WWC335 - Heidi's Challenge: "Anything Goes " Celebrating the End!

I can't believe I've made my last card for our wonderful Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  It feels like a lifetime since our first post on June 1st, 2014.  It's been a wonderful "ride" and the experience has been fabulous.  I'm proud to have been part of the journey and to have "met" so many new people along the way.

Of course my last card has to be a jaw-dropping, ridiculously involved fancy fold.  Going out with a "bang" is part of my DNA.  This particular fold is the brainchild of the very talented Sam of "Mixed Up Craft".  Called the "Double Accordion Display Card", it takes a lot of materials and patience but it is so very worth the time.  Check it out for yourselves at her post (directions, templates and a handy UTube video are all included).

It's a big card!  Pushed absolutely flat, it measures an impressive 20" (nearly 51 cm) long and 6" (15.25 cm) tall.  It needs a belly-band to hold it closed.  Yes, it takes a lot of product.  I made it for my Grandson's 15th Birthday on February 16th (today) and tried to follow the Dungeons & Dragons theme that he loves.  

Since I used to be a Stampin' Up! Demo, I have a lot of the Company's patterned paper left over and, truly, it's high time that I begin to use it up or somehow get rid of it.  (I feel like a hoarder at times.)  Thankfully the Magical Day Suite has a lot of the characters I wanted for the card and so I fussy cut or die-cut several dragons, wizards, apprentices and castles to add to some of the many squares in this card.  I used a matte of the Red Foil first and then added the images or patterned paper.  Except for the images, I kept the colours to Basic Black, Basic Grey, and red.

As you can see, both of the accordion ends of the card have an assortment of these images.

For the centre panel, I used a matte of the Red Foil and then the "magical" black and white patterned paper.  Then I added a piece of Basic Grey cardstock, embossed with a brick pattern.  My dragon image is by The Stamp Barn.  I heat embossed it in black on Red Foil and then fussy cut it out.  For the claws, horns and teeth, I added a layer of Nuvo White and for the eye, I used a drop of a glittery green Stickles.  I love the way it turned out, don't you?  Incredibly, it looks even better in person.  I adhered a die-cut one and five, staggering the numbers, and then adhered the dragon so that it appears to be on top of the numbers.

The back of the folded up card, held together with the belly-band.  I added a sentiment panel here, using a matte of Basic Grey and then the white cardstock upon which I stamped the birthday wishes.  I'll be adding his name and our own greeting, of course.

Finally, the finished, folded card with its belly band.   I love the front with its embossed brick and the classic colours of the rest of the card.  I found an image of the Dungeons and Dragons which he loves and printed it on Epson Glossy Photo paper.  After cutting it out with a fancy-stitch rectangular die, I mounted the image panel on a piece of Red Foil. It is the finishing touch to an extremely demanding creation.  I love it and hope you do, too. 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 28th, 2022.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

 Unicorn Challenge Blog #97 - Let's See Red

 AAA Birthday Card Challenges #34 - Patterns

Crafting Happiness Challenges #120 - Anything Goes

A Place to Start Challenge #202202 - Anything Goes