Unusual Tent Cards by Natalie Ballard

There is nothing more annoying than making a lovely top folding card... and then it slides off the shelf and lands on the floor. No matter how thick the card and how perfect the fold, they all seem to do it eventually. This is a solution to the problem with a difference: half stepper card, half tent card.

To make this card, you will need two long thin strips of card. Cut a piece of A4 card in half lengthways or use two top folding A6 portrait card blanks.

Scoring

With the first piece, score the card in half; fold and crease, burnishing the fold on the back of the card. This forms the right hand section of the card base. The left hand section starts with the same halfway score; but now we flip over the card to score either side of the centre scoreline by ½". We then fold each scoreline mountain in; creating an accordion style "w" fold. Burnish each fold on the reverse taking care to not emboss the other folds into either front or back panels.

Cutting

With the second piece of card (with the W fold), we are going to trim the front section to give a stepped appearance. From the back fold, draw a 45 degree angle downwards to the front fold. Then, draw a straight line from the front fold across the front panel. Trim using scissors or even a decorative edge blade if you wish.

Stamping

Don't assemble your card blank yet as we have a few more steps before we get that far. Firstly, stamp and colour your main panel: in the sample above, I used the Sacred Rubber Stamp Set and the square stamp to create a pinned front panel. As we haven't yet assembled our card base, now is the time to add any brad/eyelet attached elements to the right hand panel. The extra star point to one corner of the design makes it ideal for this kind of mounting to be featured. The colouring on this panel was done using blending tape and Distress inks; it relies on using a good quality black inked that won't react to having the Distress inks blended over the top. Always check this on a piece of scrap in the same material prior to working on your final panel.

Stamp your sentiment using the Oxide versions of the colours you used in your ink blending. Oxides typically stamp much better than their Distress cousins. Adhere this panel to the left hand panel and add any Washi tape, border stickers or ribbons to the front panel.

Stamp, colour and fussy cut a dragonfly and moth from the same stamp set. Adhere these to small acetate strips to allow them to "fly" above the card. Set these to one side for the moment.

Assembly

Adhere the open ends of the left hand panel using double-sided adhesive tape placed to the outside of the panels. Carefully, align and adhere the left panel to the inside back of the right. Use the grid on your cutting mat to help you. Close the left hand panel and hold the W fold shut. Adhere the front edge of the left panel into the rear of the front panel of the right. You can use a little wet glue if you wish; this will give you a little wiggle room.

Finally, add in the floating insects using double-sided adhesive. Trim the acetate pieces to your chosen height, and so your adhesive remains hidden.

As the card doesn't open fully, create a sentiment panel for the reverse of the card.

Here's another card featuring the same base design...