I had so many emails and questions about this card, that I decided to share the instructions with all of you via a tutorial! Remember the Artichoke Card? It really wow’d everyone at my Card Club and Classes too.. to jog your memory, here it is!
I called it an artichoke card because after I had stamped the image from the Friends Never Fade Stamp set, I thought it really looked like a very fancy artichoke! Anyway, today’s tutorial should answer all those questions and emails which I have been receiving during the last week.. here we go!
First, you’ll need to gather the Stamping Supplies for this tutorial:
Stamps: Heard From the Heart, Friends Never Fade, All a Flutter
Cardstock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Old Olive
Ink: Versamark, and Old Olive Classic Ink
Accessories: Brights Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Stampin Dimensionals, Marina Mist Narrow Taffeta Ribbon (appx. 9.5”), Basic Black Embossing Powder, Signo White Gel Pen, Dotted Textured Embossing Folder, Tombow Multi Adhesive, mini glue dots
Tools: Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Paper Trimmer with Scoring blade, Heat Tool
References: Vellum Butterflies Tutorial
Card Stock Cutting and Scoring Directions:
Whisper White Cardstock:
- 8 1/4” x 5 1/4”, scored at 2 1/2” and 6 3/4” (see Diagram A) for card shell
- 2” x 4 5/8” for front decor
- 3 3/4” x 5” for inside of card
Old Olive Card Stock:
- 5 1/2” x 1 5/8”, 5 1/2” x 2 5/8” and 5 1/2” x JUST A HAIR under 4 1/4” for inside of card
Bashful Blue Cardstock:
- 2 1/8” x 4 3/4” for outer/front decor panel
- 4” x 5 1/4” for inside of card
Marina Mist Cardstock:
- 2 1/4” x 4 7/8” for outer/front decor panel
- scrap for vellum butterfly technique
Vellum Card Stock:
So.. do you have everything ready to go??
After you have cut and scored your Whisper White Cardstock (8 1/4” x 5 1/4”) it will look just like this (Diagram A).. well, minus the handwriting, arrows, and ink!!
Next, you’ll emboss ONLY the top/front (wider) flap of the Whisper White Cardstock using the dotted textured embossing folder and your Sizzix Big Shot machine! Carefully line up the first row of dots just below the scored line for the card, and make everything is parallel and perpendicular! I changed the cardstock color in the next photo to Bashful Blue so you could have a better view of the alignment :) If you look closely, you will see that the edge of the EF (embossing folder) really lands slightly higher than the scored line of the cardstock.
Once this step is complete and you have removed the cardstock from the textured embossing folder, you’ll want to add the narrow taffeta ribbon to the lower half of the card. I tie my ribbon around my finger to make bows.. and then slip the ribbon off my finger and cut the ribbon on a diagonal.. but that’s another tutorial :) Attach your ribbon with mini glue dots approximately 1/2” above the lower card fold.
TIP: Placing one mini glue dot behind the knot in the bow allows perfect placement, and keeps the knot from moving or sliding on the card. A mini glue dot on opposite ends of the ribbon can be used to secure the ribbon to the back of the Whisper White Cardstock (while your bow stays neatly in place).
Next you’ll want to attach the larger Old Olive Cardstock to the inside and center of the card, making sure that it is centered and the overlap on each side is equal. Grid or Graph Paper is a useful tool for this step.. you can align the cardstock, and see that your placement is perfectly square as well. (I’m not showing you the grid paper in this photo because the Whisper White cardstock got totally lost in the picture when I did that!)
Instead of Grid Paper, you’re getting a peek at the new In-Color Blushing Bride.. isn’t it cool?
Hold the two pieces of cardstock securely, and flip them over to take a peek at the other side.. make sure those babies are square and even!
Now you are ready to add the inside flaps to the card. Once again, it is important that you position the Old Olive cardstock so that it is evenly aligned.. HOWEVER.. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT… you will NOT put the cardstock all the way to the score line on either flap… leave an every so narrow gap. You want both the top and bottom pieces to meet when the card is folded closed. Check that your cardstock aligns with the previously positioned Old Olive center piece as well.
When both flaps are attached, the outside of your card will look like this..
Once stamped, and glued in place, the inside of the card will look like this… Note the picture is really blown up and modified, the white space is really much less than 1/16”.
In the sample above, I used Marina Mist and Old Olive Stampin’ Write Markers- brush tip to color the image from the Friends Never Fade Stamp Set. As an added touch, I also added four tiny Old Olive dots next to the stem… actually, I did that because I had a creative opportunity… and the dots covered it up nicely :) I always say “There are no mistakes in Stamping, just Creative Opportunities”… if you mess something up, there’s always a fairly simple creative solution… and if that doesn’t work.. it’s only paper, right?
The last remaining piece was stamped with those regal artichokes from the Friends Never Fade Stamp Set, and greeting from the Heard From the Heart stamp set using Old Olive Classic Ink and layered onto Bashful Blue and Marina Mist Cardstock Layers with Stampin’ Dimensionals. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Only place your dimensionals at the top and the middle of the layered image sandwich.. the layered sandwich actually over-hangs the bottom half of the card by 1/2”!
:) If you put stampin dimensionals on the lower half, you will be sealing your card shut.. permanently!
Of course the last step is to use the scraps, versamark, black embossing powder, and signo white gel pen to create your Vellum Butterfly.. and then attach it to the card in a pretty precarious position.
Hmm.. I just noticed the ruler in the photo above is also showing you that the gap between inside Old Olive layers is less than 1/16”.. how’s that for detail?
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, I’d love to read your comments… and of course, you know… all these supplies and more for your paper crafting, scrap booking, and quilting needs can be found at my online stampin’ up store!
Hugs, and have a wonderful weekend!
Sharon
