Fold Out Portfolio

We are in the thick of things getting ready for CHA but we wanted to give you at least one more tutorial on ways to use a portfolio.

Fold Out Portfolio

This is a tutorial to make a fold out inclusion for a medium portfolio.

You will need 3 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock.  

I am using three colors but you can choose any number of colors from one to five. 

Cut each sheet so you are left with two pieces of 5 1/2 x 12" and one 1 x 12" scrap piece.  I stacked mine up and cut all at the same time.

The inclusion has 5 pages so pick 5 of the 5 1/12 x 12" pieces you just cut and put in order of how you want the colors to flow.  If you are using all the same color then no worries, it won't matter.

You will need to cut each piece to a specific measurement so the inclusion will fold up properly.  I have listed the color next to the measurement I used for purposes of this tutorial. 

1. 5 1/2 x 7"- orange

2. 5 1/5 x 7 1/2"- green

3. 5 1/2 x 8"- blue (I only used 1 of my blue pieces that I cut)

4. 5 1/2 x 7"- orange

5. 5 1/2 x 6 1/2"- green

Place cardstock on table in number sequence, 1-5, starting at the left (just like the layout above). It is most imperative that you number the pages at this point.  I have probably made 10 of these inclusions and I still need to number.  I only use a Ticonderoga pencil (because the mark can easily be removed) to mark the page number.  For this tutorial I have marked each page with a piece of cardstock so you can see the number well.

Once all your pages are cut and in order on the table you can start to hinge the pages together.
You will need 4 pieces of gaffer tape 5 ½” long.  I am using gaffer tape because it is actually made from fabric so it will last a long time, being folded and opened so many times. This pattern gaffer tape is from the Venice collection and it comes in a 3 pack.

Run gaffer strip between pages 1 and 2 and pages 4 and 5 to make hinges. Leave 1/8” between papers to allow for fold.  DO NOT HINGE PAGE 3 YET.  

Follow this pattern

(this is side 1)

So we have our inclusion hinged between 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, right?  Now we need to add hinges to the center section three.  Here is the tricky part.  YOU MUST KEEP THE BOOK IN NUMBER ORDER during this next step.

Put pages on the table (just like the picture under the words "follow this pattern")

Keep page 3 on the table (never move page 3)

Flip hinged pages 1 and 2 over (picture 1) so that the gaffer tape is on the bottom and page 1 is still in first position.

picture 1

picture 2

Repeat step for page 3 and 4 so that your pages look like this:

(this is side 2)

Now, adhere gaffer between pages 2 and 3 and pages 3 and 4.  Your inclusion should now be completed hinged together.  MAKE SURE PAGES ARE STILL IN ORDER.  If you are out of order just pull up the gaffer tape and get them in the right order.

Now lets fold it up to make sure we did it right.  With side 1 showing, start to fold up.  Number 3 (the blue page) will stay stationary on the table.  Now fold up each side (looks like a skateboard ramp so far).

 Now lay the right side down.

 

and then the left side.

Now we can add our own style by choosing some paper to cover up the backside of the gaffer. I am choosing some NEW 7g paper that is coming out this next week at CHA.  It called Avignon.

More sneek peeks starting Monday!

 

back side of the 6 papers

I cut 4 paper strips (2 for the front and 2 for the back) 3 x 5 1/2" (these strips can be any width as long as they are 5 1/2" tall to fit the page).  With zig-zag fully extended in front of you, glue papers down over the page breaks.

 Side 1

Side 2

Use punch to create a finger tab at each end of zig-zag.  (I used 1 ½” punch)

 To fold up:  With page 3 flat on the table, fold in from the right, then from the left to make zig-zag.

 

Once you are finished covering the portfolio with paper you can add the inclusion with Super Tape.

Gosh, I which I had more time to complete the portfolio but I have to get back to the CHA work that seems never ending right now!

-paula :)

The Flip Portfolio

I said I would be back with some coordinating info on the Portfolios that have been running on the 7gypsies blog this past week.  We love this product and have used it several times in classes.  So over the next few days I will be blogging about ways we have used the portfolios and show you some examples of ways to make the product unique.
Just a side note: The portfolio comes in 3 sizes and you can find them here (if you order make sure you look at the sizes because the pictures are not to scale).

The Flip up:
I will show you the finished portfolio and then I'll show you how to make it.  It takes very little paper, in fact almost scraps and 2 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock.  I used a naked medium portfolio for this one (more ideas for this size found on the 7g blog).  Which means it is gray stock and needs to be covered in paper or at least in my mind it does.  The medium portfolio also comes in black and red (but the inside is still gray stock).

I used the 7g Vagabond sticker (still one of my all time favorites) to make a travel book for a trip my husband and I took to Toronto.   

When you open the portfolio on the left side (which is the back of the cover) I made a pocket for extra photos.

The center of the portfolio has 7 pieces of cardstock that flip up to reveal journaling and photos.  I only used the most important pictures to tell certain stories.  That's why there are pictures of Lays potato chips and none of Niagara Falls.  When I look back at the book I still laugh at the funny stories I wrote right after coming home (and NO regrets about what I left out!).  I have also learned in traveling to many foreign places that when you see something that is unusual or foreign to you, take a picture.  Because the longer you are there, the less unusual things become.  Hence, why I have pictures of garbage containers in Brazil, portable BBQ's in South Africa and Lay's Ketchup potato chips in Canada.

The story of the "ZEN" hotel we stayed in.  I have never paid so much for such an uncomfortable bed.

 

 The Eaton Centre and the Bata Shoe museum.  It was hard to gather my thoughts about these place so I used signs in the store window and quotes I found later that seemed to apply.  Again, very little paper, a rubbing and stickers.

No pictures here just the story of Poutine (which we had never heard of before this trip).  I altered the definition for Poutine to make it al little more personal.

 

This is the page about the Ketchup, Smokey Bacon and Dill Pickle potato chips (they also had Curry flavor).  The man in the mini market thought I was a little nuts taking pictures of his potato chip rack.  Foreign grocery stores are some of my favorite places to take pictures on vacation.  Many things are the same but there are some glaring differences.  Like in Australia where they have a whole section called "tasty" cheese.  I always thought all cheese was tasty!  Or in Brazil where Halls cough drops are sold right at the check to buy like candy. 

 So you can see, very little paper, mostly cardstock and a few pictures and journaling. 
All the rubbings throughout the whole project came from this rubbing sheet-7g Graphique.

Here's the structure:
Start with TWO pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock.
Cut down the center so you have FOUR 6 x 12" pieces.

Cut each 6 x 12" piece individually.
The first cut is at 4 1/2".  So you end up with a 4 1/2 x 6" piece and 7 1/2 x 6" piece, set aside.

The second 6 x 12" piece is cut at 5", leaving you with a 5 x 6" piece and a 7 x 6" piece, set aside.

The third 6 x 12" piece is cut at 5 1/2", leaving you with a 5 1/2 x 6" piece and a 6 1/2" piece, set aside.

The last 6 x 12" piece is cut at 6", leaving you with two 6 x 6" squares.  One of the 6 x 6" squares is for the flip book.  The other 6 x 6 piece is the pocket.

For the pocket, make a mark 1/2" in from the left side at the top and 1 1/2" up on the right side.  Using a ruler, draw a line between the marks. 

Cut along the line.

The small triangle is a scrap.  I covered the pocket with patterned paper and attached to the flap with a bit of glue and brads.  

NOTE: You have to attach the pocket before you put the paper on the cover or the brads will show.

Gather up all the piece you cut in order.  They should all be 6" tall.  Once you have them in order you will need to score the cardstock to make sure it folds open to see the inside easily.

Score cardstock 3/4" from the top of each card. You can use a bone folder, a scoring tool, an old stylus (I think I bought it some time in the 80's) it still works like a charm.

Punch two holes at the top, 4" apart with the small hole on the Crop-a-dile.  Thread a 4" elastic (another of my favorite products) to secure the stack together.  You can thread buttons, fabric, beads, etc onto the elastic as you wish. 

 

Once the cover is complete, position pages of the book into the portfolio.  Mark holes with a pencil. Remove pages and punch with a long reach tool like a Big Bite.  I used my old Making Memories hole tool (I don't know the proper name) that you have to hammer on the end to make the hole.  It works fine.

 

Okay, now you are ready to make your own!

AWOL

Sorry about being AWOL this week but Deb and I have been in LA at the warehouse setting the booth for the CHA trade show in ONLY 2 weeks!  This is such an exciting, chaotic, crazy time of year! So much behind the scenes work to do to make the show happen. 
Funny, one of the definitions of the word scene is: 
scene |sēn|
noun
• a place, with the people, objects, and events in it, regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression.

That's what we do.  We set the stage or "scene" that hopefully leads retailers to see our vision, believe in our brand, and ultimately buy our product. 

 If you have ever seen the 7gypsies booth you know there is much to be accomplished before the show.  It all starts coming together when the walls of the booth are set up by Jorge and Hector our FABULOUS support team.  We tell Jorge what we need built, welded, or painted and he gets it done.  Like this week when we told him we wanted a giant, and I do mean giant, umbrella to stand 8 feet above the booth.  Within 5 minutes he figured out how to do it and the next morning he had the contraption made and nailed to the booth (if only he could come to my house!) He is truly our own booth engineer!
Jorge and Hector built the booth from the ground up from Steve Smylie's drawing so that it can be put together in many configurations depending on need.  Pure engineering genius right there. 
Then Deb, Janelle Smith and I picked the wallpaper over a conference call (since we each live in a different state) and used email to send pictures of wallpaper that Janelle had ordered, cut into swatches and glazed (that was a long call).  All in all I think there are 5 different wallpapers as well as burlap walls that we dyed with coffee grounds we got from Starbucks (I could write a whole blog post just on the burlap walls with the nailed on patches).

A true labor of love.

 

 Next week Deb is going to tell you what she does to get ready for the booth.  It may not be a sewing tutorial but I think you will find it interesting to learn about some of the steps it takes to get ready for the show.  We also have some portfolios to show you that tie in with whats happening on the 7g blog right now.  I'll get those posted in the day or so.  Just let me unpack and do my laundry before it takes over the house.

Talk to you soon

-paula :)

And The Winner Is..?

I am overwhelmed by the response.

Going into this giveaway, I had hoped for 50 comments. 

You passed that in 7 hours. 

There were 127 of you that got your comment in on time.

So just...

thank you, 

thank you

  all you lovers of things made from junk

for your

comments, questions, and support.

-paula :) 

 

And the winner is... (insert drum roll here)
Deanna said...
What a great giveaway! I've enjoyed the tag tutorials. If you MUST de-stash, I'd be thrilled to win. Happy New Year!

December 31, 2009 5:58 PM

Deanna, Congratulations!

Please contact us with your full name and address. 

(Now you know, we are going to expect a photo or two of what you do with these!)