Don't Hide It-Divide It!

I thought "Sharing Time" was not so good for a post title where I, well, share something I have learned to do or a great blog, etc. The title felt too much like Kindergarten. I looked up synonyms for sharing and saw the word "divide" and was reminded of my husband when he sees us eating something yummy. He stares long and hard at our treat and when we turn away so we don't have to share, he says, "HEY! Don't hide it, divide it!" It's one of those sayings that basically makes me laugh so hard because I have heard it for 27 years and it makes me share every time.

ANYway.

Let's just say it isn't "graduation light" around here. By that, I mean we have about 10 graduates that we would like to acknowledge. That is AFTER my eldest daughter's college graduation...

I went to Target to buy cards and realized it was going to cost me a small fortune.

I found this simple gift card and thought, "I really do have a lot of scrapbook paper at home...."

Thus began the frenzy of card making that I would like to "divide" with you!

Here is the basic card. It says, "insert gift here" on the inside. All though there is nothing to attach a gift to, it's a nice idea. We'll make it better!

 Lay the original down on a 12X12 double sided/printed piece of paper.

Trace around the edge, marking where the folds are.

After you have cut out the shape, take a ruler and a bone folder and score from top to bottom where the folds will be.

So far, so good.

Take some coordinating paper and cut a strip about 12 inches long, maybe 1/2 inch wide.

Fold the entire strip in accordion fashion.

It gets a little tricky here to explain this part. Basically, you lay your strip of folded paper on it's side and taking both ends, bring them around to meet each other. It will look like a rainbow half way and then you meet the two ends together.

Like so.

These like to take a life of their own and spring away, so it's good to hold the outside edges and clip the ends. I used a hot glue gun to secure the ends and secured it with a clip. Use a low temp gun, it will save your skin in the end...

Add another drop of hot (low temp) glue to the center and flip over and add one more drop to the center on the other side.

Using your printed paper, (see the upper left corner with the little circle pattern on the paper? That is the outside of the card.) The gingham check is on the inside of the card. I cut a rectangle to fid the width of the card and flipped the paper over to show the gingham side and stamped Happy Graduation.  Punch a circle using a 1 1/2 inch punch. Stamp the year 2013 in the center.

Add a pop up glue dot thing to the back of the rectangle and add washi tape along the top and bottom.

Put your rectangle on top, hot glue down your rosette, hot glue your stamped circle that you have punched out and add washi tape to make it look like a ribbon.

Now to fix the inside...

If you want to add a gift you can do one of two things.

I really should have put a blade by the gift card instead of scissors. Using a blade, cut small slits to fit the corners of the card into them.

OR..

Take some double sided tape and adhere a small square of paper to the inside like this:

Make sure you only use half of the piece of tape, or you won't be able to fit your card or money in your little pocket. I laid the tape half way down onto the sides of the paper and it tore quite nicely down the length. I used the second piece to adhere the opposite side. The bottom I used a regular size piece of tape.

Insert fun.

That's it!

It took me about half an hour to make the card and that included writing down instructions and taking photos along the way. I had to get moving.

I had more to make!

Happy Graduation to all the Grads this year!!!

And to those who support them-

You have done a fabulous job as well!!!

Linking to Beth at Home Stories AtoZ tutorials and tips link party.

and http://thelifeofjenniferdawn.blogspot.com/