Up, Up and Away

We have several family birthdays at this time of year, so I've been busily designing cards to send to various family members.  Today I have a masculine card for you that uses a stamp set that isn't really new (it was new in last year's catalogue), but that I haven't used a whole lot as of yet. 

Masculine birthday card featuring the Up, Up and Away stamp set with sentiment from Itty Bitty Banners

Even though this stamp set isn't new, there sure are lots of new products to talk about with this card!  I embossed the Basic Gray background piece using the new Argyle embossing folder...L-O-V-E it!  I chose my DSP from the aptly named World Spectacular pack.  It truly is spectacular with tons of wonderful patterns and rich colours.  Lots of options for masculine cards in there, but I chose this particular pattern so that it would coordinate with the argyle background.  My little clouds were made using the Cupcake builder punch and then embossed with the new Fancy Fan embossing folder...I think it makes them look like fluffy little clouds, no?  The balloons were stamped using Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Island Indigo inks, cut out and then popped up using dimensionals.  The little banner is stamped using the Itty Bitty Banners set (my most-used new set thus far!) and cut out with the Bitty Banners framelits.  The most significant thing about this card is what is missing:  embellishments!!  Not a brad or ribbon in sight!!  I think I can count on one hand the number of cards I've made without a single embellishment, but I really thought this card had enough going on without adding anything extra.  What do you think?

Before I go, just reminder about my give-away for a free month's subscription to Craft Project Central.  Leave a comment on any (or every) post on this blog between July 1st and 7th for a chance to win.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, July 8th.