Celebrate!

Helloooo there, my friends! Hope you had a grand ol' time over Christmas. Here, we are slowly recovering from the excesses of the past couple of days. As soon as I finished licking the trifle bowl, I called it a day. Our Christmas tradition also includes thinking about a suitable healthy eating program we can both be excited about. Not an easy task since I'm a devout pescetarian and the husband is an fanatical carnivore.... which probably explains why we never really get past the thinking phase. Still, there is one food that we are both passionate about.... cakes...in all shapes and sizes. And that, folks, is how (and why) I chose the theme of my card.

Over at Tuesday Morning Sketches (which I have to say is high on my list of favourite challenges), owner Melissa Craig has vetoed her own final-challenge-of-the-year decision. (It's good to be the boss!) We now have a new Final Challenge #178 and this is a challenge although it's called Anything Goes. No sketch this week but it must be something different, something new, not your run of the mill card.

Here's my chance to have another go at a pop-up card. I made one in the summer with a pop-up gift box and that was a challenge and a half, I tell ya! Following a much needed break and several hours of therapy, I'm ready to "pop-up"again.

While trawling the internet I stumbled upon this wonderful blog called Extreme Cards and Papercrafts. Carol makes exceptional pop-up cards, slice forms and mechanical cards. I'm in awe! My card is based on her work, for which she has so generously provided a template. When I've suitably recovered from the trauma of making this card I'll post a pictorial on how I muddled through mine, with a few modifications to Carol's template to fit my dinky little cupcakes.

Enough chit-chat, here's my card:

I've kept the card front simple. The papers are called Marshmallow and Candy Floss by Daisy & Dandelion. The greeting is from WaltzingMouse's "Compact Sentiments" stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa, cut and layered with cream and pink CS, with the help of Spellbinders Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle dies. Some twine and we're done!

On the inside - that's where all the action is. You can't open the card flat. It stops at a 90º angle and you get to feast your eyes on more than a dozen cupcakes! It's like Christmas all over again!  

A closer look at the cast of characters...

Here's the ariel view. You can see the pop-up mechanism - a series of tables and the cupcakes are adhered to the front of these tables. I've kept the background simple - just some caramel CS with a punched border. The sentiment is from WaltzingMouse's Say It Loud set stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa. And from WMS Nutcracker Sweet set, I stamped the party streamers in Memento Rose Bud. Could not resist adding some bling to the mix!

From the side you can see how I've adhered to cupcakes to the table fronts with some pop dots. When you close the card, they all fold down flat. 

Here's a closer look at the little sweeties. The stamps are by Papermania and I coloured them with SN markers - simple colouring, no fancy blending. Then I fussy cut each cupcake and dabbed some Stickles (Diamond, Icicle and Crystal) to make them shine.

A few tips if you're planning on "building" this card:

1. Make a large pot of coffee

2. Make good clean creases for the "tables".

3. On the reverse side, re-enforce the fold with some Scotch tape. It helps the "table" to stand firm and stop any tearing along the creases. There will be a lot of opening and closing...trust me!
4. Adhere the cakes (or what ever image you use) slightly above the bottom crease. This will prevent the images from snagging when you close the card.
5. Use thick CS for the card base (120lb or 300GSM) and it will help hold up the entire project when left open.
6. When adhering the pop-up section to the card-base allow a little "give". This is a thick project and will not fold flat as a pancake. Practice before gluing down for eternity.
7. Add a shot of something stronger to your remaining coffee and admire the fruits of your labour. Do this before you pass out!

I hope you get a chance to make this card. Admittedly, it's therapeutic ... in a crippling way BUT this project is truly versatile. You can stick just about anything on those tables: presents, candes, pumpkins, flowers, photos etc. and it will be an awe-inspiring Christmas, birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving or any-occasion card. Or if you prefer not to, then just spy on Carol at Extreme Cards and see what she gets up to.

Also taking my card to Charisma Cardz #51 "Anything Goes"; Dutch Dare Card #197 "Celebration"; Little Miss Muffet #51"Anything Goes" and Pixie Gust Studio "Any Celebration Will Do". If you're short on inspiration, hop on over to Make It Monday #121 for an abundance of creative talent.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'll be back tomorrow with that gift basket I promised earlier! Have a great 3rd Day of Christmas.

Beijinhos!

Blogged to:
Ferrerro Roche, Tia Maria and