Concertina Book Tutorial

This was the mini book I taught in class today. It's real easy to do so thought I'd share the technique as a tutorial for you to share. Obviously you can vary the decorating and colours to fit in with what you need, but in just two hours class time it needs to be simple. Here we go...........

Cut ten pieces of white card stock to 7cm x 14cm. Choose three colours of ink, I used memento dye ink pads as they are subtle colours and quick drying. On five of the pieces of card, stamp random backgrounds using the two palest colours as below. Don't forget to stamp over the edge of the card and not just in the middle.

Repeat this on the remaining five pieces of card, but in addition, use the darkest colour ink pad to stamp additional images as below.

Take the five pices of card with the dark images and fold in half with the pattern on the outside.

Then fold the outer edges to the centre to change it from a 'V' shape to a 'W' as below.

You will now need to make a heart template. Cut a piece of scrap paper to 7cm x 7cm and fold in half. Draw half a heart on the edge of the fold. You can use any shape, but a heart is quick and easy to do.

Cut the shape out and use it as a template on the five 'W' pieces, as below and cot around to create an open heart in the centre of each 'W' pages. (Hope I've not lost you yet!).

Below is how the five pages should look.

On the five remaining pieces of card, which should just have two pale colours on, use the dark ink again and stamp sentiments centrally, these wil be seen through the heart cut out.

Now it's time to put the book together. Take one card with a heart cut out and stick it, edges only onto the front of the card with the sentiment on. You will end up with five 'pages' looking like this..................

Here's a view from the top to hopefully make it a bit clearer.

When you have stuck all five, line the pages up, three in the front and two at the back as shown here.

This bits a bit tricky to explain, but stick the cards back to back in this position to make a row.

All that's left to do now is add tha covers and ribbon ties. To do this cut two 7.5cm x 7.5cm squares and decorate. Cut two pieces of ribbon about 18" in length, and fix centrally across the inside of the covers. Then add the covers to the book - finished!!!!!!!! Hope I've explained it OK, if not leave a question in the message bar and I'll do my best to help.

Above and below is the book from the front and back.

If you have a go, let me know how it turns out.

Sue x