HI friends!  We are participating in a Fundraiser and Card Drive for a cause that is close to my heart.  “Lasting Hearts” is here to help comfort mothers who have lost a piece of their heart.

Kimberly Saldana, my friend, fellow card maker, and Hero Arts Sales Director, has created a charity for mothers who have lost a child to miscarriage.  Many of us have experienced the pain of losing an unborn baby yet we speak very little about this unbearable pain.  I have experienced this pain. It’s a tragic loss.   The grieving is unbearable and any resource to help us through the grieving process is a welcomed gift.  Kimberly had a friend who gave her the book “You are the Mother of all Mothers” by Angela Miller.  Kimberly notes, “After only reading a few pages, I finally let myself accept for the first time that what happened to us was not my fault and that I did have the strength to continue to be a better mom and wife.  The book’s encouraging message is conveyed in a way that is thoughtful, uplifting, compassionate and relatable.”

In an effort to help other mothers who have experienced this pain, Kimberly is working to purchase and distribute this wonderful book right into the medical offices where it is needed.  Her goal is to put a handmade card into each book.  Let’s pull together and help make this happen!

Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for bringing us all together for a good cause!

If you purchase the Hero Arts / Simon Says Stamp special collaboration stamp and wafer thin die set, “Prayers”, we will donate 25% of the profits towards the purchase of more books.  You may also donate directly here: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/1vsb/lasting-hearts

Please help us by donating, purchasing the stamp and die set, or sending a sympathy card. If you would like to send a hand stamped card to:

Lasting Hearts Card Drive:
2892 N Bellflower Blvd Ste 216
Long Beach Ca 90815

Here are some ideas for sentiments for the front or inside of the card:
“Hugs”
“Thinking of You”
“Sorry for Your Loss”
“In My Thoughts”
“In My Prayers”

Thank you for your compassion and reaching out a loving hand to those in a time of deep loss.

Soon, Jennifer McGuire will be sharing some creative card making ideas on her blog.  Be sure to stop by her blog for the Card Drive Inspiration!

Thank you so much for your time and attention as we work to help this great cause!  Read more about Kimberly’s story here.

Welcome to the blog today! I have the pleasure of introducing you to the Simon Says Stamp February card kit To You With Love. We have Two Simon Says treats for you in this months kit, first is the amazing stamp set Hello Beautiful and the Heart Outline die set! The 6×6 papers, epoxy stickers, ombre stickers, and heart sequins come from Crate Paper’s Hello Love collection. And finally, Simon Says Stamp #100 card stocks Lipstick Red, Cream, Cotton Candy and Black.

I put together a sweet card using most of the products from this kit. I placed cut pieces and strips of the pattern papers a bit wonky on my card to create a fun CRAZY love type look.

I stamped my message onto the main paper with black ink and to finish the card off, I’ve used some of the epoxy stickers as accents.

I have shot a walkthrough video so you can see the contents of the kit and instructions on how to make the card. You can view it below or on our YouTube channel.

The Hello Beautiful stamp set and Heart Outline dies are also available for individual purchase in our store.

Remember, you can SUBSCRIBE to our no obligation kits and receive them monthly for $ 24.95 or purchase them each month for $ 29.95, while supplies last.

If you are a subscriber who used Paypal to purchase your subscription, please be sure to pay the invoice that we send you within 3 business days. We have a limited number of this card kit in stock and don’t want you to miss out. For easier and quicker monthly processing, please contact us via email or telephone and we will put your credit card on file as a courtesy for you. Card kits bill and ship between the 17th and 27th days of every month.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hi readers! Happy Wednesday! We hope you enjoyed our LIVE coverage at the #CHAShow this past weekend! Stay tuned for one last bit of fun regarding this show! We’re compiling a video to recap this great show to share with you on Monday! You’ll want to check it out! We’re hoping it makes you feel like you were there :)

Let’s dig into today’s post. We’re featuring Angie Backman with the fabulous Concord & 9th brand, a brand that is relatively new to us, but we must admit have fell in love instantly! Read on to see how you make this fun card for yourself! Be sure to comment below to give Angie a big SIMON WELCOME as this is her first guest post. :) Enjoy!

Here is a little background on our thought process for creating the stamp set & die. We started designing the die and wanted the 3 die pieces to layer over each other, as well as work well on their own. In the project we created for you, we did show how they layer together (which I will outline in the instructions steps). Next came the stamp set. We wanted a smaller stamp set with lots of options for creating cards with different sentiments, that also coordinated with the die. All of the words in the stamp set are the same size so that you can mix & match, or layer if you will, to create different sentiments. Some examples are: I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE CHERISHED, YOU ARE MY HAPPY, JUST BECAUSE, SWEET & ADORABLE.

Now on to how we made the card…

Step 1: Using the Concord & 9th Layers of Love die set, die cut the small floral sprig from watercolor paper. Watercolor with Distress Inks. Die cut a second sprig from gold glitter paper.

Step 2: Trim a piece of black card stock to 4″ x 5 1/4″. Die cut the open heart in the middle of the card stock.

Step 3: Trim a piece of watercolor paper to 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″ (or just smaller than the black). Ink the lower half of the watercolor paper with Versamark ink (not perfectly) and sprinkle with gold embossing powder. Heat to emboss. Die cut the striped heart in the middle of the paper. Using your scissors, snip one of the heart stripes to create an opening for your stamped sentiment.

Step 4: Choose your sentiment from the Concord & 9th Layers of Love stamp set. Layer your stamp images on a clear block. Stamp in black ink on to mint standard size card base. Now go in reverse to layer the card elements. Layer the gold embossed striped heart over stamped sentiment. Layer the black open heart over the stripes. Layer the watercolored & glitter floral sprig over the open heart.

There you have it – a beautifully layered card to send to someone you love! Now you know where the name “Layers of Love” comes from! :)

Supplies: