Adorable Owls Gatefold Explosion card

Can these little characters get any more adorable?!!!! 

Here they are again with a gatefold explosion card. I remember making this style in a square format many years ago with Craftwork Cards and I just love how we crafters just recycle old ideas and give them a little extra something to refresh and bring them up to date.

I've chosen really zingy Parakeet Party in-coloured card and 6 x 6 papers to really make an impact here. 

Here is how: 

8 1/4 x 5 3/4" Parakeet Party card.    Score 2 1/16 from each side to make a gatefold card and burnish well.

8 x 4" Basic white (thin) card    score at 2 / 4 / 6 - DO NOT FOLD  the 4" score line. Then score from top left card to centre bottom diagonally. Repeat from top centre to bottom left to make a cross over 2" score line. Repeat over 6" score line. Gently fold and score the diagonal folds (as valleys) and the 2" and 6" folds only (as mountains) 

Lay inside the gatefold base and check that it will fit and opens and closes. 

Add basic white layer lining inside 5 1/2 x 3 7/8. you can stamp straight onto this top and bottom but I decided to use the wordy stamps from the set,  stamp on scraps and layer with PP

Cut another Basic white card same size 5 1/2 x 3 7/8. stamp happy birthday and glue fussy cut owl. stick on back to write greeting.

Adhere fancy folded white card inside  as follows: adhere side diamond shapes with wet glue inside the base card, lining up the outside edges exactly. add dab glue in centre to keep it in place.

DSP   2 pieces 1 13/16 x 5 1/2 for front,  
I chose non directional DSP for simplicity to mat the folded insert -4 squares 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 and cut across diagonal,  2 1/2 x 2 1/2 square cut diagonally for sides, 2 5/8 x 2 5/8 square to mat centre behind owl.

As in my previous makes, I created a cloudy background, die cut with stylish shapes die and fussy cut the owls for inside and topper. 

Cut strip PP card 1" wide to create belly band and fold loosely around folded card. Adhere topper to centre.

I used:

Adorable owls Sale-a-bration stamps 160269

Go to Greetings for Happy Birthday stamp 158763

Cardstock -Parakeet party, basic white

In colour 6 x 6 DSP: 159253

stamp pad: Tahitian Tide 159210

Memento Tuxedo black ink pad 132708

Stampin blends - various

Multi purpose liquid glue 154974

stylish shapes die 159183

Paper trimmer152392

Simply shammy to clean stamps 147042

Paper snips scissors -to fussy cut owls 103579