Guest Author - Michele G. Desmoulins
Concertina cards are cards with pages folded out of one long sheet of card stock. Folded back and forth, from side to side like an accordion (some call it an accordion card).
Take 12x12 cardstock and cut in half. Trim each to 5 ¾ inch height. Fold both pieces at the 4” mark and the 8” mark in opposite directions so you get an accordion look. When finished they will be 5 ¾ inches x 4 inches. Glue one to the other so that they go in one continuous line, again in opposite directions when folded. You will end up with 4 panels on each side you can decorate.
For the cover you can use thin cardboard. Any thin cardboard will do. I love using things that ordinarily end up in the garbage, so a cereal box is perfect for this card. Take colored or patterned paper and tear squares a little larger than the cardboard. If the paper has a white center this will show when the edges are torn. Glue these sheets to the cardboard and allow to dry. You’ll make a front cover and a back cover stack.
At this point, you can go a little nuts with what you want to add. You've got your accordion card stock base. The thin cardboard as a base for your cover and the printed, colored or patterned paper glued on top of the cardboard. You may want to paint the thin cardboard before you glue the paper on it. Print out pictures of photographs you've taken. Add embellishments. Write sayings and quotations. Yours or someone else's.
If you want to use Photoshop to create a page for the cover you can do so. Print it up sized at 300 dpi for the best and sharpest image. Print images that are simple in shape to cut out. For example, an apple, flowers or a pencil. Use other items such as stickers, chipboard, or other scrap-booking and card-making products.
You can create a frame, out of notebook paper, torn along the wire edge for texture. Using a gluestick to glue all your pieces down will help to keep them flat. If you want you can add more layers and journaling on the inside of the card, on each page.
Keep in mind when you are printing up images that printing up a background pattern, can take a lot of ink. There are a lot of collage background paper to choose from on internet retail sites or you can paint and create your own. Here's a tip for painting or photocopying... use photo paper. It has a great sheen to it and is thicker than regular copy paper.
Making a concertina card is a fun project to make with your kids. However, you may like the effect so much that you will end up creating many works of art. You'll want to prop them up around your house or office and even give a few away as birthday cards or thank you notes.
