Hi there!

A few years ago, I was able to watch the launch of dozens of hot air balloons from a valley in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was glorious! All the color and patterns filling the air and so much excitement on the ground as each balloon took flight. It was truly a sight to behold!

I tried to capture some of that glory in this card using new products from today’s Simon Says Stamp “Hugs’ release (be sure to check it out)! For this card, I opted for a more subtle version of the real-life balloon launch – instead of lots of color, I opted for lots of shine and texture!

To make this card:

1. Heat emboss the Jumbled Hearts background stamp on watercolor paper using White Pearl embossing powder. The White Pearl adds a silky shine to the embossed image but keeps the pattern subtle.

2. Wet the embossed panel and add watercolor to the top left edge and let the water run/spread down the panel. You may need to move the panel around – or move the color with a brush to spread it over the panel – keeping the color concentrated in the upper left corner.

3. Ink-blend the balloon using the Love Letters stencil and fussy-cut the finished balloon.

4. Add Wink of Stella to the balloon and letter to add some shimmer to the image. This doesn’t show up in the photos well, but it is so pretty in person!

5. Die cut a few clouds.

6. Stamp your sentiment and cut it into a strip.

7. Arrange all the pieces on the water-colored panel – popping up the clouds and balloon with foam adhesive. Then, use more foam adhesive to attach the panel to the card front.

8. Add a few gems for even more shine!

Have you ever tried to turn a memory into a card? Of course, the card will never exactly match the memory – but if you make some purposeful changes you can still capture the essence of the memory – and if not, you’ll still have a spectacular card!

Have a wonderfully creative day, everyone!