Monday, August 22, 2016

Deer World...

This might be the earliest I've ever started holiday crafting. I'm going to take this as a sign that I am becoming more organized, since no other visible signs of this exist anywhere in my environment.

Since Texas is offset from the rest of the country in terms of weather, it's always fun to play with images that are wintery - just because we never really experience that. It's probably how northern people treasure beachy images.

But one of my FAVORITE images that to us Texicans isn't a wintery image, but to the rest of the world can be, is DEER and other things antler-y.

We live in very close contact with deer here. Billions and billions of deer, and they are such pretty little things. It's pretty common where I am to have momma deer leave their babies on porches while they go eat during the day - they are all over our neighborhoods, and you just learn the various ways to live with them, be careful around their fawns, help them with water during a drought, and plant plants they won't eat in your garden. In real life, as well as in stamp imagery, they're just some of my favorite things.

One deer in particular has caught my little crafty eye this year, and that's the Color Layering Deer. HE'S SO PERFECTLY DEER-ISH!


So, thanks to this sweet deer being in my house, I'm hopping with some friends today to celebrate Hero Arts Winter Catalog, in which my adorable deer resides. I love every single person on this hop - I hope you check them all out after you leave here - they are amazing people!


And since you know I don't normally like traditional Christmas colors, I made this sassy deer in warm pinks (Pink Pirouette, Flirty Flamingo, Watermelon Wonder, Cherry Cobbler) and acidic green (Green Apple). He is cool because while the layers make him very realistic, the style of the artwork is also very poster-y and graphic. So I think my modern colors speak to that modern look he has. I paired him with the Delicate Petals Stencil for the bright background, which I made by lightly brushing Green Apple ink through the stencil with the Clarity Stencil Brushes for a deer-y glow. And since he's sort of a funky little hipster deer, he wishes you nothing but peace, man. Peace. (Sentiment from the Color Layering Cardinal Set.)

Color Layering Deer by Understand Blue
And while we're on the subject of deer, I had to play with another, very different little deer, who also speaks to my deer-loving heart. This little guy is from the Origami Happy Holidays set with a sentiment from the Color Layering Snowy Tree set.

I loved him in black and white, so I just stamped him and cut him out, and then cut up a Gelli Plate print I did a few weeks ago with my sister, using Dylusions paint and the Bold Floral Stencil - because lo and behold - MY PRINT WAS RED AND GREEN! :) After I just got done telling you I never do that for Christmas! I'm apparently a liar. But my deer is super cute and festive! So try to overlook that.We're all sinners, right?





So if you want to see the beauties some of my fellow professional shoppers have made with the Hero Winter goodies, hop along, and comment for a chance to win one of three $25 shopping sprees! Who doesn't want a crafty gift card for Christmas? Crazy people, that's who - and I know y'all aren't crazy.


Do be a deer and make something pretty this week, y'all. :)

Loveyameanitbye.






265 comments:

  1. OMGOODNESS! Beautiful new dies and stamps!!!

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  2. I love the use of non-traditional colors and yes, I love your sassy deer. Love the Origami deer in all white...so awesome.

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  3. Love the deer!! and, I love reading your blog--you always make me smile!! TFS!

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  4. Oh my gelli print and dylusion paints can i see a video

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  5. Your cards are awesome, Lydia! I especially love the hipster deer and your background story of our deer here in Austin! ❤️

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  6. Layering flowers, layering birds, now layering deer, OH MY! Love that stamp and your card.

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  7. Great HA release and your cards are really neat...love them!

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  8. The deer cards are so nice. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Oh 'deer', Lydia! These are beautiful! Great job, as always, and I'm loving the holiday release! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  10. Wow the origami card has a stunning background! Beautiful!

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  11. Love the cards and unique color combos-very interesting and eye-catching! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  12. Lydia, I love your cards and the use of non traditional colors. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. I hope you don't mind but I am going to quote you on a Christmas card that says, "Peace Man, Peace"! Ha, ha! You're so funny!

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  14. That is a cool deer stamp. Thanks for showing it.

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  15. Deer cards are popular in my family .... love the new stamps. Thanks for sharing.

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  16. The layering deer is one of my favorite stamps. We have more antelope then deer where I live.

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  17. Love all the new layering stamps and this one is my favorite. Thank you for sharing and being part of the new winter release blog hop giveaway.

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  18. Love your modern Christmas card and the non-traditional colors! Interesting to hear about the deer in your area. None where I live in the burbs!

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  19. I love that deer!
    It's so hot, looking forward to the holiday season. Looks like a great release!

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  20. love your deer in the christmas colors!

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  21. Loved your fun explanation of the deer I your area. I live in Florida, and yes the beach images are ever present in my life. Hero Arts color layering stamps are so great. I love them all. Thanks!

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  22. I love how you used the deer in black and white!
    Thanks for sharing :)

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  23. I love the new deer layering set.

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  24. Love love love!! Your pink deer is the greatest thing ever. :)

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  25. Great release from Hero Arts! The deer stamp is awesome!

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  26. Great use of these deer stamps! Live in Minnesota, lots of deer-y things here, too!

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  27. This is a beautiful stamp set, along with the deer background stamp. I love your take on this deer with the soft pinks. Those stars on his antlers are so cute.

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  28. Love this release, there's something for everyone wit so much variety.

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  29. Love all Hero Arts layering stamps but the deer one has really caught my eye!

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  30. What a fresh take on holiday cards. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. Great cards Lydia, You share such wonderful ideas, thanks so much for sharing to all of us that need all the help we can get!

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  32. That is one red hot deer, pun intended. Your creative mind is definitely at work on your cards, they are glorious and I feel the PEACE vibe. TFS

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  33. Great cards Lydia! What a clever idea putting the tiny stars on the points of his antlers. Very cute!

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  34. I agree with you that deer are beautiful!! We have them in our fields and on our lawn quite frequently!! The other night we stood on our deck watching 2 mommas and three spotted fawns eat and frolic in our field for hours. They are so used to us that we can walk within 10 feet of them to go down our driveway. My 4 year old granddaughter loves to be so close to them and they even stay when she is running and giggling so close to them. They know we just want to enjoy watching them!
    A few years ago we had a basketball hoop on our lawn and the basketball was on the ground when 2 yearlings came over and started bopping the ball around with their noses. So adorable! I am so thankful that I live where I do so I can enjoy so much wildlife on a regular basis! We have seen bear, deer, moose, turkeys, geese and so many other critters over the years!
    Back to your creations! LOVE the first card and the second is growing on me!! TFS!

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  35. Love your non-traditional colored deer card!! Your work is always so unique and beautiful, Lydia.

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  36. Awesome all the way around!!! Thank you all.

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  37. So! I am going to say you aren't a liar because the background wasn't intentionally made for a Christmas card. How is that for a good rationalization? Both deer are amazing. I love both cards, so different yet wonderfully, Lydia! I love the stars on the antlers. The origami deer just pulls me in, he's so cool! We live in deer country but not quite porch deer. . Sadly they don't walk through our yard very often but I do get to see them frequently the last couple miles of my drive home. It never gets old.

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  38. The deer with the silver stars is beautiful. Great image and not just for winter.

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  39. Love your cards, the deer card is stunning. Thanks for sharing your talent with us

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  40. Hero Arts is my all time favorite stamp company. I have been using their wonderful products for over 30 years. They never disappoint and your examples are beautiful!

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  41. Love your deer cards! My favorite is the second. Love the contrast of the artsy mixed media panel with the plain origami deer!

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  42. PINK deeeer!!! oooo my favorite color deers in the world!!! so soooo pretty!!!! <3

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  43. Lovin the deer and cardinal sets.....

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  44. Lydia your cards are amazing! They are so beautiful! Tfs

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  45. love your fun nontraditional holiday cards! they speak of joy!

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  46. fabulous colors and I like the sparkly silver on the first one.

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  47. Fun cards, as you say not traditional colors but beautiful just the same.

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  48. Such a unique and beautiful take on the deer!!! Loving the colors! And the background on the second card is stunning!!

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  49. I love the beautiful deer, he's so sweet!

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  50. I love, love and love the colors for your deer and how you use untraditional colors. Being new I'm trying to think outside the box. I'm having a hard time being original. I appreciate that you can be. Thanks for inspiration.

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  51. Really like the origami holidays set, and it's one I never would have clicked on without your inspiration card!

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  52. Love the modern vibe on your cards! Great designs and switch up on the colours. Really innovative.

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  53. Your Gelli print background is perfect! It is so fun to pull from that stash (mine is big!) for backgrounds, etc. I love the Origami set, so this is a wonderful card! Thanks for sharing today! --Yvonne

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  54. I love the idea of thinking about ideas for your holiday cards... But agree it may be a bit too early to start for me. Love the new stamps and layering stamps are fabulous.

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  55. Oh my, jaw dropping gorgeous work! Thanks for sharing your talent with us!

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  56. fun card and love the deer. Thanks

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  57. So pretty thanks for sharing!

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  58. Gorgeous thank you

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  59. So pretty thanks for sharing!

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  60. I love the new deer stamp and never would have thought to ink it up with red ink but it looks gorgeous!

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  61. Love the coloring on your deer.

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  62. Cool cards, I love them. I am too chicken to do something so out of the box.

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  63. Love the deer stamp. Very nice cards.

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  64. That Deer Stamp is, just, GORGEOUS!!!

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  65. Very cool and modern looking! I've seen the deer in Texas and you are right--this represents them well!(Peg)

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  66. Your cards are so unique and beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

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  67. Very pretty card. Thanks for sharing.

    Linda D.

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  68. I love your red and pink deer with the green apple background.

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  69. Beautiful cards! I especially love the one with the buck. I just got home from the gym and drove past 5 deer in my yard. One mama, three fawns and one I had to do a double-take to see better, hiding under the shade of a tree. I thought it was the other mama, but it looked bigger to me. It was a buck. No stars on his antlers though!

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  70. What a different take on Christmas cards! Very nice.

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  71. Very cute and a unique take on the season. Having lived in OK for 2 years and my parents in Dallas for about 8, I understand what you mean about the wintery weather being so different from the rest of the country. Love what you did to create you own unique take on winter!

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  72. Love your "deer" non-traditional cards, Lydia!

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  73. Now this is an interesting idea. Origami deer!! So different so enticing. Love it.

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  74. I love the deer with peace. That would be a perfect card to me.

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  75. Love your unique twist on deer! Cool and modern

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  76. Lydia, quite a unique choice of colors...lol...loved the cards...thanks so much...hugs

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  77. Gorgeous deer cards, Lydia - especially love the origami one!!

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  78. Definitely out of the box colors, Lydia! Love your cards.

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  79. Wonderful cards,
    very colorful.
    Carla from Utah

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  80. Awesome cards! Love the deer stamp!

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  81. I'm with you and the deer. My heart is jumping to make something wonderful with them.

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  82. Thanks for sharing your cards! Love the different looks you created.

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  83. you made very nice cards with the stamps. I really am looking forward to getting the Vintage Christmas Wishes

    Deborah L Cieply

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  84. Very nice cards. Living in Michigan my entire life makes it hard to think there is winter without snow (and ice).

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  85. Appears that you have created deer for all seasons and beautifully so.

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  86. You did a great job on these and I really love the deer one.

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  87. Love your cards and color choice.....

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  88. Love the sparkles on the antlers!!!

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  89. I love the red deer, beautiful, and the layering

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  90. Terrific cards. I especially like the faint background behind the red deer ;)

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  91. Very unique cards, love the layering deer.

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  92. Love your modern/graphic cards Lydia - especially that origami deer one!

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  93. I like the origami background. Great job

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  94. I love how unique your cards are!

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  95. Love the colors on the layered deer! Really cool effect!

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  96. I love the deer especially the origami one it's so cute...... great cards. Thanks for sharing

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  97. Love the deer and the wild colors. Who says Christmas has to be red and green. LOve your work.

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  98. Lydia, You are so talented, I agree with you about the deer. They are such beautiful creatures. Some of my friends that live here (in CO) get a little upset with them as the deer take the bark off the trees, eat the flowers and whatever else that serve their fancy.

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  99. Such gorgeous deep coloring on the cards. Look great

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  100. We have lots of deer up here in Canada, too. Great card. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  101. I especially love your deer. It is so peaceful looking.

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  102. What a great use of colors on the Peace card !!!

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  103. Cute cards...wonderful creativity..

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  104. We also live with deer all around us. Love those images. Very unique usage. You've made me think about the fact that sometimes I am too literal in my use of products.

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  105. What great twists on traditional holiday cards! Your backgrounds are fabulous! While I love the mixed media look of the second card, but the Bold Floral stencil made the deer pop on the first card!

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  106. Great cards, love all your creativity!

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  107. I am just loving your color sense!

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  108. Wonderful cards!
    There's a part of me that gets a little anxious already seeing these holiday cards BUT I love all the inspiration I'm getting... maybe I'll make my cards in October or November this year.. which is early for me! :)

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  109. Fabulous examples of all the wonderful products ! Great Job !

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  110. Love love LOVE your origami deer card. The white is perfect against that beautful background. Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  111. I'm kind of a traditional gal--I would never have thought to color the deer in pinks. Nice work!

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  112. Such a colorful twist on traditional Christmas cards, Lydia! Such special cards, as always! Lydia, I truly enjoyed both of the Hero Arts Crafty Chats. It was heartwarming to learn about the beginnings of Hero Arts and the evolution of stamping, cardmaking, and scrapbooking. Now I smile whenever I reach for a Hero Arts stamp! I look forward to all of your Crafty Chats! ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes

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  113. Both cards are great, but I really like the simplicity of the 2nd one.

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  114. Awesome new products and projects!

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  115. Loving these products and your work

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  116. Great new release and your deer cards are great.

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  117. Love the new release...great cards!

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  118. You sre too cute. Liar? No!!!! Beautiful cards. I too am from TX snd derr are somewhat majestic. Seeing them hop/run just brings joy. God Bless you, a fellow Texan and crafter. TY for sharing

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  119. Awesome! Loving this blog hop and Hero Arts new release. Thanks so much for sharing!!

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  120. Love those layering stamps - the deer are so pretty. Great new release from HA.

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  121. Wow! So many beautiful new products!

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  122. Quite unusual colors on the layered deer. Might just have to think outside the box, myself

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  123. Those are some pretty cool Un-Christmas-y Christmas deer! Dang it another great release. They HAVE got to stop this, my wallet can't take it much longer!

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  124. Lydia, as a fellow Texican, I agree with younnndeer are just such magnificent and tender creatures that we should cherish and care for! I love your very colorful deer. TFS

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  125. Okay, I'll admit that I am a Christmas-holic! I should be so offended (as people tend to be nowadays for any little thing) by your choice of colors in the first card but I'm not! Maybe because my favorite color is PINK! So a pinky red deer with a green apple flower background is wonderfully quirky and totally awe-inspiring. Keep pushing those boundaries!

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  126. Love the starred dear- and the sentiment: I'm diggin' it- Peace.

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  127. Oh deer, isn't that just the coolest deer!? Peace...out!

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  128. Both cards are so unique! The first one for the colors you used and the second for the awesome background and the contrast with the main image. Fabulous cards.

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  129. I lov that deer, he's gorgeous.

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  130. You definitely think outside the box and love how you design your cards!

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  131. Wow! The pink deer is beautiful. Colorful and such pop off the cards. Incredible work. Love it!

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  132. Great new colors for the holidays.

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  133. Cute and fun cards you created with this fabulous new release. I really do love the Layering Deer set!! Thanks for more ideas on how to use it!!

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  134. Your pink deer is almost as similar as the red deer in Scotland, it is just awesome ! Both cards are gorgeous, and give good ideas for the Holidays cards....but too soon for me, I'm still with my sea and beach images in my head ! Thanks for sharing. Izzy Scrap

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  135. You made me look at deer in a whole new way, wonderful cards!!

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  136. that deer stamp is one of my faves!

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  137. Great cards! Love those layered stamps.

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  138. I do really like the deer layering stamps set. The origami is growing on me. Great cards, I always love your creations.

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  139. Fabulous and adorable cards with those deer. WOW!
    THANK YOU for the inspirations!

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  140. OMG... you have out done yourself.... too cute.. thanks so much for who you are and what you do.. You make me laugh out loud!!!!

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  141. So cute to place stars on the antlers.

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  142. Thanks so much for sharing your cool and unique cards with us, Lydia. Great job. And I love your "loveyameanitbye" sentiment at the end. Do you mind if I use it in communicating with my friends? So cute! And a big thanks for participating in this great hop and giveaway!

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  143. Fabulous color combos on both of these cards.

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  144. awww Love the stars on the cute little deer. Thank you for sharing I am loving this blog hop!!

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  145. Beautiful cards! I love the backgrounds! I just moved from south Texas to North Carolina so I am looking forward to some winter weather this year!!

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  146. Very nice cards. Thanks for sharing.

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  147. Marvelous!! Thanks so much for sharing your humor and your talent!

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  148. The deer is so amazing! Cool cards!

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  149. Dear me! Your cards are perfectly dear! Sorry couldn't help myself! :) Love the many wonderful products in this new release from Hero Arts.

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  150. WOW...These are SO COOL! I especially love the pop-art pink deer. I used to live near a cow pasture on which deer roamed. They jumped the barbed wire fence one night and ate ALL my giant hostas! They're still pretty.

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  151. Awesome way to use this deer! TFS!

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  152. Love that color layering deer stamp set!

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  153. Oh how cute I like how you put stars on the dear as it reminded me of how my brothers taught me how to figure out the age of a buck by the number of points on the antlers!

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  154. The red and green Gelli Print background is gorgeous and adds a unique touch to your card.

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  155. That Hero Arts layering deer is my favorite! I LOVE LOVE the background on your second card.

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  156. Lovely cards! Love the stars on the deer.

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