WOW! Arte y Pico award and a Nestabilities Tutorial for ya!

Wow! Michelle Wedemeyer from Michelle's Rubber Room has nominated my blog for the arte y pico award. This award is given to bloggers who share their art and creativity making their contribution to the blogging world. Never in a million years did I ever expect to be honored with this, especially, in recent months. My full-time job requires quite a bit of traveling and covering several facitilies for the company I work for; so by the time I get home, I am too pooped to create. But, when I do have some spare time, I do try to get into my studio and start stamping, cutting and scoring to my heart's delight. There are some rules attached to receiving the Arte y Pico. They are:

1) Each award winner has to show the award that she has been given and provide a link to the Arte de Pico blog so that everyone will know the origin of this award. (Click on link above.)

2) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and contributions to the blogging community.

3) Each of the nominations you make has to have the name of the author and a link to her or his blog so that everyone can visit them.

4) And finally, leave a comment on each of the blogs you nominate, so that the authors can pass this honor along.

Now, as you can see on the side-bar, I am a HUGE fan of a billion-and-one bloggers out there. I'm randomly choosing five blogs which I've enjoyed visiting in recent months, and nominating them for this award. They are:

Pam of Stamping with Serendipity.
Stacy of Stacy's Memory Triggers.
Tami of Dapple Designs.
Deborah of Cards and Things.
Jovi of Inky Impressions.

Woohoo! Now, go forth and check out these blogs!!!!

Onto today's tutorial, we are going to learn how to make this gatefold card using the largest die from the Spellbinder's Nestabilities Large Classic Scallop Circle Set.

Here's a list of supplies you'll need (aside from a die-cutting machine and the Nestabliities die I had mentioned above).
1) Strong paper adhesive
2) Scoring Tool
3) Scissors
3) Paper Trimmer
4) 2 coordinating scrapbook or rubber-stamped papers: one paper cut using your Nestabilities circle die; and one strip, one-inch wide and at least 10" long.
5) 1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock: one piece cut 4" x 7"; die-cut one circle using your Nestabilities circle die
6) Coordinating colored cardstock cut 3 7/8" x 8 1/4" wide. With my card, I used a red piece of cardstock for this.

1) Score your 4" x 7" white cardstock, 1 1/2" from the short ends. Score your 3 7/8" x 8 1/4" colored colored cardstock in half, from the short side (so now, you'll have two sections that are 3 7/8" x 4 1/4" each).

2) Take your white cardstock and cut off the corners. Come up slightly on the scoring, before you cut the corners off at an angle. This will help you TREMENDOUSLY when you go to fold in your side-flaps (trust me).


3) Cut your scalloped cirlces in half.

4) Take the white scalloped circles and trim very slightly (1/16th inch) on the flat side. Again, this will help you when you fold in your flaps. If you placed the flat edge along or on top of the scoring, it will add unwanted bulk to your card, making it awkward to fold your flaps in.

5) Add adhesive to the inside of the flaps.

6) Adhere your white scalloped half-circles. **It is very important that you do not adhere your edge on top of the fold. Try to place it just to the OUTSIDE of each fold. If you do this, you should have no problems folding in your flaps and not adding unnecessary bulk to your card. This is what it will look like.

7) Add adhesive to the outer flap and all over the white half-circles. Adhere your patterned paper to the flaps on the other side. This is what it should now look like.

8) Take your colored cardstock and position the 3 7/8" x 4" section on the back of the card. Adhere it to the back so that the fold falls forward and over the front of the card. This is what it will look like from the back of the card.

9) This is what it will look like from the front.

10) Fold the colored flap down, the side flaps over, and this is what your card will look like.

11) Time to add the 'belt.' Wrap your one-inch wide strip of paper around the card. Adhere the ends after you've got the strip nice and snug around the card. Create a stamped image or embellishments for the 'buckle' or the center of the strip.

Now, it's your turn! Have fun! It's fast and easy, and I hope you enjoy making your version of this simple tutorial!