Crafty Thursday # 6: Explosion Cards Fun Folds

 Confession: I really love the creativity of Fun Fold cards. L.O.V.E. it!

But…some are really hard! 😏 I’ll show you both of my attempts.

NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE: AUJPKKWY

This was the easier one. The inner piece is called a squash fold, and it’s fairly easy to make. More about that below; I was able to liberally use my favorite stamp set, Circle Sayings, I just love that little cupcake! I chose not to color it this time, I liked the look of the tone-on-tone vibe I had going with the fun Bright and Beautiful papers. I used Bubble Bath card stock for the base, and stamped with Fresh Freesia. I love the color combo!

One great thing about the squash fold piece is that you can make it any size so long that it’s a square. I made some fun ornaments with this fold, too. They can be given or used for Christmas, birthdays or any other occasion where you may want a fun alternative to a card. The designer series paper is the perfect weight to use for this very fun fold! You can use card stock, but it’s a bit bulky, and if using in a card, will require extra postage.  

To create the squash fold: You need a 6 in x 6 inch square. Score at 3 inches on both sides, creating 4 squares. Then, score diagonally, once across. You can see the folds in the above photo. Fold the piece in half, keeping the pattern you want to show on the INSIDE of the fold. Do the same for the other horizontal side, keeping the chosen pattern inside. You will have a 2 3/4 in square. Open it back up,  then fold on the diagonal the opposite way, so the chosen pattern is on the outside. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, and I hope I’m explaining it well here. You can see in the picture how it pops out, creating the “explosion” when you open the card.

The next card is the one I had some trouble with. I made several templates before I attempted the card. The squash fold is up in the corner, and it’s not quite as easy to create as the simple squash fold. I used a thinner piece of white card stock from Hobby Lobby to create the base, as I found that a bit easier to work that tricky corner.

I’m holding it closed so you can see the front and how it opens up to the right. I put the round greeting on a square, to keep the linear look. 
As you can see in the second picture, there was plenty of room to decorate this card. I probably got a bit caried away 😁 I’m not sure that I have this one down, and after a few failed attempts, my hubby told me to set it aside and try again another day. So, I listened to his wisdom and made dinner!
Creating is all about the process, and sometimes the process doesn’t quite
work the way you intend it to. My grandkids will love the card, and never know that it’s “not perfect.” Perfect cards are available in the stores; imperfections are the love you put into it. 
 
I’m going to leave you a link to Really Robin Stamps’s You Tube tutorial on the corner fold card. She explains it so much better than I think I can, and makes it look easy. 😉 
All supplies can be purchased in my online store or you can use my shopping link here. If you use my host code at the top of this post, and spend $50 or more on product, you will receive a thank you gift directly from me. The Seasonal Sale ends today, so if you want anything, hurry over to shop!
Thanks for spending some time with me today. I hope you try BOTH of these cards, and if you do, let me know how they turned out. You can post a picture of them in the comments for this post on my Facebook page.
A tutorial sheet for the Explosion Card and Squash fold (first card) is available right here.
Till next time, have a blessed and wonderful day!
Barbara
*all Stampin’ Up! links are mine, and I earn a commission.

Leave a comment