My youngest daughter has a birthday this month, and I wanted to send her a special birthday card in a small package I'm mailing to her this week. She's in the Navy and is stationed out in San Diego. I'm going out to visit her in October, so we decided to celebrate her birthday when we're together then, but I still wanted to send out a card. I recently watched Rachel Tessman create a fun fold card she called a Museum Gallery Fun Fold, and I immediately thought of doing a few of Altenew's floral dies in mini frames to look like a gallery of floral paintings at a museum for my daughter's card. If you'd like the measurements and instructions for this fun fold, here's a link to Rachel's video:
Beautiful Blues Museum Gallery Fun Fold Card.
I created the card base and white panels for the bottom of the card using heavyweight white cardstock. All the other papers I used on my card come from Your Paper Insider's Box #11. I was a guest designer for that box and am enjoying creating with all the lovely papers in it. If you're interested in ordering Box 11 or signing up for a subscription to receive a box of mystery papers every 3 months, check out Your Paper Insider's website here:
Your Paper Insider. They are now shipping Box 12. Papers used on my card: Rose Edo Kosome, Cotton Candy Pop Tone, Lilac Favini Burano, Lavender Thai Unryu, Pale Blue Thai Unryu, Fairway Metallic Stardream, Yellow Custard Rayon Shippou, Buttercream Arturo Cover, Mai Tai Cocktail Shimmer, Savanna Tindaloo Gmund, Coffee Cover Reflex, and Champagne Foil.
After I created the card base and bottom panels, I started on the flowers. Altenew has recently been creating small floral die sets that are beautiful and are the perfect size when you want a floral accent without a large flower that takes up the entire card front (although I love those, too!). I used three of these smaller floral die sets for this card: Cute Open Rose Layering Die Set, Delicate Magnolia Layering Die Set, and Bright Bloom Layering Die Set. I had fun die cutting these sweet little flowers and leaves. Assembling them was easy with Altenew's keyhole system. Just line up the keyholes for perfect placement every time!
After my flowers were finished, I die cut the little frames and "canvases" for them. I used metallic card stock for the squares in the center and 3 different cardstocks for the thin frames around the squares. I used Altenew's Fine Frames Square Die Set for these pieces.
I followed Rachel's instructions for assembling the card and for the measurements for the back panels. I used a spray adhesive to adhere the specialty paper to the white cardstock for the blue panels behind all my framed flowers. Rachel left her bottom pop-out panels white, but I decided to add more of the specialty papers from Box 11 to those panels to add more color to the card. I trimmed them 1/8 inch smaller than the panels of the pop-out sections.
For the sentiment, I stamped "happy birthday" using Altenew's Bouquet of Poppies set. I trimmed it and added it to the same metallic cardstock I used for the squares behind my flowers. Then I added a foliage die cut behind the sentiment that I created using Altenew's Zero Waste: Berries & Branches set.
I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page
Top view:
The card folds somewhat flat for mailing. I used foam tape on my flowers, so the panels don't close completely flat the way Rachel's did using just pattern paper on the panels.
Challenges I'm entering:
As You Like It Challenge: Favorite Season and Why: I love all 4 seasons, but summer is probably my favorite because of all the beautiful flowers. Plus sweet cherries are ripe in my area in July and peaches in August, so that's another wonderful point in summer's favor! (2/3; ends 8/20/25)
Cut It Up: Add a sentiment (1/3; ends 8/18/25)
We Love Stamping: Flowers or ATG (I stamped the "happy birthday" sentiment on the front of the card) (2/3; ends at the end of the month)
Cardz 4 Galz: Create a Scene (I made a museum scene) (2/3; ends 8/20/25)
A Cut Above: ATG with die cuts (3/3; ends at the end of the month)
A Place To Start: ATG with option of Summer Things (3/8; ends at the end of the month)
Triple B: ATG with birds, blooms, and/or butterflies (2/3; ends at the end of the month)
fourseasons: Anything Summer Goes (unlimited entries; ends at the end of the month)