Thursday, February 19, 2015

It's A Hero Arts Hostess Hop!



Hi everyone and welcome to the Hero Arts Hostess Hop where we're featuring products from the new 2015 release.

If you have been following along, you’ve just arrived from Heather's blog.

Hero Arts will be awarding prizes from randomly drawn comments. For a chance to win, simply comment on ANY of the stops along the hop on ANY day, including each day’s starting post at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning!

If you find a broken link, you'll find a master list of the hop links at the Hero Arts Club Blog here. Also, please report broken links to: blog@heroarts.com.

For my first card I used Hero Arts Stamp Your Own Plant set with Panpastels.

Sue McRae HA Hostess Hop Feb 2015 Leafy Background

I stamped the leaf image with Versamark and applied two different shades of green Panpastels on top. I added little dots throughout the design that I embossed in gold and finished off with a gold embossed Thanks For Being You sentiment.

I used the same leaf image on my next card for a totally different look.

Sue McRae HA Hostess Hop Feb 2015 Gilded Leaf

First, I scribbled some Distress Markers onto an acrylic block, sprayed it with water and stamped it on watercolour paper to make a background for the leaf.

Then I applied some wet adhesive to the leaf stamp, stamped it onto the paper and covered it with gilding flakes (metal leafing).

Here's a closer look at the variegated colours from the gilding flakes.

Sue McRae HA Hop Feb 2015 Closeup Gilded Leaf

I took alphabet letters from the Stamp & Cut Flag set to create my own sentiment and did some tone-on-tone stamping with the Tropical Background stamp on the card base.

The products I used for the gilded leaf can be found here and here. There are also a couple of videos on those pages to see how it's done.

That's it from me today.  Your next stop on the Hero Arts Hostess Blog Hop is Marcy.

Thanks so much for hopping along with us today!




Hero Arts Products Used:
CL834 Stamp Your Own Plant
F6069 Thanks For Being You
PS601 Pine Layering Paper
PS622 Foliage Layering Paper
CG659 Tropical Background
DC136 Stamp & Cut Flag
AF183 Cerulean Chalk Ink
PS605 Cerulean Layering Paper



178 comments:

  1. Oh wow fabulous cards, Sue! I love the creative way you used the leaf to make that gorgeous background on the first card! Love the sprinkling of gold dots too that tie in perfectly with the embossed sentiment! The leaf with the gilding flakes is amazing and it looks great against the pretty distress background!

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  2. Gorgeous cards. I like the panpastel technique - definitely filing that for future cards. Your second card is stunning the gilding over the lovely watercolour panel looks amazing.

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  3. Would love to know which 'wet adhesive' you used on your gilding. Please share! Love how all your cards turned out!

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  4. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS cards Sue!!!
    LOVE your leaves, from your inky background to your STUNNING gilded leaf - WOW!!!
    THANK YOU for sharing your CREATIVE INSPIRATION :)

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  5. Wonderful cards! The gilded leaf is beautiful!

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  6. Super cards! This has been a fun hop!

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  7. OMG! That gilded leave is stunning! Beautiful cards!

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  8. Sue, these are so, so creative! I love the glitter added to the leaves.

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  9. Wow! Beautiful cards, Sue! That gilded leaf looks so amazing! So happy to be hopping with you today! ♥

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  10. So beautiful! That metal leafing is absolutely stunning!

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  11. These are both so pretty. I've got to check out the gilding flakes, that effect is beautiful.

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  12. Your botanical cards are gorgeous!

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  13. the leaf stamp is so versatile. TFS!

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  14. Love the monochromatic leafy background with gold details, really awesome for that awesome focal sentiment and the gilding flakes and distress ink on card 2 is amazing! Thanks for sharing technique.

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  15. Beautiful cards! Now I really want this stamp set!

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  16. Very pretty, elegant card. Love the ferns. Reminds me of my grandmother.

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  17. I love how diverse your projects are.

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  18. Like the gold use. Like the CAS but stylish 2 layers. Like the edging.
    Melissa
    "Sunshine HoneyBee"

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  19. Amazing Creations Sue...LOVE LOVE!!!

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  20. The gilded leaves are just gorgeous.

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  21. Gorgeous cards, such elegant designs!!!

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  22. Wow - that gilded leaf is gorgeous! I love the background on the first card, too.

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  23. This is so funny! When I saw the first card I was immediately transported to my parents Florida condo! What a good thing on such a cold day!

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  24. As always, your cards are absolutely GORGEOUS, Sue! Your first card is so pretty with all those lovely details, and I really love how you added the gilding flakes to the leaf...it's just beautiful!

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  25. Awesome, Sue! Great use of the leaf.... so privileged to be hopping with the Hosti! Big hugs.

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  26. Your leaf with the gilding is especially lovely--beautiful color scheme! Thanks for sharing :)

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  27. Oh my goodness, that gilded leaf is amazing!

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  28. That gilded leaf was awesome! I really like that stamp. All your cards were beautiful.

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  29. Such pretty cards - love the colors and the metal leafing.
    isoscia at aol dot com

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  30. Gorgeous!! I just love this fern stamp and the touches of metallic are stunning! hugs :)

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  31. Wonderful that you could get two so different cards with that one leaf! Beautiful cards. Makes me want to buy this set!

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  32. Ooh! I'm in love with the gilded leaf!

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  33. Gorgeous cards Sue and the gold flakes look amazing! 😄

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  34. Both cards are wonderful.

    I am SO in love with gilding...it's just so beautiful!

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  35. Beautiful cards! Lovin the gold ♥

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  36. Well, Sue, you have not only inspired me to buy more Hero Arts, but a couple of products that I've never tried before...gilded flakes and panpastels! What type of glue do you have to use for the gilded flakes? I'm loving all this release by Hero Arts and you have made it even better! Thanks!

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  37. Boy those gilding flakes add so much punch. Love both cards.

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  38. What a great way to showcase this one stamp with such different looks. Both cards are beautiful and must have been fun to create!

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  39. LOVE the gilded one!! The background is so soft and pretty and the variegated flakes look gorgeous against it. Beautiful cards, Sue, as always.

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  40. Great cards you made just love the second one. Wish I had some flakes:)

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  41. I love how you created your cards! I really like the leaf and your use of pan pastels on the background stamp. I really need to use my pan pastels more often! Thanks for sharing!

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  42. Fantastic! I love the gilding. You did a great job.

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  43. Your cards are beautiful, Sue! I LOVE what you've done with the leaf stamp. So glad to be hopping with you this week!

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  44. Gorgeous cards, thanks for the inspiration!!

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  45. Love the leafing on the fern, I have tons of that stuff, time to pull it out. Thanks for jogging my memory!

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  46. your metal leafing card is gorgeous!

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  47. Just love your cards. Great colors and ideas. Thanks for sharing!!

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  48. Love the cards!! The gilding is beautiful!

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  49. From your "watercolored" background to the gilded leaf, your ideas are so inspiring. Love the new stamp designs.

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  50. Your work is FABULOUS. I am totally casing. HAHAHA

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  51. Wow fabulous cards!! The one with the gilded leaf is just so beautiful!

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  52. Beautiful use of that stamp! Great cards.

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  53. The leaf card is absolutely fantastic and I love it!! thanks for sharing!

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  54. Gilding flakes... I must admit I never heard off it. What a great card you made ! Wow !
    Thank you for sharing !

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  55. your second card is stunning! and so beautiful!

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  56. Cool effect with the metal leafing.

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  57. Gorgeous cards Sue and I love your gilded leaf!!

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  58. Beautiful cards, Sue! I love the organic feel of the second card--just gorgeous!

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  59. Beautiful! The gilding flakes add such texture and dimension to that leaf image!

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  60. Gorgeous cards! Love the foil flakes!

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  61. I like the different looks you achieved with this leaf image.

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  62. I really like seeing the same stamp used different ways. Lovely cards.

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  63. Love all your techniques! Great cards!

    Do you make the little dots you embossed in gold with a Versamark marker or do you make them some other way????? They look so perfectly round! :)

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  64. Oh, my, I love love love the gilding!

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  65. Beautiful cards! I've not tried Pan Pastels yet but your card makes me want to try them right away. The gold leafing on the 2nd card is incredible! Such gorgeous colors!

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  66. the frond is very versatile. I love the green card with the different colors. So pretty.
    thanks for sharing some wonderful cards.

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  67. Thanks for the opportunity to win some great products. And thanks for the info about gilding. That card is stunning.

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  68. Lovely cards!!!! Thanks for the tip on gilding, it sure is pretty! And love your color choices and backgrounds

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  69. These cards are fantastic. I really like the stamp your own plant and am really loving that tropical background stamp. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  70. Beautiful! Love seeing the versatility of this stamp and the different looks it can create.

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  71. That gilded leaf is gorgeous! What a beautiful card design!

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  72. Wow, fabulous! Love that leafy stamp!

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  73. Both of your sample cards are so lovely, but the gilded leaf is fantastic! I love all of the different hues you can see in it. Thanks for the inspirations! I am definitely going to try this technique.

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  74. I love the use of the foil flakes on the Thanks card. It adds so much color and texture. The first card is so clean and simple. Love the colors you used on it. Nice job on both cards. TFS

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  75. Both cards are lovely! The soft green with gold sentiment on the first is just stunning!

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  76. Lovely....and the colors...amazing!

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  77. Such lovely cards made with the ferny stem. I especially like the green one.

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  78. I love that leafy stamp set! Lovely gilding too!

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  79. Just lovely! I especially like the green that just jumped right out there! Such a beautiful job on both!

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  80. Such pleasing designs, Sue - leaves always say serenity to me, and your cards certainly followed suit. You had some wonderful ideas on how to use this set!

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  81. WOW!!! A video showing how you made these cards would be awesome!! Great stamp set, it really grows on me when I see the cards you created!!

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  82. I love the gilded leaf most of all

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  83. Beautiful cards. Love the gilded leaf with the watercolor background. Loving this hop!

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  84. That gilded leaf is absolutely gorgeous. I'm loving that alpha set!

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  85. The second card is beautiful. Love that blue and the distressed edges of the focal image.

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  86. Love the leaf stamps and mediums you used. I haven't used Panpastels and/or Gilded flakes yet.

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  87. Beautiful cards! Love the leaf done with gilding flakes. Have some put away from years ago so thanks for the inspiration.

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  88. Beautiful cards, the gilded flakes really fininsh off that card perfectly.

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  89. Your cards turned out stunning. Good job and thanks for sharing. I really like the top card.

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  90. You made the leaf images really pop with all the sparkle and sprinkle of golds! Really beautiful work and I'm so happy to be hopping with you again this year!!

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  91. Totally gorgeous cards with that leaf, Sue - wow!! I love what you did with the gilding flakes!! I enjoyed hopping with you!

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  92. Hello! Your cards are very pretty! I especially love the green one, it is my favourite colour! :) i love the gradient effect you achieved on your leaves!!

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  93. Wow. Love both cards. Thanks for giving me some ideas!

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  94. love how these turned out! gorgeous!

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  95. Oh wow!! I LOVE both cards but the gilded leaf one is my favorite. STUNNING!!

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  96. Both awesome cards!! Love the Stamp your own Plant background stamp!!!

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  97. I love the PanPastels on the first card, it looks so pretty! The gold on the second card is just stunning! Especially with the distress watercolor background! Awesome techniques, it looks like you had fun with the new goodies:)

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  98. Pretty cards, love the colors! Thanks for sharing.

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  99. So pretty! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  100. Thank you for including links to the glue and flakes you used. I adored your stunning cards and would love to try the second one!

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  101. Gorgeous cards! I am in awe of the gilded leaf!

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  102. Love your cards. The gilding flakes look fabulous! TFS!

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  103. Love that fern background, but the glided one, wow! Such a great look!

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  104. I really like the gilding flakes.

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  105. I had no idea you could do that with PanPastel - am going to give it a try! That gold leafing is gorgeous and begging me to try it, too! Wonderful cards, Sue!

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  106. Oooh - I love the gilding!!!! Beautiful cards...

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  107. Wow, I am so wowed by the gilding flake piece you showed us. And thank you so much for providing more info about the products. I got to watching the videos and got a little lost on our blog hop. :D

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  108. The panpastels background is beautiful!

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  109. Gorgeous cards! Especially love the gilded card!

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  110. Gorgeous cards - the gold leafing looks great on that stamp. Thanks for sharing.

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  111. Love these cards. The leaf as a background is a great idea. The gilded leaf is stunning.

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  112. Fantastic cards! Love the green of the first one.

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  113. *gasp* Stunning cards, Sue! Love the gold sentiment and dots against the green. I must look into gilding as I'm fascinated by your work. It's been so fun hopping with you!!

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  114. Both of these cards are "wow" cards! I love the two toned leaf coloring in the first one and the gilding on the second card is really eye-catching! Great job!
    :) Marie

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  115. WOW your cards are gorgeous! I love the watercolor background and gold leafing!

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  116. Very gorgeous! Love the way you added the gold leafing!

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  117. Beautiful cards. WOW. That gold leafing is amazing.

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  118. beautiful looks with this stamp!

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  119. Beautiful cards! This is a great stamp!

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  120. It's so fascinating to see how one stamp can be used in different ways! Both your cards are just so inspiring! :)

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    Replies
    1. Love these beautiful botanical cards. Thanks for sharing.

      Linda D.

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    2. Love these beautiful botanical cards. Thanks for sharing.

      Linda D.

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  121. WOW - that gilded fern blows my mind! Gorgeous cards!

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  122. I love the ferns--such awesome cards, thank you for sharing your work1

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  123. Ooh, love the different look with the same stamp. Those gilding flakes are gorgeous. Hugz

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  124. Gorgeous! I love the shimmery frond! Fantastic design! So happy to be hopping with you again!

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  125. I love both your amazing cards with the leafy stamp. Thanks for sharing.

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  126. I love seeing different ways to use the same stamp and you really showed me. That gilded leaf is fantastic!

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  127. Hi Sue! I absolutely LOVE what you did with the gilded leaf!!!! It's beautiful..and the acrylic block stamped as a background...brilliant! Loved hopping with you and the sistahs!

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  128. I really like both of your creations Sue it shows how versatile that stamp is.

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  129. Wonderful use of the leaf image especially with the gilded flakes. The Stamp Your Own Plant looks like a great set to have for us "leaf lovers".

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  130. I always love watercolor, but your gilding as well really makes it stand out.

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  131. Oh my goodness, Sue, your cards are absolute gorgeous-ness! I just love the gilded leaf on the watercolor background; that is just amazing creativity! I'm totally inspired. So happy to share in the hop with you!

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  132. The cards are beautiful! The gold leafing is so trendy all of a sudden!

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  133. Such gorgeous cards! The embossed gold dots adds just the perfect finishing touch on the first. And the second card is gorgeous. Love the gold leafing and details like roughing up the edges of the watercolor paper to mirror the edges of the watercolor block.

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  134. Gorgeous cards!!!! The design and color make them look so fresh and pretty :)

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  135. Your cards are very pretty. Love all the gold. Thanks.

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  136. Love the gilded look of the leaves. Very nice.

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  137. Amazing card my Twins...I love the first one and the second one the first one with so calm color love the gold add to there too...and the leaves with gold look funtastic...I enjoy the hop Sue...miss you my twins..hope you are doing well..hugs, Monika

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  138. I love that you showed us different looks with the same stamp! The flakes are amazing!!

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  139. BEAUTIFUL Projects!!! :-) THANKS for sharing and have a fabulous week!!! :-)

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  140. Extremely you used these stamps. Wonderful card.
    Thank you for the wonderful inspiration.
    Regards,
    Bozena

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  141. I have pan pastels in pink, blue and yellow. Now yep, I have to get a green!!! lovely work.

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  142. Just beautiful today! Love those leaves!

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  143. THANKS TO YOU for creating these awesome, beautiful and absolutely chic, cool and classy cards!!!

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  144. Wonderful cards. I love how you've taken the same stamps and made different cards. I enjoy seeing how people use the new releases in the blog hops! Thanks for sharing.

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  145. Hey Sue!!! Wow such beautiful cards and that gold leaf one... on my I have to go and get my jaw off the floor. So fun hoping this week with you. Hugs, Kathy

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  146. Pretty cards! I really like that leaf background in green. The leaf on your second card looks super!

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  147. beautiful metallic on the leaf!

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All comments are very much appreciated!