Party Like It's 1922 + Sale + Giveaway

Sometimes I feel like America has its decades out of order. Take the 20s, for example.

The 20s are like the 80s of the early part of that century. Suddenly, clothes were daring, people were partying hard, listening to smooth jazz and generally not being jerks. We were all fighting the man together and defying Prohibition and mostly all cultural rules.

But then it was followed by decades where women were supposed to be cooking dinner in heels, there were shoulder pads again, and everything was all prim and proper (with the exception of political figures, of course.)

I saw a presentation by an advertising genius here in town who described how these pendulum swings are hinted at in advance by changes in music and it was a pretty powerful argument. I just don't understand how we went flapper and then went full on June Cleaver.

But then again, I don't understand a lot of things, so don't worry about me.

All that to say - if I had to guess an era that most people would like to spend a week or two in - it's the Roaring 20s. It just seemed so... FUN. And who doesn't love fringe?? Monsters, that's who.

So I was so stoked to see a totally unique look in this month's Hero Arts Kit - it's so unlike anything I own and I had so much fun playing with it.

I tried to keep my cards thematically harmonious with what I think of as art deco design elements - lots of black, metallics, geometrics. So much fun.

So let's see what they've got? The main kit has all these fun speakeasy images - people dancing, drinking, basically doing anything you were not allowed to do in Footloose.

For my first card, I stamped an image from the main kit onto a piece of watercolor paper that I painted with Aussie Red Gold and Quin Coral Daniel Smith. After I stamped the images and sentiment on this piece, I sponged on some Glimmer Metallic Ink in gold - that's what you see on top of the images, background and sentiment. It's SO sparkly in real life. I used the little black embellishments from the kit around the dancers, and framed them with this beautiful art deco die. (All supplies will be listed at the end of this post.)

But you know what's better than twenties people?? Twenties PETS. This stunning stamp set has the COOLEST look to the dogs and cat - it's like a cross between Egyptian reverence and art deco style. One of my favorite thing to do to stamp images of critters is to turn them into Russian Icons. I spent too many years in graduate school studying Russian not to use it as an influence in my work. So this is the first of two icon critters for you today. The dogs in this new add-on set are beautiful, lithe, greyhounds. I used the frame from the main kit to stamp a foundation for the dog - and by foundation, I mean pedestal, of course. I stamped it onto a scrap of the same watercolored paper from above, and I added more gold ink. After stamping, I used a Circle Infinity die and my favorite masking paper to cut a circle mask. I positioned that around the dog's head, and then carefully colored it with my chrome pen  - hard to see it here, but it actually looks like chrome - the perfect super shiny silver. I used the same pen to accent the frame the dog is on, and I used a Copic multiliner to outline the circle and clean it up. I matted the scene on black cardstock, and then put it onto a card base with some art deco patterned paper. This stamp set does come with matching frame cuts.

 I haven't had a party in a while because life has intervened, but I'm looking forward to my next stamp sale party - those are always super fun parties.

Anyway, the kit images are perfect for invitations, so I created one with the help of this window die. Now it's a die with a frame, so when you cut it while the dies are still connected, you get the black window shape you see below. So after I cut that, I cut the dies apart, and cut myself a mask again out of masking paper so that I could brush a yellow glow onto the "indoor" scene before gluing down the frame. I used my Life Changing Blender Brush with Butter Bar Ink to create that glow, just avoiding the couple. I colored them with Copics and then glued down the frame and stamped the sentiment, which is from this party-friendly set.

So how do these lovely folks get home from my party? In their uber classy prowl-mobile of course. I kept it simple with an RV29 marker, a C5 and an Ice Blue marker, leaving white space for highlights. Framing the image is this stunning cover die, (a thematic match to a stencil which also comes in the kit, in addition to the matching dies for the stamps) - pretty darn generous kit this month. LOVE this modern/retro style of die cut.

 I saved the best for next to last - THE CATTTTTTT.

In this first picture it's hard to see how awesome the chrome pen is, but stay tuned. The background is a piece of copy paper that I cleaned my brayer on while gel printing. I stamped the cat from this set, and the sentiment using my MISTI. Then I used the same masking paper from the dog card above to put the circle around the cat, and fill it with my chrome pen.

 Here's a better indication of exactly how CHROMEY it is! It's so bright and shiny.

Now the cool thing about art deco patterns is their repeatability. To show you what I mean, I took one of the patterns from this set, and set it up in that top center position of my card and embossed it with gold embossing powder. Then I moved my card up in the MISTI exactly six grid squares on the lid and repeated. I did it one more time, then I positioned the stamp next to and below the first image and embossed it. I repeated the six grid square move to stamp two more and repeated on the opposite side. See how the images fit together? I love that. DIY patterned paper is easy with art deco images for this reason. They are stamped on a Gel Press print.

Then - I am LOVING the Cut-Align for teeny sentiment strips! Those are impossible to do on a paper cutter, and I always stamp them crooked which makes them twice as impossible in a paper cutter. With the Cut-Align, you can line the edge up perfectly with the sentiment itself, and then cut as skinny a strip as you need, without entering that no man's land of the thing that holds your paper down in a paper cutter. So I stamped the sentiment for this card and then used the Cut-Align to cut it out perfectly straight. See below for a special discount just for my blog peeps on this awesome new tool.

If you are wanting the new Cut-Align tool from My Sweet Petunia - she's offering a discount for you guys until Friday - first, click here to shop, and then use code UNDERSTANDBLUE for 10% off the whole store.

February My Monthly Hero Kit [ HA ] Deco in the City Bold Prints [ HA ] Arch Pattern Bold Prints [ HA ] Deco Flourish Bold Prints [ HA ] Diamond In The Ruff [ HA ] Diamond in the Ruff Frame Cuts [ HA ] Deco-rations [ HA ] Deco-rations frame cuts [ HA ] Deco Celebration [ HA ] Vintage Window Fancy Die [ HA ] Ballroom Window Fancy Die [ HA ] Circle Infinity Dies (H) [ HA ] Dancing Music Notes Confetti Die [ HA ] Graphic Deco Stencil [ HA ] GM100 Gold & Pewter Glimmer Metallic... [ HA ] Hero Arts Butter Bar Shadow Ink [ HA ] Molotow Liquid Chrome Marker - BLICK... [ BLIC | SSS ] Aussie Red Gold [ BLIC ] Daniel Smith QUINACRIDONE CORAL 5ML... [ SSS ] Cut Align [ MSW ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Copic Multiliner Pens [ BLIC ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] Avery 6465 Removable Multipurpose... [ AMZUS ] GKD Patterned Paper Pack- Petite... [ GNK | SSS ] Midnight Mixed Layering Papers (12) -... [ HA ] Life Changing Blender Brush 2-Pack -... [ PFS ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for... [ BRG ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets... [ CHC ] XL Stamp Storage Pockets [ ELH ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | CST ] Get Them All February Add-Ons [ HA ]

Fun stuff this month, right? I guess the Hero Arts people have gotten more sleep then I have since Creativation, because they are on their A Game. Don't forget - they also have a bundle with all this month's add-ons at a discount (these never sell out) and the kit is while supplies last  - but if you leave me a comment you'll be entered to win this kit, or a refund if you're a subscriber!

Now hop on over to my friend Libby's blog for more inspiration with this kit and have fun shopping!

Loveyameanitbye.