Triple Stepper Card Tutorial

Well it's been a while since I wrote a tutorial, so I thought you might like the details for an oldie but goodie: the triple stepper card. This one is adapted from the Hougie technique to make a large centre panel.

"Scores and cut marks"

To start, take an A4 sheet of good cardstock, something like 300gsm, and cut it down to a nice even 28cm in length. Next on the wrong side, mark two pencil lines parallel to the longest side, at 5cm from each edge. Using the pencil marks, score crease marks from each edge to the line at the following measurements from the shortest edge: 3cm, 6cm, 10cm and 21cm. Then score the halfway fold at 14cm all the way across. It's easy to score crease marks using a scoring board, but this can also be done using a ruler and a blunt instrument like an embossing tool or short knitting needle. Finally, you need to cut along the two pencil lines with a craft knife between the 3cm and 21cm score marks.

"Folded card blank"

Making alternate mountain and valley folds along the crease lines, you should end up with a card blank like the one above.

"Card blank with patterned paper panels"

I like to add patterned paper to all the front-facing panels. Cut the paper leaving a 2mm border all the way around the edge.

Here are a couple of stepper cards I made using the Heartfelt Creations Chateau Gate die & matching stamps. We had some rare sunshine here in Northern Ireland when I was taking the photos. As you can see from the reflections, I am much more used to taking pictures in the rain :-)

"Banish those birthday blues"

The flowers for the birthday blues card are all handmade and coloured with distress inks to match. Most are paper, but the grey ones are fabric and were made following the instructions from one of craftyloops fabulous tutorials.

"An Englishwoman's home is her castle"

The flowers for this card are made from cream organza (a present from Lee - thank you sweetie :-), diecut and the edges singed with a heat tool before binding together with natural-coloured brads and fixing in place on the fence railings with pinflair.You can see a couple of feathers peeping out from behind the flowers. They were kindly left in the nestboxes for me by our Barnevelder hens!

"Window scene"

For both cards, the window scene is painted with distress inks and mounted behind the window with Pinflair to add some extra dimension. The legs for the iron gate are cut out with scissors after diecutting the decorative edge. Two fences are diecut and mounted each side of the iron gate using Pinflair. Extra embellishments are added to the side panels.

Ingredients:

Hougie Board & scoring tool

A4 300gsm cardstock & 160gsm smooth, white card

Heartfelt Creations Chateau Gate die & matching stamp sets: Grand Portal & Doorway Trimmings

Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Die: Iron Gate

Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz: Tattered Florals

Marianne die: fence

Spellbinders: Carnation Creations

Patterned paper: Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby pad

Sentiments: Papermania

Distress inks: Walnut Stain, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire

Perfect Pearls: biscotti, blue patina

Distress marker set, paint brush, water & non-stick craft sheet for watercolouring background scenes

Handmade flowers & feathers

Brads

Adhesives: PVA, glossy accents, pinflair dimensional glue

Entered for the following challenge:
Joanna Sheen - Summer Daze
Let's Ink it Up - Use your favourite embellsihments (handmade organza flowers!)
Stampin' For the Weekend - Show us your style (vintage)
Frosted Designs - Make Your Own Embellishment (handmade flowers)
Charisma Cardz - Summer
Crafts and Me - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers - Make Your Own Flowers
Love to Create - Anything Goes