The Balloon Festoon Stamp & Die Bundle may immediately make you think of birthdays and celebrations—and it is wonderful for both—but the dies can do much more than create a simple balloon bouquet.
For this class, I made three bright and cheerful cards. We started with the more involved projects and worked our way toward a very easy card with a slightly unexpected twist.
The Balloon Festoon Bundle
The stamp set includes useful celebration greetings, but I think the dies are the real stars of this bundle. They include several sizes of balloons, delicate balloon strings, small highlight pieces, and larger shapes that could also be used for party decorations.
Throughout the class, I mixed cardstock and patterned paper to create balloons with different colors and textures. Using papers from the same Designer Series Paper pack made it easy to build a coordinated color combination without having to plan every color individually.
Project 1: Book-Fold Balloon Birthday Card
Our first project is a book-fold card with a narrow striped panel along the side and a colorful balloon arrangement on the main section.
The card base begins with a standard half-sheet of cardstock. An extra score line creates the narrow book-binding section, which is secured closed while the larger section opens like a traditional card.
I layered balloons of several sizes over patterned paper, using a combination of flat adhesive and Stampin’ Dimensionals. One of the larger balloons also became the sentiment label for “Hip Hip Hooray.”
When arranging a group like this, I like to place the largest pieces first and then tuck the smaller balloons into the remaining spaces. I also wait to glue everything down until I am happy with the overall balance.
Project 2: Arched Tri-Fold Shaped Card
The second project uses three large arch-shaped die-cuts connected with small cardstock hinges.
When opened, the card stands across three panels. The balloons continue from one section to the next, creating a full celebration scene. The final panel includes a white arch for writing a personal message.
The hinges are simply small cardstock rectangles scored through the center. I placed strong adhesive on each side of the score line and used them to join the three arches.
A few tips from this project:
Keep balloons on the inner panels fairly flat so the card can close.
Use Dimensionals mainly on the front panel, where there is more room.
Arrange everything before gluing so balloons do not interfere with the folds.
Check the finished width and height against an envelope before completing the decoration.
I used adhesive sheets behind the delicate balloon strings and highlight pieces. That turns them into easy peel-and-stick die-cuts and saves a great deal of fiddling with liquid glue.
Project 3: Balloon Daisy Card
The final project is the simplest card, but it may be the most unexpected.
Instead of using the balloon shapes as balloons, I turned them sideways and arranged five large white die-cuts around a yellow circle. Suddenly, the balloons became daisy petals!
I layered the flower over small floral patterned paper, added a banner greeting, and finished it with a few tiny ladybug embellishments.
This is a great example of looking beyond the intended purpose of a die. Circles can become flower centers, balloons can become petals, and leaves can become wings or feathers. Turning a shape in another direction can open up an entirely new group of projects.
The large flower extends beyond the card front but can flatten for mailing.
A Few Tips for Using Detailed Balloon Dies
Adhesive sheets are especially helpful behind thin strings and small balloon highlights.
Cut extra balloons while your machine and supplies are already out. Leftovers make quick birthday cards later.
Use balloons cut from patterned paper to add color and shading without extra stamping.
Try using a balloon as your sentiment label rather than adding another separate shape.
When layering several pieces, add Dimensionals only on the centers at first. This leaves room to tuck more die-cuts underneath.
Shop the Balloon Festoon Bundle
The Balloon Festoon Bundle is available through my Stampin’ Up! online store.
SHOP THE BALLOON FESTOON BUNDLE HERE
You can also visit CraftWithCheryl.com to find my current classes, shopping links, and other ways to craft with me.
Which project is your favorite: the book fold, the arched tri-fold, or the balloon daisy?
