On Such a Winter's Day - Wendy's Gift Card Set

Hello Crafty Friends!

What a fabulous project from Wendy on the blog today..... make one as a gift, and then make one for yourself to hold your hand made cards that are waiting to be sent to special friends....

Gift Card Sets

This is a lovely gift you can send to one of your crafty friends or make a few up for yourself  to have them on hand for when you need to send a little note to someone. So easy and simple to put together and then to be filled with your special handmade cards. The size of the cover can be adjusted to suit the size of the cards you make as well as making either a single pocket or a double pocket folder.  The choice is yours!

The image above shows two different folders. The one on the left (blue) is a double pocket and the one on the right (green) is a single pocket that holds your handmade cards.

In this blog I will be making the single pocket folder which holds six of my handmade cards and at the end of this blog you will be able to view my process video which shows the making of the double pocket folder.

What You Will Need:

* Authentique 'Solitude One' 12x12 paper

* Plain 12x12 piece of Kaisercard or other cardstock (I chose a green)

* Authentique 'Solitude Seven' (3x4  cut outs for decorating)

* Double-sided tape

* Scoreboard and tool

* Hero Arts Dye Ink Set of 4 (used on cards shown)

* Authentique 'Solitude Elements' (used on cards shown)

* Echo Park  6x6 Cheery Snowflakes Stencil (used on cards shown)
* Kaisercraft Snow Crystal Die Set (decorations on cards shown)

* Card and Envelope pack (own supply)

The measurements for this card folder is to hold card/envelopes 5 1/2inches square. You may need to adjust your measurements if you plan on making a different sized card with envelope.

To start you need a piece of plain coloured Kaisercard cut to 12x 5 3/4inches. This will be the cover base and it can be decorated with the 'solitude one' patterned paper. With the long side up on your scoreboard, score at 5 3/4 and 6 1/4 inches. This will give you a half an inch spine.

Then cut two pieces of the 'Solitude One' Patterned paper to 5 1/2 inches square for the front and back outside of the cover and then a strip for the spine at 5 1/2 x 3/8inch. I edged the papers with some vintage sepia ink and then used double-sided tape to adhere them to the outside cover.

Putting the cover to the side for a minute, to make the pocket which will be holding the cards. Using the plain Kaisercard, cut a piece 7 3/4 by 3 inches. This piece is then scored at 1/2 inch round three sides, as in the picture below. Once you have scored and folded along the score lines, you need to cut the bottom of the corner pieces out as below.

Add double-sided tape to the very edge of the pocket which is the first 1/2 inch flap scored. Also add a small piece to the little flap which will be used to adhere the bottom to the side of the pocket.

Before you fold the pocket into shape, I found it easier to place your decorative strip on the front of the pocket but this is really personal choice. To put the pocket together, take the tape backing off the little flap at the side and also off the bottom flap and fold up. Then you can remove the backing on the sides and then place the pocket directly on the bottom inside of your cover.

You can decorate your pocket however you wish but I do suggest you keep the embellishing to being rather flat so the cover closes nicely.

I made six handmade cards that fit nicely into the pocket. The base of the cards and envelopes were from my own supplies and I tried to decorate each card differently but you could also make six of the same design for your Gift Set.

Above card on left, I used the Hero Arts Soft Pool ink and inked some white card around the edges and then placed a 3 by 4 cut out in the centre. The card on the right has a piece cut from ' Solitude Two' covering the front of the card. Then I have decorated the front with Kaisercraft Snow Crystal Die cuts and the saying is from the top strip of the Authentique papers.

"Silently, like thoughts that come and go,

the snowflakes fall, each one a gem"

W.H Gibson

For the two cards in my gift set above, I have used the Hero Arts Dye Inks. The one on the left I have layered the inks and then used the Echo Park Cherry Snowflake 6x6 Stencil with some white acrylic paint. Then added some glitter glue on the snowflakes to make them sparkle. I added a Solitude Element in the bottom corner. For the card on the right, I used the Echo Park Soft Pool ink and inked around the edges leaving white showing in the center and added another Solitude Element.

The last two cards above have been done with the Echo Park stencil and the Hero Arts ink pads and I have added a small Solitude Element and a 3 x 4 cut out on the front, respectively.

I placed all six of my handmade cards in the single pocket folder and I love how it turned out.

I also made  another Gift set with a double pocket, which you may like to watch by clicking on the link below...

Below are the handmade cards I made for the double pocket gift set seen in the process video.

  Kaisercraft Snow Crystal die, glitter glue and Nuvo Crystal Drops for the center.

 Authentique Solitude Collection papers and 3 by 4 cut outs

This is a fun easy project to make during those cold winter days and it will sure brighten up someone's day when you send them as a gift.

Wendy xox