blooming heart animation...

Hello my fabulous friends!

I got some happy mail today.... my order of the NEW dies from Uchi's Design, along with a stamp set that isn't like any other stamp set I own.

Animation dies and stamps!!!

Stamps: Uchi's Design Flying Owls; Altenew Vintage Flower, Vintage Roses, Oriental Orchids, Painted Butterflies

Ink: Altenew Frosty Pink, Coral Berry, Crimson, Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades; Smooch Gold Lame

Dies: Uchi's Design Animation Grid Banner; Paper Craft Muli Bow; Art C Jar & Label; Altenew Vintage Roses, Vintage Flowers

Other: Ranger Foil Tape

The concept behind this kind of animation is simple and has been around for a really long time... However, it's awesome to see it appearing in the card/scrapbooking market in a SUPER easy way!

Let's take a quick look...

For this card, I'm using the Animation Grid Banner die.  

Step 1: Die cut your grid. I cut mine out of white card stock to keep things simple, but you can use any color you want... 

Step 2: Create your outer panel. Basically, you need a window where your animated stamp will be, and a small slider slot. A light penciled center line will help you line things up. Use your grid banner to figure out the size of the window you want and where the slider slot needs to be based on what dies you are using to create them... I just went through my dies and found some dies that would work... You can hand cut a  window and slot if you prefer.

Step 3: Stack two squares of foam tape on top of each other on the tab...This is what is going to create the slider. 

Step 4: Test your slider mechanism... Place the grid behind the outer panel with the foam squares in the slider slot... Test to make sure it moves easily (but not too much wiggle side to side since the grid needs to stay straight for the animation to work), and make sure that when your slider is all the way up and all the way down down, only the grid shows in the window. 

Step 5: Lay your outer panel on your card base and lightly pencil in your window.

Step 6: Stamp your animation stamp in the window making sure to keep the lines straight up and down to match your grid.

*Sidenote: Yes, you can animate other stamps using these dies!!! There are more steps involved, including making a mask, and stamping multiple times. Using Uchi's animation stamps is the simplest way to get comfortable with figuring out all the moving parts... animating other stamps using these dies is a tutorial for another post.

Step 7: Test your stamped image by laying your grid and outer panel over the card base and sliding the slider back and forth to make sure everything lines up correctly.

Step 8: Decorate!!! I used a bunch of different Altenew Stamps...

Step 9: Glue your outer panel onto your card base by putting foam tape or adhesive around the very outer edges, making sure you leave enough room for the grid to move how it needs to. Place your grid on your card base and carefully press your outer panel over it, making sure your foam squares are sticking out of the slider slot, and that you don't get any glue on the grid.... 

Step 10: To finish it off, test again to make sure everything is working right, and decorate the top of your slider mechanism.... I used a butterfly. 

*Sidenote: You may want to include some arrows by your slider mechanism so whoever gets the card knows how to work it... I realized that a little late for this card, but it is something to think about. 

I'm having lots of fun playing with this fun way of adding movement and interaction in cards. I hope you do too!

Enjoy!

~Kassi