Up, up, and Away!

As promised, here is a little more inspired by the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which kicked-off its 39th season yesterday. There is something amazing which occurs when you see the sky filled with hot air balloons of all shapes, sizes, and colors: you are automatically eight years old again.

Do I attend the Fiesta every year? No. Why not? Well, for one, I am not what you would call "an early person" by any stretch of the imagination and, for two, being in the midst of large crowds is not what I would consider to be a fantastic time. Lucky for me I have been able to view the Fiesta without actually attending it: since the office in which I work is about a block from Balloon Fiesta Park, from my desk I have a panoramic view toward the West which serves as either the "we are just taking off and getting on our way" avenue or the "we are coming in for a landing" avenue. For the entire week the sky will be full of balloons; it is beautiful!

Here are two cards, both inspired by hot air balloons. They both utilize the Sweet Centers stamp set by Stampin' Up!, but in a different way. The first, designed by Anne, creates the balloon portion utilizing iris folding; this is a difficult and labor intensive technique, but the result is great. The second, designed by Sharon, creates the balloon portion utilizing a Sweet Treat Cup which, in this case, is filled with purple skittles...my favorite. They both are so unique - just like each ofthe balloons in the sky. Click on each picture to learn more.