Accordion card for Barbara

I am very pleased and proud of this Accordion Birthday card which I finished yesterday. I love it...

This one took an age to do mainly because apart from knowing I wanted to have Barbara's name running through it I couldn't decide on how to embellish it. so just stared at it for quite some time LOL

Then I raided my collection of dies and punches and found inspiration to bring it all together. Once I actually got going I really enjoyed getting back into my creative card making flow.

so here's what I did...

The base was cut from white card seven times. The framelit type die set is the Elizabeth Craft Fancy Labels Accordion Dies by Karen Burniston. this would give the card stability! I then cut the same die shapes again with scrapbooking papers eight times, (the extra cut was for the other side of the first one! I then cut the centres from the frames and stuck them on to the base card mixing the patterned papers. I didn't want to use big bold papers because the style of the card needed to be more feminine, kinda soft and elegant just like Barbara.

I used the smaller label dies from the set using pink and white card to layer onto the centres and used my set of Sizzix Sizzlets Curlz alphabet to cut the letters for Barbara's name..... then I was a bit lost for a while but finally after thinking for far too long! I used the Petite Petals rubber stamps from Stampin' Up with the matching punch to create the flowers they are just the right size for this project. The bird builder punch was just right for creating the leaves and  I added sticky back pearls for the flower centres (I noticed one had fallen off before I gave it but after the photo's had been taken ggrrrr!!).
After sticking all the little tabs to assemble the concertina of the
accordion card I used my Tattered Lace Rose corner die for the swirly bits and used the Tattered Lace Dove, and a Butterfly die on top I also used my Marianne Design little bird on branch die and some more butterflies some of which were cut using the Stampin' Up Butterfly Embosslits such a useful little thing which cuts and embosses at the same time 5 differently sized and styled butterflies.
I chose not to put happy birthday on it as first planned so that if Barbara choose to, she can display it after her birthday  the final step was to print a message for the back of the card and job done!

This was quite a time consuming card so I don't think I will ever make them to sell but to be honest Barbara is well worth it...Happy Birthday Barbara. I always make her a very different card, last year it was a box card with lots of sunflowers in it but to be honest I haven't a clue how I will beat this one!

I'm entering this creation into some challenges as follows
Fantastic Tuesday : Anything Goes + Flowers
Crafty Gals Corner : Flowers
Wags N Whiskers : Lots of Layers
Penny's Paper Crafty : More Than One Fold
Pink Gems : More Than One Fold
Inspiration Destination : Anything Goes
Suzy Bees Bloomin' : Anything Goes + Pink
Sister Act : Anything Goes
(click on the challenge name to go to their website)
Well its definitely pink, has some stamped and die cut flowers and much more than one fold and lots of layers!...
here's hoping for a win, I find it so encouraging when i win even if there's no prizes :o)

thanks for dropping by!
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Fancy Labels Accordian Card with Message Bears

I have had some crafty fun this last few days....I already shared the shadow box card now I want to share another card I have made. This is an accordion die card created using the Karen Burniston Fancy Labels Accordion die from Elizabeth Craft.....

Here's a close up of the fancy labels and of one of the Penny Black Message Bear, there are four different ones in the collection, they were all coloured the with Promarkers.

Here the four message bears are spelling out the word "JENNI" (it's for my friend Jenni's birthday). Now as for the die its very clever how it works, The die is just one of those four squares with a tab down the side, you make as many as you want and connect them together so if your birthday boy is named "Christopher" you can make a card for him like this too! or you could even spell out "Happy Birthday!" if you desired, the possibilities are endless.

For he front of the card I cut some paper to cover it. That middle label image swivels to the 2nd side too, the rest of the frames are left white with the embossing inked up with my new inkpad Coastal Cabana by Stampin up, surprisingly this co-ordinated perfectly with the scrapbooking papers I used... Capsule Collection Eau de Nil its like a pale aqua jade! I love it with the crisp white.

I am entering this creation into a few challenges.....

 Ooh La La .....More Than One Fold.....check, lots of folds!

Crafting for all Seasons .....Birthdays.....check Birthday card!

Fab 'n' Funky .....Happy Birthday.....check birthday card!

Craft Your Passion .....Something Beginning with B..... check....Birthday brown bears!

Inky Impressions .....Animals ..... Bears are animals!

Penny Black and More .....Anything Goes

heres a view looking down from above the card, everything is linked up concertina style, this brings such a surprise to the recipient (Jenni another crafter friend loved it). the only embelishments I used were on the front....some stick on faux pearls. I could have added lots of flowers and swirl die cuts, but i wanted to keep the delicateness of the card and not overwhem the teddy bear images. I'm thinking now of getting the oval die in this collection, I will have to see what I get for Christmas but trust me i will drop some hints LOL