Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Retro Balloon Rally



When my grandfather turned 75 his wish was to go on a hot air balloon ride. While my grandma shivered at the idea, my grandpa had the best time in his life. I'm not so sure that is the route I would like to take when I'm older, but so glad that he had the opportunity.

I thought I'd try to take this particular hot air balloon into retro times and keep it clean and simple. I purposely put little ink onto the stamp and did a light color wash with ink to give the feeling of an old photograph, illustration or movie frame. My littlest one helped for a while, he enjoyed pressing the block hard onto the paper and swishing the blender pen around the ink pad. I'm off to curl up in a blanket and watch my favorite show of all time, Criminal Minds!

Supplies Used: Cream Cardstock from Reminisce, Look Up Clear Stamp Set and Black Twine from Practicing Creativity Designs, SU Certainly Celery, Pale Plum, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink and More Mustard Ink, Stazon Ink in Jet Black, Blender Pens, Fiskars Corner Round Punch, Foam Adhesive

15 comments:

  1. another fabulous simple design! love it!

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  2. Karen,
    Good for your grandpa. I have not been in a hot air balloon but I did have an encounter with one. A hot air balloon actually landed in my neighborhood by mistake. It ran out of gas I guess you could say and had to make an emergency landing in my neighbors backyard. Can you believe? Just to let you know everyone was alright. Oh and love the simplicity of your card!
    B

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  3. I love it that you share stories....great card..make a good masculine one, something I have difficulties with...I like your new profile pic...it's new, isn't it?

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  4. What a lovely card, so simple and so expressive in the same time!

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  5. HI Karen=Doesn't Criminal Minds get creepier every week? Love the card and I remember how excited Grandpa was when he took the ride!! And of course I think Grandma did more than shiver!!! Love Ya Jean

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  6. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! This is just so clean and simple it's breathtaking. The inked edges and cream on cream work wonders. Love what you did with set.

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  7. Simply TERRIFIC! Love the retro feel and it's also manly! That's two feats in one card!

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  8. Cool card:-) love the black and white... ,and love that stamp set!!! I want one too!

    Hugs!

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  9. Love the old-feel you've achieved with this card! I really need to buy that stamp set!

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  10. Karen what a great card. I love the distressed look of it. (I'm into that at the moment, loving it!). You are really churning out some beauties!

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  11. Beautiful! I love this retro feel!

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  12. This is a gorgeous creation, Karen! Clean & vintage at the same time- so beautiful. Love the story about your grandfather... a hot air balloon ride was a dream of my father's for a long time and it was such a delight that he got to take one before he passed away. I love it when my boy's get excited to see one passing by. Okay, i'm rambling... your story made me love the card THAT much more. Hugs!

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  13. I had to comment on this one, too. Love the card, but even more I love the story about your grandpa. I'm not sure that would be something I would want to do either, but I sure do admire a person who has a dream and goes for it! We watch Criminal Minds, too, but I don't watch it alone. Too creepy and random for me. But it is a very good show.

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  14. Oh... I LOVE this! So very cool!! Awesome card! Love the two above this too that I didn't comment on! You are so good! I hope you are still plugging away at the submission thing! It is going to happen!

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