Craft Projects

Free online craft projects for card making

Step-by-step instructions for making keepsake cards,
starting with a beautiful Bookatrix birthday card project.

Bookatrix Birthday Card

Card Making Supplies used:

Bookatrix Keepsake Board
6mm Keepsake ball tool
3 sheets of card stock
Papermania Fabric Flowers
Papermania Gem Brads
Peel Offs
Double Sided Tape
Amos Super Stik Glue
Ribbons

1. As you can see from the image below, this board has indentations in the
shape of a book & you will be using the three outer book indentations.

There are also three vertical indentation lines, running down the centre
of the book and these lines form the spine of the book.
At intervals around the board there are ridges, which help to keep
the card in place while embossing the book shape.
The Keepsake 6mm embossing ball tool is designed to fit
perfectly into the embossing indentations on the board.

Tip: Use soap on the reverse side of the card that you are embossing
as this makes the ball tool run smoothly when embossing.
Alternatively you could use a wax candle or talcum powder.

2. Start by embossing the three spine lines on the board,
which will show you where the indentation lines are for the book pages.
Once these first three lines are embossed, and without moving the card,
carry on embossing the book shape, working from the spine
of the book out towards the edge of the book.
If you are still unsure of the embossing lines, there is a guide line
at the top left hand side of the board and if you follow this line,
you will feel where the ball tool needs to run.

3. Continue to emboss the next two (slightly smaller) book shapes.
Once all of three book sizes are embossed, you need to cut them out.
When you are cutting out the three book shapes, make sure you cut
around the outside of each one, leaving the embossed ridges intact.

4. You can now start to decorate the embossed edges of each page
with border peel offs, which makes the pages look as if they are gilded.
Next you need to fold the spine of the pages from the outer two score lines.
Fold the pages inward towards the opposite side page as illustrated below.

5. On the reverse side of the smaller two pages (lilac & white),
add DST (Double sided tape) down the length of the spine.
This will be used to attach the pages together later.

Before attaching the pages together you need to shape all of the pages,
Do this by rolling each side of the pages over a rolling pin
or a similar shaped item, like a spray can.

6. Now you can attach all of the pages together at the spine
using the DST (Double sided tape) that you stuck on earlier.
You are then ready to decorate the top page of the book.

7. Attach the Papermania silk flowers at opposite corners using two
of the Papermania gem brads & then stick a ribbon down the length
of the spine of the book using the Amos stick glue.
Cut the bottom of the ribbon into a V-shape which will stop it fraying
and fold the excess ribbon over the top of the book.

8. To make a gift tag for the card, use the reverse side of the
Bookatrix board, embossing in exactly the same way as you did
for the book, using two of the same colours (lilac & white)
Decorate the tag using border peel offs & words for the occasion.
Pierce a hole through the top and add a contrasting ribbon.

9. Add the tag to the top page of the book on the right hand side
and add peel off words to the left-hand side to finish your card.

So there you have it, a beautiful Bookatrix card for that special occasion.
Now sit back and relax with a well earned cuppa and a four-finger Kit Kat.