Concertina Card directions

Concertina Card Instructions

• Take an A4 sheet of card, lengthways (portrait) and measure 6cm from the bottom edge.  Score and fold up, using a bone folder to give a crisp fold.

• Now fold the outside edges towards each other, folding the whole card in half and, again, using a bone folder to give a crisp fold. 

• Next, carefully fold the outside edges back to the centre fold, again using a bone folder to get a nice crisp fold.

• Take a corner rounder punch and punch each of the corners of the part that has been folded up, giving a nice curved edge.

• Choose a stamp as a theme - I chose the Time to Stamp Tulip here - and stamp it on the bottom (folded up) section of the opened card.  Make a mask by stamping onto scrap paper and carefully cutting around the image, taking care to cut just INSIDE the outlines - if you cut on the line or outside the line, you will create a 'halo' effect of blank card around the image.  Using Zig Memory glue, add glue to the back of the mask.  Once it's changed colour from blue to clear, it's no longer permanent and you can now use it as a mask.  Mask the image you've already stamped and stamp it again, next to the original image.  Do this over and over until you have a pleasing effect on the folded up section of your card.

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• Colour the images with your chosen medium - I used watercolour pencils.  Then stipple around the bottom edge with a pale green ink - I used Memories Soft Sage.

• Stipple the section above the fold just around the edges, to provide a background for the tags.  I used Adirondack Butterscotch ink for this.

• Now add double sided tape (I used the Tombow refillable adhesive mouse) to each of the folds of the bottom section, leaving space for the tags to be inserted.  Fold upwards and score with the bone folder.

• Using the tag template, cut out four tags of the largest size (whichever design you prefer).  Firstly stipple with colour - I used Memories Soft Peach - Stamp with the tulip, then mask (using the same mask you used for the bottom of the folded section) and stamp with the My Sentiments Exactly Flowers background, using Brilliance Pearlescent Beige ink.

• Turn over the tags, stipple with colour again, then stamp with your chosen Friendship verse - here I used the My Sentiments Exactly Irish Blessing Stamp.

• Add fibres or ribbons to your tags for embellishment.

• Cut two pieces of card just a little larger than the front of your concertina card when folded, using a contrasting colour for effect.  Attach these to the front and back of the card, inserting fibres or ribbon if required.

• Cut another two pieces of card, the same colour as the original cardstock used for the basic concertina card.  Stamp with the tulip, then mask and stamp with the MSE Flowers background, using the Brilliance Pearlescent Beige ink.  You could use another tag for this part if you so wished.  I then added a stamped and embossed sentiment from PSX.

• Gild the edges of your front layers with gold Krylon pen and attach to the front of the card. 

You can, of course, adapt this in many ways - another sample is shown below, using pink and white cardstocks and silver ribbon.

• SUPPLIES

• A4 sheet cream card, or colour of your choice

• Sheet of contrasting card and half a sheet of same colour used originally

• Time to Stamp Tulip

• My Sentiments Exactly Flowers Background

• Sentiments  for tags - I used Friendship themed sentiments from MSE, PSX

• Black Stazon inkpad

• Adirondack Butterscotch ink pad

• Memories Soft peach ink pad

• Bone Folder

• Embossing tool for scoring

• Ruler

• Pencil

• Watercolour pencils and waterbrush

• Brilliance Pearlescent Beige Ink pad

• Corner rounder punch

• Fibres/ribbons for decorating tags

• Gold Krylon pen

• Double sided adhesive tape

• Stipple brush

• Memories Soft Peach inkpad