Christmas tri-fold with an accordion twist? + using up scraps

 Hi, friends! Welcome to still-way-too-hot-and-muggy Florida, where butterflies abound and birds serenade! Honestly, no complaints here about the weather, especially since so many others are dealing with far worse conditions. THANKS FOR POPPING BY!

WAXING SENTIMENTAL

Speaking of friends, I'd like to thank the MANY OF YOU who are kindly encouraging -- not just to me, but to most people you meet. As women, we experience feelings of insufficiency sometimes, especially when helping our families. YOU have made me feel accepted, cared for and supported.

Remember this:

We are always so much more than

          (and different from) 

                  what others perceive we are. 

We are also so much more than what we 

         believe ourselves to be. 

                There is a hidden part in our souls 

         free from the tyranny of mere perceptions. 

                     THAT is our authentic, faithful self.

From that beautiful place pours forth 

         Patience, 

              Hope, 

                   Strength and 

                         Love.   (dme)

Which brings me to today's card share -- inspired by my friend Ana at Toadily Handmade Designs. Remember WAY BACK WHEN we used to have PROGRESSIVE CARD SWAPS made by snail mailing parts of a card base to another person, then that person added something to the card? In turn, they mailed it forward to yet another person, who added THEIR touches, and so forth, until a card was finally completed and returned to the originating person who started the swap? There could be anywhere from two to ten players assembling these fun concoctions, and it was ESPECIALLY fun to see how the end product turned out with so many hands stirring the pot.

In this case...

Ana provided the SU! fun-folded designer paper card base and the SU! coordinating tag. I took it from there. Thanks, Ana! 

Does anyone know if this is a tri-fold card with a Z twist? I've heard it called a Side Gate Fold. It resembles this card design and this design.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

With some OLD gold confetti vellum, die cut as a tag backdrop, and a previously die cut happy, glittery background shape now outlined in Ocean Green Copic Marker to bring out the edges.

Two REALLY...

             REALLY...           REALLY OLD...

Christmas Stamps - one by Hampton Arts purchased at Michaels 20+ years ago and never used is shaped like a Christmas tree with the merriest of sentiments. I messed up by not paying attention. After heat embossing the white EP sentiment, I quickly adhered it, only to see messy specks of loose EP. Sigh. Rather than redo the whole thing, trustie clear WINK OF STELLA came to the rescue. The Christmas tree shape was colored in with the WOS, completely masking the errant white embossing powder! The 2nd old stamp is by Art Impressions H2871 JOY from a 2005 convention.

Dancing snowflakes cut from the tin-foil vapor-seal on my whey protein powder helped winter-up the design. I really enjoyed making this card. Except for the vellum tag, all the other pieces were "left overs" that finally saw life!

Opening the accordion front:

Fully opened interior:

Products: Base Card already folded by Ana. Dies: Spellbinders Labels 4, Surprise Creations Decorative Ovals, Sue Wilson Pierced Tags, Die-Versions Wee Petites Snow Flurries, "Papers": Recycled silver foil from protein powder, Vellum with Confetti, SU Designer Paper, SU Shaded Spruce, White Glitter Paper, Other: Ocean Green Copic Marker, Gold Wink of Stella, Deckle Scissors, White Embossing Powder, VersaFine Clair Rain Forest, Wink of Stella Clear Stamps: Art Impressions H2871, Hampton Arts, Hampton Arts Sentiment Tree

Thanks for hosting fun challenges:

1. Creative Creases #107 AG with a fun fold 10/2
2. The Holly and Ivy #191 Anything Christmas Goes 9/21
3. Christmas Bingo Challenges #15 Using the "N" column: tag, free, stamped phrase 10/15
4. Merry Little Christmas Challenge #64 AG Christmas 10/15
5. Aud Sentiments Challenge #329 Tags + a Sentiment (2 tags layered on the front and sentiment is on front, and in interior middle) 10/1
6. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2537 AG 9/22

Crafty Hugs,