Brass Stencil Pop-Up Cards

Happy Birthday Pop-Up Card

Materials:

5-1/2" x 8-1/2" card stock (outside cover)
5" x 8" card stock (inside)
POP-Ups by Plane Class "BIRTHDAY" pop-up template
removable tape
double-sided tape
craft knife with #16 blade
cutting pad
Alextamping swivel clip (optional)

Steps:

1. Fold both pieces of card stock in half. Place the smaller inside piece on a cutting pad with the fold facing up (mountain fold).

2. Position the template so that the notches on the side of the template are lined up with the fold of the card, and secure it in that position with removable tape.

3. Using a craft knife, cut out all of the exposed areas (figure A). The slits to the left and right of the letters are just cut--no card stock is removed from those areas (figure B). See the Tips below for proper detail-cutting techniques.

4. Remove the template. Position the folding aid under the letters and push all the way down to line up with the bottom of the letters. Position another straight edge on top of the card, lined up with the bottom of the letters (figure C).

5. Hold the top straight edge in place while reaching under your card and pushing the folding aid up and over to crease the bottom edge of the letters (figure D).

6. Move the folding aid and the straight edge to the top of the letters, and crease the top of the letters the same way (figure E). This starts the crease to bring the letters out (figure F).

7. Hold the card upside down with one hand, and finish creasing the folds with the thumb and index finger of the other hand, until you can completely close the card. Use a bone folder to finish the crease.

8. Place a small piece of double-sided tape in each corner of one side of the folded inside layer. Place the inside layer into the folded outside layer of the card. Make sure the tape is facing up so it is easier to position the two halves together and they won't stick prematurely. Once you have the inside layer in the proper position, bring the top down onto the tape. Turn over and tape the other side the same way.

9. Finish decorating the card using rubber stamps, stickers, etc. If you will be stamping in the center of the card where the cutting will be done, stamp before you cut. You can also use photographs or recycle old greeting cards.

Materials:

5-1/2" x 8-1/2" card stock (outside cover)
5" x 8" card stock (inside)
POP-Ups by Plane Class POP-A-STENCIL template
poinsettia dry embossing stencil
removable tape
craft knife with #16 blade
cutting pad
Alextamping swivel clip (optional)

Steps:

1. Place the dry embossing stencil on top of the template and center within the lines. Tape the two together with removable tape. Then turn them over and place them on a cutting pad.

3. The remaining lines are marked A through P, going each direction away from the center line. Scratch through the outermost matching pair of lines, where you can see a reasonable amount of stencil through the lines. These will be the marks to designate where to start and stop cutting around the stencil.

5. Cut around the entire stencil with the exception of above the top scratch mark and below the bottom scratch mark (figure I). (You will need to reposition your tape to cut under that area.) Interior detail areas can be cut, dry embossed, colored, etc.

6. After all cutting is complete, remove the stencil and tape and finish your card as you would for the card above.

Tips:

When detail cutting, always use a #16 blade instead of the standard #11 blade. This blade angle allows you to hold the knife handle in an upright position and still get great cuts.

Hold the knife gently, straight up and down, with your thumb and two fingers. You do not have to hold tightly--this will just cause you to fatigue quickly. Before cutting, perform a test to determine how hard you need to press to get through the card stock and barely into the cutting pad. The harder you press, the harder it is to cut and manipulate the knife. Take a scrap piece of card stock and make a few cuts of various levels of pressure and choose the lightest level of pressure that still allows you to get through the card stock.

Keep the palm of your hand up off the paper. Steady yourself with one of the two fingers you are not using to hold the knife.

When cutting an area, always start in the corner and cut toward but not into the other corner. Cutting into a corner leaves a small sliver of card stock and dulls the blade quicker. You still need to rotate your work and cut from the other corner and overlap the first cut to complete the cut on that side. Do this for each side of an opening.

Since the knife is being held upright, you can easily rotate the knife in your thumb and two fingers. This makes it easy to cut around curves. Remember to always cut from corners--even when you have a curve, there are corners.