ihp Birthday Bash Gift Card Challenge

Welcome to Day 3 of i {heart} papers' Birthday Bash!  If you missed the first two days of our celebration, be sure to visit Kate's blog post from Day 1 to catch up on all the festivities and bring yourself up to speed on opportunities to score discount coupons and free stuff!

Today I have the privilege of hosting our final challenge.  As the mom of a 16 year old son, I know the dilemma of purchasing a gift that is meaningful for the recipient versus giving cash so that they can pool gift resources and buy themselves something they really want.  I have found that a hand-made card with a gift card tucked inside is the perfect compromise...better than ever if the card can be spent anywhere!

My challenge is for you to make a card that makes a personalized presentation for a credit-card-style gift card.  There are all kinds of options available, and plenty of tutorials at your disposal to help you accomplish this task!  Just take a look at the gift card holder gallery at Splitcoaststampers.com, and then check out the project resources section to get your creative juices flowing.  There are several here too if you'd rather cut straight to the chase!

For my gift card holder, I started with a 4 1/4 x 11 1/2 inch piece of card stock scored it at 3 inches,  5 1/2 inches, then flipped and scored at 3 again...the folds, when scored, create a "w" configuration.  Apply glue to the very edges of one point of the w so that the bottom sticks together.  It is important to apply glue only to the very edges so that the inside will remain open to form a pocket for the gift card.  I used a word window punch and a round tab punch to create a shaped opening for mine.

The front and inside can be decorated any way you like.  The only important thing to consider is the closure.  It is easiest to adhere a length of ribbon to the front before adding the decorative top panel.

For my card, I used some scraps of SEI Moonrise designer paper and a matching metal filigree butterfly, a little lace, and some beautiful sheer gold ribbon.  The beaded oval frame is adorned with Zva Creative bling, and the oval die cut focal image is from one of Unity's store kits.  I used a copper spiral clip to lift the butterfly off the surface to a more realistic angle.  I kept the inside relatively simple, stamping a sentiment directly on the center section and adding designer paper to the inside of the front and back flaps.

Can't wait to see your submissions to my challenge!  You can upload your card to an online gallery (keyword IHPBB10GC) or to your blog, but be sure to come back to list your link here with Mr. Linky!