Wednesday, August 18, 2021

The Dracula Obsession, Giveaway + Gel Press Prints Workshop Registration Now Open

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

When I was a kid, we had literally zero distractions from our own personal mythologies. No TVs, tons of time outside with friends who amplified our crazy ideas. It was perfect. And it was a breeding ground for all sorts of myths and mysteries.

One of our obsessions in my little friend group was Dracula. On more than one Halloween, I dressed up as Dracula, and still wonder where my satin, red lined cape got to after all these years. We also had oodles of tubes of fake blood, those wickedly uncomfortable fake fangs and tons of made up stories. Like Frankenstein, I couldn't get through the book - not sure why - I should try again - but the myth lived large with us. 

So I took this adorable little Dracula die and dressed him up just like my old costume - but I added black glitter paper for a little glamour. Coloring the face was my fave - deep setting his eyes into his pale face with a Graphit Marker (coupon in footer), and adding tiny fangs. Hee hee! This gorgeous background stamp gives it that Twilight Zone feel.


There's also a WITCH!! I used this fun background stencil for the Twilight Zone feel on this card.


This next card is just a shameless ploy to get the attention of the only person I know who loves Banksy as much as I do - my friend Yoorah! This super sweet little looking glass  die I combined with the Paris die and a sunburst background stamp. I love it so much. For the heart, I just cut a second one in red and glued it on top.


Okay FINE I will do a Christmas card or two - BUT I'M STILL MAKING HALLOWEEN CARDS - make no mistake! But I do love this amazing cover die - this will make Christmas cards a snap! I just ink blended a Hero Hues background, and sprayed this gorgeous background stamp with water and stamped it on the inked panel - this card just literally took < 5 minutes!


But nothing grabs me like a classic Christmas angel! I embossed her over a gel print, and then used a dark blue Polychromos pencil to color her in to make her pop a bit. Such a beautiful image. I used the same background stamp from the last card for a tone on tone kraft background.


Finally - a clean and simple Christmas card with these beautiful layering ornament stencils and this fun word die - another super quick element for your holiday cards. A few sweet little embellishments and you're done!


Lifestyle Trick or Treat
[ HA ]
Swirl Bold Prints
[ HA ]
Geometric Spirals Stencil
[ HA ]
Looking Glass Girl With Balloon
[ HA ]
CG844 Sun Ray Bold Prints - Hero Arts
[ HA ]
DI885 Looking Glass Paris (E) - Hero...
[ HA ]
Nativity Cover Plate
[ HA ]
Christmas Angel
[ HA ]
Etched Winter Swirls Bold Prints
[ HA ]
Christmas Holidays Stamp & Cut
[ HA ]
Layering Ornaments Stencil
[ HA ]
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils and...
[ BLIC ]
Graphit — Marker Universe
[ MRK ]
Hero Arts Winter Catalog Hop
[ HA ]
Understand Blue MINI Slimline Folded...
[ CTC ]
Understand Blue Slimline Folded...
[ CTC ]
Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #3...
[ CTC ]
Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #1...
[ CTC ]
Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #2...
[ CTC ]
Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473
[ SSS ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | SSS | ELH ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring...
[ SSS ]
Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,...
[ ELH ]
CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear...
[ CHC ]
Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp...
[ ELH ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies
[ ART ]



Now for some great news - my Use those Gel Press Prints Workshop is on the calendar! If you have a stack of prints you don't know what to do with, this fun workshop will help you solve that problem. This will be an 8 class online retreat, focused on items you can give as gifts for the holidays for you or someone else, as well as a fun background technique using prints. Reserve your space HERE, and don't worry about the date - this is an online class that will always stay open.

Everything I made today is all from the new Hero winter catalog. Every $50 order will get a free catalog in it - it's a beauty! You might see some of these cards in there.


If you leave me a comment, you'll be entered for a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards. Tell me if you've started your holiday card yet, or if you're like me and still celebrating Halloween!

Head over to the Hero Blog for tons more inspiration today.

Loveyameanitbye.

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15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
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10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
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55 comments:

  1. Great cards! You really did a lot. Love the Dracula!

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  2. Wonderful creativity of the Lifestyle for Halloween, coloring & backgrounds.
    Melissa
    "Sunshine HoneyBee"

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  3. I haven't even started Halloween cards, how could I possibly think about Christmas?!

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  4. I love your cards! The Dracula card is great, and the nativity is beautiful! If I do handmade cards this year, I'll start them in early November.

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  5. I love your cards and I’m excited about the class.
    I made a couple Christmas cards for challenges but I haven’t started the bulk of them.

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  6. As always, I love your cards:)

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  7. As always, I love your cards:)

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  8. Though I love Christmas to me it is way to early to even begin to think about it. Sept 1st is time for Halloween whether it be creating or decorating. Though age and health have made me consider scaling down a tad I still decorate from the outside to inside. Can't wait to go get my pumpkins.

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  9. Wow! Your cards are amazing! I love the background on the Dracula card!

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  10. It’s way too hot to even think of Christmas cards yet & besides so many fun things to play for Halloween/ Autumn anyways!

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  11. such creative ideas for wonderful cards.

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  12. I need to make Christmas cards for my father in law, and I haven't started yet. I have a few ideas, and I hope to start this weekend AFTER my birthday!

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  13. Gorgeous Christmas card with the embossed angel. Just love it.

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  14. I haven't even thought about Christmas
    cards yet. Have to get through fall
    cards and Halloween cards first.
    Hate rushing the seasons.
    Love your dracula. The swirls are
    great. thanks for sharing
    txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  15. I'm still working on my Halloween cards! I also love vampires. They are the sexiest of all Halloween monsters. My dad went nuts for Halloween, so once I became a teenager, it was much more fun to stay home and scare the neighbor kids than it was to trick or treat. I dressed up as a vampire more than once!

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  16. Believe in yourself card is stunning. Just terrific. Thanks for inspiring as all your cards are clearly made with care.

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  17. That swirl background on the nativity card is just stunning!
    Vannessa Osbourn

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  18. I don't really make Halloween cards but no, I haven't started
    Christmas cards either! More summer please! LOL!

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  19. I especially love your nativity scene card! The Etched Winter Swirls is one of my favorites from this new release.

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  20. These are incredible! I love your designs! So creative!

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  21. I started some holiday cards in July but I still have lots to do!

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  22. All these cards are great but I especially love those Halloween cards. Thank you for sharing.

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  23. Your angel is anything but classic! The Halloween cards are a hoot! Is that the witch from wicked?

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  24. Such awesome cards! Thanks for sharing.

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  25. Cute card designs! I especially love the nativity card.

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  26. WOW, the angel is beautiful and artistic. I haven't even started my Halloween cards. I should, because we are going to be gone all of Sept.....

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  27. Lovely cards. I never even noticed the Angel stamp in the new Hero Release.

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  28. You went all out! My favorites are the nativity card and the last one with the large sentiment die!

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  29. Lidia, you have so much talent. The angel card is my absolute favorite. ♥

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  30. Great cards! I really like the looking glass one with the girl and the balloons.

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  31. Wow! What an amazingly varied set of cards Lydia!! So many wonderful designs and colours!! I can see you've had lots of fun!!! Thanks for the great inspiration! Stay safe! :)

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  32. These are beautiful and I love little Dracula. That crazy background is perfect for that card.

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  33. Hi, Lydia - I love your text "FINE, I will do a Christmas card or two..." 😂😂 Your work is amazing. As a French teacher, I love the Paris die card! I also thought your Nativity card was stunning. I like the Halloween cards and I may like the ornament card you showed last the best of all. Beautiful for its simplicity, its CAS layout and color scheme enchanted me!
    Lori S in PA

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  34. Fang-tastic cards!! I do love the background stamps and I hope that Christmas Angel comes out in a clear stamp too.

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  35. I like the unexpected sentiments on your Halloween cards. I can hardly wait for HA to release a basic clothing die set for the Lifestyle dolls.

    I like the relative ease of your nativity card, but my favorite has to be the gel print angel cards. Such an artistic effect. Colored pencils over a gel print. Looks so good. And using the swirly night background stamp for something other than a sky, like that too. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  36. So beautiful! Love all your gorgeous cards.

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  37. wow gorgeous cards. love all of them

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  38. You've been busy and I love your cards. I'm all into Halloween of course!

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  39. First I was going to comment on Dracula, then the Nativity, but Wow that Angel is DING DING DING winner!

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  40. Awesome cards! Thanks for sharing.

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  41. Adorable Dracula card and Christmas cards. Great new products.

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  42. Love your cards - and your stories. The Nativity die is my favorite thing in the new catalog, but that angel - stunning! And how fun are your Halloween cards? Both those backgrounds are really cool.

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  43. That gold embossed angel on the gel print background is just spectacular! I also got a kick out of your Halloween witch card and the fun Dracula design.

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  44. As always THANK YOU! Your Halloween stories and cards are a big part of my celebration of my favorite holiday. You are terrorific!

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  45. Dracula.........that just brings back memories of costumes and fake blood and like you said those awful uncomfortable fangs. Had to have them though.Gosh those were some fun times back then. [Bunny]

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  46. Wonderful variety of cards. My favorite is the Nativity card.

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  47. Love the Dracula and witch! I'm working on some Halloween cards now too!
    Your nativity scene is gorgeous!

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  48. You are showing how versatile these stamps are, and your designs are beautiful.

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  49. stunning cards - love the different designs and colors you used

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  50. Great cards! Your Dracula card is fantastic! I also love the nativity card too! Thanks for sharing!

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  51. love love love that Dracula card!!

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  52. So many amazing cards, great work! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

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