned paper protruding, and lightly trace the edges with pencil and mark the fold area as well. Next I cut about 1/8" inside my pencil line and also score the fold area. That's it--easy-peasy! Try it for size, and trim anything that you need to if it doesn't fit perfectly. Note: If you want to use the gummed edge that is on the envelope flap, just cut the top part a bit lower--maybe 3/8" rather than 1/8"--so that you have enough of the gummed edge exposed to seal the envelope. Otherwise, you will need to use adhesive to seal the envelope as well.
To get the plum-colored shadow woods layer inside the white woodgrain woods, I simply die-cut the same frame Fancy Die cut, then cut it in half along branch lines, pushed it closer together by about 1/4", and taped it in place before layering it under my woodgrain card front.
A list of participants in today's Hero Arts August My Monthly Hero Kit blog hop is below, starting at the Hero Arts Blog. I can't wait to see what everyone else did with this kit--that's the fun part! As always, thank you so much for stopping by,
The Hero Arts Blog
Yana Smakula
Mariana Grigsby
Clare Prezzia
May Park
Jennifer McGuire
Kathy Racoosin
Laura Bassen
Lydia Fiedler
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Pretty Pink Posh
Debbie Olson (You are here)
Cheiron Brandon
Alice Wertz
Helen Gullett
Libby Hickson
