Hero Arts: a fond goodbye + giveaways


WINNER ANNOUNCED BELOW!



My final post on my blog as a member of the Hero Arts Creative Team.  More on that in a smidge, let's chat about my project.  

Matcha + Limoncello Ice Cream


Ice cream, who doesn't love ice cream?  Unfortunately I'm no longer able to have the traditional version but luckily Seattle is loaded with non-dairy options.  My project features the Color Layering Ice Cream set.  


I've teamed it up with the gorgeous Papel Picado Confetti Die.  I just love all the detail work on it, don't you?

My card was inspired by the Color Throwdown:



Such a bittersweet post to an emotional Design Team week for me.  In case you missed it, I've stepped down from Pinkfresh StudioSugarPea Designs and Hero Arts.  What it comes down to is not having enough hours in the day to get all the things done that I want.  I love to spend time with Family + Friends and my crafting time was really down to an exact science, any deviation from that schedule would have me literally scrambling to get projects done.  

I joined the Hero Arts Creative Team in September 2015.  I can't believe that it has almost been 3 years.  It has been an absolute JOY being on the team and being a part of the Hero Arts Family.

As I've done with the other teams, I wanted to share a couple of my favorites, this was my intro project, perfect theme don't you think?


Here are a couple of my other favorites:





I've decided to do an Instagram Giveaway:


I realize that not everyone is on Instagram so I've also decided to do a Hero Arts blog giveaway!  I will send a box of new + gently used Hero Arts Products to one lucky blog commenter.

★Leave me a comment about a crafty organizational tip (I need to do a massive reorg of my space) or your favorite stamping technique (it would be super awesome if you would link posts/photos)

Commenting closes on Friday, July 6th at 11:59 pm pacific and the winner will be announced on Saturday, July 7th.  

I've noticed that a majority of the comments left on my blog are from No-Reply bloggers.  PLEASE leave me your contact information so that I can reach out to you if you're my winner.  It would be super sad if I have to redraw for a new winner.

(Almost 50% of the comments are No-Reply bloggers, please leave your contact information)

I'm so excited to announce my Hero Arts blog winner!  I highly encourage everyone to make sure that their blogger profile is set up or always leave your contact information for giveaways.  The lucky winner is:





Yay Julie!!!!!  I'm sending you an email!!!


Affiliate shopping links at no extra cost to you.

Comments

Joan B said…
Amy, love your projects. You are a first class member of the stamping community and I'm so happy you are taking your life where you want it to go.

I've got some organizational tips but at this point do NOT want to be part of the giveaway as all my stuff is packed up.

Having gone through a massive purge 6 years ago and a mini purge now my best advice is to get control of the projects that are partially or completely made. I always seem to have card fronts and completed cards all over the place. I've decided that when I move I'm buying those clear plastic protectors for my cards and keeping them in one place, with stamps and my address book. My partial projects are going in a bin and once the bin is full, no more stamping until I make room in that bin!!

Good luck!
Ginger said…
My current favorite is embossing. Perhaps as part of your reorganizing you could offer grab boxes for $25 or $50.
~amy~ said…
Thanks for the comment Ginger, I love embossing (dry + heat) too! Please note that you are a NO-Reply Commenter :(
cm said…
Major decisions for you, Amy...and ones that, while difficult to make, knowing your passion for crafting and love for these companies and their products, is the right one for you! Balance...so vital to our well-being! Great to know you'll still be crafting, but at *your* pace! I'm looking forward to reading others' organizational tips, as I sure need advice in that department! As for stamping techniques: I love CAS images with a bit of simple layering that can have amazing impact. Hero Arts Layering stamps are awesome, as several from Concord & 9th Some of my favourites are here: http://justmeclm.blogspot.com/2018/06/thinking-of-you-painted-rosehappy.html and here: http://justmeclm.blogspot.com/search?q=hero+arts&max-results=20&by-date=true and here: http://justmeclm.blogspot.com/2018/03/sweet-birthday-wishesjust-us-girls.html
Thank you for offering such a generous giveaway; an especially BIG thank you for being an incredible source of inspiration and kindness!
Hugs~carol
Amy I truely understand how life can interrupt craft time. My tip is use clear containers so you can see what you have and you will use the item more. SJB iswabic at out look dot com
MadeByMeghanK said…
Amy, You do amazing work. I have some great organizational tips but my favorite is how I organize my copics with these adorable mason jars I made see link....
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZb5SkGHGjh/?taken-by=trainwithmeghan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZb5E-nnEB7/?taken-by=trainwithmeghan
and the way I used similar jars to store all my flowers so I can see them...
sansuey said…
I sure "get" pulling back, but hope I will still be able to see your creations!
CO tip? Welp, cleaning up my space always leads to creating, as I incorporate excess bits into cards--so cleaning up is good for creativity but maybe not so great for having a clean space!
I loveeeeeee that card!! Those scoops are so FUN!!!!! Big hugs to your changes my friend!! I totally understand!! And here is my organizational tip for you!! I buy old cupcake/muffin tins from yard sales/antique stores to store my wood veneer pieces and sequins in :)
Gail said…
Amy, I want to start this message with a huge Thank you for getting me addicted to COFFEE - just kidding--- I was already addicted before I met you--- so I cannot pass the blame on to you. You will be truly missed by the companies and DT members - and I wish you the best in your new journey! Thank you for the Coffee Lovin Blog hops and I truly feel it was wise to condense those challenges as well. Thanks for all your involvement in the Crafting Community - Blessings today and always, ..... and here is a Link to my blog post showing photos and captions of what is working for me in my craft room.
https://ilikepaper01.blogspot.com/2018/06/organization-in-craft-room.html

Best Organizational Tip and Something I started this year --Notebooks for dies - other tips in my blog posting! See ya there!
~amy~ said…
Oh no Meghan, you're a no-reply commenter :(
~amy~ said…
Darn it sansuey, you're a no-reply commenter :(
Gail said…
I wanted to say - I am loving the poinsettia card very much!
Connie G said…
Amy. I know exactly what you mean about time. W never seem to have enough do we? It is good that you can prioritize. My favorite crafting organization tip is putting all my stamps in clear plastic pockets and putting the dies in the same pocket so everything is easy to find. My favorite ones are from Ellen Hutson.
~amy~ said…
Connie, I love plastic sleeves/pockets too!
I'm so sad that you're a no-reply commenter, I can't email to let you know that either.
SLMPetersen said…
One of my favorite tips is to make a tag for each embossing fold you own that show the pattern. I use my folders so much more. I also use a lot of jars to hold pens and tools that I use frequently. Consider building a lazy susan with a tiered tray on it to keep frequently used products at your finger tips.
Debbie Rumpza said…
I will so miss you projects on design teams, but good on you for prioritizing! You probably already do alot of the organizational stuff I have in my craft room, but I LOVE my Alex Drawers from Ikea. I keep the stuff that I use daily in there so I don't have to search. I also love my rolling cart from Ikea for my markers, pens, and assorted tools.
Amy, I love all the marvelous pieces of work I've seen from you! I can truly understand your prioritizing. Life gets in the way much too often for any kind of crafting. Lately my favorite technique has been the background using two different DI colors, topped with a thin layer of white glue that is spread using an old credit or gift card. After the glue dries, add a darker shade of DI. Finish off the card with a sentiment, and also some embellishments. It works well for sympathy cards or a masculine card, and has lots of texture. I've not been able to include any pictures. :(
Ericka Strange said…
I love seeing your work and being inspired by your creativity! As a mom, I totally understand the not enough time in the day to do everything and craft. I think one of my favorite organizational finds is up tying all my stencils in a 6x8 simple stories binder. Instead of hiding in my cart, my stencils are handy and organized. Thank you for all the beautiful cards and ideas!
I can imagine it is hard to leave HA, but family and friends need to come first. And you don't need all of the stress. Let's see, how about a tip:

I like to organize my embossing folders in a basket by the theme. But even better is embossing a 3x5" index card of each folder, punching a hole in the corner and putting them on a binder ring. I do the same with die cuts, but glue the die cut to the index card. That way on the other side I can write the name, maker, etc. then I can use the set of cards to find the design I like (test it out), or take with me when shopping so that I don't buy duplicates, or to show a friend that wants me to make her a special card. Having these sets of index cards for not only embossing folders and die cuts, but also for ink pads, spray inks, embossing powders, etc, has been a Godsend for me.

I hope you can enjoy your family and friends more! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

Prpldy (at) gmail dot com
Wanda Cullen said…
I always love your work and don't know how you kept up the pace of such a full plate for so long! Good for you in making more time for family and other ventures without so much pressure! My stamp area is a very tiny room and essentially I have to go "upward" in my storage. It's a mess right now and not photo worthy - lol! Constant purging is also something I have to keep up with! Thanks for the chance at a giveaway! cullenwr@yahoo.com
Sandi said…
I love that Seattle card, Amy and the poinsettia card ...actually I LOVE all your cards. You have been one of my biggest inspirations for a LONG time. I am glad to see you reassess your commitments and pull back a bit. We all have to do that from time to time. One of my biggest organizational tips I can offer is to constantly have a purge box going. When I fill one I donate it to various places/individuals...I just gave one last week to my 11 year old niece who wants to start making cards. Apparently I have inspired her....imagine that! Thank you for the chance at your giveaway.
Cindy Holmes said…
I am a newbee to card making so I am not as of yet a worthy talent of the card making business like you are! Your cards that you have shown here are absolutely gorgeous! I definitely can understand though it taking so much of your time! Family and a life really do come first! But as for storage Ideas I can say for me with my craft room I have bought a whole bunch of $1.00 clear plastic style shoe boxes with lids at the Dollar Store. I then have labeled each of them with the different types of stamp styles etc... I also have done that with all my other craft supplies too! I just love how they are a perfect size container and that they are clear plus you can layer a lot of them on top of each other and they don't take up much space either! Thank you so much for such an AMAZING giveaway! This would be such an AWESOME win being I am a newbie and on a frustrating penny budget! LOL! I don't really have a lot of product yet for card crafting! Thank you again! And I hope you will now have all the time you have been missing to enjoy your life and your family! caholmes67@gmail.com
Vickie Z said…
Like others- have always enjoyed stopping by even if if I didn't have time to comment!! Sweet CTD card and yes, I can understand you need a break!! Don't ask me about organization- working on that this week myself😳
Dana M said…
I am so going to miss your fabulous inspiration projects. Families change and grow so quickly, I wish you well as you will be able to spend more time with your family. I store my wafer dies on Art Bin magnetic sheets in a crate divided by category. I love that I can toss a bunch of the sheets in the carry case for crafting on the go.
cghundley said…
Lovely creations!
I use 12x12 sized
plastic boxes to
hold my dies. I
use magnititic
paper to hold them.
Carla from Utah
Denise Bryant said…
Great look back at some favorites! The pinata card and the poinsettia card are a couple of my faves! Awesome!
My tip for organizing.... I just bought two more Raskog carts from IKEA today (already had one). I plan to use one for dies and die cutting supplies, one for stamps and inks, and the one I already had I use for basic supplies!
Karen L K said…
I like your choices for favorites! That pinata card sure is a cute one. I really like having my clear stamps, cling stamps and dies upright in plastic sleeves in "cd" boxes. I can quickly flip through them to find things.
Scrapper69 said…
As a Private Stalker... Err... Follower... :)
I'm sad to see you step down from these teams... I totally get it though... I try not to take on more than 2 teams myself any more, just so I know I have the time to devote to those groups... any thing more than that may have me screaming! hahaha
I don't know if I have any tips for you though... Hummm... I guess my tip would be... Use what you LOVE!
If you love a product enough, you should try to use it often - I find when I think I love a product, I only end up using it once then it sits there... So, make sure you chose products wisely and then make sure you use that product often... Does that even make sense??
I can tell ya one of my favorite Stamping Techniques - It's Smooshing!!! LOL I totally think I'm terrible at water coloring - so my fix is just
doing the Smooshing technique! I LOOOVE it and it makes my projects look awesome! hahaha

Have a great weekend!
Theresa
cardaddict69 at hotmail dot com
~amy~ said…
Stacy, LOVE your tips, thank you so much! I hope you return since you're a no-reply commenter :(
Andrea Hastilow said…
I can imagine how stretched you must have been & one thing I've come to learn is family grow in the blink of an eye & suddenly we've missed parts. I've only being crafting for about six months after watching for about a year, building up courage. Your work is fantastic & I will miss seeing so much of it, I've learnt so much from you am my my short journey & enjoyed seeing your work. No one will ever say you've made the wrong descions as everyone will understand totally & if they don't they will when they get to heavy work schedules.
As a newbie I enjoy seeing every technique you can show us, every bit is a learning point to me. As far as storage goes: well what little I have is stored in a clear labelled draw system, this way I can clearly see what I have in my supplies, I try to keep all similar products together so if I can buy bits I don't double up. My stamp & matching does get stored like Jennifer McQuire showed before Christmas in a video. Stand alone does get stored in folders on magnetic sheets, labelled, so no harm comes to them. I'm still picking up pointers for so much from yourself & your fellow designers.
Take care with the rest of what you do & enjoy the time you get with your family, I have an illness that's changing my life whether I want to or not & have learnt that no matter what I did earn the best thing I can ever gain is time with friends & family xxx
Lori Kobular said…
I always love all of the cards you make! Your creativity will be missed! Wishing you all the best!!
You don't have to enter me in the giveaway, due to your generosity, but I'm inspired by your idea of cleaning house... remind me of that in the slightly less- busy season....
Tammy Nyenhuis said…
Amy - I know what you mean about time. I am stepping down as a Close To My Heart consultant and it's amazing the sense of freedom that I feel just making that decision.

My favorite organizing thing right now is my plastic box of steel dies. I got magnetic sheets from my local hardware store that fit perfectly into the Avery Elle pockets. Earlier this year, my husband stepped on and broke the container I had them in so I had to search out a new one. I found a rectangular one and it's just perfect.
I am so sure you will be missed on all the design teams but I fully understand how busy and demanding it is to be on a team. I was only on one and I finally just decided to quit it as well as it was making my hubby upset that I would always have to let other things slide so that I could get my projects done. And now I can create cards or projects when I want and not on demand. That is a great feeling to be sure.

As to organization most of my things are organized according to company except for my Coffee items which I place all in one box so that I know where they are when I want to use them.
Christi Conley said…
Hi Amy - while I will miss your creativeness, I certainly understand your decision! I have become much more selective when it comes to the design teams I apply for and right now I am on 3, but 2 are monthly posts, which helps!
As for an organizational tip, the only thing that works for me is cleaning up & putting everything away. I never, ever have enough room, and I drool over those beautiful craft rooms on Pinterest, but honestly, if I just clean up after myself, things run MUCH smoother!
Thanks for the giveaway! :)
Helen Gullett said…
Amy, I love love love all of your cards with Hero Arts... will be missing you at their blog!
Andre M. said…
It has been a great joy to see your work associated with these companies, and you will surely be missed. My favourite technique is embossing. Thank you for the opportunity.
Julia Aston said…
I have always been amazed at how many teams you were on Amy - it made my head spin so I can imagine how yours was whirling!! glad to see you toning it down a bit so you have time to do what you want! I think when things changed on google recently with all the privacy stuff - a lot of people became no reply bloggers and don't know it??
Sue L. said…
Hi Amy,
I am SO SAD this is your last post on HA. They r one of my favorites and I ALWAYS love your cards...especially with HA.
Organization...talking abt favorites are Lowe's "C" garage storage white cabinet w 2 doors (& Bobadded 2 shelves), IKEA Alex drawers (5 drawers on casters) & IKEA 8 cubes. U can place them horizontally or vertically. ♡Heaven!
Sad you are leaving but it's very understandable. My favorite tip is just common sense. Put things back where they belong. I find myself not doing that when I'm in a hurry, but it eventually always causes me problems late on and things get misplaced, sometimes for a long time!! I'm learning to do it right at the time of use is always best!!
I just went through a small purge. My tip would be to get rid of stamps that don't stamp well. I have kept them at the bottom of my drawer and I never end up using them...
Charmaine Stack said…
I totally understand downsizing your obligations, but you will be missed on those design teams! I have two organizing tips that I use: while working on a project I have an empty bin (could be a basket or box) beside me and I put everything to do with the project in there as I work. Tools, scraps, stamps, etc. When it is time to clean up it is all there in one spot and not cluttering my desk surface, which is small. My second tip is I cover the front facing parts of any clear storage containers in my craft room with white paper (usually just slide it inside the front of the drawer). Minimizes visual clutter. tweedcurtain AT yahoo DOT ca
KathyA. said…
Amy, it sounds like you are making a wise choice. Time if family has to take priority over everything else. You'll be missed, but maybe we'll still see you pop occasionally as a guest designer from time to time? As for organization tip. I have quart sized bags of card kits always ready to take with me when I am sitting in airports, in the car, etc. After I make a card I like, I cut out and stamp 6-10 of them and put them into the baggies. Having multiple images is not a problem as I make gift bags of cards for almost any occasion, wedding, Christmas, and especially college graduation. They are always loved!
Karenladd said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karenladd said…
I applaud your decision to cut down on design team responsibilities in order to restore some sanity and peace to your life. We often find ourselves adding more and more to our plate until we realize that all the fun has gone out of what was once full of joy. Living a more balanced schedule will no doubt recharge your creative energies and make you even better at your art! As for organizing, I wish I had about 5 times as much space as what I now have but my most recent organizing improvement involved buying clear plastic sleeves for my stamp sets, and sleeves with magnetic sheets for my dies. I used colored card stock to make dividers and organize by manufacturer and/or theme. So far it's working fairly well so I'll continue to plug away. Now to figure out how to remember to send out cards for birthdays and holidays!!
kladd94803 at aol dot com
Arianna Barbara said…
Congrats on your fabulous work as a member of the Hero Arts Creative Team!!! Stunning cards!!! Enjoy your time with your family!!!
I live in a small flat so I can't live without IKEA storage boxes! I put on them labels so I can immediately find what I'm looking for.

Arianna
raggiodiluce82@gmail.com
SHartl said…
We will miss seeing you on the design teams Amy, but know that you'll continue to inspire us on your blog! I don't have much craft space because my two daughter's seem to take over most of the house with their toys, lol, but I keep most of my craft supplies in wheeled drawer units that I can pull out when I need them. My paper is sorted and filed by color in filing cabinets and I keep my clear stamp sets in decorative boxes that I hide in an IKEA storage unit. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
apedoak(at)aol(dot)com
Tina Z. said…
I always loved your design but I completely understand your decision.
I can't live without IKEA transparent storage boxes either but I love IKEA and we have house full of IKEA stuff :))
Thanks for the giveaway.
hugs xx