Be Mine! Heart Balloon

The Silhouette Cameo finally arrived and I couldn't wait to take it out of the box and start using it.  It cut the images from the pre-loaded Silhouette library beautifully. Wow this was easy, almost a little too easy. Next I printed one of the images from the Silhouette library on my printer and loaded it into the Cameo to cut. The Cameo cut the image, just not around the image (instead it was slightly off center). The booklet that came with the machine and the on line user's manual were not very helpful. I still had no idea why the image of the cute little fox holding a heart would not cut correctly.  Frustration finally set in and I turned to the internet to search for help, any help. Finally I found a tutorial on Silhouette School (silhouette school blog.com) that walked beginner's step by step through the cut and print process. My image didn't cut correctly because the machine did not know where to cut. All cut and print images must have registration marks on the page to show the Cameo where to cut. After the adding registration marks to the page the machine cut perfectly, for a few cuts and then it just started making random cuts. Now what? It seems that sometimes the machine can not read the registration marks if there is not enough light in the room and providing more light to the machine will help.

Although I really like the capability of the Cameo, it does have a learning curve. Now that I am becoming more familiar with the software it's definitely easier to use and a lot less frustrating. Silhouette has a Designer Edition software which will allow the machine to cut SVG files. There are lots of files (some free) available on line. Miss Kate's Cuttables offers a freebie of the day and Silhouette offers a free file every week. Recently I came across Fleurette Bloom's site. Her Love Is In The Air is so cute that I thought it would be perfect for Valentine's Day (and Weddings as a centerpiece). I downloaded the file and cut it out. The Cameo cut the balloon parts flawlessly. Then I hit a snag in the assembly. The glue that I was using, Scotch Scrapbooker's Glue, had a long drying time and the card stock pieces would not stick together. I found the instructions for the heart a little confusing and not very clear. My heart balloon was a lopsided disaster. Fortunately Fleurette Bloom made an assembly tutorial for You Tube (Assembly for Love Is In The Air Heart Balloon). The assembly of the balloon is really easy once you see it done.

So it was off to Photo Scraps for some Bo Bunny paper and Tombow Aqua Liquid Glue and a bag of Valentine's Hershey Kisses. The Tombow glue is strong, dries clear and has a shorter drying time than the Scotch glue. The assembly of the heart went together effortlessly.

Front of Love Is In The Air Balloon.

Back of the Ballon.

Love Is In The Air Supplies:

Love Is In The Air SVG files- purchased from Fleurette Bloom.
 Bo Bunny Double Dots Passion Fruit Vintage (the heart balloon uses 3 sheets of paper) card stock
DCWV Shimmer Stack Grey Dot (for flags)
Recollections Metallic Card Stock-silver for basket overlay
White Card Stock for the banner
Scrap of dark pink card stock for small hearts and trim on basket
Ranger Liquid Pearls-Platinum
Self Adhessive Pearls-2
Pink Heart Ribbon
Pink Twine-about 28 inches
Pink Button
Small amount of lace trim for basket
Martha Stewart Heart Border Paper Punch- for small hearts and bottom of basket
Tombow Aqua Liquid Glue
Hershey Kisses


1.  Assemble the heart balloon and basket as directed in instructions. I used the reverse side of the paper for the small hearts in the center of the balloon.

2.  Using the Martha Stewart Heart Border punch and dark pink card stock, punch a border long enough to produce about 30 small hearts (left over punched pieces).  Glue a small heart in the center of each pennant and in every other scallop on the trim for the basket. Glue the left over triangular pieces from the border to the bottom edge of the basket.

3.  Glue the lace under the scalloped edging for the basket.

4.  Attach a self adhesive pearl to the center of each of the center hearts on the balloon. Place a small dot of the Liquid Pearls in the center of each heart (on the pennants and on the scalloped trim) and around the edges of the balloon's center hearts. Place a small dot of the Liquid Pearls at each criss-cross of the basket overlay. Set aside to dry.

5.  Thread a piece of pink twine through the holes in a pink button and tie into a small bow.  Glue the button to the bottom of the small, center heart on the balloon, covering the point where the twine edges for the pennants meets.

6.  If you are not using the "Love Is In The Air" jpg that came with the SVG kit, print a Valentine's Greeting on plain white paper in Microsoft Word ( Be Mine is printed at 36pts). Cut the paper to fit the center of the banner for the balloon and glue in place. Glue the banner at the base of the small heart to cover the center where the twine edges meet.

7.  Fill the basket with Hershey Kisses. Wrap the balloon in cellophane gift wrap and add a bow for gift giving or use as is for a Valentine's Day centerpiece.