These volvelle interactive cards are shaped like paddle fans to make
them easy to manipulate. Hold the fan handle in one hand, slide the tab with the other: Hey presto!... dissolving snowflake pic. Different styles of filigree snowflakes - whoosh!
The volvelle mechanism works via a slotted base layer and a rotating disc. I've been keen to try making one ever since reviewing Helen Hiebert's book Playing with Pop-Ups. There are also volvelles in Jean-Charles Trebbi's The Art of Pop-Up and in Making Mechanical Cards, by Sheila Sturrock (all of which are excellent papercraft refs).
My design is a hybrid of mechanisms, with the added paper fan base. And yes, it is just a little bit tricky to make, but like most things, easier when you know how. You've got to put the rotating disc behind the paddle fan. The disc segments are brought to the front, and the jaggedy front segments are brought to the back. It is all held together with an indispensible centre brad, with brad mats front and back.
The how-tos are printed on the download files. If cutting out by hand, follow the outlines to cut out the six segments on the fan and the dial (disc). The cut-outs on the paddle fan are jaggedy-lines and the are cut-outs on the dial are flag-shaped. I have added a reinforcement to place behind the bottom edge of the dial and behind the fan handle because they get the most wear and tear.
Here are your free printables:
Night-timeSnowflakeNewYearCard.pdf
DaytimeSnowflakeNewYearCard.pdf
Night-timeSnowflakeNewYearCard.svg
DatimeSnowflakeNewYearCard.svg
Depending on where you live in the world, a fan may be the last thing you need on New Year's Day. But wherever you live, an entertaining New Year greeting is tops!
Happy 2014 - wishing you all a happy and creative New Year! Today I have some simple pop-up cards you can make in a jiffy: choice of Happy New Year (work fast!) or Thank You (comes in handy right about now).
The cards are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman motifs - perhaps I was thinking about the Roman god, Janus, who looked both forwards and backwards - an appropriate New Year theme.
For each card, there's an outer cover and a pop-up liner. Make the cover out of cardstock and the liner out of paper.
Here are your free downloads:
NewYearCardCover.pdf
NewYearCardPopUp.pdf
ThankYouCardCover.pdf
ThankYouCardPopUp.pdf
NewYearCardCover.svg
NewYearCardPopUp.svg
ThankYouCardCover.svg
ThankYouCardPopUp.svg
It is desirable for your pop-up cut and fold lines not to print. What I do is to print out a reference copy on scrap paper to use as a folding guide. Then I tweak the line colour settings to make the lines invisible (if using a digital cutter, you have to set the cut lines anyhow...).
To make each card, cut out the cover and score the fold; fold in half using a bone folder. For each pop-up insert, there are four vertical cuts to make for the stair-step pop-up. Once you have made the cuts, score the fold lines using your guide copy as a reference. Score the centre fold (to either side of the pop-up). Also score the line at the base of the pop up, a fold line at the top of each stair-step, and another line about 12mm (3/8in) below the top of each stair-step.
I like to use a fine-point embossing tool held against a 15cm (6in) metal ruler to score my folds. The pop-up centre folds are valley folds, as are the the folds at the top of each stair-step and the fold at the base of the stair-step. The folds just below the top stair-step folds are mountain folds. Crease all the folds very carefully - use a bone folder.
To attach the pop-up insert to the card base, stick a piece of d/s tape to either side of the centre fold on the underside of the insert. Insert the pop-up, butting it against the inside of the card centre fold. You can also add a piece of d/s tape under the top of the pop-up insert.
Happy New Year... and thanks for visiting!
