It's SO hard to talk about winter when it's LITERALLY forty billion degrees outside, but I do understand that in SOME places, the back to school season means something I hear is called fall. And, I also hear that in some places, it's actually cold at Christmas, so I play along, in hopes that our temperatures will drop.
Today is the day the Hero Arts Winter Catalog is released, and it's amazing, as per usual. Last year, I was so inspired to create Christmas cards through the fall, I didn't even have to make any - I had enough unique cards on hand to be able to mail to everyone on my list, and I'm pretty sure I'll be in a similar situation this year, thanks to an abundance of lovely wintery and holiday stamps.
First up - something I LOVE and have a hard time finding -
a perfect angel. My mom is always seeking out
the perfect angel stamp, and I think this might be it.
This beauty is
this stamp, and I colored her with this
art print brown liquid watercolor, and added
gold pen around her halo and
shimmer on her wings. Other than that, she is all the same color. I mounted the watercolor paper onto
glitter paper and then onto this beautiful brown card base.
You don't need a bunch of colors to make a beautiful watercolored image, I promise. Even though you should still have all the watercolors, because that's what we do.
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Heavenly Angel | PD117 Liquid Watercolors ArtPrint... | Tonic MIDAS TOUCH Aqua Shimmer Pen... |
Tonic AQUA SHIMMER PEN Nuvo 2 Pack... | Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. Cold Press... | Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round... |
Da Vinci Cosmotop Sable Mix F Brushes... | Neutrals Glitter Paper Pack - Concord... | Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White |
MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth | Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... |
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 | Essentials by Ellen Storage... |
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... | Ink Off Cloth |
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 | Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art... | My Favorite Watercolor Sketchbook |
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But we can't be super elegant all the time, so I decided to do a little no line watercolor with this adorable
Christmas Mice set and the
Deer & Ornament fancy dies in
glitter paper and
white. The background is from a Bach music book I bought at Half Priced Books.
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Christmas Mice | Hero Arts Frame Cuts Dies CHRISTMAS... | Deer & Ornament Fancy Die |
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors | Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round... | Da Vinci Cosmotop Sable Mix F Brushes... |
Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. Cold Press... | Concord & 9th NEUTRALS GLITTER 6x6... | Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White |
MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth | Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... |
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 | Essentials by Ellen Storage... |
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... | Ink Off Cloth |
MISTI Stamping Tool - The Most... | Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 | Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art... |
My Favorite Watercolor Sketchbook | Sizzix BIG SHOT EXPRESS Gray and... |
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What is the holiday season without
a stunning blue deer?? I used
Indigo,
Cornflower and
Intense Black inks for
the deer, and finished it with
Circle Infinity Dies and
these sequins. Such a sweet little deer. If I stumbled upon a perfectly blue little fawn in the woods, I'd know Narnia was the real deal.
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Color Layering Fawn | Color Layering Fawn Frame Cuts | Circle Infinity Dies (H) |
Hero Arts Hybrid Ink - Indigo | Cornflower Mid-Tone Shadow Ink | Hero... | Hero Arts Intense Black Ink |
Winter Sequin Mix - Hero Arts | Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White | MISTI Stamping Tool |
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth | Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... | Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... |
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 | Essentials by Ellen Storage... | Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC |
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... | Ink Off Cloth |
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Well so we've done elegant, cutesy and modern - how about snarky?? Check out the
What the Fig Stamp & Cut! THIS CRACKS ME UP! Texas is big time fig country. As a matter of fact, my previous neighbors planted a community fig tree in their yard before they moved, letting the new owner know she had to share all the figs, which she does. Some fun trivia - cats LOVE figs. If you have a fig tree, you might come out and find a fat tabby with a fig food baby lounging underneath your tree. I actually borrowed part of a branch from the community tree last year to do a watercolor sketch of,
which you can see here.
Anyway, for this card, I used the
Circle Infinity dies to cut and mask a circle opening on my card front. Then I used my
life changing brushes to ink blend inside the circle with
Soft Granite Ink. I then stamped more figs in
Soft Granite inside the ink blended circle. I stamped and cut out the fig images to layer on top in
Mulled Wine and
Lemon Yellow ink. Those are ACTUAL fig colors - it's sort of amazing. The sentiment is in
Intense black, and I mounted it on a black card base.
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What the Fig Stamp & Cut | Circle Infinity Dies (H) | AF336 Mulled Bold Ink | Hero Arts |
Lemon Yellow Mid-Tone Shadow Ink -... | Soft Granite Shadow Ink - Hero Arts | Hero Arts Intense Black Ink |
"Life Changing" Blender Brush Set -... | Avery Self-Adhesive Removable Laser... | Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White |
MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth | Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... |
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 | Essentials by Ellen Storage... |
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... | Ink Off Cloth |
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Halloween Mirror | Halloween Mirror Frame Cuts | AF334 Strawberry Bold Ink |
AF333 Tangerine Bold Ink | Hero Arts | Hero Arts Butter Bar Shadow Ink | Green Apple Bold Ink | Hero Arts |
Summer Sky Bold Ink - Hero Arts | Grape Juice Mid-Tone Shadow Ink | Hero Arts Intense Black Ink |
VC250 Versamark Watermark Ink Pad |... | Clear Embossing Powder - Hero Arts | Post-it Labeling and Cover-Up Tape -... |
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White | MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth |
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... | Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 |
Essentials by Ellen Storage... | Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... |
Ink Off Cloth | WOW! HEAT TOOL (110Volts) WZHGUSA |
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Too scary? Okay - then we'll head back to the safety of winter images. Wait - unless that cabin is the one from THE SHINING!!! No - it's not. I promise. Ish.
ANYHOO - I masked off a snowbank with
my favorite masking paper and then stamped the tree image from
this set, stamping it first in green in the
MISTI, then just on the edge in
Wet Cement to add a shadow. Then I masked that, and stamped the cabin on top of that. So at that point, there are two masks down - the hillside and the tree. You have to think about what things go in front of what things when you are masking. I normally get it completely wrong the first time, so don't be discouraged.
I colored the cabin with
Copics.
Then I stamped the little girl image from
this set, and then masked snowbanks behind her and lightly brushed on
Cornflower ink with
my brushes.
I colored her with
Copics and then added glue and
glitter to the snow and cabin. I love her little Scandinavian look.
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Bundle Up | Bundle Up Frame Cuts | Cornflower Mid-Tone Shadow Ink | Hero... |
Wet Cement Mid-Tone Shadow Ink | Hero... | "Life Changing" Blender Brush Set -... | Avery Self-Adhesive Removable Laser... |
Lawn Fawn PRISMA GLITTER LF1535 at... | Copic | Ellen Hutson | Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White |
MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth | Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... |
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 | Essentials by Ellen Storage... |
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... | Ink Off Cloth |
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And YAY -
a Hanukkah set!! I am always looking for these, so I was psyched to see this one. It's simple and classy.
Then I used
Indigo Liquid Watercolor for an abstract background behind them. When that was dry, I used my Chrome Pen to draw the strings to each star, and I mounted the whole panel on the same
glitter paper I cut the wishes from. The Hanukkah is stamped in
Intense Black.This would be an easy one to mass produce.
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Wishes Stamp & Cut | PD114 Liquid Watercolors Indigo |... | Hero Arts Intense Black Ink |
VC250 Versamark Watermark Ink Pad |... | Indigo Bold Ink | Silver Sparkle Embossing Powder -... |
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White | MISTI Stamping Tool | Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth |
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... | Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... | Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 |
Essentials by Ellen Storage... | Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC | Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... |
Ink Off Cloth |
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This is just a wee bit of the catalog, but I couldn't help myself, and had to play with lots of it.
If you want to hop today,
my sweet and kind friend Libby is next on the hop. I love her despite the fact that she left me to go to Georgia - but she's only a text away :). You can win one of two $50 shopping sprees by commenting today!
I hope that if you are in a cooler place than here that you are enjoying the change in season. If you are in a zone like mine - I wish you freon and ice.
Loveyameanitbye.
um WOW. I love them all! That Fig card is awesome.
ReplyDeleteWonderful collection of cards. That.angel.is.stunning.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME creations! I especially love the PERFECT Angel, it looks so vintage!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards! I really love the way you colored that gorgeous angel. And your blue deer is adorable. But all of them are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAll of your cards are beautiful and have your unique flair. Great stamps, HERO!
ReplyDeleteWhat great creativity! Love all your truly unique cards!
ReplyDeleteOh my! You rocked every holiday until 2019! Love the variety and your colors! Blue deer! :)
ReplyDeleteI love all of your cards so much - that angel is even more stunning in person! I may be hoarding it, next to my fennec fox painting. You think you send in the cards for the catalogs and shows, but really, they go to Libby's secret little Lydia card shrine. Never come visit me, it would be embarrassing...
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards! I love that little mouse!!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great; I REALLY love the angel card; so elegant!
ReplyDeleteLove these cards you created for the different holidays. Your angel is colored so beautifully, but the little mouse captured my heart.
ReplyDeleteSuch an array of awesome cards! I love all of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing...
All of your cards are super adorable!!
ReplyDeleteLovely cards. They are adorable!
ReplyDeleteI love all your cards.. simply beautiful. I am always looking for inspiration, and boy did I get it here :) I too am always looking for Hanukkah sets and ideas. Thank you for sharing and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing creative ways to use the new Hero Arts products!
ReplyDeleteLove the color choices you made: Brown/gold angel, blue deer, etc.
ReplyDeleteLove all your projects...your angel is glorious!
ReplyDeleteLove, LOVE the blue deer. There's something riveting about such a sweet image in an unexpected color.
ReplyDeleteWOW, I love them all. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI like all the cards especially the angel but I think you little Narnia deer has my heart
ReplyDeleteThe angel is just gorgeous! That mouse ... eek! So precious and I love the design of the card with the musical BG.
ReplyDeleteThose stamp layering sets are so versatile, I would never have thought of making the fawn blue but it really works well.
ReplyDeleteYou have captured the beauty in each of these designs... The illustrator for the Angel stamp must be in total awe of what you've created. Lovely cards indeed.
ReplyDeleteThese cards are awesome, love this release, Hero Arts does it again.
ReplyDeleteFabulous release. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeletelove your cards - the white spaces are in perfect proportion to the images - very creative work:)
ReplyDeleteSo much inspiration! Love your cards. It's an amazing release so I can understand how you can't stop at one :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing collection of cards!
ReplyDeleteWOW! You have been busy with the catalogue items--the cards are a great representation of all the goodies that are available. So many and so little time!
ReplyDeleteFrom elegant to cute! You killed it! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the mouse card. It is the cutest!!
ReplyDeleteWow so many beautiful cards with various styles for our inspirations, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow, you covered it all. I have to say, the angel is my favorite. I hear you about the heat. Being in Florida, we have hot weather until late October. Really hot weather until late October. And only a couple of really cold days until it starts heating up again in February. So, it's hard for me to get into the winter season. Maybe that's why I love fall leaves and snowflakes. Neither of which we ever get here. Awesome cards. Even the blue deer. :-) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat is really a group of creative cards! Great job!
ReplyDeleteLoving your halloween card!
ReplyDeleteAll your cards are beautiful ! I've got a little preference for the second card. Your little mice is so cute !!!! Of course, it's not very classical, but we also need to have fun, and you did it wonderfully !
ReplyDeleteGREAT cards - wonderful inspiration!!!!
ReplyDeleteI always make a religious Christmas card. I agree that this might be the perfect angel.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards. That angel is exquisite.
ReplyDeleteReally love the angel!! Nice colors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the amazing inspiration Lydia! I love these HA blog hops because you share so many cool and unexpected ideas (um, blue deer, rainbow strip with skeleton face). Love it!!
ReplyDeleteThese are all FABULOUS but THAT ANGEL!!!!!! This IS gorgeous! I have a hard time finding ones without pinchy faces! THOSE are NOT ANGELIC!!!!
ReplyDeleteThese cards are amazing!
ReplyDeleteso much hard work! these are so fun and delightful!
ReplyDeleteLovely cards - especially enjoyed the Hannukah wishes.
ReplyDeleteAmazing cards, the Heavenly Angel really caught my eye, stunning!
ReplyDeleteDelightful cards! Thanks for explaining how you achieved the masking with the Warm Wishes card.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your cards, but that angel is really incredible! The stamp itself is lovely, but your coloring is what makes it so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI really like your cards! Nice and pretty !
ReplyDeleteJust gorgeous! I love the blue deer!
ReplyDeleteWow! That is a long time to sit in one place! Lol.
ReplyDeleteLove the blue deer. And the skull. And of course all of your cards
Holy cow !! You have been busy :) The mouse card is my favorite as I love cute little mice (especially not living ones!!) :) Love all your cards. TFS
ReplyDeleteAll great cards! The angel is amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat awesome cards!! You have some talent lady! Just like them all and how you presented them. Thanks so much. Not really a Halloween fan but did love the skull mirror card with the rainbow. Thanks for showing all your fun.
ReplyDeleteStunning cards and so much variety! Great release!
ReplyDeleteHi Lydia, I am loving your card collection. It actually cold in Maryland during the Christmas season.
ReplyDeleteTONS of great cards. Loved the angel, then the mouse, then -- all wonderful. What a fabulous release.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeously stunning cards! That angel is so beautiful and the figgn' card absolutely cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteAwesome card and the angel is stunning but the Halloween card not too spooky :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards, but my favorite is the angel card. So elegant!
ReplyDeleteOh my, so much to love here!! And a Hannukkah set...yippee!
ReplyDeleteI love them all!! What a busy gal you have been! The little girl with the snowy cabin is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteSweet cards. Not too big on snarky but the rest are great.
ReplyDeleteYou are so good with creating these beautiful cards!
ReplyDeleteThat was figgin' fun!
ReplyDeleteelegant, cute, fun, bright and a blue deer - you've covered it all with these wonderful cards, Lydia!
ReplyDeleteAwesome cards! :)
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see cool Hanukkah stamps! Thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your lovely cards showing off all these pretty new products.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible array of cards. Something for everyone and every occasion. Thanks for sharing it all.
ReplyDeleteI'm (almost) speechless. Each time I thought it couldn't get better it did. Thank you so much for all these fantastic projrcts!
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards...love that mouse!
ReplyDeleteA style for everyone!
ReplyDeleteI love to see products used for many ways for new ideas. Thank you for the inspiration! Just lovely cards.
ReplyDeleteWow I love all the card for different occasions. They are all so different in style and yet so beautiful. The angel one is just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteOk, those were So. Much. Fun. I knew about cats and figs. I so enjoyed how you played with color in all the places. I love getting inky!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the inspiration with the many designs you created using Hero Arts Winter products. I was impressed with the gorgeous angel card. That stamp is a must have. Your other cards with the kids, mice, reindeer etc. are darling.
ReplyDeleteWow ....great cards....who would ever expect to see a BLUE deer? Not me...lol....all of your work is beautiful...thank you so much for sharing your pretty art.....hugs
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful angel stamp. It's is going on my list as a must have.
ReplyDeleteThe angel is gorgeous!!! And, being a fig lover myself, I got a good chuckle from the fig card. Yes, they are that color. And my cats do love them. TFS with us today.
ReplyDeleteI get the part about "leftover" Christmas cards--it's kinda hard to stop making them, isn't it? The blue deer was a bit of a surprise, but very cool. Love the figgy one..way too much fun. Really, they are all wonderful. Well, maybe not the halloween, but not all of us are into the whole skull thing. Thanks for the inspiration and a really fun to read blog post!
ReplyDeleteWow! You have been busy to create all these wonderful and very different cards. Thanks for showing off these new products.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the cards but the angel is just stunning!! I love your use of the gold. Beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful cards. I think that adorable mouse is my favorite...wait, the deer...no wait....LOLOL. They are all wonderful! TFS!
ReplyDeleteReally great cards. Your angel is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLydia, what can I say that hasn't been said? I always am blown away by your creations each time I visit. You are right about the angel being the perfect one. It is a beauty & you did it justice as it looks so elegant. I quite like the surprise of seeing the blue deer & while Narnia may not be real, the msg. of it is. I think my favourite card is the log house & the little girl carrying firewood. While I am not a winter person, this card touches my heart. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteSuch an inspiring group of cards! I absolutely agree that this angel is the perfect angel stamp that I have seen! I love the cute cabin card! I really have to try masking using the removable labels! Such a great idea! I am learning so many tips and techniques throughout this hop! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteVery creative and unique cards. I LOVE that sweet little mouse, and my heart melted over that little blue deer. The little guy looks like he had too much egg nog and fell in a paint bucket! Lol!!! I was back and forth between laughing and nearly crying for him! Thanks for sharing---have a great day!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea with the masking of the snowbank. The colours in this card are fantastic! Love that Bundle Up set!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards, the little mousey is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteYou are so clever, using actual sheet music as a background! My neighbor has a fig tree, so I will see if Lucy likes figs, I never stop learning from you :).
ReplyDeleteThat angel stamp is gorgeous! I really liked your hanukkah card too!
ReplyDeleteVery cute cards! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLike the variety of cards; from the angelic angel, whimsy mouse & much more.
ReplyDeleteMelissa
"Sunshine HoneyBee"
I love your cards!! All of them. The angel reminds me of a cross stitch my husband made for my mom several years ago :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Awesome work!! The angel is amazing!
ReplyDeleteCute cards, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh my Lydia you've outdown yourself for this blog. So many cards, with delightful images. I love them all, but your little girl and the cabin in the snow captured my "christmas season heart". Luved it! Thanks so much for sharing and as always inspiring.
ReplyDeleteSo many pretty cards, and the Hanukkah is my fave. All sets are great for the upcoming season.
ReplyDeleteLydia, such great cards. I love the idea of using sheet music for backgrounds, your angel is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow, what stunning cards. Thanks for the inspirations.
ReplyDeleteAdorable mouse card!
ReplyDeleteLove your cards as always! I love all the different styles you showcased from cute and adorable to very elegant.
ReplyDeletewow--you have been busy. My fave is the one with the little girl carrying wood.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the Angel, she is beautiful and your coloring is stunning on her. Now I gotta love elegant, cutesy, modern, and snarky (the fig reminds me that my Grandmother always told me to make sure nothing else was eating the fig before I picked it up off the ground.....it was years later that I realized she meant snakes ROFL). Then you had to go and mention The Shining (one of 2 scary movies I've ever seen and I still have nightmares about lol) but you made the cabin look better so here's hoping..... Thanks for giving us so many options with this release and all the inspiration, I love it all!
ReplyDeleteSo many stunning cards, you look like you had snow much fun. All are fabulous but my favourite has to be the happy Halloween 🎃.
ReplyDeleteAmazing use of these new products!!! Beautiful cards!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, amazing collection of cards! Wonderful variety of styles and techniques. Love the angel, she's stunning.
ReplyDelete7 great cards but that angel is divine~
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bunch of cards! You have been having fun playing with this new release from Hero Arts!
ReplyDeleteGreat examples of pieces from the
ReplyDeletecatalog. Love the stripes behind
the skeleton. That time will be
here soon. thanks for sharing
txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot0com
Great selection of Fall and Winter cards!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful collection of Xmas cards! I LOVE what you did for the Halloween card! So creative!
ReplyDeleteLove the creative way you've designed all these cards!. So many wonderful new products this release.
ReplyDeleteAmazing cards, as always. Very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteSo many great ideas! I love the angel. My mom collects them so she would adore this card.
ReplyDeleteOh wow.... Love the mice card.... the set looks fab.....awesome cards
ReplyDeleteCute cards! Although the angel is beautiful, I think my favorite is the little mouse. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSuch variety in your card-making! I've only been crafting a couple years and try to send cards every week to whoever I feel needs a pick-me-up. Thank you for the inspiration & chance to win!
ReplyDeleteAll your cards are amazing. I really love the mice set
ReplyDeleteLove that angel card! The mouse is pretty cute too. So happy to see a Hanukkah stamp set. Hard to find. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat Cards, thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteSo many cards. You covered all the bases. Great use of color and terrific designs.
ReplyDeleteYour cards are so original and creative!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love the warm wishes card - almost makes me want to cozy up to a fire tonight :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome new HA release! Thanks for the inspiration and fun blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThey are all so unique and wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThat little mouse is so cute! And that darling gal hauling wood... I don't remember smiling that much when I had to haul wood!! lol!
ReplyDeleteFabulous cards! Love the last one with the sweet winter scene... adorable girl carrying the firewood!
ReplyDeleteQuite the showcase. Love the variety of the cards. :)
ReplyDelete