As some of you may or may not know I have been on the design team over at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge since July 2011 and in the last month an opportunity has come my way that I simply couldn't refuse (I'm so excited, can you tell?!?!?!?). Do you want to know what it is?
Over the next few weeks hopefully I will have got to grips with all of the "behind the scenes" work and you won't even have noticed any difference (she says with her fingers crossed). I hope you'll pop over and join in our challenges as we'd love to see you :-)
I've got a great design team who have loads of inspiration for our fortnightly challenges. Our current challenge is anything but square/rectangle and can be found here. Who knows you could be our next guest designer or one of our top 5!
I've also got a design team call running until 29th March so if you want to come and join us please pop over and check out what you have to do. You don't necessarily need previous experience, just a love for card making or paper crafting and of course have your own blog.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and hope you share my excitement.
It's challenge time again over at Fussy and Fancy and this fortnights challenge is "anything but square/rectangle".
We also have a design team call running too, if you're interested why not pop over and have a look?
We all make square and rectangle cards don't we? So this time we're asking you to make alternate shaped cards. Let's see how many different shapes we get shall we?
For my card I've gone for a pop up card, I saw this "hidden messages" example in the February edition of Craft Stamper magazine and found this example too, but I've put my own twist on it and also used one of the flower tutorials from there too. I've put together a tutorial for my spin on this card along with the measurements that I've used as well. I'll include this at the bottom of this post if anyone is interested. Apologies for the length of this post as the instructions are quite lengthy :-)
I gave this card to my Mum for Mothers Day last Sunday as well getting 4 commissions for it too :-) I also cut out all the elements for a local brownie group (all 19 of them!!!) and gave them it in kit form along with the instructions and they were going to be making them for their Mums too! I think this card has been a "blooming" success, don't you, and I've loved making it :-)
1 x A4 sheet of terracotta card
Double sided tape/silicone glue
1 x A4 sheet of green card
Mulberry paper
Scraps of card for the main flower
Embellishments (for the flower centres)
Craft knife or scissors
Pencil
Ruler
Hougie board & scoring tool
Scalloped edge scissors
Ribbler (to crimp leaves)
Embossing tool & mouse mat
Ribbon
Scalloped circle nestabilities
Tim Holtz tattered florals bigz die
Instructions to make the flower pot:
1) Take your sheet of A4 terracotta card (or the card to be used for your flower pot base) and cut a rectangle measuring 16cm x 28cm. Place onto your Hougie board in a landscape orientation and working from the marrow edge at the left hand side score at 1.5cm, 12.5cm, 14cm, 15.5cm and 26.5cm (see diagram 1 below). Alternatively measure the intervals with a ruler, mark with a pencil and use a scoring tool.
Diagram 1 (click to expand)
2) Fold the card along the scored lines as shown in diagram 2 below.
Diagram 2 (click to expand)
3) Place your sheet of card into a portrait orientation and work on the larger section of card between the 1.5cm and 12.5cm score lines. Measure 3cm in along the 12.5cm score line from both the right and left hand side of the card and place a small pencil mark. Now draw a line from this point to the outer edge on the 1.5cm score line on both the left and right hand sides (see diagram 3 below).
Diagram 3 (click to expand)
4) Cut along these lines (which form the side of the flower pot). Do not cut past the fold lines at this stage.
5) Fold the card again along the score lines as per diagram 2 and using the lines cut in diagram 3, cut the remainder of the card to the same shape (see diagram 4 below).
Diagram 4 (click to enlarge)
6) Place double sided tape or glue along the fold at each end, 5cm in from each side and stick to the other end (see diagram 5 below). Ensure you leave the gap in the middle wide enough for your message strip to slide in and out.
Diagram 5 (click to enlarge)
7) Cut a piece of terracotta card (or the same coloured card to match your flower pot base) measuring 15.5cm x 2cm. Use a pair of scalloped edge scissors (or similar) to cut along one of the long edges.
8) Fix to near the top of the flower pot and trim the excess off the right and left hand edge (see diagram 6 below).
Diagram 6 (click to enlarge)
9) Cut a piece of lighter coloured card measuring 15cm x 5cm. This will be the slider that will fit into the flower pot and will also hold your hidden message.
10) Cut a circle with a diameter of 14cm from green card and cut this in half across the middle. Stick the two halves of the circle together sandwiching 4cm of the narrow edge of the piece of card, from the previous stage, in between (see diagram 7 below).
Diagram 7 (click to enlarge)
Instructions to make the flowers:
1) For the large flower I've used a couple of the Tim Holtz "tattered floral" dies and cut them from card. This flower needs to be quite sturdy as it will overlap the flower pot base and needs to keep its shape when you pull it open to reveal the message inside.
2) Cut two of the nine petal flower and one of the smallest flower (see diagram 8 below).
Diagram 8 (click to enlarge)
3) Score down the centre of the two larger flowers and fold upwards (see diagram 9 below). I've used distress ink around the edges and a fine liner to add a line down the score/fold line to match the colour you've chosen for your flower.
Diagram 9 (click to enlarge)
4) Glue one on top of the other so that the petals of the bottom one fit in the gaps of the top one (see diagram 10 below).
Diagram 10 (click to enlarge)
5) Take your smaller flower, your embossing tool and a mouse mat and with the wrong side facing upwards, use small circular movements on each individual petal gently until the petals curl up. Repeat in the centre of the petal until it forms a cup shape (see diagram 11 below).
Diagram 11 (click to enlarge)
6) Fill this with silicone glue and fix to the centre of the larger flower (see diagram 12 below).
Diagram 12 (click to enlarge)
7) You need to use mulberry paper for the rest of the flowers and the three smallest sizes of the scalloped circle nestabilities and die cut four of the smallest size, three of the next size up and 2 of the larger one. To form the flowers for all sizes the instructions are the same.
8) Find the centre of the flower by folding in half one way, unfolding and then folding in half the other way and then placing a dot in the centre of the flower. This will be covered up with your embellishment once completed.
9) Cut towards the dot in the centre of the flower but not completely at the bottom of every alternate scallop (see diagram 13 below).
Diagram 13 (click to enlarge)
10) Repeat this process for all of the mulberry flowers in all sizes.
11) Turn the flower over so that the wrong side is facing up and place onto your mouse mat. Using your embossing tool work in a circular motion at the ends of the petals on both scallops. Then emboss down the centre of the petal running from the end of the petal towards the centre of the flower (see diagram 14 below). Repeat this for each petal.
Diagram 14 (click to enlarge)
12) Turn the flower over so that the right side is facing upwards and using a circular motion emboss the centre of the flower. This should now curl up to form the flower (see diagram 15 below).
Diagram 15 (click to enlarge)
13) Cut fourteen leaves from green card (mine measure 3cm approx in length and 2cm approx in width) and score/fold down the centre. To make the markings on the leaves put them through the ribbler placing them in diagonally (see diagram 16 below - apologies additional picture to be added as the ribbler is still with the brownies).
Diagram 16 (click to enlarge)
14) To assemble your flowers place the insert inside your card base and starting with the larger card flower in the middle, glue this so that it is in the centre of the semi circle and overlaps the flower pot rim enough so that when it is closed there are no gaps.
15) The placement of the mulberry flowers and leaves can be seen from the picture below of the finished example.
16) I have filled in any gaps with pieces of matching ribbon which have been folded into a loop and glued into place.
17) The only thing you need to do now is to embellish the centre of your flowers with buttons, sequins, pearls or whatever else you want to use.
I hope that these instructions, diagrams and pictures have been easy enough to follow and that you enjoy making your own pop up flower pot cards. I would love to hear your comments.
Please feel free to reference this tutorial, along with your project, on your blog and any craft sites but PLEASE spare a thought for the time and effort that has gone into producing this and a link to this tutorial would be very much appreciated :-)
It's challenge time again over atFussy and Fancy and for the next 2 weeks our challenge is "FAIRIES". I know we don't need much of an excuse to get covered in glitter, I know I certainly don't, so join in the challenge and you never know you might be our next guest designer!
Here's my card for inspiration, but our design team have also done wonders this time too, so why not pop over and have a look:
I thought I'd try something that I haven't done for ages and that's water colouring!! I'd forgotten how relaxing it was and also how quickly time goes as well!
Hasn't this last week been a lot warmer? Well it has here anyway! With the nights pulling out now it's starting to feel a bit closer to spring with the some of the bulbs already in flower :-)
Anyway back to my card, I've used a selection of my Art Impressions stamps and my Marvy Le Plume and Whispers pens mixed with water to colour the images and voila - here's the finished article. I've left the sentiment until later when I decide what ocassion this is going to be for as it's so versatile.
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Welcome to my crafty world, the place where I go to get away from it all and indulge myself! Some people go for chocolate or wine, but with me it's more papers, stamps and an inky mess. I hope you'll find something inspirational on your trip around my blog and even better if you want to come back for more.
xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx
Please feel free to take inspiration from my work, but spare a thought for the hours of work that have gone into them and please don't copy or upload any of my work claiming it as your own! Thank you :-)
