Hero Arts Stay Crafty July Challenge: Here Comes The Sun

Hello! Today I’m sharing a card I created using some of my favorite Hero Arts products, and just in time to submit as an entry to the Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero July challenge. July’s theme is Here Comes the Sun, celebrating all things summer, so I thought I would revisit the My Monthly Hero April 2021 kit. I love the graphic images of the stamps that were included in this kit. They are so versatile and I’ve created many, many cards with this set since its release. Using the Soft Landscape Window Fancy Die as the backdrop to some of these images as well as a few from the You Lift Me Up set, I was able to create the perfect summery, walk in the park vibe for the July challenge! Details are listed below.

STEPS

1.) The first thing I do for most cards, before actually stamping, or die cutting, or stenciling, is to lay everything out to see if the elements will work the way I had envisioned. Using the stamps and dies as props, I move things around until I like the composition. Of course, things sometimes change throughout the creative process, but that’s part of what I love about creating, especially when it comes to paper crafting.

2.) For the background, I die cut 2 of the landscape window dies from 110# cardstock. One of them I ink blended with green and blue inks, creating a soft ombre effect. To achieve this, I started in the center window area and very softly applied the ink with a blending brush, and continued to the edges of the die cut, gradually adding more ink so that the ink would be darker on the outside edges. I then used a rectangle die slightly smaller than A2 size on both of the landscape die cuts and then glued them together. I do this with almost all die cuts, even small ones. I like the weight and sturdiness it provides.

3.) Next, I stamped the sunburst image in yellow on an A2 sized card panel after aligning it to show through the window area of the landscape die cut. The easiest way for me to do this was to align everything with the help of a Misti. And, if you wait to die cut your landscapes with the slightly smaller rectangle die, it’s even easier (hindsight is 20/20!). The sunburst was actually just a tiny bit too small for where I wanted the sun to be in the window area. To fix this, I used post-it tape to extend some of the rays and used an ink brush to fill in those areas.

4.) Stamping and die cutting the rest of the elements was the next step. The simple, graphic lines of the trees, critters, and clouds made stamping and die cutting quick and easy. The hardest part was color choice! This is often my hardest design decision. Before attaching these elements, I double-checked their placement and used the Misti to align and stamp the sentiments directly on the background! This always elicits just a little bit of anxiety, but it worked great and I love how it looks. I then attached the remaining elements with glue and for where the images overhung the window area, I used foam squares for added support.

5.) Lastly, I attached the whole panel to an A2 side-fold card base and added just a few pink enamel hearts for embellishment.