Tutorial :: Bluegrass Stamper

Tutorial Cards & Projects

December 23, 2017

Painted Harvest Accordian Window Card (aka Lever Card)

The last couple of months have been rough ones for me. I lost my dad last month, and its’ been pretty hard to find my motivation. My family and friends have been so wonderful and supportive, and I’m finally beginning to get caught up.

We made this card at Stamp Club back in October, and I promised to write a tutorial. So, I’m kicking off my return with step-by-step instructions for this card.

The first step is to cut the window in your card front. I used a square. My card base is 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”, folded in half. If you want to emboss your card front, be sure to cut out the square before embossing. Save the square; you’ll need it later!

The inside panel is 5” x 8”. Score and accordian fold at 2”, 4”, and 6”.

Adhere the back fold to the inside back of your card, leaving 1/4” border.

Accordian fold the panel and secure it so that it doesn’t slip.

Close the card and use a pencil to mark the square on the accordian panel.

Here’s the tricky part. Unfold the card so the panel is flat and not layered with your attached card front. Using the same square die you used on the front of the card, line it up with your pencil marks (you might want to use a sticky note or washi tape to be sure it doesn’t slip). You only want to cut the panel that is marked with the pencil, so you’ll only be cutting half of the square. This is easy to do by lining up the edge of your cutting pad so that it covers only the half of the square you want to cut. The Big Shot won’t cut the part that’s not covered by the cutting pad. How cool is that?! If you find it easier, you can just use a hobby knife to cut your half square, too, and skip all of the above instruction.

When you’re finished cutting, it will look like this. I chose to cut the flap off, but you can keep it if you want to. It works either way.

Place adhesive around the window and on the lower area of this panel. Close your card to adhere the card front to the panel.

Place adhesive on the panel inside the window area. (If you chose not to cut the flap off, be sure the flap is open and put adhesive on the entire square.)

Remember the square we saved from the card front? Decorate it as desired and put it right back where it came from, adhering it to the panel.

All done! Your card should now look like my card at the beginning of the post. You can decorate and add any embellishments you wish.

Stamps: Painted Harvest

Cardstock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

Ink: Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive

Dies/Punches: Layering Squares Framelits, Leaf Punch

Other: Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Triple Banner Punch, Linen Thread

If you enjoyed this tutorial, or have any questions, please leave a comment below.

October 4, 2017

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Adding Texture Without a Big Shot

If you haven’t had a chance to get the amazing Big Shot, I’m sure it’s at the top of your Wish List. It’s an incredible machine that can add so much to your cards with Framelits, Thinlits, and TIEFs (Textured Impressions Embossing Folders).

But, even if you don’t have the Big Shot, you can still add texture to your cards. Using the Simply Scored Scoring Tool is a great way to add texture to your card fronts. If you don’t have this tool, you can also use your Stampin’ Trimmer with the scoring blade for these techniques.

For this card front, I simply scored five adjacent lines beginning about an inch from the bottom of the card.

You can also add diagonal lines to your card for a different effect. Simply turn the card at an angle to score. It’s important to hold the card securely.

You can create a diamond pattern, which makes a nice background.

Place the paper so that you are scoring from corner to corner. Leave a few spaces between your score lines (I scored every half inch), working from the center to the corner, then from the center to the opposite corner. Turn the card and repeat this pattern in the other direction. Be sure to hold your card securely when scoring!

Another way to add a nice textured background is to use your punches. In this example, I’ve used various sized circles punched from the same color cardstock, and glued them randomly on my card. I like to let some of them hang off the edge for a more “finished” look.

Flip the card over and trim the excess, and you’re finished! You could use any punches you have. Wouldn’t hearts be cute for a Valentine, or stars for a patriotic card?

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas to add texture to your cards. I’d love to see what you create with this idea!

December 19, 2016

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Four Panel Pop-Up New Year’s Card

I’ve been having technical problems this week. First, my external hard drive crashed and all my files are gone. Second, I couldn’t get my photos to upload to the cloud so I could edit them, and I don’t know what’s wrong with our internet, but everything is working VERY slowly. Of course, all this happens when I actually have a couple of days to get some things done! Go figure!

We made this card at Stamp Club this month, and while I know I need to finish posting my Christmas cards, I promised to do a tutorial on this card, and I want to get it out in case my friends want to make more of these.

The outside is nice, but the magic really happens when you open this card.

Isn’t this a great card?! I can’t wait to use this design to make cards for other occasions.

Stamps: Frosted Medallions, It’s a Celebration

Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, VersaMark

Dies/Punches: Triple Banner, Large Letters Framelits

Other: Sparkle TIEF, Silver Embossing Powder

TUTORIAL:

It looks complicated, but it’s not as hard as it looks. But, I’m only showing you how to make the basic mechanism, and you can decorate it any way you want.

First, you’ll need two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock. I’m using purple and white just so you can see what I’m doing. Cut the purple sheet in half vertically at 4 1/4″. Cut one of these pieces at 2 3/4″, so you’ll have a piece that is 2 3/4″ x 11. You’ll only need these two pieces, so you can save the smallest piece for a future project.

Fold the 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece in half at 5 1/5″. This will be your card base. Score the 2 3/4″ x 11″ strip at 2 3/4″, 5 1/5″, and 8 1/4″. This will be the four panel piece. Fold it accordian style. It should look like a W.

Cut a 1/4″ strip off of the white sheet, so that it measures 8 1/2 x 10 3/4″. This will be our mechanism. You can discard the 1/4″ strip.

Score this piece in the center of the 10 3/4″ side at 5 3/8″.

Turn and score at 2 1/4″, 4 1/4″ and 6 1/4″.

Fold in half on the 5 3/8″ score line. Take a ruler and measure 1″ from the fold and use a pencil to mark the edge of the card stock. Repeat on the other side.

Measure 1 1/4″ from the fold on both outer score lines and mark with the pencil.

Using your ruler, draw a line from the 1″ mark to the 1 1/4″ mark on both sides.

Use your scissors to cut through both layers on the outer score line up to, and along the pencil line.

Open cardstock and lay flat. Bring the right “wing” across and line up the center score line of the wing with the center score line that runs the length of the card. Use your bonefolder to crease well. Repeat with the left “wing”. Try to keep the folds intersecting in the center of the card.

Open card and pull “wings” toward the center.

Flatten and crease (it will be in a house shape). Outline house shape with a good strong adhesive like Tear & Tape. Line up and adhere to base card with point toward center fold.

Outline other side of house shape with adhesive and close card to adhere.

Place strong adhesive on opposite points of “wings” as shown with X.

Close card. Open partially as shown and remove adhesive backing from X area. Center four panel piece inside card (with folds toward center fold) and press down to adhere to the X area.

Slightly open card enough to get the wing that has not been adhered on top of the four panel piece and adhere. One wing will be adhered to the top of your piece and the other will be adhered to the bottom.

That’s it! Open your card and watch the magic happen!

Whew! That was a lot of pictures to edit! I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions, let me know. I would love to see what YOU create with this fold!

Thanks for visiting, and if you need any stamping supplies, please visit my online store.

September 24, 2016

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Spooky Fun Side Step

My Stamp Club members were so excited to make this card! It’s called a side-step card, and I have instructions below. It’s a lot easier than it looks!

There are dies to make this type of card, but I think it’s much better to customize your card to fit your stamps and dies.

For example, I was doing this card for a class, and needed to be frugal with my Designer Series Paper. I wanted to use a piece that was 2″ X 4″, so I could get several from one sheet of 12″X12″ paper with no waste. This meant I wanted the left front portion of my card to measure 2 1/4″ x 4 1/4″. My measurements and instructions are for my card, but you can change them to suit your own needs.

Step 1: Put your card base (8 1/2″ X 5 1/2″) into the paper trimmer at 2 1/4″.

Starting at the top, cut from 1″ down to 6 1/4″.

Step 2: Flip card over and turn it so the cut that is 1″ from the edge is on the left. Score on the 3 1/4″ side at 1″ (this lines up with the end of your cut), 2″, 3 1/4″, 4 1/4′ (score this one all the way across the card), and 6 1/4″ (this lines up with the other end of the cut).

Step 3: Hold the card with the 2 1/4″ side on the left, and the 1″ score line at the bottom right. Fold the right side of the card back on the 1″ score line, forward on the 2″ score line, back on the 3 1/4″ score line, forward on the 4 1/4″ score line and back on the 6 1/4″ score line (accordion style). The left side will fall into place and fold in the center.

Here’s the fixin’s for the card we made:

Stamps: Spooky Fun

Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pumpkin Pie

Dies: Halloween Scenes Edgelits, Layering Circles Framelits

Other: Halloween Night Specialty Designer Series Paper, Stamping Sponge

If you have any questions about this card, let me know! And, if you’d like to purchase any of the supplies used, please visit my website for 24/7 shopping!

Thanks for stopping by!

March 6, 2016

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Pop Up Slider Card

The weather in Kentucky has been crazy lately. We go from 20 degrees and snow to 45 degrees and rain, to 60 degrees and sunshine! I do love ALL the seasons, but not all in one week’s time!

One of the perks of being in my Stamp Club is getting written instructions for our main club project each month emailed to you. But, this month, an email just won’t work. After getting all the instructions written and pictures taken, I decided it would be best to post the tutorial here. I’m afraid that email would never download!

It did take me a while to get this done. In our original project, I had 1/8″ measurements, so I decided to re-work it a bit to make it easier for everyone, including me!

Here are pictures of our original project, which was adapted from a card by Michelle Last. However, there were no instructions, so I had to do some research and write them up myself to get them like I wanted.

So, here’s the tutorial.

1. Your mat (backing for the card) will be a 1/4 sheet of cardstock (CS) (5 1/5 X 4 1/4) in the color of your choice. Our card mat in class was Bermuda Bay. I’m using purple for this tutorial.2. Cut 2 pieces of white CS to 4″ X 5 1/4″. This will layer nicely onto our mat. Cut another piece of white CS to 3″ X 4 1/2″. This will be our “slider”. For the purpose of this tutorial, I am using purple for this piece just so you’ll be able to see where to place it in the pictures.

3. Stamp as desired on one of the two twin panels. Line the stamped CS vertically in your trimmer at 3 1/4″ and cut from 3/4″ to 4 1/2″. Turn panel around and do the same on the other side. You’ll have two slits as shown. Depending on your stamped images, decide which end of the card will be the bottom. Connect the two cut slits by cutting at 3/4″. DO NOT CUT between the top slits. This will create a flap in your card.

4. Insert the BOTTOM of your card (the cut end) into your trimmer and score between the cut lines at 1 1/4″, 2 3/4″ and 4 1/2″. Fold on the scored lines. The bottom one is valley fold, center is mountain, and top is valley.

6. Place the twin panels together and punch a half circle from the TOP so you’ll have a place to access your slider, once the card is put together. Put the “back panel” aside for now.

7. Turn front panel (with cut and scored flap) over to back side and put sticky strip or other strong adhesive on bottom of the flap. Be sure to use a STRONG adhesive like sticky strip, tear n tape, etc. Attach the smaller white panel to the back of the flap. It should overlap slightly on each side. Mine is purple for the purpose of this tutorial.

8. Place strong adhesive along side and bottom edges, and seal to the twin panel, sandwiching the slider panel between the two. Pull/push up and down on the slider a few times to get it working smoothly.

9. Your slider card is now ready to secure to your bottom mat, and decorate as desired!! In class, we rounded the corners of the top of the slider panel, punched a hole and attached a ribbon. We pulled the slider to the “open” position, stamped inside the revealed “window”, and attached balloons to the center scored and folded panel.

Note: If you do attach items to the scored panel, be careful to use adhesive only where the pieces will attach to the panel. Our balloons “stood up” beyond the edge of the fold, and if we’d placed adhesive all over the back of the balloons, our card would have stuck to itself and not opened.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you make any of these cards, please post them on the Bluegrass Stampers FB page. If you’re not a member of Bluegrass Stampers, search for our group and click Join. If we haven’t met, please message me, too, as sometimes random people ask to join. If you’re not on FB, send me a photo and I’ll post it for you.

A big THANK YOU to my Stamp Club members!!

December 31, 2015

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Snow Place Box Card

I had a request from Stacey, a Stamp Club member, wanting to learn to make a box card. So, this is one of our projects from December Stamp Club. I’ve seen several box cards on Pinterest, but I wanted ours to fit in a medium envelope, so I did change the dimensions a bit from the ones I saw.

Here’s the fixin’s!

So that you can see the measurements, I’ll be using white CS for my tutorial, but the Snowman sample is made with Night of Navy.

Our box base is a half sheet of CS (5 1/2″ by 8 1/2″). With the CS horizontal, score at 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″.

Turn the CS to a vertical position and score at 2″.

Cut on the four score lines (2″,4″, 6″, 8″) on the “short” side (2″), up to the score line. Cut the 1/2″ x 2″ piece off, and cut a small angle off of the 1/2″ x 3″ piece, so it will adhere nicely.

Fold on the vertical score lines, and three of the horizontal lines (to make the box flaps). DO NOT fold the “flap” closest to the 1/2″ piece. This will be the back of the card and will stand up straight.

Place a strong adhesive (glue or tear & tape) on the 1/2″ flap and adhere to the other end of the CS to form the box.

Cut two strips of CS 1″ x 3″. Score each piece 1/2″ from the end.

Fold the ends, and adhere into the center of the box, one in front and one in back. This will be the base to attach your decorations.

Decorate your box card as desired. We used the Flurry of Wishes Bundle and the Snow Place Bundle. Ink colors: Memento Tuxedo Black, Marina Mist, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy.

Supplies for this card may be purchased by clicking on my shopping basket.

Until next time…….stay inky, my friends!