Up, Up and Away - a tribute to the Graphics Fairy

Karen, the Graphics Fairy, posted a wonderful hot air balloon last week. I printed off a copy straight away and set to it with my scissors and craft knife.

"Up, Up and Away"

The background is made up with distress inks. Bits of cut n dry foam are used to apply the ink, not too even, so that it gives the appearance of clouds. Splodges are good! The sentiment and other balloons are  from Kaisercraft's "Up, Up & Away" stamp set. The sentiment was stamped in black archival ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I still couldn't resist a little Perfect Pearls on the larger of the two stamped balloons!

"Karen's Balloon"

The main difficulty was in cutting all the balloon's struts, but it is really worth the effort for the extra sense of depth when you can see the background through the gaps. After cutting, the balloon was shaped by turning over onto my mouse pad and running the blunt end of a pen over the inside. The basket, people and flags were also shaped. Finally, the balloon is fixed to the background with pinflair glue to keep the dimension.

If you've never visited the Graphics Fairy blog, you must go and have a look. It's full of fabulous vintage pictures free of copyright and just begging to be used! Thanks Karen, I love the image and hope the card did it justice!

Entered for the following challenge:
Joanna Sheen - celebrations
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - it's a Guy Thing

Anniversary cards - a Balloon, a Pop-up Heart, Two Swans and lots of Love!

I got a bit carried away on our last wedding aniversary. Couldn't decide which card I liked best and ended up giving my husband not one, but three cards! I just love the image on the front of this card, yet another free one from the Graphics Fairy.

"Anniversary card number 1 - front"

The flowers are from organza cut with Tim Holtz' Tattered Florals die and then singed around the edges with a heat tool before layering together with brads. You need to use the cheap organza, not the real silk fabric, or you don't get the right affect. I use a pokey tool or embossing tool to hold the fabric down onto a heatproof mat while I heat the edges. Work quickly and bring the heat in from the outside in, or you'll just end up with a lump of molten plastic! Probably best to keep the windows open too - you never know what nasty fumes you'll get from heating plastics.

"Anniversary card 1 - inside pop-up heart"

My husband must get bored saying how nice my latest card is, so I try to give him a "Wow" on the inside of the cards when I can. I was in a "love you so much it hurts" mood when I made this one :). The die cuts are Spellbinders "Fallen Angel" set.

"Anniversary card 2 - True Love"

Swans mate for life. I was lucky enough to meet my soul-mate and we have been married for over twenty years now. I just love this Kanban topper and the way the swans' necks form a heart.

"Anniversary Card 3 - Love"

The basic design for the third card was a blatant rip-off of a card featured in an article in "Craft Stamper" magazine, but whilst their card was carefully stamped & embossed, mine used up a sheet of red & gold heart-themed peel-offs, and I had some unusual embellishments for the tag inside the card:

"Anniversary card 3 - tag"

Yes, you see correctly - there's a tea caddy spoon attached to the key! I thought it was a nice variation on the "love spoon".

"Anniversary card 3 - inside"

The unusual part of this card is the integral box of chocolates with a heart-shaped aperture covered in acetate to stop the chocs falling out (as you can see, most of the choccies have been eaten :)).

Hope you all have a good weekend x