Wednesday, May 8, 2013

made it: MS pop up flower card





The moment I saw this MS Mother's Day card project I fell in love. What's not to love? It's a gorgeous and clever design. Flowers are pretty. But pop up flowers? Shazam.

I finally got around to making one late last night, and it was a squidge harder than I thought it would be. Maybe it would be best not to attempt this after 11pm. But when it came together, it made me so happy. It's fascinating to watch the flowers pull in and collapse and then open again. I opened and closed the card a lot. Well, it was pretty late when I finished.

I watched this video about one thousand times to try and decipher the way you adhere the finished flowers together. I really like her voice! In the end, the written tutorial was the most helpful for that, so I recommend you use both their video and the written tutorial. Just keep in mind each flower will be tacked in three places, except for the middle flower which is tacked on every petal.

Helpful notes for you:
  • Do not use heavy paper for the flowers. I didn't have any regular 20 lb stock in pretty colors, so I ended up using a smooth construction paper, which is slightly heavier than 20 lb. It worked OK, but a lightweight paper would work the best, since you will be cutting through 8 layers of paper to cut each flower. Origami or printer paper would be the right weight.
  • Instead of double sided tape, I used small dots of my favorite paper glue Fabri-Tac because I didn't have any double sided tape, and it worked like a charm. (I know, technically that's a fabric glue, but I just love it for tacking paper because it dries almost instantly and doesn't pucker paper. However, I would never use it to spread over a large area.)
  • If you want to add some vavoom to the center of the flowers like me, use a soft colored pencil and add the centers while the flower is still flat.
  • I added another layer to the outside of the card by adhering a darker ever-so-slightly-larger-than 10 x 6 inch piece on the outside. It gives the card more stiffness and adds some color.
  • Be aware the finished size of the project is 5 x 6 inches, which does not fit a standard envelope. You can always whip up one of your own, because you are crafty like that.
  • I added a faux tag in the back because I didn't want to write on the pretty pretty inside:

And I sent it with love along with her flowery needle book. Mother's Day just seems to call for flowers. (Don't worry, my mom doesn't have a computer so this post won't ruin her surprise. Yes, that's right. No computer. No smart phone. And she still manages to have a full and meaningful life.)


Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow moms out there who love, teach and nurture their children and grandchildren 24 hours a day, every day of the year. No better job in the universe.

Need other ideas?
Make a Momma Bird Card
More Scrap Cards. You Make One!
Make a Flower Card for Mom

8 comments:

  1. Wow! That is just gorgeous (as is the needle book)!! But not surprising, having been made by you. :) I bet your mother is so proud of her talented daughter!

    I won't be making one of those, but your tips are appreciated. I'd have never thought to use Fabri-Tac for paper. Now just to remember it if/when the time comes. ;)

    Happy Mother's Day to you, too! I hope your day is lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Grandma G! Ooh, yes, love Fabri-Tac for paper. Have a lovely weekend!

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  2. What a lovely surprise to receive in the mail! Card turned out great. I need to send something to my mom, thanks for the reminder! lol :)

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    1. Katie, you are welcome! Ha! It always sneaks up on me when I have to factor in mailing time.

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  3. No computer, no smart phone and a full and meaningful life. You crack me up. That's great. My MIL is the same way. :-) Love your project. Good job!

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    1. Mama Pea, she lives just fine without it but it is hard to visit there since I'm an internet junkie. I have driven around her neighborhood with my laptop in the car, trying to get on someone's unsecured network before. Ha!

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  4. What I great idea. You did a great job.

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