DIY fun fold card - Stamp By Stamp Creations

Fun Fold: Twisted Gate Fold Card

May 28, 2021 by Cindy

Today’s Fun Fold is the Twisted Gate Fold or Diagonal Gate Fold card. This unique fold is a lot easier to make than it looks. I would almost call it the Twisted Double-Flap Gate Fold because like the regular Double-Flap Gate Fold card that I showed you a few weeks ago, you fold the front panels back on themselves. In this fun fold though you fold the front panels back on the diagonal.

I just had to use the Hey Chick stamp set again before it is gone for good. It’s only available until June 30th or until supplies last and that goes for the fabulous coordinating dies. If you love them as much as I do be sure to get them while you can!

Here is the template for the base of the card. The dimensions are 7 1/2″ x 4 1/4″. Score along the long side at 2 1/2″ and 5″. Then score diagonally as shown on the template.

These are the two decorative pieces of designer paper. They both measure 4″ x 2 1/4 and are cut on the diagonal but one is cut from the upper left to the lower right and the other is cut from the upper right to the lower left.

The four triangles are labeled for you in this photo and the photo below shows where to adhere them on the card. I found it was easier to figure out where to place them while I had the card closed. I’ve labeled the pieces here so you can see where I placed them on the card below.

Honestly, figuring out where to put these four decorative pieces was the hardest part of making the card. When you are adhering your focal point to the front of the card you need to make sure you only adhere it to the L1 piece or you won’t be able to open the card.

I’ve attached a couple more photos of the card below so you can see it both fully open and partially open. It really is a fun fold and it will fit into a regular-sized envelope.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping

Fun Fold: Double-Flap Gatefold Card

May 7, 2021 by Cindy

It’s time for another fun fold and this week’s fun fold is another Gatefold card. It’s the Double-Flap Gatefold. As you can see from the photo, a little flap of the card front is folded back on itself. This card also has a bellyband like last week.

Do you ever finish making a card and just have to stop and smile? That’s what happened when I finished this card. It turned out even better than I imagined!

I used the gorgeous Hydrangea Hill designer paper to layer on the card base. After I made my bellyband I was stuck. I didn’t know what to use as the focal point on my bellyband. I couldn’t use anything from the Hydrangea Haven bundle because I didn’t have it! It was at this point that I regretted not owning it. But then, I noticed the Butterfly Brilliance stamp set on my shelf and thought “buttefly die!”. Of course then I had to figure out what to die-cut it from. Back to my package of designer paper and I found the perfect pattern that coordinated with the front of my card!

Now for the details on how to make this fun fold. You need to start with a piece of cardstock that is larger than your regular card base. You want a piece that is 5 1/2″ x 10 1/2″. I’ll give you a hint though. It works best if you measure just short of the 10 1/2″ mark on your cutter.

Lay your cardstock on your Simply Scored scoring tool with the long edge at the top. Score at 1″ and 3 1/8″. Now turn it over so that the other long edge is at the top and score at 1″ and 3 1/8″ again. The inside score marks will be valley folds and the outside score marks will be mountain folds.

The larger pieces of designer paper are 1 7/8″ x 5 1/4″. The smaller ones are 3/4″ x 5 1/4″. You can see how to make the bellyband on last week’s post. Before I die cut the butterfly I adhered a piece of designer paper to a piece of cardstock to give it a little more support. Instead of adhering the butterfly directly to the bellyband I die cut a small circle to adhere it to.

In the second photo you can see that I added another die-cut butterfly to the inside of the card as well as adding a layer behind the Basic White. Don’t forget to decorate the inside of your card too!

I liked this card so much I had to make two more for Mother’s Day. One for my mom and one for my mother-in-law! I hope you liked it too.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Folds: Gate Fold Card

April 23, 2021 by Cindy

The Gate Fold Fun Fold is quick and easy. At first glance it looks like a normal, folded in half, card. If you look closely though you can see the seam down the center of the card front.

The front section of the Gate Fold Card is actually two pieces that open outward like….a gate. 🙂

To make a gatefold card you start with the same size piece of cardstock that you would for a regular card. 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. Instead of scoring it at 4 1/4″ you score it at 2 1/8″ from each side. The short edges should meet up perfectly when you fold along your score lines.

In this photo you can see how the card opens. The photo also shows you how you attach the focal point of the card. You want to make sure you only attach it to the left side of the card so that you’ll be able to open the card.

It must be Polished Pink Week here at Stamp by Stamp Creations. On Monday I shared a card with you that I made with Polished Pink. In Tuesday’s newsletter that I emailed out I also used Polished Pink and today I’m using it again.

The designer paper that I used on the front of the card is one of the new patterns in the In-Color Paper stack. You’ll be able to find this pattern along with three others in all of the color family paper stacks in Stampin’ Up!’s new Annual Catalog. I used the Color & Contour stamp set on my card. The scalloped rectangle die comes from the coordinating Scalloped Contour Dies.

This last photo shows the inside of the card and is a good overall view of how it works.

As I mentioned, this is a fun and easy fold to make. Give it a try!

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Fold: Angled Corner

April 16, 2021 by Cindy

The Angled Corner Fun Fold card is fun and easy to make. The upper left corner of the card isn’t cut off, it’s folded in on itself. You then use die-cut or punched images to fill in the area that is “missing” on the card.

When you are decorating the card and filling in this “missing” area you want to be sure to stay within the 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ card front area so that you card will fit in the envelope.

Below you can see some photos of the inside of the card as well as the side where the angled fold is.

The nice thing about this fun fold is that it’s easy to alter. You can increase or decrease the size of your angled fold depending on the size of dies/punches that you use to cover the “missing” corner.

You also want to add a die-cut or punched image on the fold on the inside of your card to show it off. In the picture to the left you can see how adhered the single die-cut flower to the inside fold.

The fold itself is made up of only 3 scored lines and one of those scored lines is the one you made at the halfway point (4 1/4″) to form your card. Below you can see the template I used for my card.

The cardstock measures 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ which is a standard card size. I scored it along the long edge at 4 1/4″ which will be the center fold of my card.

Along this center fold score line I measured in 2 3/4″ and made a light pencil mark.

I also measured up 2 1/2″ from this center fold score line and down 2 1/2″ making light pencil marks at these points.

You can’t really use the Simply Scored tool or your Paper Trimmer to score these angled lines so you need to get out your trusty Bone Folder and a regular old ruler or any type of tool with a straight edge. Line up one of the points on the side with the point on the horizontal score mark and run your Bone Folder along the straight edge.

After you’ve made all three score lines fold the card in half like you usually would. Open it up again and crease the angled score lines in the same direction. They will be “mountain fold”.

This fun fold is very easy to make. The hardest part is figuring out how to decorate it! Be sure to contact me if you have any questions on it. I’ll be happy to help you out!

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Fold: Corner Flip Card

April 9, 2021 by Cindy

Today’s Fun Fold is the Corner Flip Card. It’s called this because….you make a couple of cuts, a couple of score marks and flip the corner! Ha!

I used the Snailed It Bundle and the Snail Mail designer paper on my card. Too cute! The little snail is die cut right from the designer paper. No stamping, no coloring and no fussy cutting! The only stamping I did on the whole card was the “hello” and the outline on the word bubble!

I’ve made a short video to show you how easy this Fun Fold is to make. You can view it below. After the video you will also find the template with instructions that I mention in the video. In the video I also mention that the important thing to remember is that you do the cutting with the card base upside down.

In this photo I’ve oriented the card the right way and I show you the lines I’ve cut and how I’ve scored. The solid lines are where I cut according to my template and the dotted lines are where I scored.

To make the angled score marks I lined up my ruler with the top of the vertical cut and the right end of the horizontal cut. Then I used my bone folder to score from each of those marks to the edges of the card.

To make the flip you then want to take the upper right corner of the card and fold it along the score marks towards the meeting point of the cutting lines. Easy Peasy! Now you’re ready to decorate your card.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Corner Flip Fun Fold card! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Folds: Twisted Easel Card

March 26, 2021 by Cindy

Last month I shared with you a Z-Fold Easel card. Today I want to share with you the Twisted Easel Card. The base of this card is easy to make. You can either start with a 4 1/4″ x 11″ card base or a 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ card base.

Of course if you want to change things up like I did on my card you can start with a 4″ x 8″ card base. I then added the bottom/back of the card to a 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ piece of cardstock.

No matter the size of the card base that you start with you are going to make the easel part the same. You first want to score your card base in half. Then you will make a score mark from the upper left corner down to the bottom of the score mark you made at the half way point.

The template above is for a square card but you will make your score marks the same if your completed, closed card is 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″. The triangles you make with the angled score mark will just longer and skinnier.

In the photos above you can see a couple of different views of the easel card. The second photo is especially helpful because it shows you how the front of the card folds and forms the easel. Both photos show how the sentiment is the “stop” for the easel to stand. It’s helpful to use Stampin’ Dimensionals on the piece for the “stop”.

As you are looking at the photos above you may be wondering where you’re going to sign the card or write a little message. I decided to add a piece of Basic White cardstock to the back for my message. It worked perfectly!

I made this card for a friend whose mother passed away last week. I could have sent it in a regular sized envelope which would have had a little extra space in it but I decided a card this fancy needed it’s own envelope. Lucky for me I taught you all how to make your own envelope not too long ago!

In the photo of the closed card you can see the angled score mark where the card will fold. Just make sure when you are adhering the focal point on the front of the card that you only adhere the bottom right portion! Otherwise you won’t be able to make the easel. I had fun making this card. Give it a try!

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Folds: Modified Z-Fold Card

March 19, 2021 by Cindy

I’ve been talking a lot about Z-fold cards recently. There’s just so many different types. Today I have another one to share with you. It’s the Modified Z-Fold. Yes, it’s a name that I made up but it works. On the Z-fold cards I’ve share with you in the past the front section is usually divided perfectly in half so that the first two section of your “Z” are equal widths. With the Modified Z-Fold card you only fold over a small portion of the front. The first section of the “Z” is much smaller than the second section.

On my card, when the card was closed, I tried to make the three areas that you can see approximately the same size. To do this I made my first section of the “Z” (the solid colored section) 1 3/8” wide. This is the section that I adhered my focal point (the flower) to. This means that I scored my card base at 1 3/8” and 4 ¼” to make my “Z”.

I then added a piece of designer paper to the part of the second section of the “Z” that would show when my card was closed. This measured 5 ½” x 2 7/8”. I also added a piece of designer paper to the inside of the card that would show when my card was closed. This meant I had to make the piece of white cardstock that I write on a little smaller than usually. The inside piece of designer paper is 5 ½” x 1 ½”. The piece of white cardstock on the inside of the card is 5 ¼” x 2 ½”.

This card was the first time I’d made this type of Modified Z-Fold and I like it. It’s a great way to showcase your designer paper. When I finished this card I got to thinking about the tip I gave in this week’s newsletter. In my newsletter I mentioned that you should try changing the orientation on your cards sometimes….so I did. I made the exact same card in a horizontal format. On this card the solid section is 1 ¾” wide.

On both of my cards the stamped flower is from the Art Gallery stamp set. It’s a two-step stamping set. I found that it worked best if I stamped off the larger first stamp before stamping on my card and then stamped the smaller, more detailed stamp full strength. If I had stamped them both full strength you wouldn’t see as much detail on the flower.

Another Fun Fold card completed. I’m really enjoying finding fun folds to share with you. Are you enjoying them? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Folds: Double Z-Fold Card

February 26, 2021 by Cindy

Sweet Ice Cream – Horizontal Double Z-Fold

Today I have another variation of the basic Z-Fold card for you….the Double Z-Fold!

The Double Z-Fold card is just what the name suggests. It’s two Z’s put together. My sample is made with the fun Ice Cream Corner Suite.

Included in this fun suite of products are the Sweet Ice Cream stamp stamp that can be bundled with the Ice Cream Cone Builder Punch, Blackberry Bliss Striped Ribbon, Ice Cream Corner Sprinkles, and the Ice Cream Corner Designer Series Paper. Of course they all coordinate perfectly together!

Sweet Ice Cream – Horizontal Double Z-Fold opened.

But back to the fun fold! In this picture you can see the 2 Z’s that for the the Double Z Fun Fold. The larger one is the card base and the smaller one is where the sentiments and the images are.

On both the large and the small pieces that form Z’s you will first score/fold your cardstock in half and then one of the sections will be scored/folded again just as you do on a regular Z-Fold card. Opposites attract. If you can remember this, you can figure out how to make the Double Z-Fold. The large section of the small piece of cardstock gets attached to the small section of the large piece of cardstock and the small section of the small piece of cardstock gets attached to the large section of the large piece of cardstock. Large to small and small to large.

Sweet Ice Cream – Vertical Double Z-Fold open

The card above is in a horizontal orientation but it can easily be made into a vertical orientation. The only thing you’re going to change when making the vertical orientation is the direction that your images and sentiments are placed.

You will make your vertical card the same way: large to small and small to large. As I mentioned before, this is the key.

To make sure that everything gets lined up perfectly when I adhere the small Z to the large Z I first close up the small Z so that the small section is folded up behind the large Z.

Place your adhesive on both of these sections. To correctly place this section on the large Z card base make sure the card base is closed . Then you will butt the center folds of the large piece and the small piece together and adhere.

You can see this in the side view picture below. When the card is all closed up the small sections butt up to each other.

Sweet Ice Cream – Vertical Double Z-Fold

One final thing to note about the Double Z-Fold Fun Fold card is that it won’t open to lay flat. You can kind of see this in both of the pictures of the open cards.

To left is a photo of the Vertical Double Z-Fold card in the closed position.

These cards are fun to make! Enjoy!

Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!

Fun Fold: Window Z-Fold Card

February 19, 2021 by Cindy

I’m so excited that I’ve finally used my Whale of a Time Suite products! These products were some of the first on my radar when the Annual Catalog came out last June but I held off buying them. I finally took the plunge and purchased them but then they sat on my shelf. Well, the time finally came with the fun fold card I have for you today.

Isn’t this Whale of a Time Designer Paper gorgeous? You’re just seeing one of the sheets. This paper pack is 6″ x 6″ with all sorts of sea life images.

I did copy this card from Pinterest (thank you Lisa Ann Bernard!). The only thing I switched out was the designer paper. Lisa used a more neutral paper on her card but I wanted to use one of the fun sea life patterns.

You can’t really tell from the outside of the card that it’s a fun fold but once you open the card you can see where the name comes from.

Lisa, the original designer, called this a Peek-a-boo Swing Card but to me Window Z-fold describes it a bit better. From the picture above you can see the window opening in the front of the card and you can also see the Z-fold of the white piece.

I was going to give you details on how to make this fun fold here on my blog post but it seemed a lot easier to simply write up the instructions and save it as a pdf for you. So here you go….step by step instructions with all of the supplies used and the measurements!

Of course as I finished writing up the instructions and looked at the photo of the inside of the card I decided that maybe I should have stamped some seaweed on that section too. Hmmm….next time! Yes, there will be a next time because I really like this card! 🙂

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this fun fold. Have a great day!

Fun Folds: Basic Z-Fold Card

February 5, 2021 by Cindy

The basic Z-Fold card is fun and pretty easy to make. It’s called Z-fold because….it looks like a Z when folded!

When making a Z-fold card you can start with a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of cardstock like I did in the adjacent picture or you can start with a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of cardstock. Whichever size of cardstock you start with you’re going to make your Z-fold card the same.

First of all you want to score and fold your card base in half. In the photo above I scored my 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of cardstock at 5 1/2″. To make the Z I then scored the front of the card in half again at 2 3/4″ and folded it towards the fold. Easy Peasy.

In the photo to the left I started with a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of cardstock. I first scored it in half at 4 1/4″ then the second score mark and fold were at 2 1/8″.

Once you have the Z-fold card base formed you need to decorate and embellish your card. You will usually adhere a panel to the smaller, folded over front panel that will overlap the back base of the card.

Back on January 18th I shared a card with you that looked a lot like the card you see on the left. It was a regular card made with The Sweet Strawberry stamp set. Once I had completed that card I realized how cute it would be as a Z-Fold card which brings us to today’s project.

In the photo you can see how the “front of the card” in Real Red is only have the size of the Real Red base. This is because I folded over half of the front to form my Z-fold. The checked designer paper with the strawberry on it is the decorative panel that completes the card.

In this second picture you can see the “Z” and how the card is actually put together. I used Stampin’ Dimensionals on the left, back side of the piece with the checked background and strawberry. It’s important to remember to only put Stampin’ Dimensionals on the portion of the paper that will actually get attached to that front side or you won’t be able to open your card. Oops! (Not that I’ve ever done that. Ha!)

You can see how the card looks when it’s open in the photo above. Z-Fold cards are fun to make. They’re pretty much my go-to fun fold when I want to add a little more pizzazz to card.

Give the Z-fold Fun Fold card a try. I’d love to see your samples! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!