We’ve been waiting all week to introduce our Valentine’s Week guest, and we are so excited that the day has come! Please join us in welcoming Wanda Guess to the blog today! Wanda is here to share one truly uplifting card design that is perfect for any love in your life, and we know her post today will inspire you to create a handmade greeting instead of buying one off of the shelf this Valentine’s Day!

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Hi, SCT friends! It’s Wanda Guess here and I am so excited to be a guest during Valentine’s Week on the SCT Magazine blog! I have a cheerful and uplifting Valentine to share with you, made with stamps and dies from Concord & 9th! These pretty hot air balloons are ready to ride off into the sunset and wish your special love a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Supplies | Concord & 9th: Stitched Hearts Card Front die, Happy Heart box dies, Up and Away stamp set, Up and Away dies, cardstock; Lawn Fawn:  vellum and light brown woodgrain cardstock; Doodlebug Design: Shape Sprinkles Tiny Hearts; Scrapbook.com: Adhesive tape runner and foam squares; Ink: Ranger Distress Ink pad minis, Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; Other: Neenah Solar White cardstock

My finished card is A2 size. I used the beautiful Concord & 9th Ballet Slipper cardstock to cover the front of the card base. I used the Concord & 9th Stitched Hearts Card Front die to create the top layer with the subtle hearts. The fun part was creating those fabulous hot air balloons! I used the new Up and Away stamps and dies to make the balloons die cutting all the pieces using Concord & 9th cardstock. I used a red, white, and pink color palette that just says “Valentine’s Day!” I love the red and white stripes which make the balloon feel sort of old-fashioned and vintage.

I stamped the tiny sentiment onto the flag at the top of the larger balloon and gently inked the end of the flag. I created the banners across the balloons using Concord & 9th Aqua Sky cardstock and Lawn Fawn vellum. I tucked a few clouds behind the balloons.

Tip: Instead of using black for your die cut sentiments, use dark grey instead. It gives the same effect but is not as harsh as true black. I used grey to die cut the pretty ‘love’ sentiment that goes across the bottom of my card.

I love to use hearts on all of my cards, so I added just a few tiny pink Doodlebug Shape Sprinkles hearts to the balloon baskets and the flag. I also love that added texture of something shiny on the card. All of the elements were attached to the card using foam squares for added dimension. This card layout and the Balloon Dies would be great for any occasion—just change up the colors and the sentiment, and you have the perfect birthday card, baby card, or congrats card!

I am so happy to be able to share a project with you today! Happy crafting!

Find more of Wanda’s creations here : Instagram | Blog | Facebook

I’m Wanda Guess! I live in Northern California with my dear hubs and our sweet kitty named Lucky! I blog over at A Blog Called Wanda. I’ve been stamping for 25+ years. I love lots of color and lots of embellishments on my projects! “More is more” is my motto! I do something creative every day, and try to find the beauty in everything around me. My first creative passion is photography. I also love to crochet and cross-stitch, and drink lots of coffee! If I’m not creating, you will probably find me on Instagram, or at my favorite coffee shop!

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What an amazingly gorgeous and detailed card for someone special! Be sure to follow Wanda for more card inspiration at the links above, and be sure to join us back here tomorrow for a special giveaway from one of our partners that we just LOVE, who wants to share the love with our readers!