#heroarts – Handmade Homemades

Hey, y’all! Sorry I’ve been missing for a couple of weeks, but it was not intentional. I have been dealing with some health issues resulting from COVID. Yuck! But I’m finally feeling better and well enough to sit at my computer to do some work.

It is time for the Paper Crafters Unite Against Racism campaign on Instagram! I first participated in the InstaHop back in July. I have chosen to participate again this quarter in this amazing campaign.

This Sunday, October 24th, will be the InstaHop featuring craft projects from creative participants from all over the world! Although I only have to create one project, I am usually inspired to do so much more. Just to take you on a quick flashback to the previous campaign, I thought I would share a few past projects with you.

This was the first card project that I made for the July 2021 anti-racism campaign. 🤩 This card showcases @ginakdesigns PREMIUM DYE INKS in Sandy Beach, Kraft, Honey Mustard, Warm Cocoa, Dark Chocolate and Charcoal Brown, blended over the SLIMLINE WAVE stencil from @simonsaysstamp – onto a panel of Neenah Classic Crest card stock in Ultra Smooth Solar White and mounted on a panel of GKD card stock in CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE; the @heroarts POWER TO THE PEOPLE stamp set provide the perfect protester with an anti-racism sign; I then used my @officialcricut Cricut Joy to design and cut out the sentiment at the bottom of the card in gold foil card stock from @michaelsstores 🤩

What history has taught us is that even when we CONFORM & COMPLY, it can cost us our lives. So why not just DO WHAT’S RIGHT! Resist the racist status quo and take a stand (or a seat) for RACIAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE, EQUALITY, and our RIGHT TO JUST BE HERE!

I LOVE THIS CARD! It’s probably one of my favorite cards I’ve ever made. I wanted to create a graffiti background but I did not know what I was doing. I ended up using a brick embossing folder to create a textured background. I added some Distress Ink Spray Stains to make it look like spray paint. The sentiments “Conform” and “Comply” were printed on my computer. I just cut them out with scissors. I used the protestor image from Hero Arts POWER TO THE PEOPLE stamp set, and paired it with the “Nah” sentiment from the BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL Big & Bold photopolymer stamp set from Colorado Craft Company.

This card features stamps from @heroarts ❤️ AMERICAN WOMEN & UNITED AS ONE. The background panel was made from white card stock from @michaelsstores – embossed with the BRICK WALL embossing folder from @altenewllc and with @ranger_ink and @tim_holtz DISTRESS OXIDE INKS & SPRAY in Crackling Campfire, Candied Apple, and Walnut Stain. We really are BETTER TOGETHER!!!

Let’s celebrate the Power of Sisterhood! “When we support each other, INCREDIBLE things happen” 🤩 Once again, @heroarts have knocked it out of the park with the BETTER TOGETHER stamp & die set! These women are my friends, my homegirls, my sisters. The card front sentiment is from the EMPOWERMENT stamp set from the Unity Collection. The August MY MONTHLY HERO kit has the perfect sentiment for the envelope. I know exactly who to send this card to today.

My final project is a card that I made to send to my AAPI library colleagues who were experiencing unprovoked violence in the workplace. I wanted to convey to them that I understood from a very personal perspective what they were going through. Violence of any kind is totally unacceptable.

So many of my Asian-American library friends have seen a dramatic increase in violence directed at them, I just want them to know that they’re not alone. Both personally and professionally, I stand with them. We will not tolerate this madness. Every manifestation of racism must be called out, confronted, and rejected!

I hope that you will follow me on Instagram @handmade_homemade to check out all the projects that will be posted for this campaign! Happy Crafting!

Wednesday, September 22nd, marks the official first day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall has been my favorite season of the year for a very long time. Football, lower temperatures, everything pumpkin spice, and the colorful foliage make me “fall” in love with this season. I love the way nature changes in the Fall. The transformations are absolutely stunning! The beauty of the season is what prompted the creation of these cards.

I knew that I wanted to make cards for Fall. There are so many new stamp sets for the season, and I wanted to play with them all. However, I wanted to focus on using patterned paper on these cards. The paper featured on these cards is from Echo Park, HAPPY FALL 6×6 paper pad.

I started this card with a panel of patterned paper cut to 5×3″. I matted the panel on a sheet of deep red card stock from Michaels, 5 1/4 x 3 3/8″, and adhered that to the black card base, slightly to the right of center. I used a scrap piece of vellum, cut to 4 1/8 x 1″, and fixed it to the left of the panel, tucking it between the patterned paper and the deep red card stock. The paper pad included a sheet of cut-aparts which I matted on orange card stock from my scrap bin, and adhered it to the front, centering it between the vellum and the patterned paper panel.

I adorned the cut-apart panel with an image & sentiment from the Sassy & Crafty stamp set, MISPRINT PUMPKIN SPICE. The pumpkin spice mug is colored with alcohol markers in a variety of red tones. Glossy accents is added to the whipped cream and pumpkin. I also added gold embossed images to vellum, from the Hero Arts AUTUMN WREATH stamp & coordinating die set from the September Make Yourself at Home Card Kit, exclusively available at JoAnn.com. Enamel Dots from the same card kit finish off this card.

Inside sentiment from Taylored Expressions

This card is paired with a deep red envelope, beautifully covered with ink blended leaves. The Hero Arts FALL LEAVES STENCIL is perfect for enhancing this envelop. Colored in Gina K. Designs’ WHITE PIGMENT INK, then offset with dye inks from Taylored Expressions in RASPBERRY SORBET, SWEET POTATO PIE, and BLUE RASPBERRY.

My second card uses the same patterned paper. It is a mini slimline. It features the Hero Arts NESTED WOOD FRAMES die cut. It’s cut out of dark brown and green card stocks from the FALL SPICE pack from Hobby Lobby. I embossed the front sentiment in GILDED GOLD from Brutus Monroe. It’s front sentiment is from the Hero Arts HELLO AUTUMN stamp set. The sentiment panel is decorated with beautiful leaves, in fall colors, glitter and foil, punched out with the 1″ LEAF punch from Michaels. The panel is then added to the front of the card, adhered to a partial stitched circle of vellum.

This card front panel is centered on a card base made from Gina K. Design’s DARK CHOCOLATE HEAVY WEIGHT card stock, cut to make a 6 1/4 x 3 1/4″ slimline card. The inside sentiment is from Taylored Expressions SIMPLY STAMPED – LEAVES red rubber stamp set in MOCHA dye ink from the same company.

The envelope for this card is made from a sheet of the same dark brown card stock as the wood frame. The FALL LEAVES STENCIL is used again with WHITE PIGMENT INK to decorate the front. A sentiment is from the SIMPLY STAMPED – LEAVES stamp set, embossed in GILDED GOLD.

Both of these cards were really easy and fun to make. I hope you enjoy them, too! Happy Crafting!

Tag: #heroarts

Anti-Racist on Purpose

Hello Fall!