STAMPtember Blog Party!

This post is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! STAMPtember is here, and we’re celebrating in a big way with an amazing blog party, filled with inspiration, free gifts with purchase, and a scavenger hunt!! Each stop on the blog party has it’s own unique free gift with purchase, so be sure to check out each of the stops (listed HERE on the Simon Says Stamp blog) to see all of the fabulous gifts with purchase that are up for grabs! My followers and blog readers have the option to receive the fantastic Detail Round Blending Brush Set as their free gift with purchase! Simply follow the instructions in the graphic above to receive your free gift with any purchase of $100 or more.

Today, we’re celebrating the start of STAMPtember with a blog party, and what’s a party without balloons?? I used the marvelous new Party Balloons embossing folder and coordinating die along with a bunch of other goodies from Simon Says Stamp to create this pair of soft, shimmering birthday cards. Let’s get started with the details!

Both of my projects feature some soft ink blending using the gorgeous Thistle, Twirling Tutu, and Maliblue inks. I kept the color palette pale, with lovely pastel colors, changing things up from my normal bold and vibrant color schemes! Both of my cards feature the new Party Balloons embossing folder, which comes with an individual balloon die so that you can create dimensional balloon bouquets!

My first card features just the Party Balloons embossing folder to create a subtle-but-festive background for my large scale sentiment components! I began by blending Thistle, Twirling Tutu, and Maliblue inks on a panel of A2 white cardstock using Large Blending Brushes. I ran the blended panel through my die cutting machine using the Party Balloons embossing folder, then spritzed the entire panel with some Hero Arts Iridescent Shimmer Spray. The shimmer spray helps to soften the blend and even out the colors even more, while also adding a gorgeous pearlescent shine to the panel!

To add to the party atmosphere of the balloon background, I die cut the Streamer Ribbons dies from some Lawn Fawn Pearlescent Vellum and some more plain white cardstock. I again used blending brushes to blend Thistle and Maliblue inks on the plain white streamers so that they perfectly coordinated with the colors of the background. I arranged them so that they were artfully hanging from the “ceiling,” popping the solid streamers up with foam adhesive for extra dimension.

For the sentiment, I die cut the gorgeous detailed layer of the Scripty Happy Birthday die three times; once from shimmering white pearl cardstock and twice from plain cardstock, layering the three pieces together with liquid adhesive to create a dimensional die cut greeting. To this, I added a sentiment strip embossed using a greeting from the Birthday Sentiments stamp set and some silver embossing powder. The last touch was to add a few shimmering gems for some sparkle!

My second project coordinates with the first, using the same color scheme, but with a bit cleaner aesthetic! I began my project by centering one of the A7 Scalloped Rectangles Stencils over an A7 panel of white cardstock. I then used Large Blending Brushes to blend Thistle, Twirling Tutu, and Maliblue inks over the open area of the stencil, creating a colorful area upon which I could build my focal point. I again spritzed the blended area with Hero Arts Iridescent Shimmer Spray to add some extra shimmer and shine to the background. I trimmed the panel down slightly and mounted it in the center of a full size A7 panel of Sea Glass cardstock.

For the focal point, I wanted to create a coordinating bunch of 3D balloons using the die included in the Party Balloons embossing folder set. I die cut several balloons from white cardstock, then placed them inside the embossing folder in the coordinating shaped openings and ran them through my die cut machine. I find it easiest to die cut first and emboss last in order to ensure that the die cut shapes maintain as much dimension and shape as possible. I also prefer to nestle the die cuts inside the negative side of the embossing folder, rather than on the raised side, because they sit perfectly inside the negative spaces without shifting! After I had added shape to my balloon die cuts, I used the same three ink colors with the Small Blending Brushes to blend coordinating ink colors.

Next, I die cut the Large Fancy Happy Birthday die from some white pearlescent mirror cardstock and popped it up towards the bottom of the blended, shimmering scalloped rectangle using foam adhesive. I arranged the balloon die cuts in a little bouquet, using foam and liquid adhesive and adding the balloon strings using a sparkly gray gel pen. After I had adhered all of my die cuts, I added some Trinity Stamps Rock Candy Confetti, which I think makes it look like party time!!

Well, that’s all for today’s projects! Be sure that you check out all of the different blogs participating in today’s blog party over on the Simon Says Stamp blog. Each stop has a fabulous different Gift With Purchase code, so you can find the one that works best for you and your crafting desires! My code (details shared in the graphic at the top of the post!) allows you to receive the Detail Round Blending Brush Set as your free gift with purchase of $100 or more… a $29.99 value, which is absolutely incredible!! Thanks so much for reading today, and Happy STAMPtember!!! Enjoy the party!