Tutorial - Book Fold Cards

Today's fabulous card fold was created by the very talented Hilary Wilson who kindly allowed me to recreate her fold and share a step-by-step tutorial with you. Some clever cutting gives the illusion of a thick, hard-cover book, but what you're actually looking at is a single fold card that will fit into a flat envelope!

Hilary has a video for creating this fold here: Craft Oasis Book Fold Video

as well as several other video tutorials you can view: The Craft Oasis on YouTube

Or you can visit the Craft Oasis page for more fun card folds.

1. Start with a piece of card stock measuring 91/2" x 61/2". For the best results, use card stock that is coloured on one side and white or cream on the other. Both Hillary and myself have chosen to use single-sided gold card, but you can use a solid colour or pattern if you prefer.

2. Place the card stock horizontally on your score board and score at 43/4" and 51/2".

(IMPORTANT NOTE: the score line at 51/2" is decorative only. Do not fold.)

3. Fold along the 43/4" score line, which will give you an evenly folded card blank. Remember that the second score line is decorative only.

4. Open the card out flat. Cut a horizontal line from the right-hand side of the card to the 51/2" score line. The cut should start 3/4" down from the top right corner. Refer to the template above for correct placement.

5. Use a pair of small, sharp scissors to cut a scooped line from the end of the cut you made in step 4, to the top of the first score line. I've marked the line with pen so you can see the location of the cut. The section that we cut away will become the template for the remainder of our cuts.

6. Fold the card base in half. Place the template over the end of the visible white section, which is the inside of the card, lining up the score line on the template with the edge of the card stock. Use a pencil to mark the curve.

7. Use the template again at the bottom, left corner of the folded card, keeping the template flush with the bottom edge of the card. Mark the curve with a pencil.

8. Use scissors or a craft knife to cut along the pencil lines you made in steps 6 and 7. As you can see, our card is now starting to look like a large book. By echoing the same curve shape, we're tricking the eye into seeing a three dimensional object.

9. Now to decorate. I added some brown chalk ink to the inside edges of my card to reduce the contrast between the white and gold surfaces.

10. Add a large picture and embellishments to the card front, keeping to the area between the right hand edge and the decorative score line.

11. If you wish to add something to the "spine of the book", simply use the template to shape the top and bottom to complete the illusion of three dimensions.

12. The last step is to add some "pages". I used a very light pencil (PC1069) to draw quick, rough lines from the spine toward the outer edge. Don't worry if the lines don't make it all the way to the other side of the card, and it doesn't matter if they are not entirely straight. They are supposed to represent the pages, which don't always sit flat and uniform if a book is slightly ajar.

Stamps:

Sincere thanks go to Hilary Wilson for allowing me to reproduce her beautiful card and share the instructions on my blog for everyone to use. If you enjoyed this tutorial, please visit Hilary's pages to let her know.

Tutorial - Antique China

There are many ways to achieve a distressed or aged-look in paper crafting, from smoking the surface of the paper to tearing along the edges. The technique I'm demonstrating in this tutorial uses multiple layers of UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) to give a cracked and crazed surface much like you'd find on an old china plate or platter.

I started by printing and colouring an image from the Precious Memories digital stamp set. I've used a no-line colouring technique to make it look more like a hand-painted design. If you'd prefer, you can use markers or even a pre-coloured image.

Apply versa mark directly onto the image by patting the ink pad all over the paper. Make sure the ink pad is clean before you start so you don't end up with marks everywhere.

Dip the image into the UTEE powder, then heat set with an embossing tool.

Don't worry if you end up with a splotchy result from the UTEE melting unevenly across the image, we'll be applying more layers of UTEE until the surface is smooth and glassy.

Add more versa mark to the surface of your image, apply more UTEE and heat until melted. From this point, you can actually dip the hot image into the UTEE powder to add more between melts. Be very careful not to touch the heated UTEE or you may sustain burns.

Repeat until the surface of your image is smooth and glassy and you have a thick layer of embossing medium.

Once the image is completely cool, we're going to carefully crack the embossing using a snapping motion with your fingers. Don't be too rough and don't over work any one place or you may find the embossing comes away from the paper. If you find the card stock is too flexible to crack, it may help to place it in the freezer for a few minutes 

I rubbed some brown ink over the surface of my image to accentuate the cracks and give an aged look to the finished piece. Be aware that the ink can stain the surface of the embossing so take care with how much you use.

Stamps:

Paper Tole (part two)

A couple of days ago I started a paper tole project, which I originally intended to use on the front of a greeting card, but after all the work and the fabulous results (if I do say so myself), I decided it needed to be displayed in a different way. I oscillated between creating a framed picture and using it on the front of a notebook or album. In the end, it was the frame that won.

I sandwiched a piece of acetate between the top of the frame and the side layers to keep the image clean and protected. You can buy sheets of acetate from your local craft or scrapbook store, or you can recycle it from packaging, which is what I generally do.

Stamps:

Paper Tole

A clever friend of mine taught me a few tricks for making beautiful paper tole pictures, so I thought I'd give it a go using the double birdhouse from the Precious Memories set. I started by printing three of the full colour images with the intention of building them up to form a three dimensional scene.

I cut the base layer with a scalloped circle die. As you can see from the photo, the die doesn't quite fit the image, cropping out some of the leaves and the top of one of the birdhouses. I chose the small die so that some of the image will extend beyond the border of the base layer.

It was at this point that I realised I would need a couple more images to get a really detailed result. Thankfully I remembered the size and settings at which I printed the image and was able to produce two extras. (Hooray for digital stamps!)

For the second layer I trimmed away all the openings in the bird houses, then fussy cut the entire image, right up against the printed lines.

One of the tricks of the trade that I learned from my friend is to use a marker to reduce the amount of white paper that shows from your cuts. I used a light green shade to colour the edges of all the cuts. Make sure you work from the back though, as it's fairly common for the marker to slip and leave a trail of ink!

I adhered the second image directly over the first with a layer of silicone. You can buy specific silicone based glue for paper tole projects, but I was able to purchase a tube from my local hardware store that does the same thing at a better price.

I harvested a variety of different pieces from each of the other printed images. I ended up with a lot more than what you see in the photo below. Each of the pieces (except the birdhouses) were shaped with ball tools for a little more realism.

I'd originally intended to use the finished piece on the front of a card, but after all the work it took I felt I should do something more... which I haven't quite figured out yet. Hopefully inspiration will come to me in the next day or two!

Stamps:

A Day At Jackie's

There are many reasons to create and send cards, from birthday celebrations to the joyous arrival of a new baby. Some occasions are easy to create for, while others are more difficult and finding the right words can be a challenge. The Precious Memories set has sentiments for just those times. Whether you need a card for a grieving friend or for someone who is dealing with a health, financial or personal challenge, there are kind words to help you express your care and support.

Jackie has created a collection of beautiful cards for those challenging moments that occur in every life. She has coloured the images with soft, beautiful colours and matched them with meaningful sentiments intended to offer comfort, hope and love. She has kindly provided some colouring guides for those who are curious about the mediums she used on her projects.

For more of Jackie's work, head over to her personal blog:

Jackie's Blog