Balloons and the Blackout technique...

 

I saw somewhere online (I forget where) how a cardmaker glued balloons to a background, and I wanted to give it a try. 

I started by punching out a bunch of balloons from different colored scraps. Then I cut a 4" X 5 1/4" panel, and I began randomly adhering the balloons. When I was done, I trimmed off any balloons that were hanging over the edges of my panel.

For my first card, I put a piece of vellum across the center front of the card to subdue the brightness of the balloons. Then I adhered a sentiment that had been die-cut from glitter cardstock.

For the second card, I die-cut a different sentiment from white glitter cardstock and backed it with some plain red cardstock. I then popped it up on dimensionals.
 

On the inside of each card I stamped a sentiment and added a couple more of the balloons, drawing on some strings with a black pen.

I still have some punched balloons left on my desk, so I may be making yet another one of these cards very soon. I've got some other ideas, too, like adding metallic silver or gold balloons to a black panel, or maybe even using pink or blue balloons and creating a "Welcome Baby" card.

This card was made after I was inspired by mt friend Lynette's cards that she shared in this post.  She sent the card with the bird on it to me for my birthday in January. I loved it so much that I just had to give it a try.

I die-cut a white panel of cardstock and embossed it with a 3D embossing folder. Then on the debossed (back) side, I added some colors of ink to the flowers and leaves, using my smallest blending brushes.

After I had the colors to my liking, I dragged a black ink pad lightly across the top of the panel several times and in different directions to get the desired result. 

After tying a ribbon around my panel, I adhered it to a pale pink cardbase and die-cut a stamped sentiment and popped it up on dimensionals.

I used the same die set that I used for the embossed panel on the front to cut a couple of panels for the inside.

This sentiment stamp was one I had not used before, and I wondered if anyone would buy this card (at the thrift store) with that sentiment. It must have fit someone's needs, because I checked yesterday during my volunteer shift and it had sold.

I hope you'll give one or both of these techniques a try. They were great fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl