Happy Birthday Balloon Pop-Up Card Version I

I had another birthday card to make for a lovely friend with an August birthday and I had this idea brewing in my head for a while so I decided to experiment with this card and see if I could get it out of my head and working.

So it turns out I don’t actually own a balloon die! So necessity being the mother of invention etc etc, I improvised and used this petal die from an older Sizzix set.  I used one of my background experiments, this one from Dina Wakley scribble sticks, and similar to the one used on this card I made a few months back for my niece.

Since this is a petal die and not a balloon die, I had to cut out the little balloon knot type notches in each one so I could tie the string to something and make it look more like a balloon.  I glued the balloons to each other to make a bunch and then glued a strip of acetate behind them that I could use to make them pop up when the card was opened and so they would stay up while the card was out on display.

I used a Sizzix fancy nested label die to cut a window out of the card front and then another one in the same background I used for the balloons.  These cards are white on the inside and purple on the outside.  I also used the label dies to cut a matching frame for the window and attached them all to the card.  I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment on the inside and attached the acetate behind the diecut label. Then I stood the card up and made sure the balloons would stay upright above the card when it was standing up, before folding the acetate down and closing the card.

This would have been better had I not wanted a window on the front of the card, as the surprise balloons would be hidden inside instead of showing through the window but at this point it was too late to change anything or it would fast become a belated birthday card, and besides, that I actually like the card and the idea works as it was intended anyway.

To finish off the card, I cut a banner from the pink part of the background, and stamped a sentiment on it and then added another bunch of balloons to the front so that when the card is opened and on display, you see two bunches of balloons ascending into the sky!  Oh and to finish them off I stamped the balloons with the little stamps from the Altenew Watercolor Dots stamp set.

And here is the finished card.

Supplies used FYI:
Cards and envelopes from stash
Sizzix petal die from stash
Sizzix nested frame die from stash
Altenew Watercolor Dots stamp set
Birthday sentiments stamps
Inked backgrounds from stash
Double Sided Adhesive tape
Purple DMC embroidery floss
Versafine Clair ink