Welcome Friends!

It's time for another blog hop for my stampin friends and me. We are a group of card makers who share a card and a project each month following the monthly theme. Our names are listed at the bottom of my blog. You may have just have come from Katja's blog. Teri's blog follows mine in the list.
Just in time for Father's Day next month in the U.S., the theme this month is MASCULINE. I once asked my husband what he'd like in a masculine card. Here are his suggestions: NO frills, NO ribbons, NO flowers, PLAIN and SIMPLE, wildlife OK, sports OK, tools, OK. I think the one I created this month would satisfy him.

I used a new stamp set called Etched in Nature for this card. I stamped the image with Memento black ink and colored it with my Stampin Blends alcohol based makers. I sponged a little blue above and beside the bird. Then it was just a matter of adding a few layers for accent. Plain and simple, no flowers, no frills!

I followed the same plain and simple formula with the gift card holder. I chose to make an origami fold gift card holder.

Searching You Tube and Pinterest, I found a multitude of origami samples and how to do them. The Paper Pixie has a video on YouTube that I found to be the easiest to follow. Thank you, Julie!

Here are my steps:

1. Cut a piece of patterned paper 7" x 10".

2. Score the 7" side at 1-3/4", 3-1/2", and 5-1/4".

3. Score the 10" side at 2-1/2", 5", and 7-1/2".

4. Cut a piece of patterned paper for the insert 4-7/8" x 3-3/8" and fold it in half.

5. Fold according to the following directions. (I chose a piece of patterned paper, that wasn't masculine on both sides. The difference in the front and back patterns will make the folding easier to "see.")

Position the 7 x 10' paper lengthwise with the 7in. at the top and bottom. Fold the left side to the center score line and burnish.

Fold the right side in on the score line to meet the other flap in the middle and burnish

Fold all four corners up to the fold line

Keep the corners folded and bring the sides to the center

Keeping it folded, turn it over

Using the score line, fold the bottom up even with the middle score line

Fold the top down to meet the bottom flap

Here is the insert folded and ready to go.

Once this is in place, it will keep the gift card holder together.

Insert it under the top and bottom flaps all the way until it is flat with the card holder base.

It should look like this. Now fold the whole thing in half and burnish well to get a sharp crease.

Here is the front with the fold at the top.

You will see the line where the flaps meet in the middle. If I were making a feminine card, I would adhere a ribbon all around the gift card covering the seam and tying a bow to keep the gift card holder closed. HOWEVER, my hubby said NO RIBBONS on a masculine card! So.....this is how I covered the seam.

I cut a strip of patterned paper long enough to fold in half and cover the seam on front and back and extending past the bottom of the card holder.

I decorated the inside and added a small Velcro circle to keep it closed.

Here are the card and gift card holder. I hope you like my creations. Be sure to click on the names below to see my stampin friends' awesome creations. We love to hear what you think of our projects, so please take a minute to add a comment. Thanks! Happy Crafting!

Jean