Love Art...Love Life ~ by Emma

Hello everyone!!

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend, so far and the sun is shining for you... Today, is my first share of this month and for my post, I decided to make a little ATC sized gift card holder. There's lots of pics to show all the details and I really hope you all like what I've created...

To make this card holder I began by cutting pieces of chipboard to size and mounting it onto a piece of Manila cardstock which measured 22.5 x 10cm. When placing the chipboard pieces onto the Manila cardstock, I left a very narrow gap between each of the pieces, where I would need to score in between to make the folds of my folder. I neatened each of the edges by folding the Manila cardstock onto the inside of my folder and sticking them down with a strong adhesive tape, before covering the inside of my folder with a piece of Kraft cardstock.

Once the booklet folder was complete, I covered the outside of the folder with my favourite Weathered Wood, Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints, blending the colours of paints together until I was happy with the look. I then dabbed some Picket Fence Distress Paint onto an old lid and stamped randomly over the surface of the cover to create the rings of paint. 

Once the paint had dried, I then used the large ledger stamp from Katy Fox's Numerical Plate and stamped random areas of the cover in black Archival Ink before punching a small hole into the front cover, where I then threaded through some seam binding, dyed with Distress Stains and which has to be long enough to wrap around the entire folder and then tied.

Once the outside of the book was complete, I then moved onto the inside and to begin with, I made a small pocket from some more Manila cardstock and stuck this onto the middle section of my folder. I then die cut lots of cogs from chipboard using the Gadget Gears Sizzix die from Tim Holtz and stuck these onto each panel of the folder and then once again, covered the entire surface with Vintage Photo, Antiqued Bronze, Picket Fence and Black Soot Distress Paint.

Once the paint was dry, I then used a smaller stamp from the Numerical Plate and stamped down the spines of my folder.

I added some Treasure Gold onto the cogs and around the edges of the book to age it and then to finish the inside of my folder, I added some old screws and bolts that I had in my crafty stash, together with a Prima embellishment, again from my stash.

To decorate the cover of the folder, I stamped the Goose Grease image onto Manila card, coloured it with Distress Marker pens and blended the surface of the card, with Old Paper Distress Ink. I distressed the edges of the card and made small tears into the card and then used Walnut Stain DI on them. I then mounted the image onto a piece of kraft card and attached it to the cover of my folder, together with some pieces of Idea-ology, which I highlighted with Treasure Gold and some Film Strip Ribbon.

Finally, I added the word "Love" down the outside spine of my folder and then used an Idea-ology Journalling ticket and stamped a Tim Holtz quote onto it before adding it, with a Starbucks gift card to the small pocket inside my folder.

So, that's it from me for today and I hope I've inspired you with my little giftcard holder. I'll look forward to reading all your comments and thank you so much for stopping by to take a look at what I've created.

Don't forget you can still enter our monthly challenge which this month, is all about Postcards, Travel and Holidays and we would love it if you would join us and show us what you've been creating!! Click HERE for details.

See you all again very soon and have a lovely day...Emma x

*Edit* ~ Chipboard measurements as follows:

2 pieces x 9.5 x 7cm

2 pieces x 9.5 x 2cm

1 piece x 9.5 x 3cm