From the Heart

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

HaPpY NeW YeAr!!!

One of my crafty friends, Rosemary, recently posted a video on a cool aperture card technique. Only problem was, the video is either in Chinese or Japanese. All the captions are in Kanji...and the measurements were in Metric. But, otherwise, it was a pretty good video--enough so that I felt I could figure it all out.

So, I told my friend, "Give me a day, and I'll have this all figured out with step shots, measurements and templates!"

And, guess what?

I actually did it!

So, for my latest project for Crafter's Companion, I present the Heart Aperture Card with full tutorial!!

The way the card works, is that the card is a gate-fold card with a belly band. When you open it, the inside reveals a closed heart-shaped aperture that magically opens up to reveal the image underneath. It's really cool.

Here is the short version of the original video:

Here is my version. I used double-sided patterned cardstock.

The outside of the card

Remove the belly band

...and open it up to watch the red aperture

magically open!

Closer Look

Ingredients:

• Image: "Hugs and Kisses" stamp by Moonbeam Meadow (Crater's Companion)
• Spectrum Aqua pens (Crafter's Companion) in the following colors: Fawn, Evergreen, Begonia, Chestnut, Spice, Boulder, Desert, Peach, Topaz, Terracotta. 
• Patterned paper - Curio Collection (Basic Grey) 
• Distress Ink - Vintage Photo

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

1. This card uses 5 pieces for the basic card construction. Here are the pieces with their measurements, IN INCHES...because I'm American. Dotted lines indicate fold lines.

• Piece A (Card base) = size: 4.75" x 9.5" (4-3/4 x 9-1/2). Fold at 2-3/8" from each end to create a gate-fold base. 
• Piece B (Window aperture) = 3.25" x 7" (3-1/4 x 7).  Fold in half. Fold tabs on either end at 3/8".
• Piece C (Window) = 3.5" x 5.5" (3-1/2 x 5-1/2). Fold tabs on top and bottom at 3/8".
• Piece D (Heart) = 3-1/8" x 3-1/8". Fold in half.
• Piece E (Belly Band) = 1" x 10". Folded around final card to overlap slightly in middle of card front.

2.  Cut out all your pieces out of cardstock. I used double-sided patterned cardstock. It's WAY easier that way. For the remaining step shots, I have labeled each photo with the corresponding piece letter, so you know what piece you're working on.

3. Starting with PIECE A...Score and fold sides in to middle as shown at 2-3/8" from each end. Set aside.

4. Take PIECE D and fold it in half. With a pencil, draw half a heart shape, on the fold as shown. The size should be about 1/4" from top, bottom, and side as shown:

 
5. Cut out heart along line.

 You'll end up with something that looks like this:

 You'll need the heart-shaped piece to use as a template for the other parts of your card.

6.  Take PIECE B and fold it in half. Crease the fold well.

7. Fold the heart template piece in half and position its straight edge on the fold of PIECE B as shown below, leaving equal margin top and bottom. Trace around heart half with pencil.

8. Cut along pencil line through both layers of folded PIECE B to create heart-shaped opening in the middle of PIECE B. This will give you a second heart-shaped piece to use.

9. Cut PIECE B in half as shown below. Set them aside for now.

10. On PIECE C, fold tabs on both ends in and crease well. NOTE: The tabs are on the TOP AND BOTTOM of Piece C.

11. On BACK SIDE of PIECE C (in my case, the peach side), Draw line down the middle (at 1-3/4" in from side) LIGHTLY with pencil. Take heart-shaped template (from either PIECE D or PIECE B) and position it on PIECE C so it's in the center of PIECE C. Draw heart, with pencil, using template. Carefully cut out heart window, Use a craft knife if you can. NOTE: I cut my window slightly larger (like 1/16") than the pencil mark so that the aperture would show underneath as an outline to the image when fully open.

12. Put strip of strong adhesive (like Score tape, red tape, Sookwang tape) on FRONT side of each tab.

  

13. Adhere PIECE C to inside of card base (PIECE A), being careful to center it between folds.

 14. Carefully position and adhere colored image behind PIECE C to card base. Make sure image is smaller than outside dimension of PIECE C.

15. Adhere little tabs out of same cardstock (like 1/2" long max) at top and bottom of left half only of PIECE B. Make sure they don't extend into the aperture opening. These will allow the right half to smoothly slide over the left half when card opens and closes.

16.  Fold 3/8" tabs under on each end as shown below. Crease well. Apply strong tape to front side of each tab (second photo)

17. CAREFULLY slide left and right halves of PIECE B UNDER PIECE C as shown. Align both halves of PIECE B's aperture with window on PIECE C. Adhere tabs of PIECE B halves to card base (PIECE A)...so they are equal distance from the folds on either side. Position RIGHT half of PIECE B so that it glides OVER the LEFT half. You can manipulate them once they're adhered. NOTE:  You may need to tweak these halves a bit so that the card opens and closes smoothly. If you measured and cut precisely, you shouldn't have any problems. Mine was a bit sticky on one side, so I trimmed the edge of PIECE C down a bit so that it didn't bind with PIECE B. Apparently, I was measuring challenged today.

18. Close card and position Heart Template (from PIECE D) so that it is centered on front (PIECE A). Trace around heart on closed card front with pencil.

  

19. Cut each half of heart from front panels of PIECE A.

   

20. To make the belly band, take PIECE E and wrap it around closed card so that ends meet in middle of front of card. The ends should overlap slightly. Remove from card and crease folds well. Glue overlapped ends and adhere one of your heart templates (either from PIECE D or PIECE B) to the front of the belly band to hide the joined ends. 

NOTE: you can trim down the heart so that it is about 1/4" smaller than than the aperture to create a different effect. Slide the belly band back on your card, and GUESS WHAT? Put a fork in you, YOU'RE DONE! Well, you're finished with the CONSTRUCTION of it. Now comes the FUN part! You get to decorate it however you choose!

  

 Finished product

Thank you SO much for wading through this tutorial with me! I hope it made sense. Please let me know if I've left anything out or if you are confused about something. I'd love to see what y'all come up with!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - #140 Square Card 
• Create and Inspire - #36 Anything Goes 
• Through the Craftroom Door - January 5-11