This card was created by design team member, Allison. See how she creates this clever card using the Party Dress die cut and Once Upon a Time: Ariel collection. A supply list is listed at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Die Cutting Your Cardstock Cut the Card Base: Use the bottom part of the ‘Party Dress’ die to cut your white cardstock. You will need three white pieces and one piece of patterned paper from the Ariel: Once Upon a Time collection.
White cardstock pieces: These will be for the clamshell structure. One piece needs to be longer than the others to create a ‘flap’ for the hinge.
Patterned paper: Cut one piece from the Ariel collection that will decorate the front of your card.
Step 2: Scoring and Creating the Hinge Score one piece of white cardstock (the one with the long flap) in half to create a hinge for the card. You can score it at the halfway point to fold the flap.
Glue the flap to another clamshell piece. Ensure that the edges line up neatly so your card will fold correctly.
Step 3: Creating the Pop-Up Mechanism Mark the Pop-Up Lines: Lightly draw two parallel lines (with a pencil) on the outside of the clamshell. These will serve as the pop-up base.
Use a ruler to keep the lines even and centered. Cut out the pop-up area: Cut along the lines you've drawn, creating a small slit that will act as the base to attach other die cuts inside the clam. Pop-out the cut area gently, so it sticks out like a little tab. This will form the interior pop-up base.
Step 4: Attaching the Front and Back Attach the Back: Take the final white cardstock piece you cut earlier and glue it to the back of the card. This will form the back layer of your clamshell.
Decorate the Front: Take the patterned paper you cut earlier and adhere it to the front of the clamshell card. Make sure to fold the paper around the hinge for a smooth finish.
Step 5: Adding Details with the Party Dress Die
Cut Dress Details: Use the Party Dress Detail die to cut out decorative elements from patterned paper (also from the Ariel collection). The detail will go on the outside of the clam, adding texture and dimension.
Glue the Dress Details: Adhere the dress detail cutouts to the outside of the clam card.
Step 6: Finalizing and Decorating Select Die Cuts and Assemble the Card: Choose your die cuts from the Ariel: Once Upon a Time Stamps and Coordinating Dies.
Alternatively, you can use die cut elements from the collection if you want to skip coloring them in with markers. Attach the selected die cuts to the pop-up base inside the clam.
Image Placement:
Before gluing any elements in place, test the positioning of the die cuts to make sure they don’t interfere with the card closing.
It’s important to close the clam gently to check that the die cuts don’t show or pop out when the card is closed.
Tip: If a die cut is too large or mispositioned, adjust the placement or try a different die cut that fits better.
Final Check: Before you finish, close your clamshell card to make sure everything folds neatly and that no elements are sticking out or obstructing the closure. Once you're happy with the look, you can go ahead and glue down any remaining pieces!
Additional Tips:
If you want to add extra dimension to your card, consider adding foam adhesive squares behind some of your die cuts for a 3D effect.
You can also use a gel pen or glossy accents to add subtle highlights to the stamped images, giving your card extra flair.
Materials Needed: • Party Dress Die (for the clamshell base) • Ariel: Once Upon a Time collection (paper, stamps, and coordinating dies) • White cardstock • Patterned paper (from Ariel: Once Upon a Time) • Scissors or craft knife • Pencil and ruler (for measuring and drawing lines) • Adhesive (glue, tape runner, etc.) • Markers or colored pencils
