This month's technique is a super fun exploding card fold.  I made one of these along time ago and forgot how fun they are to create.  I used the amazing Hues of Happiness Suite of products from the new annual catalog to create my card.  There are so many possibilities with all of the beautiful Designer Series Paper that is in the new catalog.  Please be sure to hop over to see the lovely cards made by the other hoppers.  I am sure they will be stunning.

To make this card, you will need the following pieces of card stock:

Night of Navy card stock - 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", score at 4 1/4"

Melon Mambo card stock - 5 1/2" x 5 1/2", score at 2 3/4" on both sides and along one diagonal

Basic White card stock - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" (cut 2)

Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper - 4" x  5 1/4" (cut 3, one for the front and 2 for the inside)

Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" (cut 2), score along one diagonal on each piece

Basic White card stock scrap for sentiment (I used the Stitched Rectangle die)

To make this card, I started by using the "comb binding die" from the Blossoming Happiness dies to cut the two smaller pieces of Basic White card stock.  Next, I used Night of Navy ink to stamp the sentiment from the Happiness Abounds stamp set on one of the squares.

Next, I stamped the flower from the Happiness Abounds stamp set in Basic Gray onto a piece of the Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper.  I die cut it with the flower die from the Blossoming Happiness dies.  I attached this flower to the second Basic White Square.  I really like how the Designer Series Paper added shading to the flower.

I added the Designer Series Paper to the front and inside of my card base.

Fold the Melon Mambo piece of card stock along all of the score lines.

I folded the two small squares of Designer Series Paper on the score line.

Once all the folding was done, I attached the two squares of Basic White card stock (with the sentiment and floral image) and the two squares of Designer Series paper to the Melon Mambo card stock.


For the next step, you will want to fold the Melon Mambo piece of card stock so it is in a square, the decorated pieces will be on the inside of the folded square.  Put adhesive on the bottom side of the square.

Adhere this to the bottom of the inside of the card base.  You want the tip of the square to be just below the score line.

Put adhesive on the top of the square and close the card.  This will adhere the top of the exploding "box" to the inside of the card.

Adhere the Metallic Mesh ribbon and sentiment to the front of the card.  

Please note that this card is thicker than the typical card and may require extra postage to mail.

Here is a list of the products I used to make my card.

Product List

Happiness Abounds Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [159238]	Blossoming Happiness Dies [158823]	Hues Of Happiness 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [158822]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]
Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [115320]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad [149165]
Metallic Mesh Ribbon [153550]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Stampin' Seal [152813]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
Take Your Pick [144107]

I hope my card inspired you to try this technique.  Imagine how much fun it would be for someone celebrating a special birthday or a graduate to receive this fun card.  Be sure to hop over to see all the other creations from the amazing demonstrators participating in this blog hop.  To view Vy Tran's creation, click the next button.