Venetian Blind Card How Too / Tipnique Tuesday

Here is an easy and fun little interactive card. It took me only about 15 minutes to make this. Once done you pull the ribbons on each side and the card front folds up like a Venetian blind to reveal the inner message!

                      Materials

• 300gm heavy weight card stock measuring 4and1/4inches by 11 inches
• 1 and a half yards of thin ribbon
• Ruler, craft knife, pencil, bone scorer craft mat
• Inks, stamps and colouring media of choice
• Cropodile or hole punch

                      How Too

1) Fold card stock in half so it measures 4 and 1/4 inches at top and 5 and a 1/2 inches at sides

4 1/4

5 1/2

 2) Decorate the inner and outer card as desired. I used Caran D'Ache, Neocolor11, watercolour crayons and quickly scribbled on my design by drawing directly onto the card. This is my inside card design.

 I used an Aquash pen (water fallible paint brush pen) to wet the crayon covered surface and activate the colours and blend them like water colours. I always add the water wash to lighter areas first and blend into the darker areas. On the outside of the heart I used a sketch and wash water soluble pencil to define it more.

 Then I wet my finger and blended that in too. Stamp your sentiment in middle area of the card. I used Stazon black ink. Dry whole surface with heat gun and spray with sealant of choice.

For the front of the car. I quickly scribbled on colours and added a water wash with the Aquash pen going from lighter to darker. Then I stamped my words plus sprayed some Dylussions black spray into my hand and flicked it over the surface as well.  Dry whole surface with heat gun and spray with sealant of choice.

3) Measure and score at 1/2 in intervals down the inner top card.

4) Starting at score line just above the fold line, bend card back and press edge with bone folder.

On next score line bend card forward and press edge with bone folder.

Repeat all the way up the card

Turn card to the front and it should look like this.

 

5) Fold the card front up and punch holes on each side with the Cropodile or use a hole punch and punch holes all the way along both sides.

6) Pull front down again. Mark thru left and right bottom holes on card underneath and punch holes where you marked.

7) On bottom right thread ribbon thru all holes. I found this easier to do by bunching up the accordion folds so all holes lined up and thread ribbon thru. You can also use a tapestry needle with the ribbon threaded on.

Thread ribbon across the top under the fold closest to the card spine and thru all holes on the left side. In the image I have the card fully open so the ribbon you see going across will be underneath the when the card top is pulled down again.

Close card again. Adjust ribbon so you have about 2 inches left hanging at right and longest part at left.

 8) Now thread ribbon thru bottom left hole on base card, across the back and in thru the right card. It will look like this at back if you turned it over.

9) Go back thru all holes on right side, across inner top and back down left side again. Tie knots on each end of the ribbon.

10) TADA pull ribbons and the blind goes up.

This is a card I had kept in my tips draw to remind me of what it looked like completed. It was made 10 yrs or so ago so is a bit grubby.

If you don't like seeing the ribbon on the rear of the card just glue another piece of card stock there.

You can adapt this so the blind is made like a window such as this one here with a video tut too at Splitcoaststampers by Diane Zechman. Have fun!!

I'm off to play with some metal making and shall upload another puffy heart this evening to my blog.. Why do days off go too fast?
hugs
Annette In Oz xxxx