Crazy Z Fold masculine cards

I don't really consider myself a "technique stamper." Of course different techniques and types of card folds can be really fun to try -- I often enjoy reading tutorials or watching videos about them -- but in my day-to-day crafting, I tend to stick with basic stamps, ink and paper (and, of course, sequins!) for most of my card making. But recently I'd been seeing quite a few Crazy Z Fold cards on the Endless Creations blog, and since it didn't look too complicated, I decided to give it a try.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Traveler, Essential Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Lost Lagoon card stock; Going Places Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lost Lagoon
Accessories: Black striped washi tape, 2014 - 16 In Color washi tape, adhesive gold stars (I think these were left over from a Paper Pumpkin kit)

The verdict? I love them! It's really fun to have multiple panels and layers to decorate -- the possibilities are endless! You could also alter the size and placement of the inner Z fold portion to fit the theme or images you want to use. Here are the measurements I used:

Outer/base Z fold:
- Cut card stock to 4-1/2" x 11"
- Score at 2-3/4" and 5-1/2"
- Layering pieces measure 4" x 5-1/4" (one piece) and 4" x 2-1/2" (two pieces)

Inner Z fold:
- Cut card stock to 3-1/4" x 9"
- Score at 3" and 6"
- Layering pieces measure 2-3/4" x 3" (three pieces)

For the two cards I'm sharing today, I focused on masculine birthday cards. The first card has a travel/adventure theme with a blue, black and cream color palette. I used the Going Places DSP for the base Z fold, choosing a different pattern for each panel.

For the inner Z fold I used Very Vanilla card stock for the layers and embellished them with stamped images and a bit of washi tape.

The sentiment on the top panel -- "In life's adventures, may happiness be your destination" -- is one that I normally associate with graduation cards, when one is looking forward to exploring the world, embarking on a career, or settling in a new home. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that every day can be (or maybe should be!) something of an adventure. And a birthday seems like a great time to wish someone a year of wonderful adventures.

I skipped the sequins on this card, but I did use three dimensional gold stars to add a little bling.

Here is a side view of the card. To attach the two panels, I first put adhesive on the back of the bottom inner panel (with the "happy birthday" stamp). I decided where to place that panel and attached it to the base of the card. Then I folded the panels together and attached the top panels. (Be sure to only apply adhesive to the top half of the top inner panel!) Because the middle panels are different sizes, the card won't open all the way so it's flat. It does, though, fold closed to a standard A2 size (4-1/4" x 5-1/2") to fit in an envelope.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: All the Fixings stamp set and die combo (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand card stock; Going Places DSP Stack; silver foil; cork (unknown)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Pegboard die (Taylored Expressions), mini silver brads, Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Mono Multi liquid glue

For the second card, I went with a tool theme. I used the Going Places DSP Stack again, but this time chose patterns using Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and Mossy Meadow.

I die cut a pegboard out of a thin piece of cork and adhered it to the top inner panel. To make the tools I die cut the pieces out of silver foil and Mossy Meadow card stock. Then I cut apart the Mossy Meadow pieces to add the handles to the silver pieces. I used liquid glue to attach the tools to the cork and then added mini silver brads in some of the hole to create the look of pegs.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but for the middle panel on the base Z fold, I embossed a piece of Sahara Sand card stock with the Pinewood Planks embossing folder. It adds a bit of subtle wood-like texture.

For the middle panel of the inner Z fold, I used a piece of Mossy Meadow DSP. I debated whether or not I should add any embellishments or stamped images, but in the end I decided I liked the look of just the grid, especially next to the cork piece, which has the holes in a grid pattern.

For the bottom panels, I used a piece of striped DSP for the base Z fold and a layer of Very Vanilla card stock for the inner Z fold. I stamped the sentiment on the vanilla card stock and embellished the panels with the remaining die-cut tool pieces.

If you haven't made a Crazy Z Fold card yet, I recommend giving it a try. (If you're looking for more ideas online, you may also want to search Double Z Fold to see similar cards.) I made a third one that I'll share in my next post. Thanks for stopping by!