Monday, May 4, 2020

Mail Art Perfect For The Time + Giveaway

*Compensated affiliate links used where possible at zero cost to you. No posts are ever sponsored or paid.*

Happy Monday peeps!! I have lots of happy mail quarantined in my garage right now that I can't wait to open. I love how many people are sending cards right now - it's a lifeline to the outside world. I am sending about 10X the mail I normally do as well - let's keep that all-important post office alive.

I was thrilled to see a mail themed release from Hero this month with their kit and add-ons. Wait until you see how cute this all is!

First up, this insanely awesome mailbox die! I squealed. The little door is slotted so that the tiny envelopes that come in the set of dies can be sticking out, but I wanted you to see the mail slot in all its glory, so I set the envelope down at the bottom. The sentiment is from the main kit - and the background? Well that was made with one of the metallic Karin markers that come in this kit - SHAZAM! You know how much I love Karin markers and I do not have the metallic yet, so this was a great addition. I'll show you how I made the background in the video below - it's a trick that works with all of these amazing markers, and you can find a coupon code for the markers here at the end of this post. I cut the mailbox from watercolor paper and colored it with just one shade of Daniel Smith blue - Phthalo Blue Red Shade. The black paper is this black watercolor paper, which is awesome with metallics.


Here's what you get in this month's kit. So adorable.

And here's what I made with it! The images in the kit are PERFECT for stickers. Get some label paper and get those bored kids to work making stickers and seals for your envelopes. Both of my kit projects are actually envelopes as you'll see in the video. First, I stamped the plane image from the kit onto a white envelope. Then I stamped it and the banner onto label paper and colored them with copics. The background is made with the new sun stencil + mask set. I used the circle mask to block off the address area, then stuck the stickers on top of the stamped image. You'll see all this in the video.



Next up - I used the rainbow image from the kit as my address block - stamping and coloring it with Copics and then cutting out a mask, and masking that while I created the background by using these Cloudy Sky scene dies to cut two Duralar matte stencils, and then used those with Summer Sky Ink and Life Changing Blender Brushes to make a partly stormy sky. I die cut and colored a little sticker from the kit to seal the envelope with. (The kit comes with five white A7 envelopes)

This crisis has been very hard on Hero Arts and other stamp companies as only the owners are allowed to go in and do all the work of shipping and a million other things. They are working long, hard stressful weeks alone. If you wouldn't mind using the address below to send Aaron and his wife Laura a note of encouragement, I'd really appreciate it. And if you have two cards, I have another mail project for you below.


Ready for the video? After you watch, come back and I have more happy mail projects for you!



My Monthly Hero Kit May 2020
[ HA ]
Get them All May Add ons
[ HA ]
Cloudy Sky Scene Dies
[ HA ]
Sun Background Stencil
[ HA ]
US Mailbox Fancy Die
[ HA ]
One Thing at a Time Stamp & Cut
[ HA ]
Paper Layering Window Shutters
[ HA ]
Airplane Fancy Die
[ HA ]
Heart Tree Stamp & Cut
[ HA ]
May Word Fancy Die
[ HA ]
Karin Brushmarker Pro Mega Box 60...
[ MRK ]
Legion Stonehenge Aqua Black...
[ BLIC ]
Phthalo Blue Red Shade
[ BLIC ]
AF338 Summer Sky Bold Ink - Hero Arts
[ HA ]
AF207 Butter Bar Mid-Tone Shadow Ink...
[ HA ]
AF345 Intense Black - Hero Arts
[ HA ]
Grafix Dura-Lar Matte | BLICK Art...
[ BLIC ]
Fabriano Extra White Cold Press...
[ BLIC ]
Avery 6465 Removable Multipurpose...
[ AMZUS ]
Life Changing Blender Brush: 2-Pack
[ PFS ]
Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473
[ SSS ]
Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round...
[ UTR | BLIC | INK ]
Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art...
[ BLIC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for...
[ BRG ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring...
[ SSS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets...
[ CHC ]
XL Stamp Storage Pockets
[ ELH ]
Mermaid tidy towel case and glue...
[ ETS ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies
[ ART ]


Want to lift the spirits of some healthcare workers? A nice person on my blog - thank you Kathy! -  shared this effort with me so I'm sharing it with you here. This outreach is part of the work being done here.

Here are the names of five of them - there's info on how to reach others below.

Anne
Gloria
Nicole
Adam
Danielle

Here is the address information for the envelope/postcard:

[First name as listed above]
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
4th Floor - C4 Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
1975 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94158

Directions for letter writing/sending:


  • Wash hands before writing
  • If using a card/letter + envelope (vs. a postcard), wrap the letter inside a plastic baggie if possible and place it in the envelope. Seal the envelope with water + towel instead of saliva.
  • When adding a stamp (for a postcard or envelope), either use a sticky stamp or wet the stamp with a moist towel. Do not lick the stamp.
  • Return address: This is up to you; some people have wanted to include, others have preferred not to. We respect whatever decision you choose!
  • Take a photo of you writing the letter if you're comfortable doing so, email us a photo so we can share it on social and encourage more people to write letters.
  • Please email us to confirm when your letters have been sent so we can check those names off the list. 

If you know of others that would like to write letters, please email them here and they will provide you with other names! If you know of other health workers that might like to receive thank you notes, please email those names or connect us with the appropriate person.

Imagine how much a little mail art would mean to them right now!

The rest of the release is also mail themed - here are the other products - and you can get the kit here and all the addons at a discount here. I love the month dies series.

As usual, Hero will be giving away a $50 gift card to one lucky commenter - so leave me a comment with who you sent your last card to! 

Then find more inspiration at these blogs!



My coupon code and the link for the rest of the Karin Markers is below.

Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10 Arkon stand link below!

64 comments:

  1. Amazing work on this fabulous card!

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  2. Great look of the mailbox and the envelope decoration.

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  3. Yes I love your teacup ring! It is so cute!! I just mailed some more cards to some of my students ( I miss them so much!!) I love this new HA kit. And the extras. I think I NEED it!

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  4. These cards are so cute! Thank you so much for sharing! I love the idea of writing letters to our healthcare workers as well. I have two daughters who do housekeeping at hospitals and they work so hard!

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  5. Such a fun new kit, I love decorating my envelopes! Love the mailbox and cloud dies

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  6. Love your shading on the mailbox - on point! The last card I mailed was to my almost 90 year old Momma. Even though I see her to deliver groceries, I miss being together but am taking NO chances so I don't go in. It was an I miss you card.

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  7. Love that cute little mailbox die! The last cards I sent out were about a dozen "make-up" cards to people whose birthdays & anniversaries I missed while my craft room was shut down for our recent move and a few thank-you cards to people who donated trees in my Mom's memory.

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  8. Such amazing creations. Loving everything you made. :)

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  9. I love your envelope designs! Extra special for the recipients!

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  10. I love your wonderful cards. My favorite is the first one. I really love that mailbox and your coloring is amazing.

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  11. Beautiful cards and such a thoughtful idea. I hope they are doing okay.

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  12. Your cards are wonderful! You are so creative. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  13. Great cards. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Great tips for sending virus-free cards. Thank you for sharing. I sent my last card to a friend who had surgery a week ago and she's in excruciating pain.

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  15. I just sent a card to one of my brothers for his birthday.

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  16. Wonderful inspiration & thoughtfulness to mail cards to others! I'm planning to work on that this week. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Beautiful inspiration with this month's kit! I can't wait to receive mine.

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  18. All are wonderful! I LOVE your sunshine one! Great stenciling!

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  19. Great cards and thanks for sharing your video with wonderful tips!!

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  20. Love your cards but especially the first one. The mailbox looks so real. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. Such wonderful envelope art, love it! Oh and I absolutely adore your tea cup ring ( first thing that caught my eye watching your video, forget the kit, I want that ring so bad😘). My last card was sent to a couple from my church who are 80 something year old and wanted to cheer them up!

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  22. Your teacup ring has such a great Alice in Wonderland vibe. Just sent a card to my Auntie who is experiencing too much winter

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  23. Beautiful cards! What a great May release with such a great variety of add-ons.

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  24. The decorated envie queen!! I am "over the rainbow" for this kit and you have to be doing a happy dance, too!! Your envelopes are amazing, as always!! Thanks for virus-free mailing tips...little things that we take for granted but to remain safe, shouldn't do anymore!! T

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  25. Love all of your amazing projects! Your coloring is always over the top WOW.

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  26. These envelopes are awesome and would brighten not only the recipients day but also the postal workers day. Thanks for the great video and all the amazing inspiration.

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  27. Fantastic cards!
    Thanks for sharing...

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  28. Your mailbox card is absolutely stunning. Love it!

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  29. Thanks for sharing your ideas for this new set. I liked the colors and was glad to see your idea on the envelope too.

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  30. Oh..tourney is beautiful!!!!

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  31. I can't even! with that tiny teacup and saucer! You find the coolest stuff. This is a great kit this month, and you know I can't resist anything postal, so that Mailbox (it's actually a "Collection" box, the green ones are Relay boxes but you don't see those anymore) is on my list for sure. Yes, carriers love seeing decorated envelopes, I love the idea for your clouds.

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  32. Such fun and cheerful cards. The clouds on the envelope just make the card set so unique.

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  33. I love your mail art. My favorite one in this collection is the mailbox.

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  34. Beautiful and happy cards, just what we're all needing! I am feeling like walking on clouds after visiting all of the blog hop!! I thank you for the inspiration and uplifting art work. I esp love the way you gradiated the color into blue on the layered clouds <3

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  35. Especially love your envelopes! TFS!

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  36. I am loving all of the different ideas that are being created using the same set of supplies. Everyone crafts from the heart. It is a beautiful thing.

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  37. Your envelope are very nice :-)

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  38. These are so cute. I like your use of color to create mood.

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  39. 💌💌💌There... gotta cuo o tea and will pass on the instructions for mailing...things I never thought of Yet... I have not licked an envelope or stamp for years, but the other is interesting! This card is so you... thanks for always sharing your heart! 📮

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  40. Beautiful set of cards using an awesome kit! :)

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  41. Love that mailbox. You get
    so much detail with the die cuts.
    Great cards. thanks for sharing
    txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  42. These are the most adorable envelopes ever!!! I never think to decorate mine, but it definitely adds to the specialness of the card itself.

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  43. Love the gold spatters in your card and the envelopes look fantastic. Great use of the new release.

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  44. Wonderful cards and envelope, Lydia! I love the amazing water colour effects on your post box! It makes it so special rather than just a flat die cut! I love watching your clever design ideas! Thanks so much for sharing! Take care! :)

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  45. AWESOME kit, Awesome creations! I especially love your rainbow envelope!

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  46. Love the envelope art! This set is perfect for both cards and envelopes.

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  47. Love, love! Do you ever put your mail art inside of another envelope? Sometimes the outer envelope is ruined in the mail.

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  48. Love the envelopes! I would be afraid something would happen to it, but I would sure be willing to risk it!

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  49. Great techniques! I like that you made the envelopes fun, too.

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  50. Great projects with this kit. Love the mailbox.

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  51. I keep thinking how meta it is to put a mailbox on a card. . .it definitely works!

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  52. Love your envelopes! Thank you for sharing the video.

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  53. Wow! What amazing projects Lydia!!! Not sure which I like most the metallic background mailbox or the airplane envelope but they're ALL terrific! Thanks for inspiring me :)

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  54. So cute. I like the idea of the stickers.

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  55. These are all gorgeous, love the sweet images and wonderful colours.
    Valerija xx

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  56. Wonderful cards - er, ... envelopes! And SO ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL for giving us the tidbits of some specific whos who can use our paper hugs. I will definitely be using your insights for the cardmaking and for people to send to. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!

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