This Little Flying Piggy

Today's card is something totally fun . . . this little piggy is a flying pig! 

. . . bringing a bouquet of birthday balloons. 

What a great kids card!  Fun to give to a child  . . . and fun for children to make.

Do you craft with children?  If so this is pretty easy for kids to make.  The balloons are punched out and they get to color the pig.  The only challenging part for little hands might be when they have to cut out the pig with a scissors. 

One helpful tip, notice the strings for the balloon.  These are stamped (or you could hand draw them). Then the fussy cut pig is glued on top the stamped string image and you'll need to go back and draw the balloon strings over the one pig arm so it looks like the pig is holding all the strings.

When you layer the balloons it really adds dimension to the card. And mixing the colors of balloons and including some made with glimmer paper helps to make each balloon distinct.

Does this give you ideas for children's projects?  The pig stamp set is cute, the balloon punch I consider to be a "must have" in my craft room. Its a basic shape that is so versatile, not just for birthdays but for any celebration. And the punch actually has 2 different size balloons in the same punch.  Well worth the investment. A complete list of products used on this card is at the end of the post.

I hope you've been inspired to play. I'd love your feedback in the comments and I'm happy to answer any questions about this project or any others you have planned.

If you haven't browsed the Stampin'UP! store I encourage you to spend a little time there. This is a great company with wonderful product. I do receive commission on sales and I appreciate your business - thank-you. My commission is paid by the company, you pay nothing extra when purchasing product through me.

Because I do appreciate your business, you can earn extra rewards when you shop with me
Just be sure to use the Rewards Code for the month (found in the left pane of the blog) when you place your on-line order.

This Little Piggy Clear-Mount Stamp Set [143922] - $20.00 Wood-Mount Stamp Set [143919] - $28.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" CardStock [100730] - $9.75	Balmy Blue 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146982] - $8.50	Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [141416] - $8.50	Balloon Celebration Photopolymer Stamp Set [140675] - $26.00
Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [147278] - $9.00	Twine Baker's Whisper White [124262] - $3.00	Balloon Bouquet Punch [140609] - $18.00	Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker [100082] - $3.50	Silver Glimmer Paper [146960] - $5.00

Well Said Color Challenge

#ItsAllAboutTheColors!  l

Today I'm participating in the Color Combo Blog Hop.  Each month we're challenged to make something from a new trio of colors. This is a really fun way to stretch yourself because you're totally open on the imagery to use. You get to play in what ever way the colors speak to you. What would you do with the January color challenge?

The blue (Coastal Cabana) and purple (Gorgeous Grape) compliment each other nicely and the Cajun Craze is a strong neutral to complete the triad.  When I saw this color combo the first thing I thought of was "BALLOONS!" 

This month I have 3 cards to show you; all using a balloon shape. The cards are all the same but they showcase 2 different ways to add shine to the same image.  The first card is plain cardstock for comparison.

Shine details coming - first a bonus tip about the balloon strings.  I wanted the strings of the balloons to compliment the texture of the ribbon.  So instead of looking for some sort of twine, I took apart the ribbon to get a few threads for the balloon strings. The technique works especially well with Stampin'UP!'s Flax Ribbon.

The card is cute enough by itself, but real balloons do have a shine to them.
So in an attempt to be more realistic I tried 2 different techniques to add some shine.

On this second card I embossed the whole balloon piece with clear embossing powder.

The effect definitely adds shine to the balloons . . .  heat embossing is super fun  to watch.
and you can add layers for thicker texture and shine.

 

For this last card I covered the whole balloon piece in clear glue using the Fine Tip Glue Pen. Wow, great color and shine. It also adds some texture interest because the balloon is thicker with that layer of glue on it.

 

Both embossing and the use of the clear glue are really fun, easy techniques that I'd encourage you to try. If you've tried either of these techniques I'd love to hear your experience with it in the comments below.

For more details about the product I used there is a list of products at the end of this post.

When you have time, you may enjoy browsing my blog for more ideas.  Thanks for stopping by.  Click this button to visit the next blog in today's Color Combo Blog Hop.

Here are the links to all the blogs in the hop.

1. ElisabethPirolt (AT)
2. Pia Gerhardt - (DE) 
3. TanjaKlingler-Selinger (AT)
4. SandraHerzog 
5. Sue McDonald (UK) 
6. Rene Guenther (DE) 
7. Renée Eckhardt (AT) 
8. Carmen Groinig (AT)
9.  Silke Trapani (DE) -
10. Tracy Marie Lewis - (US)
11. Janey Backer (US)
12. Tricia Butts (U.S.) 
13. Laura Mackie UK
14. Rebecca-JoUnwin- Australia 
15. DorotheeFelicitas Buhn 
16. Cheryl Taylor - UK
17. Sharon Dalton - Australia 
18. JoBlackman
19. Astrid Hofmann (AT) 
20. Kimberley Morris (US) 
21. Tatiana Grübler (DE) 
22. Anastasia Radloff (US) 
23. Angélique Nederpel (NL
24. Katie Johnson (US) - you are here

 I hope I've inspired you to add a little shine to your next project. I'm happy to answer questions about this or any other project. My email is in the header at the top of the page.

If you haven't browsed the Stampin'UP! store I encourage you to spend a little time there. This is a great company with wonderful product. I do receive commission on sales and I appreciate your business - thank-you. My commission is paid by the company, you pay nothing extra when purchasing product through me.

Balloon Bouquet Punch [140609] -$18.00	Whisper White 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Flax Ribbon [148764] - $7.00	Gorgeous Grape 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146987] - $8.50	Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119684] - $8.50	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131297] - $8.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] [ $8.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] - $9.75	Versamark Pad [102283] - $9.00	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder [109130] - $5.00	Heat Tool [129053] - $30.00
Fine-Tip Glue Pen [138309] - $7.00	Sunshine Wishes Thinlits Dies [141489] - $27.00	Sparkle Glimmer Paper [146957] - $5.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Sparkly and Easy Glitter Balloon Background

#INKcredibleTechnique - Stenciled Glitter Background

The sparkly background on this card is easy to reproduce with minimal supplies.

The first step was the color on the card face. Starting with a white piece of paper, I lightly sponged two colors across the card face.  The darker Calypso Coral on top and shaded down to the lighter So Saffron. 

The glittery balloons in the background are subtle but really help make this card something special.  

I used a punch to get the balloon shape, but you could easily reproduce something similar with circles. I do have links to all the product used at the end of the post. The steps are super easy ...

• Punch the hole
• Position the hole over the card face and use a sponge to dab liquid glue into the opening
• Reposition as desired to fill the space
• Sprinkle with glitter and let it dry

While the glittery balloons do catch your eye, the main focal piece of the card is the sentiment.

For the focal point, you could layer anything over this pretty background, but I took the easy route, this sentiment is a diecut. And using glimmer paper adds a lot to the sparkly festive mood of the card.

If you're pressed for time then doing one simple diecut for the sentiment is lots quicker than stamping and prepping a more complicated focal piece.  

Other than the drying time for the glitter this is really a quick and easy card.

If you want a quick way to add a stand-out sentiment to a card then definitely add the Happy Birthday Thinlits to your shopping list.

And if you want a "wow" technique to impress people, then add glittering through a stencil to your list of go-to techniques.

If you haven't browsed the Stampin'UP! store I encourage you to spend a little time there. This is a great company with wonderful product. I do receive commission on sales and I appreciate your business - thank-you. My commission is paid by the company, you pay nothing extra when purchasing product through me.

I hope I've inspired you. I'm happy to answer questions about this or any other project. My email is in the header at the top of the page.

Happy Birthday Thinlits Die [143700] - $20.00

Big Shot Machine [143263]- $110.00

Silver Glimmer Paper [146960] - $5.00

Sponge Daubers [133773] - $5.00

Calypso Coral Classic Ink Pad [147101] - $7.50

So Saffron Classic Ink Pad [147109] - $7.50

Balloon Bouquet Punch [140609] - $18.00

Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755] - [ $4.00

Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter [133751] - $5.00

Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" paper [122925] - $8.50

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" paper [100730] - $9.75

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com