High Tide... and an Epic Day!

Quickly sharing another Double Z Joy Fold Card that fully opens! Tutorial shared here yesterday...

But not a lot to say about the card today... apart from I used the lovely High Tide stamp set... and the fabulous Serene Scenery papers ( and a bit of brayering, sponging and stamping through a circular aperture.... ) as I want to share something personal for a BIG change!

Epic day today.... last "normal" school run!! Obviously there is all the stress of the A level exams to come throughout June... and the huge priority around getting son in and back for those exams at different hours... as we live in the country so the bus service just doesn't work!

But after 11 years of doing an hour plus round trip at the beginning and end of the day  - for 6 days a week - as a school run... I have felt an enormous sense of relief coming over me for the last week... so feeling quite euphoric today!

So I just had to share!! End of an era!!! Who knows what the next phase will deliver.... I will probably start worrying about that tomorrow!!

So to celebrate ... think I might have a New Catalogue Special coming on this weekend! 

Fancy Fold Friday Tutorial for Double Z Joy Fold Card

You asked... and here it is!  The recipe and directions for the fully opening Large Square Double Z Joy Fold Card that I quickly shared earlier in the week here... And this is a SIMPLE one...

The card pictured today is exactly the same card... but the papers are flipped ie showing the reverse side... which meant everyone could choose their preferred colour way in classes... always like doing that when I can! Most people did this version...

And I know that some of you will laugh with me as you see how logical (aka obvious) - and simple - it is... still do not understand why my brain could not compute this when it tried to last year!!!

And this is a "tryer" girls (and boys) ... Too simple a Fancy Fold not to... I have made a few!!!

So it is the same card size whether you use A4 or US 8 1/2" x 11"... ending up as a 5 1/2" Square or 14cm Square card... so you are free to cut your panels & score in inches from A4 if you prefer ...  So cm measurements and directions are highlighted in yellow... 

Metric Recipe
A4 Thick Whisper White 28 x 14cm
A4 Thick Whisper White 23.5 x 9.5cm
A4 (Front) Soft Sky 9cm Square; (Insides) 6.5 x 9cm [x2]
Paper Gingham (Front) 8.5cm Square; (Insides) 6 x 8.5cm [x2]
Paper Flowery (Back)  13.5cm Square
Paper Olive Dots (Front) 6.5 x 13.5cm

Inches Recipe
A4 Thick Whisper White 11" x 5 1/2"
A4 Thick Whisper White 9 1/4" x 3 3/4"
A4 Soft Sky (Front) 3 1/2" Square ; (Insides) 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" [x2]
Paper Gingham (Front) 3 1/4" Square ; (Insides) 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" [x2]
Paper Flowery (Back) 5 1/4" Square
Paper Olive Dots (Front) 2 1/2" x 5 1/4"

Directions

1. Place large panel LANDSCAPE (long side along top) on trimmer
2. Score at 2 3/4" & 5 1/2" (7 & 14cm)
3. Z Bone Fold. Valley for halfway/centre fold... Peak for quarter-way/front fold
   
4. Place small panel LANDSCAPE on trimmer
5. Score at (wait for it!!!!) 2 3/4" & 5 1/2" (7 & 14cm)
6. Z Bone Fold. Peak for "halfway-ish" fold (ie front fold)... Valley for "quarter-ish"fold ie back fold
   
7. Adhere larger papers on card front & back
8. Adhere back section of top/smaller Z Fold onto square Back of main/larger card AND AN IMPORTANT TIP! Think about what needs to go where!!! Otherwise you will just stick your whole card together!! Suggest a dry run with no glue the first time... it should all become obvious!
   
   SO.... make sure the left/inside valley fold of the smaller Z section panel is behind your main/larger card front left peak fold
   
   ie slip the smaller Z in behind the larger left fold as you stick it down/square it all off on the front...
9. Adhere square front part of smaller Z Fold onto main/larger card front (think about where NOT to put your glue!?)
10. Decorate as desired

Stampin Up! Products Used
Papers - Succulent Garden (retires 31st May - but discounted!)
Stamps - Stylised Birthday; Big on Birthdays
Card  - Thick Whisper White, Soft Sky

Irresistibly Floral Double Z Joy Fold Card

Super quickie from me today....

Different colourway for a lady that loves her Perfect Plum & Bermuda Bay...

Click here for the tutorial...

Super Duper & Irresistibly Floral Papers A6 Double Z Joy Fold Card

An A6 Double Z Joy Fold Card for you today...using the Irresistibly Floral papers and Super Duper stamp set ...

But before I start.... Hot off the Press... THE CLEARANCE RACK HAS JUST BEEN UPDATED... lots of lovely bargains to be had...

So as a Clearance Rack Online Order Special… I will refund the £4.95 postage in full (or send you gift up to £6 value if you prefer) for orders over £35* if you have entered this month's HOST CODE VQTSBUDV . But do enter your email address on your customer details (so I can converse with you!) and check you can see my name (Amanda Bates) at the top right hand side of the screen!

Applies to any products ordered whether on Clearance Rack or not…

Note that this offer is available exclusively from The Craft Spa. This offer is only available until this Sunday 30th April

Back to the card... don't forget that these gorgeous papers are reduced on the Retiring List... now just £9.40... (RRP £11.75)

Card Fold Tutorial posted here...

Background papers all sponge-brayered with Mint Macaron ink (and then wiped off with a tissue before I got ink all over myself!)

And the flowers and leaves are on another of the floral papers ... individually inked up using marker pens (Pool Party, Island Indigo, Sweet Sugarplum & Mint Macaron) and then hand cut... with an extra small panel of this paper on that inside/central face...

And to ensure no waste of the flowers on the papers... spot the double leaves top left and to right hand side... they are actually parts of a flower at the edge of the paper which didn't have it's full complement of petals...

 Like the card fold... click here for the tutorial... alternatively click here for the Large Square version

Pop of Pink... Round Up post...

Had some great use of - and fun with - these Pop of Pink papers this year... for lots of different occasions... and suitable for both males and females.... BUT soon to retire ... though still in stock as of now... as all retiring products only while supplies last... 

Definitely a great pack of papers... although I have just spotted that I haven't used my favourite large gold polka dot piece... I think that may come in useful for something BIG I am working on this week.... I must have known...

First up another Dutch Map Explosion Card... directions linked if you click here..

Then the Graduation cards from last year... click here for more information...

The Head-girl Tag Topper Concertina Congratulations card...  click here for more information...

The Double Z Panel Birthday cards... click here for more information and the Tutorial... 

And finally the Double Z Fold Sweet Cupcake and Baby Bear cards... click the highlighted links for more infomation....

Affectionately Yours Small Square Double Z Fold Panel Card

Another one of these cards using different colourways of the Affectionately Yours papers... 

But with an even simpler Mint Macaron Pansy Punch flower finish!  Just decorated with a copper embossed Love & Affection flower centre and a larger Layering Circles die cut scallop/circle panel.

Greeting care of the One Big Meaning stamp set

Apologies again for the short post ... but Jon's hospital visit took up rather a lot of today! He is back in a pot and on crutches... and will now be at home for at least the next month... so my August is about to be re-planned!

And don't forget to come back tomorrow for the Monthly Jems Blog Hop... you will be in for a treat (or two!!)