10 Cards 1 Kit • My Monthly Hero • January 2023

Hello Folks!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Scott here with my 10 cards inspired by the My Monthly Hero January 2023 Kit. Sorry this post is a little bit tardy, but we were actually able to spend some Holiday time with my family right after the new year. It’s been three years since we were all able to be together, and it was great to see everyone and reconnect! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and this kit is a “perfect match” for anyone on your list! The centerpiece of this kit are dies to create a faux matchbox, which lies flat on your card or project and can be decorated and filled with the numerous stamps and dies included in the kit.

I completely embraced the Valentine theme this month, and, naturally, enjoyed the faux matchbox Frame Cuts for the pun-ny opportunity it provides! Most of the stamps seemed geared toward the “matchbox” but the wide variety of dies expands the possibilities of this kit way beyond a simple “matchbox”

But a simple matchbox is where I started. I stamped the sentiment on a piece of thin Kraft card stock (I found the Kraft card stock included in the kit was a little too thick to fold) first in Unicorn White pigment ink and then (shifted ever so slightly) Vermillion Archival ink. I used the permanent Archival ink so it would actually cover the Unicorn ink. This echoes the simple two-tone printing often found on matchboxes. I die-cut the piece and folded over the side flaps. I added a darker brown strike plate on the side and die-cut the inside box from the (darker) Kraft card stock in the kit.

I took the three heart dies, and before I detached them from each other, I die-cut a bunch of them from three red card stocks in the Altenew Red Cosmos Gradient card stock set (Frosty Pink, Coral Berry, Ruby Red). That gives me a lot of options for a bunch of “target” hearts using all three colors. The matches are die-cut from some light grey card stock, and the match heads are cut from dark grey card stock, trimmed down and glued onto the sticks. I die-cut the flame from some textured red and yellow card stock and glued that to the match heads.

I did some light ink smooshing on the A2 card front with Tattered Rose Distress Oxide ink, and glued all the elements in place. I thought about making the inner box pull out, but settled on this static arrangement. I think it’s interesting how quickly I gravitated to the dies in this kit… lots of options with the dies… and I do love the double-stamped sentiment!

There are some truly unique and interesting stamps in this kit, and I started fooling around with a few of them together.

The “Nutrition Facts” stamp inspired this “Box of Valentine” card! I stamped these four stamps on some scrap paper until I got the arrangement I liked, then I sketched a box shape around that before committing all to card stock. I stamped the “valentine” portion with Cotton Candy, Peony and Azalea HA inks to give me a nice gradient, and then stamped all the text stamps with Intense Black ink. Using my original sketch, I cut out a piece of White card stock in the shape of the box, and stamped the XOXO stamp at a bit of an angle on the side. I did some ink blending on the top and side with the Azalea and Peony inks and outlined all the edges with a black marker. I trimmed down the stamped “label” and glued that to the front of the “box”. I did use a White gel pen and a Black Pigma Micron pen to sketch a little detail on the “valentine” stamp, and attached the “box” to a Kraft card stock base (from the kit) with foam tape. I think that nutrition stamp is unique and quirky and deserves to be highlighted on this “box of valentine” card. I wonder what’s inside?

This banner stamp seemed to take up the least amount of room, so I stamped that on a scrap of off-white card stock using Hero Arts Butter Bar, Tangerine and Azalea inks. After the colors were down, I stamped a layer of Embossing and Watermark ink on top and embossed the whole piece with Clear embossing powder (can’t let the background have ALL the shine)! I fussy-cut the sentiment and glued that to a 1 1/2″ x 2 3/8″ piece of Vellum.

I die-cut the background with a Nesting Rectangles die to 3.75″ x 5″, glued that to a 4″ x 5.25″ yellow mat and then down to an A2 White card base. I glued the sentiment flat to the card front, and added three small hearts die-cut from textured Red, Orange and Yellow card stock. A clear glaze pen adds a bit of shine to the die-cut hearts, and a spot of foam tape gives them some dimension. I enjoyed figuring out how to bring some yellow into a valentine, and the sparkle is lovely!

It’s time to experiment with the interactive nature of the faux matchbox dies in this kit. But I think I may have interpreted these dies in the opposite direction of how I see everyone else using them…

It does looks like most everyone is using this matchbox die with the strike plate to the left, but I visualized the inner box actually sliding into the sleeve through the dimensional top. Does that make sense? I do think this gives a true matchbox feeling… the inside actually slides out from the outer ‘sleeve’. This matchbox is made just the same as my first card but stamped with the dove sentiment and colored with colored pencils. I also shaded the bottom of the inside box and colored the heads of my heart matches (die-cut from grey card stock) with colored pencils as well.

The background is a piece of Tim Holtz pattern paper that I printed this hand drawn xoxo pattern on. The pattern is a free background from Silhouette and will turn any paper into a Valentine background. I trimmed that to 4″ x 5.25″ and glued it to a Kraft (from the kit) card base. I die-cut the heart from pink and stamped the “pull” command on that (from the MFT Interactive Labels stamp set) as well as the sentiment on the side using Intense Black ink.

Those matchbox dies work extremely well! In fact, there are so many dies in this kit that the possibilities seem endless!!

White A2 card base, Peony background cut to 4″ x 5.25″, textured red card stock with a scalloped-heart border punch, envelope die-cut from Ivory card stock, heart colored with alcohol markers, and the love die cut from Peony and Ruby Red card stock. The “sending” sentiment stamped with Unicorn White ink and embossed with Very Vanilla embossing powder. Finally, lots of sequin hearts from the sequin pack. Just the right amount of shimmer! Very traditional!

There are a few dies in this kit that match up with one of the sentiments, and it seems a waste not to put them together.

Kraft (from the kit) card base with Azalea ink blended on the edges. White pearlescent card stock for the box (with the tabs cut off) and the sentiments stamped with Intense Black ink (and clear embossed) and Vermillion Archival ink on the side. Ring die-cut from Gold card stock with a white glitter diamond glued on top, and the emerald and rubys die-cut from more glitter card stock (and more diamonds) and arranged coming out of the top. Some touches of alcohol marker adds a little more definition to the facets on the gems, and they are all mounted to the card front with foam tape. Here’s another card just bursting with sparkles!

I have to admit that the gummy bear stamp and die in this kit kinda threw me… there’s no “sweet’ or sweetie” in our sentiments… no references to gummys or bears… Unfortunately, I do not care for gummy bears… let’s try this.

I think that makes for a terrific teddy bear!! He may be a little stiff, but at least he’s not gummy! I stamped him on a scrap of Neena Solar White card stock, colored him with my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and die-cut him out. I did add a touch of detail to his eyes and nose with a Pigma Micron pen.

I printed this sentiment on a piece of Ivory card stock using my Silhouette software and the Dream State font. I die-cut that with a 3.25″ x 4.5″ Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle die and ink blended some Antique Linen Distress Oxide ink around the edges and in the center above the sentiment. That is matted on Kraft card stock then White card stock and then Auburn Pearl card stock before going down on an A2 White card base. The bear is mounted with foam tape and a single heart sequin adds a touch of shine. This is a great masculine Valentine card and you know I love the pun!

And there are even more dies in this kit! There is a nice Hershey’s Kiss die, and thankfully a “kiss” sentiment as well!

The banner from the dove stamp inspired this card. Looks like the pull tab on a Kiss! I die-cut the kisses from some Sizzix Silver Texture roll paper… love how much it looks like foil! I stamped and fussy cut the banner using Intense Black ink and some alcohol marker on the hearts. I glued the banner and the two kisses together in a little vignette.

I stamped the scallop stamp on the Azalea card stock using Azalea ink and die-cut it out using the matching die. Gotta look close to see that same-color stamping..! I matted that on a piece of Coral Berry card stock and trimmed the corners to match. I performed a little stamp surgery cutting away “reasons why” from the “reasons why I love you” stamp so I could stamp the simple “I love you” on the card front using Azalea ink and I set that with clear embossing powder.

I liked the vintage feel of the teddy bear card, and I’m looking for something fun to do with the heart flower stem die…

I’m loving the classic feel of this card… not to mention the classic song! The LOVE letters are cut from Ruby Red and Black card stock and glued together for a nice shadow effect. I die cut four large hearts from the Peony card stock, and four flowers from a scrap of Green card stock with the heart flowers added in Coral Berry card stock shaded with a little alcohol marker. I glued the stems to the hearts in two directions, and added the letters on top.

I spaced the heart letters out on a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of Ivory card stock and turned to my Silhouette software to lay out the lyrics. I printed this using the Monterey BT font and did more ink blending around the edges with Antique Linen Distress Oxide ink. I added a thin black mat and glued those to a top-folding Kraft card base

I’ve actually neglected one of the matchbox stamps in this kit and decided that a Magic Slider card would be a great way to really push the interactive nature of this kit!

This sentiment is stamped on light grey card stock using the same inks as card One. Four of my bulls-eye hearts adorn the edges of the front panel, and the pull-tab on the bottom makes the inside box pop out from the top.

The inner box is two layers of grey card stock with the bottom of one box cut out, colored darker, and glued back in place. Some Kraft card stock for the matchsticks and lots of textured red and yellow card stock for the flames! It has actually been a long time since I created a Magic Slider card! I do have a how-to in pretty good detail about this card on my accompanying video at CardCutups channel on YouTube. This is one of my favorite interactive cards to make, and it works so well with this whole faux matchbox theme! C’mon baby, Light My Fire!!

That should cover all my valentine needs this year! We have a nice variety of cards with only four actual matchboxes…! And while I wasn’t able to use every single sentiment stamp in this kit I do believe I used every single die! Let me know if you have any favorites this month!

This kit is still available at Hero Arts! If I’ve managed to catch your eye, or you know someone who’s your perfect match, then you should grab a kit for yourself before they sell out! If you do go shopping at Hero Arts, please use my links…! It is always sincerely appreciated and actually helps support this page!

My Monthly Hero January 2023 Kit: http://shrsl.com/3w8r5

Hero Arts January Collection: http://shrsl.com/3w8r8

Thank you so much for sharing your time with me today! I wish us all a New Year filled with lots of friends, tons of joy, and plenty of time for crafting!! Please remember to Like me, List me, Pin me, Post me, Share me with all your crafty friends… Don’t run with scissors…!! I send you and yours lots of Love and Laughter and as always, Happy Crafting!

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