Fruity Pop-ups! Squirrelz Stash Bash Blog Hop

Hi everyone! It’s time once again for our monthly Squirrelz Stash Bash! This month’s theme is Birthday with an Interactive element. I’ve decided to create a pop-up card! For those who are not familiar with our hop, my squirrel sisters and I hop every month and try to use our hardly-used crafty supplies. This month I will be using coloring mediums that I haven’t used in years!!

For the first card, I broke out my Karin Markers. The last time I used these markers were pre-pandemic, I think. So I was kind of worried that it went bad like so many of my copic markers. More on that later in my blog post.

First, I took a top folding 4.45″X5.5″ cardbase cut out of white cardstock and on the centerfold line, measured 1.5″ on both sides with a pencil. Then I drew a line straight up at 1.25″ at the top. I used a t-ruler and pencil for this. Then I connected the lines. After, I folded the cardbase back on itself and cut it where the cut line is indicated. Then I valley fold the area where the cut lines stop and then fold at the middle, the opposite way or in other words, mountain fold.

Then with a paper trimmer, I trimmed it at 1/8″ all around to make it slightly smaller and adhere it to the inside of an A2 size cardbase.

Next, I stamped out the strawberry several times on Bristol Smooth Cardstock using Intens-ified black ink. I also stamped the ribbon in the same ink. The berry basket was stamped on kraft paper. Then I colored them using Karin Markers. I arranged the strawberries in the basket and glued them together using liquid glue, then added the ribbon and the one straberry outside the basket. After that, I glued it to the pop-up tab.

For the front of the card, I stamped the background using the Farmer’s Market Pattern bold print cling stamp using Intens-ified ink on Dove white cardstock. I cut it down and matted it with red cardstock. Then added a couple of strawberries and the sentiment “Have a Sweet Birthday”. I also stamped a sentiment on the inside, “Wishing you the very Best”.

Last month, I created an interactive card using the Hero Arts February 2023 My Monthly Hero kit. I created a tri-fold Butterfly Spinner card. If you missed that blog post and video tutorial, I have it linked here.

So for this month’s My Monthly Hero kit I decided to make another interactive card, a pop-up design similar to the one I made above but also different. This one is an 5X7 card which I don’t make often. But the reason I chose to make one this time was because this size of card is the best fit for this pop-up design. Here is a photo of this month’s classic and premium kit.

CLASSIC/PREMIUM KIT INCLUDES (Premium elements in bold):
• Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
• 10 Coordinating Dies
• Fruit & Veggie Window Die, 3.7″ x 4.5″
• Fruit Cling Stamp, 6″ x 6″
• Intens-ified Black Ink Cube
• 2 Liquid Watercolor Neon Brights in Orange & Green
• 5 Mini Brushes
• Clay Fruit Embellishments
• 2 Sheets each of Kiwi and Coral Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″
• 5 Sheets of Watercolor Paper, 5.5″ x 8.5″

Like the previous card, the outside of the card is pretty simple. This time I decided to use my copic markers. It’s been so long since I used them, I figured this would be a good time. And then this happened.

As I was pulling out colors to color in my fruits, I saw that a lot of them have completely dried out. So far about 20 are unusable. Luckily, I had enough colors to color in my fruits.

I turned to my lovely squirrel sisters for advice. And as usual, they came through. I ended up buying a new set of markers!! This time it’s not copics. I will try them out first and later on will blog about it. By the way, I bought them for a reason and that reason was my birthday which, by the way, was yesterday!

Following the fold and cut lines below, I made a pop up mechanism for the box of fruits. I used a white A7 cardbase and measured from the bottom center fold, and the rest is the same procedure as the first card.

The same goes for the front of the card. I stamped the cbackground using the cling stamp that came in the kit, cut it down to fit in the middle of the card front after matting it with black cardstock. Then added the sentiment hello, white heat embossed on black.

I also stamped a sentiment “Wishing You Good Health” on the inside and added cherries. This card can be an all-occasion card, which means it’s a birthday as well!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that Hero Arts Global team is having a Instagram hop. You have a chance of winning a $25 gift card to the Hero Arts online shop just by liking and commenting on the posts of each member of the global team. If you are interested, I have it linked here.

But before you do that, you have to visit Marie’s blog to see what lovely inspiration she has for you today! This month’s hop is short & sweet as two of our squirrel sisters are not participating, but hopefully they will be back next month to inspire you!

In the meantime, have a wonderful crafty day!

’til next time!

❤️

Anna

HOP LIST:

V Fairchild

Anna – you are here!

Marie

Karen

Bory – not participating this month

Lounon – not participating this month