Celebrate New Beginning Card

Hi Everyone,

Can’t believe spring is almost here already! As a long time subscriber of Spellbinder’s monthly club kits and the latest February kit is amazing.  With the recent release of the BetterPress system, I am beginning to explore more with Better plates.  In this post, I am sharing a Z fold card featuring the Flutter Into Spring Press Plate. 

I love making fun fold cards especially a Z fold.  I was inspired by the double decker fun fold style designed by Susan Stampfield.  The Flutter Into Spring press plate would be perfect for this card design. 

Steps:

1. Use two A2 heavy duty cotton cardstock panels recommended by Spellbinders for BetterPress system.  Follow the BetterPress instructions for pressing the Flutter Into Spring and the hummingbird plates using black Archival ink.  Press the floral plate twice.
2. Color the panels using watercolor and colored pencils.  For added shimmer, I used Lindy’s Gang magic powders to watercolor the panels. Fussy cut the colored florals and hummingbird.   
3. Prepare a 5 1/2” x 8 ½” heavy card base; score at 2/18” and 4/1/4”, crease and fold at the score lines. 
4. Adhere the back panel with 4” x 5 1/4” sage cardstock and pattern paper trimmed slightly 1/8^’ smaller.  
5. Glue the front Z fold with two front panels were 1 7/8” and 5 ¼” light sage background and two white panels trimmed 1/8’ smaller dry-embossed using the Efflorescent Flora 3D embossing folder.     
6. Cut 2 ¼” x 3” white strip score at ¾”, ½” 2 ¼”.  Fold in the middle and adhere with double sided adhesive on the outside.   Turn over and line up with the middle of the card base.  This is the inner pop-up mechanism. 
7. Cut 3” x 4 ½ ” white cardstock.  Stamp “Celebrate New Beginnings” and adhere to the colored floral images.  Glue the panel to the pop-up mechanism.
8. Cut 3” x 4” dark green cardstock.  Adhere a 2 7/8” x 3 7/8” white panel onto the dark green panel.  Glue the floral and hummingbird images to the panel.  Adhere the entire panel to the front Z fold. 
9. To finish, embellish the card with some gems.          

Although there were a few steps involved in making this card; the result was well worth the efforts.  I wish you could see this card in person with all the shimmer and textures.  See you on the next post.

Lillian