You Must Hear This Backstory First, Before I Share About This Fold Up and Latch Fun Fold Card!

I have to share how this card came to be. For several years I have participated in Debbie Henderson’s (another amazing Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator) Random Act of Kindness Birthday Card Club. Being a part of this group meant cards were so fun to make, send and then receive beautiful birthday cards from all over America from other Demos and folks who just loved to make cards. Talk about Kind Card Makers! They all were!

One of the cards I received when I turned “39 again” was from a lovely lady named Lori who lives in the town next to the town I grew up in in Southern California. I just couldn’t resist, I just had to know more and reached out to connect with her.

Luckily, I happened to be traveling to Southern California soon after that to see my life-long High School girlfriends. So Lori, another dear Demo friend and High School buddy Anne, and I agreed to meet at a nearby Panera on a warm September afternoon.  Oh my gosh, we 3 hit it off. We had brought each other little gifts to exchange as a surprise and each one was unique and precious! We enjoyed great conversation and snacks for a couple hours. We agree to stay connected.

The nice part is my friend Anne was still a newish team member of mine and Lori’s upline lived far away and she had been a demo for just a few years, so Lori didn’t have anyone to stamp with in person. Now several years later, Anne and Lori get together almost every month to craft and stamp together at each other’s home and they have met several more wonderful demos in the area too. That’s the best part of Stampin’ Up! – we are just one big happy family! Even though I live in the Pacific Northwest, I travel south yearly it seems so Lori, Anne and I have had some fun times together in person and also virtually.

I have “adopted” Lori into my team (not officially, but just for fun) and she calls me her “Fairy Godmother” because I’ve shared tips and tricks I have learned along the way with her. We are so excited and looking forward to experiencing the next in person Stampin’ Up! event in March, 2024 called OnStage in Houston, TX as we three will be attending together! We can’t wait to swap cards, take classes and stamp our hearts out!

So when Lori’s birthday rolls around at the end of December each year I always try to make a very special card for her. She especially liked this fun fold card, so I thought I’d share it with you too!

Do You Love Fun Folds? Give This One a Try!

I was inspired by a card I saw from SU Demo, Terri Gaines that she called Bay Window View, but I couldn’t figure out how it closed. So I ended up designing my own version that closed for easy mailing. To me, my card folds up, folds over, and latches. Almost every side is covered with Designer Series Paper and you even have a spot to write your personal message on the very back so you won’t distract from the impact of the design.

I wanted Lori’s card to be bright and cheery, so I used the Masterfully Made Designer Series Paper from the 23-24 Annual Catalog in shades of reds, oranges, and yellows mostly. The card base is Sweet Sorbet cardstock. The two stamp sets that i used were Biggest Wish (23-24 Annual Catalog) and Year to Celebrate (2023 Fall Mini Catalog.) Ink Colors used were Sweet Sorbet, Lemon Lolly, Crushed Curry, and Pumpkin Pie. Gold sequins from the Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins Pack were added for embellishment.

Measurements and More:

Sweet Sorbet cardstock base cut 5 1/2″ x 11″, then score at 1″, 2″, 5 1/4″, and 8 1/2″.

The Masterfully Made Designer Series Paper (DSP) was all cut 5 1/4″ tall and 2 pieces 3/4″ wide, 3 pieces 3″ wide, 2 pieces 2 1/4″ wide. One piece Basic White for message section 3″ x 5 1/4″. Start adhering one side at a time. I called the “front” where the Happy Birthday greeting went. Then flip over to the “back” side. Hint – you will be covering all panels with a layer of DSP or Basic White, except for the “back” of the two 1″ sections. They are adhered together to make the latching mechanism. The finished card base appears to have all panels covered.

Birthday Inside Tag is Sweet Sorbet 2 1/4″ x 3″, Pumpkin Pie 2″ x 2 3/4″, and Basic White 1 3/4″ x 2 1/2″. The Party Horns were made with Basic White scraps and Crushed Curry scraps. Fussy cut out and pieced together to make one horn at a time.

Latching Tag is Sweet Sorbet at 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ and Basic White at 1 1/4″ x 3 1/4″. That tag is raised on dimensional on the top half of the tag only, bottom half is the latching mechanism.

If you take the time to create this fun fold card for someone special in your life, I hope they gush over it like my friend, Lori, did. That’s part of the reason I love cardmaking, you always make the recipient happy!

If you’d like to purchase these items to make this beautiful fun fold card, please use the search feature in my online store and the items (if available) should come up quickly for you.

Here’s another card idea using the Masterfully Made DSP to try.

I invite you to join The Kind Card Maker’s Insiders Community by subscribing to my email list. As a thank you for signing up you will receive a free 14 card One Sheet Wonder pdf that you can use for any holiday or occasion. This One Sheet Wonder gift is for subscribers only! And posting a comment is always appreciated!