Book-style Card Box Measurements

Feel free to download / print these directions and measurements and use them.

Link back to the full tutorial...

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How to make a book-style card storage box

First, I have to give credit to The Efficient Crafter for the idea.  She made her box a little differently because she used patterned paper.  I used cardstock, so I didn't need as many layers for the box to be strong enough.  Also, to make my version you'll only need one 8.5"x11" sheet of Whisper White or Very Vanilla, and a half sheet of 12"x 12" of whatever color you choose for the outside, plus whatever you'd like to embellish with.

Score your 6"x 12" cardstock at 4 7/8 and 7 1/8.  This will form the outside.

To create the two inner pockets, cut a 3/4" strip off of the long side of a sheet of 8.5"x11", then cut the remaining piece in half to get two 7 3/4" by 5 1/2" pieces. 

You're going to make a slanted pocket that looks like this from the outside.  If you want the pocket to reach the top (it would look tidier), you'll need to cut two pieces that are 7 3/4" x 7" instead, but I thought this way would use less CS and once it's full of cards, it won't matter so much.

Score each inside piece at 1/2" and 1 1/2" in from two short sides and one long side...

Cut away the 1 1/2" squares at the bottom corners.

Measure up two inches from the bottom of one side flap on each piece and mark it.  If you're using paper that is the same on both sides, you don't need to worry about making the two pockets mirror images of each other, but I've shown it that way in case you're using a textured or patterned cardstock for yours.

At the 2" mark , make a cut straight across to the second score line.

Now comes the tricky bit... cutting the diagonal.  Turn your card stock along the cutting line from the top of your 2" flap to the top of the card stock where the next score line is... you can just make out the top one in my photo:

You should end up with something like this:

Red liner tape is a strong adhesive, put it (or something similar) along the inner edge of all the 1/2" tabs, like this:     

(Hint: If you're going to use Fast Fuse or an ATG, then you should wait until you're ready to assemble everything before putting adhesive on the tabs.)

Amateur Hour

A tip for organizing Piercing Templates with the coordinating dies and embossing folders

A couple of weeks ago, I realized that my first blogiversary is coming up, so I thought to note the occasion, I'd try something new.   I've done a few tutorials so far, but never a video.   Now that I've tried it, I have SO much appreciation for those that do them regularly.   Thank you for watching what is really more of a study in how tough it is to do a good video!

Feel free to leave me a comment to let me know how I did!   What do you think of the organizational tip?   Don't think I'll try this again unless I find something to hold my camera for me and get more lights! 

Father's Day punch art

I was totally stumped on what to use for my father-in-law's card this year until I saw this golf card over on Kathe's blog.   Finally, a perfect idea where before I had none!  I changed a few things, and I'm pretty happy with how my interpretation came out, although I can think of a couple things I would do differently if I made another.

If you CASE this, please leave a comment here with a link so I can see your version, too!


Click here to see the card I made for my handy Dad!


DIRECTIONS:
I started with some scraps of Certainly Celery card stock and tore the edges to make the grass (or "the green" or whatever!).  I used the retired Medium Oval Punch for the hole and the 3/4" circle punch for the golf ball.  I ran the white circle thru the Big Shot with the retired polka dots Texturz plate and sponged the debossed side with a tiny bit of Basic Gray.   I attached it to the Bashful Blue card base with a dimensional, then ran my finger around and around the edges of the ball to give it a curved shape.  The flagpole is a scrap strip inked direct-to-paper with Chocolate Chip and Soft Suede.   Pennant Builder Punch for the flag, curved with the bone folder and attached with 1/2-dimensionals.   To make the bushes, I punched a Scalloped Oval and a scalloped triangle (Pennant Builder Punch) from Certainly Celery and sponged with Garden Green.   I was going to use a scalloped circle for the sun until I remembered Every Little Bit has a cute sun, so I stamped him in Pumpkin Pie on Daffodil Delight, cut him out and mounted him with a dimensional.   With such a cute sun, the "Live in the Sunshine" sentiment from the Pursuit of Happiness stamp set seemed necessary on the card front!   The inside has Happy Father's Day from Delightful Dozen, but this would also make a great birthday card for anyone who enjoys golf!

Princess Party Favors

I know I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again, I think the Petal Cone Die may have been my single smartest Stampin' Up! purchase ever.   Tooting my own horn...Toot, Toot!, but I think these little princess hat favor boxes are so cute!   If you wanted a circus theme, you could easily top these with a pom-pom to make tiny clown hats or with a frill of shirred paper to make a"party" hat.

1.   For each hat, use your Big Shot (or similar machine) and cut 2 shapes using the Stampin' Up! exclusive Petal Cone Die.   Cut one in half down the score line.  In these pics, I was using cardstock, so I stamped and embossed the images at this point.   Not necessary if you're using Designer Series Paper.

2.  Trim off a bit of the half-circles on both sides to allow the box to close correctly.    Easier to do it before you begin assembly rather than after, like I did here :)

3.  Apply Sticky Strip to tabs; you won't need the piece you cut off that has no tab.   Fold an 8"-10" piece of ribbon in half and adhere it to the top of one of the tabs. 

3.  As if you were using a curling iron, wrap the ribbons around the handle of a paper piercer, dowel or pencil.   Heat ribbon with Heat Tool for 10-30 seconds, more or less.   This depends very much on the type of ribbon you are using.  The more polyester content, the quicker the curl will set.   It's not that hard to melt 100% polyester ribbon or set all-cotton ribbon on FIRE when what you really want is a curl, so use caution and common sense!   Allow the curls to cool undisturbed for a minute then arrange them to your liking.   

4.  Assemble box as usual.   Decorate as desired.  Fill box with treats and seal.

Hard to see the sparkle in this photo, but the  Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder with Versamark is very sparkly and pretty.




For the projects shown above, I used the Modern Label punch,  Season of Friendship stamp set, Short and Sweet stamp set, Calypso Coral CS, Whisper White CS, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Brights Patterns Stack DSP, Stampin' Up! white taffeta ribbon and some ribbon scraps from gifts.   I hoard anything pretty that could be used for crafting, so it's nice to justify that craziness by using the stuff occasionally!  The hat below uses retired Specialty DSP (with glitter, of course) and retired pink ribbon along with the Boho Blossoms and Modern Label punches.

So the boys didn't feel left out, I made some magician hats with Basic Black CS (Night of Navy would work great, too).   I stamped them with White Craft Ink and the star is from the Every Little Bit stamp set.

I don't have a tiny crescent moon stamp, so I made one!  I just cut the shape from a piece of the scrap rubber that you get with every stamp set.

Hope you enjoyed these as much as the kids at the party did!   Let me know if you try your own...

Partial Embossing with the Framed Tulips Folder (tutorial)

First, you have to do this with a card that opens along it's shorter side; so you start with a sheet of card stock (CS) cut to 4 1/4" x 11" for a standard A2 card or 4" x 12" to make a 4" x 6" card (these fit easily into business-size envelopes).   Score the CS in the middle to create the card blank.  You'll place the long edge of the embossing folder across the front of the card.

Next, and most importantly, emboss the top row of tulips first.  When you place the CS into the folder, be sure the edge of the CS is lined up precisely with the points of the tulips on BOTH edges of the folder.  This is the trick to getting the embossing straight.   

I'm usually pretty good (I think) at getting things square, but until I realized this I was making some really crooked embossing.

In order to emboss only the front of the card, not the back, turn the handle so that the first edge of the folder goes all the way through the rollers, then stop and turn the handle in the opposite direction and the platform and everything will back out of the machine.   Embossing twice like this won't make any difference to the appearance of the pattern.

Finally, take the CS out of the folder, turn it around, and emboss the bottom row of tulips.   This time, you just have to eyeball the straightness of the folder, but you now have the first row of tulips to use as a guide.   Making sure the edge of the folder looks parallel to the first row of embossing is much easier than trying to guess at a 90° angle between the CS and the folder.   Wilma suggests adhering the DSP at this stage, before embossing the second line of tulips which will make getting the second line straight very easy.   I was more concerned with getting the second line the same distance from the bottom of the card as the top line was from the top of the card, then I cut my DSP to fit.   Either way works  :)

  

 Click here to view samples made with this technique.

Click here for a Christmas card idea using this technique.

Hope this helps.   This is my first attempt at an online tutorial like this, questions and constructive criticism are appreciated!