BUTTERFLIES & BLESSINGS

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE! Is that really a PC statement??? Memorial Day was established as a day to remember those that are gone. Some of us will find this a sad day, especially if the losses are new, others may find pleasure in remembering the lives of the ones we've lost. For me, today will be a bit of both I think.

I have a new fold to share with you today. It may not be new to all of you - but it was the first time I tried this. It is DEFINITELY time-consuming - but I liked the outcome so I think it was worth the time involved.

This is called the TRI-SHUTTER FOLD. The first image shows the card closed - the second image: open.

It's pretty easy to make and hopefully my instructions will be as easy to follow.
Start with a 5.5" x 12" piece of cardstock.

Using your Fiskars cutter (or similar cutter), score at 2", 4", 8" and 10" across the narrow edge of the card so that your first section is 2"x5.5", the second is 2" x 5.5", and the center section is 4"x5.5".

Turn the cardstock in the cutter and line the long right edge up to the 4" mark and cut a line 1 1/2" in from the left edge from the 10" mark (first foldline) to the 2" mark (last foldline). Repeat this along the other long edge of the cardstock.

The cardstock is now ready to fold and decorate. For my card I centered the Paisley Cuttlebug folder in the middle of the card and ran it through the BigShot. The Cuttlebug folders work perfectly because they have a 1/4" blank border which allows the 4" center section of the card to fit without embossing into the other folded areas.


Once embossed, I folded the card along the score lines (as shown in the second photo) and began decorating it closed so that the front of the card looked planned.

FRONT: I used SU! Bella Blue Designer Paper to cover 2 sections of the card then stamped the single bloom from SU! Bloomin'Beautiful in Basic Brown ink directly onto the DP. The leaves and stem were colored with SU! markers in Old Olive, Mellow Moss and Certainly Celery. The crocheted flower was one I had made previously and it was applied with adhesive over the bloom of the stamped flower. I tied a bow using my new BOW EASY and attached a miniature butterfly in Pretty in Pink DP. All the butterflies on the front of the card were made with Martha Stewart punches and miniature pearls were added to the bodies. The sentiment is from SU! God's Blessings and is stamped in Basic Brown ink.

INSIDE: I stamped the butterfly image from SU! God's Beauty in Basic Brown ink. I colored it in shades of Pretty in Pink and Apricot Appeal then cut it out and glued it to the inside panel being careful not to let the wings overlap into the upper panel. I applied more DP, punched butterflies, pearls and another sentiment to the inside panels leaving the back panel free of embellishment so that I can add a personal note and signature to the card.

WHEW!!!! That was as long to explain as it was to make the card!!!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and that you'll give it a go. If you do, please leave me a comment with a link to what you've done. I'd love to see it.

Until next time -
Happy Stamping!
Jill