HAPPY CUPCAKE DAY - THE NEXT LEVEL - CHALLENGE 4

The Challenge this week on my magazine blog, The Next Level, is to create either a Stair Step Fold card or a Pop up Freestanding Card. I chose the Stair Step Fold card to showcase because I just so loved this new set of h'Anglar stamps, I thought this would be the perfect way to use them.

For details on the dimensions for the Stair Step Fold pop over to The Next Level tutorial section where I have put the basic information on how to create this shape and style of card. What I will do here on my own blog is just to add a little more 'meat on the bones' on the individual make up of this card.

First of all I started with a choice of just 2 papers that I wanted to use as my card base, two very simple digital checks, but with colouring that would follow through to the images to complete the overall look. I cut out the cardstock base and the top layer and then did a zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine to seal them both together (following the amazing Tutorial that True did in Issue 2 - which really helped me get my stitching right!!!). I then scored the card following the sizes on the tutorial and this made up my base.

I wanted to have my images all standing proud of the folds on the card, so at this stage I needed to make sure that the backs would look good. With Copic pens, which is what I used to colour the images, you usually get a bleed through to the back of the paper. I thought this would not look good when the card was flipped over, so I stamped the images on my check paper, scanned them and loaded them into my imaging programme, then flipped them horizontally. This meant I had a stamped reverse image that I could cut around and they would paste on the back of my coloured images and be a perfect fit. Now I know this sounds complicated, and a much simpler method is just to stamp your images on the back of your patterned paper, and when you cut round them you will have the same effect, but without the stamped finish, but the correct shape in your patterned paper to mask the rear. I did this method on a couple of the images and finished the rear effect off by adding some faux ink pen stitches. It does take a little time and effort to do this, but I am sure you will agree that when viewing the card from the rear if does give a much more finished effect. I also added a little cupcake to pretty the rear up a little.

To close the card fully so that it would fit nicely into the box envelope, I folded a ribbon right round the card and put two pins where the ribbon met, and stitched this on the sewing machine. I added a little bow to the front, and this now slides on and off completely.

I also made a box envelope that is three-quarters of an inch deep which takes the full thickness of the card with a little room and completes the gift card.

I hope you have enough detail here to help you make one of these cards if the fancy takes you. If you have the time and you stop by, please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Ann xxx