Happy new year! I know it's a bit late, but getting back to routine after winter break is HARD and I've just started to get everything back on schedule. For my first post of 2016, I thought I'd share an encouragement card for all our new resolutions, goals, and dreams for this year.

First, I started out with a piece of white cardstock cut slightly smaller than my A2 card front. I used distress inks in wild honey, spiced marmalade, worn lipstick, and stormy sky to blend the sunrise for my background. Next, I used the 3 cloud dies from Lawn Fawn Spring Showers set to cut some clouds out using vellum and white cardstock. Using Simon Says Stamp A2 card curved edge die, I used different shades of green cardstock to cut out mini hills.

For my hot air balloon, I decided to paper piece by stamping it onto patterned paper and fussy cutting it out. The stamp is from Lawn Fawn Blue Skies. Using the Honey Bunny set by Mama Elephant, I stamped and copic colored them in and then fussy cut them out.

Now it's time to put together my card! I added some clouds onto my sunrise panel and then decided to mute it all down with a piece of vellum on top. Next, I adhered more clouds on top of the vellum, and foam mounted my hot air balloon image on to give the card more dimension and depth. For the bottom of my card, I adhered the hills on top of the vellum and then added the cute bunnies. To finish off this card, I heat embossed a sentiment from the same stamp set with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder and rounded all the corners before adhering it to my pale blue A2 side folding card base.

Wishing all you a wonderful 2016 and a bit of encouragement for the new goals you have set for yourself.

Happy Crafting. I will be entering this into SSS Wednesday Challenge: Something New.