Monday, May 7, 2018

Swing On By - My Monthly Hero Kit + Giveaway

Happy Monday! I'm actually in the middle of my journey home from vacation in Santa Fe right now, so I've had an amazingly relaxing week. If you have a spare million laying around, I'd love for you to lay it on me so I could move there permanently. Thanks a bunch!

But it's also Hero Arts Kit day, and this month is super fun - it's all about friends & family, and if you love genealogy, you will LOVE this kit.

I'm starting with an add-on this month, because I can't do ANYTHING without warming up with no-line watercolor. I started by stamping the sweet teddy bear from Swing On By in Fadeout Ink on Fabriano cold press watercolor paper. Then I used my favorite, most economical masking paper - stamping the bear on it again, and masking him before stamping the tire swing image over him.

I don't know about you, but I've been stamping for about 25 years, and still to this day, I have to tilt my head to the side and stick my tongue out to figure out how to mask images to get the things that I want in the foreground. Am I alone in this? I don't always get it right the first time, but I did this time, and the bear is nestled into the tire swing instead of entering another dimension, which happens sometimes.

After that, I used my ultimate mixing palette of Daniel Smith watercolors from this miraculous book that all of us in my Daniel Smith split group use - we love it so much. (If you are still trying to grow your Daniel Smith collection, this split group is a very inexpensive way to do it. Click here for more info.)

Don't we all need a friend to give us a little push sometimes? My friend Lori is the one who gave me the little push to start my own Daniel Smith collection obsession, and for that I'm very grateful. I stamped the sentiment in black and just matted the watercolor paper. When I've spent a lot of time watercoloring an image, I keep the card pretty simple.
Bear in a Tire Swing No-Line Watercolor by Understand Blue
May My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
Get them all - All May add-ons
[ HA ]
Swing By Soon
[ HA ]
Swing by Soon Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink
[ INK ]
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors
[ BLIC ]
The Ultimate Mixing Palette: a World...
[ BLR ]
Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. Cold Press...
[ AMZUS ]
Avery Removable Label Paper
[ AMZUS ]
PS623 Sea Mix Layering Papers (12) |...
[ HA ]
Basic Black 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5...
[ SUP ]
Paper Snips (103579)
[ SUP ]
Escoda : Watercolour Travel Brush Set...
[ JCK ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | SBC ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART | SBC ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art...
[ BLIC ]

Next, I was inspired by one of my favorite artists in the world for a card with this month's kit. My friend Yoorah sent me a Banksy card a few months ago with this image - one of my all time favorite Banksy images. If this is the first time you've heard of Banksy - I highly recommend the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop, as well as a Google image search for Banksy art.
Banksy Inspiration Photo



























So when I saw the kit images, the very first thing that popped into my head was this Banksy image. I wanted to take the silhouette image and add that white space that makes Banksy's graphics so... Banksy. I also loved the sort of wistfulness of the balloon getting away from this little girl, and I knew I could recreate that with the kite. I sort of cracked myself up with the sentiment from one of my absolute all time favorite sets from Hero - this one. Get it? Above and beyond? I amuse myself in very simple ways. :)

To get the Banksy look, I stamped the image off once on my MISTI in Soft Granite Ink so the image was barely there. Then I took my fine point micron pen and traced the outline, and filled it in, leaving some white space to emulate the Banksy girl. I did the same on the kite, this time with a Copic Marker, again leaving a white highlight. I then masked the kite and the girl with masking paper, and softly applied more Soft Granite ink through this stencil with my Clarity Stencil brushes, keeping the ink very light and faded out towards the edges of the card. The sentiment from Astronomical is stamped in Intense Black, and it's all matted on black, and put onto a red card base.

Banksy Inspired Kite Card with My Monthly Hero Kit by Understand Blue 
May My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
Get them all - All May add-ons
[ HA ]
CM198 Astronomical
[ HA ]
DI428 Astronomical Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
SA113 Every Which Way Stencil 6x6
[ HA ]
Clarity Stencil Brushes
[ SSS | MFT | CRF ]
Copic Sketch Marker RV29 CRIMSON Red...
[ SSS | ELH | MFT | ART ]
Sakura FINE LINES SET Pigma Micron...
[ SSS ]
AF345 Intense Black
[ HA ]
Soft Granite Shadow Ink
[ HA ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | SBC ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART | SBC ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick...
[ SUP ]

Since I had the red and black out, I decided to make an epic "family" card, with a little cameo with the cat head from the Family Portrait stamps and matching dies - this bundle is an add-on, so it won't sell out. This completely cracks me up that it comes with a cat and dog head. Pets ARE family after all. First I stamped the Family Words Bold Prints background stamp in Soft Granite on white cardstock several times using my MISTI. I love the images that are interspersed with the words - I think it would be fun to stamp this in black and color those images, but I ran out of time. I stamped the cameo frame and cat head in Intense Black on red cardstock. I cut that out and mounted that on a strip of white cardstock, and finished the card with the Ombre Blush sequins, using a jewel picker and some multi-medium matte. It just makes me laugh, that little kitty head.
Cat Cameo by Understand Blue
May My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
Get them all - All May add-ons
[ HA ]
Family Word Bold Prints
[ HA ]
Family Portrait
[ HA ]
Family Portrait Frame Cuts
[ HA ]
Soft Granite Shadow Ink
[ HA ]
AF345 Intense Black
[ HA ]
CH301 Ombré Blush Sequins | Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Marvy Uchida JEWEL PICKER Tool 91GRC...
[ SSS | ELH | HNB | MFT ]
Ranger Mini Multi Medium Matte Glue
[ MFT | SSS | ELH | SBC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | SBC ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART | SBC ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick...
[ SUP ]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]

Next, back to the kit for a simple card with a very exciting new ink! It's a water reactive Ombre ink - Spring Day - this ink is beautiful just stamped, as I've used it here, but when you use it with water, you'll love it even more! Very exciting addition to the ink line. Just give me all the inks please. Thanks.

I kept this simple, just using the kit images and a sentiment from You Are Loved. I thought about sequins, but I loved the mixing of the ombre ink, and I wanted it to remain the star of the show. 
Hero Arts Ombre Reactive Ink My Monthly Hero Card by Understand Blue
May My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
CM171 You Are Loved Messages | Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Get them all - All May add-ons
[ HA ]
Ombre Reactive Ink Spring Day
[ HA ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | SBC ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART | SBC ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick...
[ SUP ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
AF345 Intense Black
[ HA ]

Next - to try out the water reactive properties! I took the Spring Day ink and just swiped it repeatedly direct to cardstock until the paper was covered with ink. Next, I set the kit images of the girl and the kite up on my MISTI, (Hero carries the MISTI now) and lightly misted them with water, and stamped them onto the inked cardstock. I repeated this several times, until the ink reaction made the images very light. After that dried, I outlined it with my Micron pens, and add a little etching on them. I then used masking paper to mask the girl and the kite, and using the stunning tree stencil from the kit, I first used a damp Stamp Shammy through the stencil to get the same lightening of the ink, and then brushed Soft Granite ink through it with my Clarity Stencil brushes for a soft impression of the tree behind the main images. The tree would have been much darker if I hadn't stenciled with water first. I stamped the sentiment from You Are Loved in Intense Black. The card base is a white linen (hard to see the texture here) that I get pre-cut, scored and corner rounded here - so convenient.
Ombre Reactive Ink card by Understand Blue
May My Monthly Hero Kit
[ HA ]
Get them all - All May add-ons
[ HA ]
Clarity Stencil Brushes Set Of 4
[ CRF | SSS ]
Ombre Reactive Ink Spring Day
[ HA ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART | SBC ]
Soft Granite Shadow Ink
[ HA ]
AF345 Intense Black
[ HA ]
Sakura FINE LINES SET Pigma Micron...
[ SSS ]
8 1/2 x 11 Bright White Linen...
[ PPR ]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by...
[ SUP ]
Avery Self-Adhesive Removable Laser...
[ AMZUS ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | SBC ]
Paper Snips by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]
Stampin' Spritzer by Stampin' Up!
[ SUP ]

Now here's what all comes in the kit. See the kitty? So cute, and will be great for Halloween too. 

May 2018 My Monthly Hero Kit
The kit is while supplies last. You can purchase it now before it sells out, or subscribe and never have to have FOMO! FOMO kills! You can also win a kit or a refund if you purchase one with the instructions below.

I love the add-ons too - and you can get them all for a discount as well. However, those will remain on the site, unlike the kit. Here they are all together. I love the Family Tree background stamp - I plan on using that for my family soon!

Monthly Add-Ons - May Hero Arts

Here are the details of the 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 hopThe giveaway closes Sunday, May 13th at 11:59pm, and the winner will be announced the following week.

Kit availability and shipping: The main kit is available for a limited time only - once it's gone, it's gone. Kits begin shipping from Hero Arts on Friday May 11th. 

Here are the people I am lucky enough to hop with today - I've been seeing sneaks of their projects on Instagram this week and I can't wait to see the full reveals. Leave everyone a comment for your chance to win!


Loveyameanitbye.

92 comments:

  1. As always, you amaze me! But I think that sweet teddy bear on the first card is my favorite. Thanks so much for hopping with us!

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  2. FUN STUFF Lydia! I am SO EXCITED to see skeleton leaves return!!!!!!

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  3. Lydia! I have a weakness for both, tire swings and Banksy. Your creations are knee buckling!
    I might have to get that Swing On By set. I love that you can personalize it.

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  4. Oh so beautiful cards that you made. The colors and simplicity is just Wow! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful week.

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  5. I especially love the bear on the swing. How sweet!

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  6. Wonderful cards! Such a different take with the cards and stencils. Great inspiration for the monthly kit.

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  7. wow how different your examples are! so much different than what i have seen on the hop so far. i love the last card, with the outline of the kite girl. i know i couldn't do that but i can admire yours!!!

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  8. All your cards are beautiful and very inspiring !

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  9. Fantastic collection of cards! All in wonderful Lydia style :) Though it may seem a small detail, the thing that caught my eye most was your layering choices - the blue, red, black, white all so perfectly enhance each card.

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  10. Your cards are marvelous examples of different techniques. Love the results and will definitely use the kit to try some of your ideas. Thanks!

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  11. Your cards are so unique and beautiful! Love the slightly different take on the kit and some of the add-on products. Thanks for the ideas! I can't wait to get this kit!!

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  12. Oh my heavens... this is incredible.. so many gorgeous cards!

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  13. I was hopping along waiting to see if anyone would show the background add-ons some love. I should have guessed it would be you. Thanks for the inspiration and the artsy tidbits as well.

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  14. You have such a unique style! I love each of these!

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  15. So many samples! They’re all wonderful!

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  16. Wow. As always, amazing cards. I learn so much from you an this blog! I think the final card is my favourite!

    I really want to try the monthly kits but the shipping to the UK is so much that I haven't taken the plunge yet! This would be amazing.

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  17. So many different ways to use this set. You make me want to purchase all of the add ons. At first I thought I had the wrong blog but I soon realized I didn't. Thank you for sharing.

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  18. Lydia, your creations are so unique. I love that you really "went out on a limb" with your artwork. Thanks for making me look at this kit in a whole new way.

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  19. These are the most beautiful cards. What a great kit plus super add-ons.

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  20. This kit is absolutely stunning!

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  21. I really like that card you were sent very cool. I also really love the bear swing card you made very impactful.

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  22. What a great spin in these cards and I loved reading your process of how u did each card. Thank u for the inspiration.

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  23. Lydia I absolutely love your cards, they are gorgeous!!

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  24. Love your cards. This kit And add ones remind me of summertime.

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  25. Love your ideas and cards and that teddy bear in the swing is perfect! Thanks for sharing with us!!

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  26. Love your water coloring. Beautiful!

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  27. Very cool cards. Thank you for your ideas.

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  28. Pretty colors! They are unique and so gorgeous!

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  29. Very nice cards. Glad to have you back. ;)

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  30. Wow I like your style. Thanks for sharing

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  31. Your cards are amazing! I just love all the cards with the kites!

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  32. Really love that tire swing card - so adorable!

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  33. Thank you for a much need laugh! I spent 4 hours at the dealership for routine maintenance, and I had an appointment!! Your cards are awesome!!

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  34. Awesome cards. Love the tire swing. Thanks for sharing.

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  35. I absolutely love the bear swing card!

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  36. Your cards are wonderful - so unique!

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  37. What awesome cards to show off this beautiful kit! Well done!

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  38. Love the simplicity of the swing card!

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  39. Really fun and adorable cards. Love the colors you chose and this Hero Arts kit is sensational. Thanks for sharing.

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  40. I love the teddy bear in the swing. So precious!

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  41. The kit is amazing! Love the die set

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  42. You are amazing! Your creativity knows no bounds (or not many lol), and I love what you shared today.

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  43. This is such a great kit! I like the reactive ink and the way you used it.

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  44. Oh my what a beautiful assortment of using the kit.Thanks

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  45. I love all of the new ideas!

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  46. Oh wow - so many stunning cards! This kit is amazing and it's clear everyone is having so much fun with it - can't wait to get mine! Thanks for all the inspiration, I can't decide which one I love more, the last one with the yummy tree stencil or the sweet teddy-bear (I so want to adopt it...)

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  47. Awww... a teddy bear on a swing!?! Love it! I want one!!!

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  48. That bear is so sweet!! Love that card the best, but
    I love all the different inspiration you've shown.

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  49. This is a great kit and you have done it good.

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  50. Wow! Love them all! I always love how inspiring your projects are!

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  51. Awesome HA kit and awesome cards, I especially love the last Thinking of you card!

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  52. You've created some really beautiful cards with the new Hero Arts kit. The teddy bear in the swing is so sweet. I just want to pick him up and give him a big hug.

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  53. Wow! Love your unique design on the HA kit! Thanks for sharing!

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  54. Interesting ideas and cards. I have to check into this kit.

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  55. Love this kit! Beautiful cards!

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  56. Teddy bear lover so this is a favorite

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  57. Beautiful card! I love this kit so much!

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  58. This is a fantastic kit. So many options to create beautiful cards. Your cards are lovely!! The bear in the swing is adorable!! Love the girl with the kite and the little girl with the swing!!

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  59. As always, all your cards are absolutely gorgeous !!
    [margessw(at)icloud(dot)com]

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  60. Beautiful cards! I love the teddy bear in the tire swing! Thank you for the inspiration!

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  61. I'm at the starting end of this masking park so your comment was nice to read. Liking all your cards and the colours you've used but especially loving your ode to Banksy, very good x

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  62. Such beautiful cards! Thank you!

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  63. Your cards are really gorgeous.
    Thanks so much for sharing...

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  64. This is my first time on your blog and i love your work i will definitely be back thanks for the inspiration

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  65. Love your cards! This kit has some really awesome stamps and dies in it and I'm excited for mine to ship/arrive!

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  66. Love your masking. He is too adorable. Love this kit too....

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  67. Your cards are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your talent!

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  68. Awesome cards and techniques, especially that Banksy-style card - so cool, and the no-line coloring is amazing, such a cute little teddy ♥

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  69. Great inspiration. I love the Bansky inspired card.

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  70. What an amazing way to combine your own special creativity with this kit to make it your own! Great work and beautiful results (as usual).

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  71. I like your cute and unique card designs.

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  72. Thank you for the awesome cards

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  73. I super love these. Didn't know you liked Banksy!

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  74. Wow!! You used some awesome combos...beautiful cards. Thanks for sharing. Great kit!

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  75. You always take it to the next level. These are stunning. I may have to go order some of the addons now. I ordered the kit as soon as I saw it. But oh how I love what you've done with the additional products.

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  76. Yes, a thousand times yes... masking is a must tilt head and stick out tounge activity! I am so glad that I'm not the only one who has trouble figuring out what goes where and in what order, it makes me feel like an idiot. 😚

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  77. WOW! So many great ideas! Thank you for the inspiration

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  78. NM is my stomping ground! Lovely creations!

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  79. Thanks for sharing the cards you made. I think the "You make the world beautiful" design is my favorite. The ombre inks you used is really beautiful and having just the single image makes the sentiment have more impact.

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  80. Your posts are always so fun and I really learn some interesting things. Love all your fabulous cards made with this kit - such great inspiration!

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  81. Lovely cards! And yes - I am with you on the "tilt my head, stick my tongue out" when trying to figure out masking!

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