Welcome!

I have a confession to make. I’m passionate about paper. I love the feel of a well-made piece of card stock, the texture of the surface, the crisp edges and the perfect corners – I get a little thrill each time I step into a paper store or receive a new shipment from an online order.

Luckily, I have a very supportive husband who not only puts up with this obsession (and the related credit card bills), but has urged me to go public with it to share my triumphs and, of course, my mistakes, in the world of paper-crafting, hopefully to the benefit of all of you out there.

And so, without further ado, welcome to Card Tricks, a blog dedicated to all things paper. Here you will find unique designs, as well as tips and techniques for creating cards and other paper-crafted objects. I will also review related products and equipment to help you choose which ones to equip yourself with when you create your own designs.

Today, I’ll start out with a technique used in pretty much all card designs, card stock folding. The star of this procedure is the bone folder, a narrow piece of bone (or, as is the case for many newer versions, plastic) used to score, crease and smooth paper.

Typical bone folders

There are two techniques that I use for folding. The first is a simple fold on the outside of the card, while the second involves scoring the card from the inside and creating the fold from there. I find the first technique to be the easiest, although the second is better for creating crisp folds without creases when using heavy or metallic card stock.

Supplies and materials needed:

• bone folder
• sheet of card stock
• metal-edged ruler (for technique 2)
• cutting mat (optional)

Technique 1: Simple fold

1.     Fold over card stock until the edges are lined up. Do not crease the paper yet, but leave it rounded, so that it resembles a sideways teardrop when looking straight across from the bottom or top.

 

 2.    Hold the edges in place using your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, grip the bone folder and press down on the cardstock in the middle of where you want the fold to be. In a smooth motion, push down on the bone folder while moving upwards to the top of the card, making sure to keep the outside edges lined up.

3.     Repeat step two, this time moving from the middle down to the bottom.

 

 

Technique 2: Scored fold (best for heavy or metallic card stock)

1.     Line up a ruler on the inside middle (or wherever you want your fold to be) of your cardstock.

 

2.     Using the scoring (sharpish) edge/point of your bone folder, score the paper by pressing down in a smooth motion along the edge of the ruler. This can also be done with the dull side of a utility knife blade.

3.     Bring the edges of your cardstock together with the exterior side out, running your fingers from top to bottom of the scored paper to create the fold.

 

That’s it for today, Internets. Come back on Friday for the first in a series of holiday cards, perfect for giving to your loved ones this holiday season.