T his is a quick and easy 3 D "pop up" card using the Watercolor Wings stamp set and framelits. The technique was shared with me by my friend and fellow Stampin' UP! demonstrator Lyssa Zwolanek (Song of My Heart stampers blog) and I loved making this card. It was so easy to do but my husband was impressed....that's a rare combination! The outside is pretty, but the "magic" happens when you open the card!
Project Recipe
Cardstock measurements:
Glossy white cardstock panel (3.75"x5")
Basic Black cardstock panel (4"x5.25")
Lemon Lime Twist card 4.25x11" (score at 5.5")
Whisper White panel 3.75"x10" (inside panel)
scrap of Whisper White 3"x11"( to stamp butterflies)
Using the long white scrap stamp 3 butterflies in desired colors. I liked having coordinating colors to get a little contrast so I stamped some butterflies with Lemon Lime outlines and used Tempting Turquoise and Pool Party for the inside and some using Tuxedo Black outlines and Turquoise or Lemon Lime for the inside. According to my husband, the contrast made the butterflies look better and I had to agree.
Once you have stamped the butterflies, use the larger framelit from Bold Butterflies framelits to diecut them. I didn't worry about stamping "antennae" onto them since I kept cutting it out accidentally with the framelits.
Now fold the butterflies in half down the midline of the body....the outside edges should match up evenly. I found that burnishing the fold with my bone folder helped. Use the glue dots to attach them wing tip to wing tip. So basically pick the "center butterfly" (I used the contrasting color in my favorite version) and put a glue dot on the back of upper tip of each wing. Then using the other two folded butterflies line them up and adhere one to each side of the center butterfly. Now they will "stretch out" like a butterfly accordion to create your pop-up! The center butterfly will remain "free floating" over the center.
Now the fun part....you want the butterflies to all "accordion fold" open and shut when you open up the card. Decide how much you want them to "stretch" their wings. Place the butterflies on the 10" long scored white panel. They are already connected together, now all you want to do is fasten the outside wing tips of the two outside butterflies to the inner panel of the card.
Do NOT put any more adhesive on the center butterfly. Put a small piece of Tear 'n Tape on the outside back of wing tip of both the two outside butterflies (the wing farthest from the center fold of card when card is open as the butterfly is facing up) ...leave the protective tape in place for now. Line the center butterfly up with the score line and gently stretch one of the outside butterflies out as far out onto the card as you want it to be when card is open. (see photo below) Be sure not to stretch it too much due to stress on the glue dot connection with the center butterfly. Fold the card closed and re-open to be sure you are happy with the placement then remove the protective tape from that butterfly. The rest is easy ..now all three butterflies will be "stacked up" together. Remove the protective ScorTape layer from the remaining butterfly (which should now be positioned on the top of the stack) and fold the white card over to meet the other side edge to edge. That will ensure that your outside butterflies are taped down equidistant from the center line...the center butterfly will not be fastened onto the card base, only to the other butterflies.
Stamp your desired inside greeting on the white inside panel. I used sentiments from the Watercolor Wings set but you can substitute any small greeting that is more "birthday related" if you wish.
Now for the front of the card!
1. Diecut Happy Birthday framelit from the 3"x4' black cardstock piece. Lay on top of the white glossy panel but don't adhere yet, this is just to help you position the stamped images.
2. Using Lemon Lime twist, use the 3 pronged stem from the tulip set to stamp the stems in the bottom right corner of the white panel. REMEMBER: this is glossy paper so it takes a minute or so to dry thoroughly.
3. Now use the large tulip blossom and stamp flower at the top of the middle stem. Allow this to dry thoroughly then use the slightly smaller (but same shape) detailed image and stamp over the middle flower.
4. Stamp the smaller detailed tulips over the two outside stems. If the outside flower goes off the edge a little bit, don't worry...it still looks fine.
5. Now that your flowers are all finished and dry, position the Happy Birthday diecut onto the card and stick it down thoroughly with either dry line adhesive of tiny dots of glue. If using glue, make sure it is completely dry before continuing with the embossing.
6. This is the best part! Run the white panel with diecut attached through the quilt pattern embossing folder. Don't you just love that quilted effect on the card?
7. Attach the stamped and embossed layer to the black layer, then adhere black layer to the front of the Lemon Lime Twist cardfront.
8. You are done! Now stand back and admire your work!
backing up just a bit....I realized I forgot to mention something!
This is what the inside panel of "floating butterflies" will look like once they are all fastened down, they will only be attached by the outside edge of the two outside butterflies, the center butterfly will remain free floating.