Today I have two class cards featuring pretty papers and ways to use them. I also introduce a fun fold I'm calling a Pillar Gatefold.
The paper pack that I’m using for these two cards is one called Botanical Textures. It has been discontinued, but the new catalog has a lovely paper pack that would work well for these techniques. It’s called Artisan Sketched Garden and has several floral prints that would be so much fun to use this way! Another new one you could try if you want a paper that is just leaves, would be a paper from the Beautiful Ordinary Life paper pack.
I'm also showing a third card using papers from the Perennial Lavender DSP. In class, I’ll give my students some of this paper and cardstock and encourage them to use 1/2” paper strips to do their own thing.
My third card is not one the class will duplicate, so is not included in the video below. Instead, it is a card that showcases a couple of possibilities – which I then put together in a single card rather than making two samples. This also shows a variation on the basic gate fold card that can be a lot of fun. Check out card #3 below.
Some of what I did in creating these cards was challenging to describe in a blog post, so feel free to watch the video:
Card #1 (above):
Card Base:
This card is a simple gate fold card - made from a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Soft Sea Foam cardstock that was scored at 2 1/8" from each end and folded in to meet in the center.
Background Paper:
I started with a 4" x 6" piece of patterned paper. Rather than leaving it as a black and white print, I colored it with the lightest color of Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blend marker. After it was all colored, I trimmed 3/4" off the top of the panel as I so often do when making cards. I inked around both pieces using black ink - then glued the 3/4" x 4" piece towards the bottom of the inside of the card. Then I cut the remaining panel in half vertically to create two pieces that were 2" x 5 1/4" - then glued these in place on the card front - aligning the "uninked" edges along the center edges of the card base.
Focal & Finishing:
The focal was made using an older stamp set called Forever Fern. It's discontinued, but you could use any stamp of leaves that you have on hand. If you don’t have one already, you might try the set called Greenery Lane for some fun leaf shapes. I stamped those using the new Basic Black Hybrid ink which will work with either alcohol or water color techniques! I then colored inside the leaves with the same Soft Sea Foam marker.
The flowers were stamped with the Pretty Florals stamp set - which is currently on the Last Chance sale. I used Berry Burst and Fresh Freesia inks. Though these have matching dies, I chose to fussy cut them to avoid the narrow white border the dies would create. After adding the flowers with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals, I stamped a sentiment (So Sincere stamp set) then matted the piece on Soft Sea Foam cardstock and glued it to JUST the left side of the gate fold card.
Finally, I added a few Rhinestone Basic Jewels - that I first colored with a black Sharpie pen.
Card #2:
I call this card base a Pillar Gate Fold. It looks similar to a gate fold card, but the left side is popped up (though it folds flat for mailing). As you can see, I made the card base from Basic Black cardstock. I decorated it with black and white patterned paper cut into 1/2" strips.
Card Base:
Here's a quick look at how I made it:
It starts with a 5 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock. I drew pencil marks on the picture above to show the score/fold lines. It is scored at 2 1/8", 6 3/8", 6 7/8", 9 1/4", 9 3/4", 10 1/4", and 10 3/4". All folds are valley folds. After scoring, rotate the cardstock so the 2 1/8" flap is on the right side and the multiple 1/2" sections are on the left.
Then, fold the right 2 1/8" flap in as you would for any gate fold. For the left side, add glue to the narrow 1/4" on the far left side, fold it under, then count two more folds and close on that one to glue that narrow flap in place. (You should see two 1/2" sections on top and bottom of left side.) Then fold back up and you have a 1/2" hollow column. This column will form the right edge of the left flap - and can be flattened for mailing.
Right Flap:
I started with two 4" x 6" panels that were identical to each other except one was white on black and the other was black on white. I trimmed the top 1" off both panels - setting these aside for the inside of my card and leaving each remaining panel at 4" x 5". Next, I took each of these panels and trimmed them vertically at 1 5/8", leaving the 2 3/8" x 5" pieces for later.
For now, I vertically trimmed 1/2" from each side of the 1 5/8" x 5" pieces. This left the center piece at 5/8" wide. I switched the center pieces and taped the 3 piece sets together forming two pieces that are again 1 5/8" x 5" - one has outer edges of black on white with center of white on black and the other is the reverse - like this:
I choose the one with the white on black edges and matted it on a piece of white cardstock that was 1 7/8" x 5 1/4", then glued it centered to the right flap.
For the left flap, I did the following:
Glued piece of white cardstock that was 2 1/8" x 5 1/4" to center of pillar. Cut black cardstock piece that is 1 7/8" x 5 1/4". Starting at the top, I marked each side of the black piece every 1/2" with a pencil. Then I cut the remaining patterned paper panels (2 3/8" x 5") crosswise every 1/2 inch to create several pieces that are 1/2" x 2 3/8" - I separated these by color.
Then I chose white on black pieces to glue first (though my sample below starts with black on white):
I took one strip and glued it so the bottom of the first strip was aligned with the first mark on the left and the 2nd on the right. Skipping a mark on each side, I glued the next - and continued doing this until reaching the bottom of the black cardstock. Then I started with the other color going the other way - aligning my first piece over the right side of the first strip and the left side of the 2nd. When you get to the bottom, you'll see that you need partial pieces top and bottom to complete the pattern. Trim all ends along the edges of the cardstock - then glue to the center of the white mat on the pillar.
Finishing: Using another stamp from the Forever Fern stamp set, I stamped a couple of images on the bottom of a white piece of cardstock. Then I stamped a sentiment and die cut it using stamps and dies from the discontinued Mixed Labels bundle - then die cut a second piece from black using the same die. That bundle is also an older one that's no longer available, but you can use whatever sentiments and dies you have or use the beautiful new Sweet Words & Labels bundle. As you can see, I offset the black shape toward the bottom of the stamped sentiment before gluing in place. To finish, I added a small black bow from my stash.
Card #3:
Card Base: This card base is actually a basic gate fold card, made just like I did with card #1 - except that I used Gorgeous Grape cardstock. However, after adding Basic White cardstock pieces that were 2" x 5 1/4", I added 3 3/4" x 5" panels to each side creating what looks like a Tri-Fold card.
The picture above shows you the 2nd panel.
And this is what the inside looks like - note that I added a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of white to the inside of the card as well. More about the strips later.
Note that this structure - especially with the layered backgrounds - creates a card that is fairly stiff, so may require extra postage if you mail it.
Background Panels: Each panel can be made in a similar way - starting with pieces of cardstock that are 3 3/4" x 5". The focal will be a 2 1/2" square turned on point like a diamond. Simply lay that focal in the center of the panel and lightly draw around it with a pencil. Paper strips will be glued around this drawn diamond - though it's not a bad idea to just barely cover the pencil marks as you do so. SO, now you need to prepare your strips of paper so you can glue them to the prepared panels.
For each panel I started with a 4" x 6" piece of patterned paper (from Perennial Lavender DSP that is on Last Chance Sale as I write this). I cut this into 1/2" strips lengthwise - then turned half of them to show the back side of the paper. I also had a piece of Gorgeous Grape cardstock that was 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" - cut crosswise into 1/2" strips that were 4 1/4" long. So now I had 3 different colors of strips that I glued in place. I started with a strip of Gorgeous Grape and placed it with one edge along the line that would be an extension of one side of the square, with the end of the piece just barely over the drawn line and the remainder hanging off the cardstock piece. Starting with one of the patterned paper strips, add it right beside the first strip - then add a strip showing the back side. Continue this until you finish this side (continuing past the end of the square using an imagined extension line). Turn cardstock 1/4 rotation and start strips along this line. As you go, trim pieces along the edge of the cardstock and use them as you can - trimming the top of the strip as needed. Finish all 4 sides the same way, and trim panel - then glue to the left side of the gate fold. Repeat for a 2nd panel if you wish. Remaining strips can be added to the inside of the card on either side of the white panel.
Focals: As you can see from the above pictures, I created focals for each panel. The first used the same leaves and flowers as card #1 but using Gorgeous Grape and Highland Heather inks. I colored the leaves using the Shaded Spruce Stampin' Blends. I added a few adhesive backed sequins to the center of the flowers. The second just has a stamped sentiment on it.
Finishing: After adding the focals to the center of the panels, I added a bow toward the bottom of the focal on the first panel. Then I used some of my leftover strips to decorate the inside panel of the card.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these class cards. You can shop for Stampin’ Up! products with me as your demonstrator here (if you're in the USA). Each month that you make a Stampin' Up! purchase with me (as long as you’ve chosen to be contacted), you’ll receive a pdf by e-mail that describes that month’s class cards – my gift to you.
As always, as an independent Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I’d love to have you choose me as demonstrator when you make purchases from Stampin’ Up! I would earn a small commission on any purchases you make, but that would not affect your price. I'd also love to read any comments you may have, and have you subscribe to my blog and YouTube channel. Have a great day!
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