Happy 50th Birthday Ruben

I started with 1 "Strathmore" textured blue 19"x 25.5" paper.  Cut it down to 6"x 3" pieces (13 of them to be exact).  Then I tented 1/2" on top and came up about 1 1/2" from the middle and cut a triangle out.  I painted them with mixture of "Liquitex" iridescent medium and "Jacquard" Pearl-Ex pigment in antique silver (#662). This gave me the pennants that I will attach to the macrame rope.  I also have a sheet of extra 6"x8" that I will cut to use for the '50th' that I will place in the center of the banner.

Next onto the balloons which I used 1 "Canson Mi-Teintes" light blue  19"x25"(again slightly texture paper, but not marked as such).  I cut 15 of them with my "Sizzix" XL Balloon shape.  Then they were run though the "Sizzix" again with a "Cutterbug" emboss with various gear shapes (forgot the name and would you know they didn't mark the emboss sleeve).  I will add the '50th' with two balloons facing one another looking like a heart under the numbers.  I will be adding detail with gold pigment ink around the edges of all 15 balloons before attaching them to the pennants with a little height.

Then I cut out the background of the 13 letters with a dark patterned scrap from my "Sizzix" shadow letters.  And the foreground letters with a light blue print scrap with the "Sizzix" shadow letters.  These will attach with some detail work to the balloons that are affixed to the pennants.

Kyle will help me attach this banner inside the house to the front windows while Ruben is at work on Thursday.  I wanted to wait and surprise him on Friday but he took the day off work.  I think he will be happily surprised all the same.

Further photos pending the completion of the entire banner.