This is another card that I created while considering swap options for the Stampin’ Up! OnStage event. This time I created something that isn’t Christmas, and in fact is celebratory – perfect for the 30th anniversary for Stampin’ Up! I may make up a few of these to swap, but I’m not 100% convinced. The “celebrate” die cut is actually 3 layers to give it extra dimension. It looks great in-person (the depth isn’t as clear in a photo), but I’m not certain that I want to create a bunch of these. It’s fine for a small quantity, but I don’t think I want to invest the time to make 30 (or more). If I wasn’t down to the wire, then I would be glad to make a bunch. But since I procrastinated so much, I’m likely to pick a quicker-to-assemble design.

I used this sketch challenge as the inspiration for my design. It is a current challenge, so I was especially exited to create something in time to participate. I used the pretty gingham ribbon for the thin horizontal strip, and the greeting diecut for the lower horizontal strip. It is super-quick to stamp and punch the balloons, so that part is easy to assemble, and they are a great image to go in the main vertical panel. I can see some other ways to go with this sketch, and I may explore them in the future.

I used this old color challenge as the guide for the colors that I used on the card. I have a whole bunch of Rich Razzleberry cardstock on hand, so I was hoping to find a color combination that would allow me to use some of it up. That will be an up-side if I do create some of these as swaps; I can make a dent in my supply of this color. First world problems!!! As an aside, Bashful Blue has been retired for a while, but the new Balmy Blue works out pretty well with the rest of the colors. I like all of these together, and I’m glad that we have a sort-of substitute for the light blue in this combo. Unfortunately, this great color combination challenge site hasn’t been updated in a couple of years. I hope that the blog-owner is doing ok, and she has moved on to other endeavors.

Edited 11/13 – I was super excited to learn that this card was selected as one of the notable cards from the Freshly Made Sketches challenge, so I can now proudly wear the crown as a “Princess of Clean”. I got the news while at OnStage in Orlando, and it added even more excitement to a fantastic day! Woo hoo!

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