Feathers, Flowers and a Diamond!

This is my first post of the day - please scroll up to see my second post

Hello again friends!

It's time for a new challenge at Lexi's Creations again. Wow, you sure loved the Anything Goes challenge ... I was quite worn out heading round your blogs looking at your creations, and I'm sure the other DT girls felt the same! This fortnight, Susan has set us the theme of Fancy Folds ... no one-fold cards please, but cards with multiple folds.

Our wonderful sponsor this time is Priyanka from My Heart Pieces. The prize that is up for grabs this week is 3 of Priyanka's lovely digital images. Pop over to her blog to check out her cute digis.

 I decided to challenge myself (again!) and use a card fold that I've not tried before, a Diamond Fold Card. There is a great tutorial here on this fold (including a video) at Splitcoast Stampers but the measurements are all in inches and a standard sheet of A4 of paper or card isn't quite big enough to get a strip that is 12" long! So, with apologies to Splitcoast Stampers, here is my tutorial (the first one I've ever done, so I hope it's OK!) using metric measurements and making this card from one A4 sheet of card:

Materials:

1 A4 sheet of paper or card - I used 120gsm card in cream. You could print a digital paper onto your card first to save you having to decorate your card when it's complete. I've left mine blank

Cutting and scoring tools - I have used my Clevercut Paper Trimmer

Bone Folder

Ruler

How to cut, score and fold:

 Cut the paper card so it measures 27cm x 9cm

 Measuring along the long edge (27cm) score at 4.5cm and again at 22.5cm. Fold along these score lines both ways, so folding the flaps to both the front and back of your card.

 On the reverse of your card (especially important if you're using a DP) mark the long edge (27cm) at 13.5cm

Using a ruler (or like me, the straight edge on my Clevercut) line up the 2 marks at the midpoint on the card. Now, take one side of your card and fold it along the straight edge so that top of the strip of card is now folded over and running along the ruler. Move your ruler to the other side of the midpoint marks, and do the same with the other side of your card.

Turn the strip round and repeat the last stage, and you end up with 2 diagonal lines each side of the midpoint going out to the flap and intersecting across the card.

 Now the clever part, folding the card!

I found the easiest way to do it was to pinch the top and bottom triangles with my left hand, whilst teasing the left hand triangle and left hand side of the diamond in to make a sharp point - photo below. The mechanics of this will fold the top and bottom triangles in half.

And then unfold the flap ... one side done!

Repeat the folding process on the other side, and unfold the flap

Turn the card round so the flap are at each side, let the spring in the fold open out naturally and the card will sit nicely on the bottom point of the diamond and the two side flaps. It's now ready to decorate and embellish as you choose - the side flaps measure 4.5cm x 9cm and the diamond is 9cm high by 9cm wide.

And here is my finished project using the card base photographed above using a gorgeous digi by Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts (thanks Lexi!):

 My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from cream card, which I cut, scored and folded (using my Clevercut) as above to make a Diamond Fold Card
• Design Papers - are called Green Paper and Yellow Floral Paper. They are both from a kit by Summer at Summertime Designs called Moments.
• Image - is by Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts  and this little cutie is called Lillie with Tulips. I brought this very happy feathered friend to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
  

  • Beak & Feet - OR1
  • Feathers - GB3, GB4
  • Bow - DR3
  • Petals - GB1, GB3
  • Stamens - DR3
  • Stalks, Leaves & Grass - DG2, DG4
• Outline - TB1
• Clouds - Chalk in Light
• Sentiment - is by Paulette from Create with TLC, and is simply called "Thank you, Thank you". This was a freebie on her blog in May 2012. I have used my Versamark Pen and Holographic Embossing Powder to highlight the script on the sentiment. Click on the photo to supersize it and check out sparkle!
  
  

  
  

  
  Do come over and join in the fun at Lexi's Creations with us, and check out what Fancy Folds the other DT girls and our talented Guest Designer Jen Zeeb have made. And then come back and link up your creations. This challenge ends on Saturday 2nd February 2013.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

• Challenge 252 - Diamonds are Forever at Cute Card Thursday - my diamond is the shape of my card
• Challenge AC154 - Colour Challenge (Artichoke, Pineapple, Pumpkin) at Annabelle Stamps - I'm hoping that the splash of red and blue sky is OK
• Challenge 63 - Emboss It at Pink Gem Challenges
• Thank You Challenge at Pixie Dust Studios
• Bingo at Aud Sentiments - I claim the upwards diagonal line of Flowers (as I've got flowers on both my DP and image), Embossing and "You" 
• Challenge 25 - More than One Fold at Artistic Inspirations

Don't forget to let me know what you thought of my first attempt at a tutorial! Hope you have a great week!
Hugs, Helen x