Balloon-shaped card

A few weeks ago I was making a bunch of birthday cards to give to my uncle. I wanted to do something a little different, so I pulled out my set of Balloons dies from Simon Says Stamp and made a fun balloon-shaped card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Party with Cake
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock, Foil Frenzy Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), silver foil sheets
Ink: Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Balloons dies (Simon Says Stamp), Scribbled Happy Birthday die (Poppy Stamps), silver sequins (unknown), silver cord, Mono Multi liquid glue, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

Sorry this isn't a better photo. It was hard to get a good shot with all that shine!

All in all, this is a pretty simple card. I used the Foil Frenzy Specialty DSP for the balloon and silver foil to die cut the birthday sentiment. Then I added a few more silver accents with sequins and a bow around the bottom of the balloon. What make this card stand out is its shape.

The first step in making a shaped card is to find a good shape. The ones that work best are more "open" and don't have too much detail around the edges, such as circles, hearts, balloons and basic flowers.

Once you choose your shape, there are a couple of different options for making the card:

1. Fold a piece of card stock in half to create the card size you want. (If you want to make a card that will fit in an A2 envelope, start with that size card base and use a die that will fit on the card.) Decide whether you want the fold to be on the top or side of the card. Place the die so it hangs just over the fold and die cut your shape. Now you have a shaped card base that will open and close because you left some of the fold intact, although the shape will be flat along the fold. Finish your card as desired. Note: I don't have a problem die cutting through two layers of card stock with a thin die. If your die-cutting machine is very "tight" or the card stock is very thick, you may need to experiment with the "sandwich" you use to die cut.
2. Create a card base using the process described above. Die cut the shape a second time from the card stock or DSP you want on the front of your card (use a single piece for this one). Glue the second shape onto the shaped card base. Now your card front has the complete shape without any flat spots, and the card still opens and closes. In the photo below you can see the Foil Frenzy DSP balloon sticking up just past the white card base. Finish your card as desired.

Here is the inside of my card with a simple stamped sentiment. You can see the flat portion along the top of the balloon. If I hadn't added the Foil Frenzy balloon shape, the front of my card also would have looked like this. But honestly, I think that's fine, too. I've made cards like that before, and the fold in the shape doesn't really bother me; it just wasn't what I wanted for this card.

One benefit of adding the extra layer to a shaped card is that the front of your card can feature a lightweight paper, such as DSP or handmade paper, that wouldn't be sturdy enough for the card base. It also helps you to conserve your "fancy" papers by using a basic card stock for the card base.

I just realized I should have shared a green card today in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Oh, well. If you're Irish (or Irish at heart) I hope you have a festive and safe Paddy's Day!

Thanks for stopping by!