Box card

There are many incarnations of similar cards around but I'm calling my card today a "Box card" because it has a folded section that makes it stand really well in a boxy shape. It folds almost flat to post too, so a winner for me. 

I was asked to collaborate with Elisabethhogarthdesigns as part of her Christmas card event and was delighted to make this video tutorial for you all. 

This is sure to be one of the cards on display on a shelf or mantle-piece.

Ive used the new Fitting Florets suite from StampinUp! It comprises dies, stamps,papers, gold swirl embellishments that I've teamed up with the wintry embossing folder and gold shimmer ribbon.

I really love how the delicate leafy spray cuts from gold card for an extra little accent and I've taken inspiration from some fellow demos to colour some of the berries on the DSP red to match the frame.

As a special gift to my SU customers, I am sending a free PDF cutting guide for this A6 portrait card plus A6 landscape, slimline DL and US A2 size. It has all the card sizes in inches and centimetres and needs to used alongside the video for instructions. Please quote the  Host code RQGYK32M for November and December 2022 purchases to obtain your free PDF and a small gift from me depending on size of order. If you would like to upgrade your order to £99 you can obtain £130 worth of goods and 20% discount on future purchases by joining my team. Email me for more details or see online - I'd love to welcome you onboard! This applies to UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium amd Ireland.

All the products are available from my SU shop at LesleyKilby.StampinUp.net. 

I used:

Fitting Florets Collection 163129

Wintry 3D embossing folder 155433

gold shimmer ribbon 152156

Cardstock - Evening evergreen, real red, soft succulent, basic white

Stamp pad: Mossy Meadow 147111

Gold embossing powder included in 155555

Real red stampin blends 154899

           

Neverending circle card

 

I loved playing with these gorgeous papers from Craft Consortium. The quality, as always, is amazing and the artwork by Lindsey Kelly is stunning. 

You’ll need:

·        Tis the Season 6 x 6 papers

·        Tis the Season 12 x 12 papers to fussy cut

·        Sentiment Stamps/die

·        a pair of compasses

·        die-cutting machine

·        scoreboard

·        foam pads for front of card

 

Step by step

1.     Select 2 sheets 6 x6 papers. Cut each in half and check they measure 3 x 6 exactly

2.     Score each one gently along the long side at 1 ½ and 4 ½

3.     Turn 90 degrees and score at ½ down to horizontal score line only top and bottom.

4.     Lay 2 of these HORIZONTALLY, one above the other, so they meet exactly. In the 4 corner squares add wet glue and lay the other two sheets VERTICALLY on top, checking sides and centres meet. Press the corner squares down. Wipe away any excess glue. Open gently and burnish folds each time until you return to the beginning.

5.     When opening the gatefolds, take care not to turn the card. Open sideways, top-to- bottom and repeat. This is a standard never-ending card. Now for the magic....

  Place point of compass in the centre. Draw circle as large as possible and cut out by hand.

    To make a template for matts, cut out a 3 x 6 piece of copy paper and score as before. Draw the same size (semi) circle as card, then reduce radius by 1/8” and redraw circle. Cut out smaller semi-circle and cut up for matts – cut away 1/8” along score lines to allow card to turn freely.

8.     Fussy cut flowers and images from papers to decorate. Add plain card for space to write and die-cut or stamp a greeting.

 

 

Top Tip

Use a large ball scoring tool when scoring design papers to avoid tearing

 

Pop up box cards

 I love making pop up box cards and here is my favourite size card. It folds so easily into a 6" envelope - providing I don't get carried away with the embellishments - and then it's a 7" for comfort! Like this time (LOL)

You will need:

1 sheet A4 card - 250-300gsm, scraps of  thick acetate, red liner tape, design paper and images of your choice

1. Cut A4 card to 5 1/2" wide by full length and score at 2, 5 1/2, 7 1/2 and 11
2. Turn and score at 3" but miss the widest section - if you make a mistake, just stick another piece of card over the top of the back  to support the fold.
3. Cut away the bumps of the scores down to the horizontal crease (2 1/2 " creases only). and the hatched section to make a tab.
4. Fold and burnish
5. Add red liner tape to the tab. Fold, press down to adhere
6. Cut 3 struts 1/2" x 4 1/2". Score  at 1/2 and just shy of 4 1/2" . Fold into Z shape  and burnish
7. Glue struts inside the box just under the edge going across from left to right 
8. cut supports for die-cuts etc from thick construction acetate approx 1/2" wide x 3"
9. Decorate as wished.

Happy Hallowe'en

 Good morning,

Today, I've found out my Happy haunting collection by Craft Consortium Ltd that they sent me last year. It is still current and available on their website so I thought I'd have another play. The images are really cute not scary; another design by Helz Cupleditch. I thumbed through the papers and refreshed my memory of how lovely they all are and what super quality. Some of the papers have embosed lines as if you'd stamped and heat embossed them. 

I decided to use one of the panorama strips with the beautiful cobweb paper with the torn paper technique to reveal the scene through the cobweb design. Here is how I made it:

I trimmed A4 black card to 11 1/2 length  and folded to make tent card base. I cut the spider paper to 8 x 5 1/2 and cut the scene strip from 12 x 12 paper pad which is approx 4" wide. Holding the spider paper over the strip, I yey-balled where to tear it, pulling the centre towards me to reveal a white torn edge. I trimmed the tear to approx 1/3 of the length and rolled around a paint brush before adhering to the main paper. I adhered the scene behind the spider paper near the torn edges and kept the left hand edge straight before adhering it all to the base. Luckily I had a Paper Boutique sentiment die that was perfect and I finished it with pearls from the Happy Haunting Collection. 

For a simple insert, I stamped the Happy Hallowe'en sentiment, cute hanging spider and flying bat from the stamp set. So many cute stamps to choose from!

An easy technique but the card is better given by hand because of the depth of the rolled paper. - or posted in a stout box.  Hope you give it a try. 

See you soon,

Lesley x

Tartan Doorhanger Treat

Hello again crafters, 

Here is my second project with the terrific tartan papers as I'm calling them! I was inspired by my US friend Karen to try this style, but after researching YT and watching tutorials, I couldnt quite see the size I was looking for. So, I ended up making up my own sizes and probably amalgamating ideas from several people. I don't know who came up with the original idea so I think it would be unfair of me to name just one of the many tutorials I saw.

These would make  super thank you gifts for Teachers, Hallowe'en, Easter, in fact almost any time or occasion and could be easily personalised with a name, large sentiment, card topper, die......  

Here, I've used a JND poinsettia die and stamped and embossed an overlay with some twigs from my stash. Luckily, I had some poinsettias left over from last year. I tend to batch-make these in various sizes, when I am in the mood, and then they are ready to go for a quick project. 

I am confident that I will be making something similar with different papers very soon and might even be tempted to make a video.

If  anyone would like a free template, please subscribe to my blog, leave me a kind comment below and your email to send the pdf.

Have a go yourself and do try these terrific tartan papers from Craft Consortium.

Keep safe,

Lesley

Candy Christmas Shadow Box

 More supplies arrived this morning from Craft Consortium so it woud have been ungrateful not to play, wouldn't it? I got 6 x6 papers in the "Candy Christmas" collection plus washi tape that I had been waiting for, and  top ups for the "Tis the Season" collection too. 

Candy Christmas won and I set to, making a card. I often mix papers from both size pads and today I chose the 4 x 4 toppers, a little decoupage , co-ordinating papers and the 6x6 pad. And glitter! How could I forget that! The front of the card needed a little "je ne sais quoi" and there it was - the pack of sequins. These snow flake ones are soo pretty as they are holographic and really glisten in the light. 

This is what I made.

I already have a tutorial on my blog for the shadow box with different papers, so if you go back a few posts all the instructions will be there. I used a different shape die this time for the aperture as the toppers in the pad are square and I thought this shape went better with the whimsical images in the collection.

The card folds flat and will fit into a 6 x 6 square envelope. Result! 

Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a kind comment below and pop over to see more makes on my socials - I dont always have the time to blog every one.

https://www.instagram.com/elegant_edges_crafts/?hl=en

You'll also find my posts on the Craft Consortium Network Facebook group. 

Back soon

Lesley x

All kilted up

After two projects with the Terrific Tartan papers from Craft Consortium, I was ready for a card. When I think of Tartan, what springs to mind? A Scot, with a shapely leg, sporting a kilt! I didnt manage the leg but here is a kilt card. 

 I spotted a couple of kilts on Pinterest but didnt find a tutorial, so I hope this is helpful if you want to make something similar. 

I started with a premade 6" card blank that measured 5 3/4 (I know, don't ask!) and matted with the smallest design from the 12 x 12 Tartan papers 5 1/2 x 5 1/2.

To make the kilt I cut a strip 6 1/2" x 2 1/2". If I were making another kilt I would check the pattern carefully and get it centred on the tartan across the front of the kilt. Try cutting and scoring copy paper and centring that on the best tartan paper to do this. Score the strip at 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, turn and score same from other edge. fold the first fold each side under and then do valley, mountain etc to centre. Don't burnish. Secure these fold with  narrow red liner tape across the back. 

To make the natural look of a moving A-Line to the kilt, gently pull out the pleats each side, then burnish the folds, keeping the centre panel square. add more tape to the back to secure folds lower down. Add a strip of dimensional foam tape down the centre back to keep it flat. Trim the top of the kilt straight. Cut a narrow strip of black card for the waistband that is wider than the kilt and wrap arond like a bellyband, secure when happy. Take a black  marker and colour the edge of the kilt paper behind the waistband so that it is not noticeable. 

To make the Sporran

I cut a small scrap of black card about 1/2" wide, rounded corners one end and cut to 5/8"

Then I layered white on top cutting narrower and rouning coners. To make the tassels I cut 3 pieces of black linen thread and knotted at one end fraying the ends and trimming so tassel ends were the same. I placed red liner tape on back of sporran base and arranged three tassels on top. To cover the top I cut a flap free hand from the rest of scrap card, added a fold and glued from the back. 

the chains to hold the sporran are silver peel-offs. I have a mountain of these in my stash so great to use even a tiny bit! I wrapped the peel offs around the kilt and adhered sporran on top.

I matted this onto 3 1/2" square white card that I embossed with an argyle folder by Craftwell to continue the theme, black card 3 7/8 and white again 4".

Let me know if you try this.

Happy crafting,

Lesley