Shopping Your Stash - Playing with Fun Folds and Windows

Sometimes I see techniques and think "Nah, that's cute but not really for me", but then I hit a creative wall and pick something to challenge my creative ideal.  Fun folds and windows are two of those "Nah" techniques.  

Before I go into the details of this make, I really want to encourage you to shop your stash.  Any dies and stamps will work for this technique combo.  Large shapes are great for windows and any cute stamp can peek through.  Color your image with your favorite medium.  I think flowers would be a fun window card peek through as well.

This card started with the polka dot paper and inspired my color palette.  Jumping off from there, I pulled a second scrap of patterned paper and Copic colors that would fit my palette idea.  After I had a color palette I shopped my stamps and dies for further inspiration.  

While shopping my stash, these cute Darcie's penguins came into view.  Bingo!  This little penguin in pink would be so cute peeking out of a window.  In the same set, there was a fun birthday sentiment.  With the penguin and sentiment, selected I opted for a large heart die to play into that of the heart on the penguin's little vest.

I started my design by cutting my polka dot paper with the largest of the Sizzix Dotted Rectangles and one of the larger hearts from Kaisercrafts Nesting Hearts.  I mounted the polka dot panel onto the front of the card base that would become the card front. With my patterned paper in place, I put the heart die into the already cut heart and cut the window.  

To finish the card front I knew I wanted the sentiment on a small banner, so I pulled a scrap of striped patterned paper to cut the flag using the Lil' Inkers Stitched Flag.  My final die cuts were from the second piece of patterned paper that matched the pink of the dots closely and a second heart from the same color cardstock of the "Z" fold piece.  

For the fun fold portion of the card, I trimmed a 1/4-inch off of the top and an 1/8-inch off of the side opening.  Then the fun fold, which is a "Z" fold, was created by folding one side of the card in half.  The folded card with the "Z" on the right side, is then adhered to the inside back of the first card base.  This will allow the "Z" to unfold once the card is opened.  

Now we fold the card together so that the pink heart can be put in place to line up with the window.  To give the heart a bit of stability I cut an additional heart from a piece of cardstock that matched the "Z" fold insert.  Folding the card together I put the heart in place using the window, being sure to only put adhesive on the portion of the heart that will be attached to the "Z" fold.  

I stamped my penguin in Gina K. Amalgam Ink and Copic-colored the image to match my color palette.  Then I fussy cut the little cuttie and attached her to my heart so that she could peek out the window.  With the little penguin in place, I folded the card back up and placed my sentiment flag.  To complete the card I added some clear drops to mimic ice that would tie into the sentiment "Have an 'ice birthday".

The white stitched rectangle is how I finish all my cards.  Every card gets a white interior panel for the sender's message and a design band label is added to the back with my signature and year.