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Is it seriously the first Monday in October? I was shocked the other morning when I realized how long it's staying dark in the mornings - that snuck up on me quickly. I'm not ready for short days - but if I'm being honest, I'm never ready for short days. I need a lot of light up in my eyeholes all the time.
So I thought I'd do a little simple lighting effect video today with the new Hero Arts kit. The release is a combo of Victorian style holidays and steampunk, which is so, so fun. So if you want very classic Christmas images, you will absolutely love this. In addition to the dies that match the images in the kit, there's this gorgeous Victorian Window die, and that's what inspired my scene. I wanted to make it look like the light from the candelabra was spilling out onto the snow, so I did that with a combination of masking and ink blending, as you will see in the video. I used Dusty Blue (I say Cornflower in the video by mistake, FYI), Indigo, Navy and Butter Bar inks, along with Unicorn for the Christmas Star. I created the snow with torn masking paper.
Here's what the full kit looks like - you are going to see some really
beautiful tablescape type cards on the hop today with the food images:
I'm really awful about making tags. Which is dumb, because I enjoy them as much as I enjoy cards - maybe even more, because I love smaller format projects - but when it comes to gift giving time, honest to God I write on my holiday gifts with a Sharpie! Not even kidding! So I decided to make some proper tags with this adorable Steampunk Holiday set. I think sometimes in papercrafting, people think of steampunk as scary imagery, but these are sweet and cute.
My color inspiration came from the new Patina kit, which I will have a video on next week - it has a STUNNING turquoise pigment ink and some brass embossing powder for beautiful patina effects.
So I grabbed my Root Beer water reactive ink pad and got to ink smooshing for these tags, cut with the Tag Infinity Dies. The root beer ink is a color separating ink, so when you add water, you will see green and pink separate out, and it almost gets a camo look that I just love! After I ink smooshed, I stamped the images from the kit in the same ink, then splattered it with gold metallic ink and turquoise paint.
Then I colored the three images from the set with Graphit Markers, and cut them out with the dies. I LOVE that the angel's halo is a little gear. So cute.
Were you at the Holiday Stamp-a-Long? If so, you learned my frozen lake technique! If not, and you would like to take my class, they have opened up replay access - TEN classes for $25! A steal!
So that technique is how I made the lake, and I put my little Victorian skater mouse on it.
Finally - my countdown card! I smooshed Unicorn ink all over some sheet music. I stamped the tree from the main kit in black, colored it with pigment markers, and then overstamped it with embossing ink and added Silver Sparkle embossing powder. It's SO sparkly in real life and my camera refuses to show that to you! The sentiment is from the main kit.
This vote is super important - which 2021 MMH Kit do you want to see back? For me, it's a toss up between the chonky bees and the sunflowers. But more importantly - you will be entered to win one of two prizes - the winning kit OR A YEAR'S WORTH OF KITS.
Want more inspiration? Visit these lovely people. Leave comments for your chance
to win ALL OF THIS MONTH'S ADD-ONS! Plot twist!
Hero Arts
Channin Pelletier
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Seeka
Channin Pelletier
Daniel West
Debi Adams
Emily Midgett
Ilina Crouse
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Lydia Fiedler
Maria Willis
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Seeka
Special Guests:
And visit on Instagram:
Hope you have a great Monday! Loveyameanitbye.
CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
Love the tags you made and thank you for the ink blending technique!
ReplyDeletePretty the way you created a glow inside to look at thru window.
ReplyDeleteMelissa
"Sunshine HoneyBee"
I love your blue card with the sheet music background-so pretty. And your blending to create the lighting on the other window card is impressive. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI just sent Libby a message saying I want to be you when I grow up! Those Steampunk tags are amazing, and your window is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe effects you achieved are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteLove the blending technique you used and love the colors! This is is so fun! Glad I ordered one! Beautiful cards ❤️👏🏻
ReplyDeleteLove the blending technique you used and love the colors! This is is so fun! Glad I ordered one! Beautiful cards ❤️👏🏻
ReplyDeleteThe blue in your card is beautiful, fantastic card!
ReplyDeleteI love the candlelight glow on your first card! And I adore the steampunk tags! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh! Ahhh!!! Your window and candelabra makes me think the dies would make a fantastic Halloween card! :) It's stunning as a Christmas card. :) The train stamp makes me think of my Grandpa (a train engineer).
ReplyDeleteLOVE this kit and can’t wait for it to arrive! I always love your work but this window card was spectacular! Will also have to try ink smooshing with root beer reactive ink! Love your rings. I used to have tons of turquoise and silver but some of it has disappeared over many moves throughout the years. 😩
ReplyDeleteLove how you create the soft glow of the candles. I'm with you on the shorter days - I like long days with bright light.
ReplyDeleteSuch a creative group of cards! I love the tags! Fabulous!
ReplyDeletei love how you created the warm glow looking out into a winters scene, the blues are beautiful
ReplyDeletei love how you created the warm glow looking out into a winters scene, the blues are beautiful
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this card.
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to choose a favorite here! The Christmas tree with the musical background is so beautiful, that I will need to try that out! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blues and backgrounds! Stunning vintage Christmas cards!
ReplyDeleteThese projects are all so pretty. Great tips in your video for getting the glow effect.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had fun with these cards and I’m loving all the blues!
ReplyDeleteGot to own up…I thought this was the last week in September!!! I love all the cards and I’m off to shop with your links. You are amaze balls!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the card with the music sheet.
ReplyDeleteVery nice job!
Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful cards and tags. Love the colors and designs…
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful holiday cards with this wonderful new kit.
ReplyDeleteLovely cards. Thanks for sharing and the video.
ReplyDeleteOh when they featured during Live with Libby I just had to have this die! Great Lighting with ink! Admirable indeed. I hope to mimic. Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards.... I'm have that wonderful creepy feeling that I will be seeing that candelabra in a haunted card from you in the future!!! Gorgeous glow.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous collection of cards and tags Lydia! I love the ink blended light effect on your first card - it takes it to another level, and the background on the cute tags!!! Thanks so much for sharing. Stay safe! :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards! I love that your window card is inside looking out!
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely cards and tags!
ReplyDeleteGreat video! I love the colors and backgrounds on the tags!
ReplyDeletelove the ink blending technique to let the candles shine.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards and tags! I love the window scene!
ReplyDelete