Jonathan Livingston Seahorse + Two Giveaways

Did you read Jonathan Livingston Seagull when you were little? We all did, many times, and I feel like it's one of those classic books I never hear anything about anymore. I hope people are still reading it.

Well today - it's the happiest Monday of the month - Hero Arts Kit day - so I'm bringing you Jonathan Livingston SEAHORSE, along with two super fun giveaways.

I love seahorses. They seem like old souls, and they're so beautiful and delicate. In the stamping world, they tend to be on the small side. So I was delighted to see this gorgeous large paper layering seahorse die. I can do all the things with this size die cut - gel print, watercolor, colored pencil - I love it. And BONUS - it has a baby!!

So to make this card, I first watercolored various Daniel Smith blues onto a card front sized piece of watercolor paper, and while that was still wet, I splattered it with violet watercolor. When that was dry, I positioned the beautiful little silhouette images from the March kit on my MISTI leaving an opening for the seahorse and stamped them in Navy Ink.

Do you see what I'm doing yet? (Insert evil laugh)

Next, I die cut the frame from the main kit from Pitch Black cardstock. This die is intended to be horizontal, but it looks just as good vertical, so there. I do what I want.

Next I cut the seahorses from watercolor paper, adhered the frame onto the background, and adhered the seahorses on top.

Do you see it yet? That's right folks - MY SEAHORSES ARE AT AN AQUARIUM, WATCHING PEOPLE AND FISH SWIM AROUND. How's that for a change? :)

It's pretty amazing that you get the giant stamp set, the matching dies and this frame and the ink and embellishments this month. Here's what it looks like.

I admire people who can keep fish alive. I need things to meow at me to tell me they're hungry. But I do enjoy staying at the Hotel Monaco where you can be a foster goldfish mom for a few days. 

If I DID have a fish though, it would be a betta. They come in all different sorts of colors and are just magnificent. 

So I wanted to do something different with the new Color Layering Betta add-on bundle this time. 

I basically deconstructed the fish, because the second layer of the betta is SO dramatic - it looks like a woodcut image. So I stamped that layer in black for a background, using my MISTI to line them up. Then I stamped the outline layer of the betta in black on watercolor paper and cut him out with the matching dies. I watercolored him with Daniel Smith, and can you see the sparkle? That's White Iridescent Shimmer Spray. I stamped the sentiment from the same set onto a strip of grey cardstock.

Here's what the set looks like. Look at the delicate bubbles!

So speaking of meow - there's the CUTEST little cat & fishie set this month! I could not resist this one. I stamped the image in Fadeout Ink and used Daniel Smith Watercolor to paint them. So sweet. Don't worry - the fish is safe. :)

Here's what the set looks like. It does come with matching dies

Here's the rest of the release, and of course they are doing a giveaway - and so am I! 

Here's what you need to do to enter both giveaways. Hero Arts will give away a kit (or a refund if you're a subscriber) and I am giving away one of Jennifer McGuire's mystery boxes! This year she asked for a $100 donation to her friend Kristen's mission trip to Nicaragua. In exchange for that donation, she will ship a mystery box with $700 worth of crafty goodness. 

Well I don't need any craft supplies, and I thought if there was someone who couldn't afford the donation but would love some crafty goodies, that I would donate and have Jennifer ship the box to one of you! So to be entered in both giveaways, leave a comment on this post by Wednesday the 6th at noon WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, and I will contact you and send Jennifer your shipping info. Jennifer is generously paying the shipping worldwide, so everyone is eligible. Hope that makes your Monday a little brighter. I appreciate all of you who read my blog and it's a fun way to say thank you for being here.

Here are all the products I used today. Have fun shopping! PS - I've updated my Food Favorites and Life Favorites and Podcast lists - click the My Favorite Things Tab to see what's new! Loveyameanitbye.

My Monthly Hero Kit March 2019 [ HA ] All March Add-Ons at a Discount [ HA ] Color Layering Betta Fish [ HA ] Color Layering Betta Frame Cuts [ HA ] Curious Cat [ HA ] Curious Cat Frame Cuts [ HA ] Paper Layering Seahorses [ HA ] Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473 [ SSS ] Fabriano Extra White Cold Press... [ BLIC ] PS323 Hero Hues Premium Cardstock... [ HA ] White Iridescent Shimmer Spray [ HA ] Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink [ INK ] AF234 Navy Mid-Tone Shadow Ink | Hero... [ HA ] Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors [ BLIC ] Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round... [ UTR | BLIC | INK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for... [ BRG ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Crafter's Companion GEMINI... [ SSS ] Cut Align [ MSW ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets... [ CHC ] XL Stamp Storage Pockets [ ELH ] Da Vinci Cosmotop Sable Mix F Brushes... [ BLIC | ELH ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | ART ] Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art... [ BLIC ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | MFT ]