Peek-A-Boo Card Tutorial (6" or 15cm square)

Hello.
(Warning:  I have tons of pictures here--they are in place of a camcorder that I don't have...LOL.)

This is a tutorial on a 6-inch square (or 15cm square) peek-a-boo card.  I've used Dawn's concept for this card--her video tutorial for a smaller peek-a-boo card can be found HERE.  I've reworked it to create a 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) card, my favorite size for a square card.

First, here's the finished card.

This is how it works (I did this 16-second video with my camera)...

Don't you just love it?

Below are the step-by-step instructions to create a similar card.

Materials required:
3 pieces of cardstock
- one 6" x 9" (15cm x 22.5cm) for the card front
- one 6" x 9 1/4" (15cm x 23.2cm) for the card middle/inside
- one 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) for the card back

3 pieces of decorative/designer paper
- one 5 7/8" x 5 7/8" (14.7cm x 14.7cm) to decorate the front
- two  5 7/8' x 4 1/2" (14.7cm x 11.3cm) to decorate the inside/middle

Shape dies (no wider than 2 1/2" (6.5cm) wide) to make the windows and window frames
Die cutting machine e.g. Big Shot, Grand Calibur, Vagabond, etc.,
2 coloured images (or one image and one sentiment) that will fit inside the windows

Step 1
We're going to decorate the cardstocks with the designer papers first.
For the card front, take the 6" x 9" (15cm x 22.5cm) cardstock and score at 3" (7.5cm).  Fold along the scoreline.

Step 2
Glue the 5 7/8" x 5 7/8" (14.7cm x 14.7cm) designer paper in place.

Step 3
For the card middle/inside, take the 6" x 9 1/4" (15cm x 23.2cm) cardstock and score exactly midway at 4 5/8" (11.6cm). Fold along the scoreline.

Step 4
Open the cardstock and glue the two 5 7/8' x 4 1/2" (14.7cm x 11.3cm) designer papers in place.

Step 5
Now to create your window, you can of course do this without using dies.  I used my kraft knife to make the rectangle windows in my previous Thanksgiving peek-a-boo card, HERE.  But for this Christmas card, I am using a die from the Spellbinders Petite Ovals (the 3rd largest one in the set).  Make sure that your die is no wider than 2 1/2" (6.5cm) wide.

Take the decorated card front and turn it upside down.  Using the edge of the top folded layer as a ruler, draw a vertical line as shown below...

and then a parallel line at 1/2" (1cm) from the right edge of the cardstock.

Step 6

You MUST make your window between these 2 lines.  The space between the 2 lines is 2 1/2-inch (6.5cm) wide.  Arrange your die between the lines and secure in place with removable tape.

Step 7
Run the card and die through your die-cutting machine.

and voila you have a window on the card front. 

Step 8

Now to create the window on the card middle/inside, line up it's right paper edges with that of the card front as shown below...

Step 9
Fit back your die in the window opening and with your pencil draw the inside outline of your die.  This is to create a guide for replacing your die.

Step 10
Remove the card front and now replace the die on the card middle/inside using the previously drawn guide.  Secure in place with removable tape.

Step 11
Run the paper and die through your die-cutting machine.

Step 12
What we want is to create the window on both sides of the paper.  If your cardstocks and designer papers are thin enough, your die may have gone through all the layers by now and you have the 2 windows.  If not, like in my case here, there is only one window, but you can see the indentation of the die on the 'non-window' side...

so now fit your die into the indentation and secure in place.

Step 13
Run this through your die-cutting machine again.

And the 2 pieces of your card should look like this now...

Step 14
Fold the card middle/inside and apply glue as show below.

Step 15
Glue the card front to the card middle/inside lining up the window openings.

Step 16
Create 3 frames for the 3 windows.  You can skip this part, by I think it looks so much better with the frames, don't you?  For the ones shown here, I used one of the dies from the Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Ovals set and the same die I used to create the windows.

Step 17
Apply glue to the frames in glue each in place.

Step 18
Choose 2 images--you can use also sentiment(s)--that will fit within the window opening.  For my card,  I have stamped and coloured 2 Tilda angel images from Magnolia's Little Christmas Collection 2012.

Step 19
Cut out the images as shown below.
You can either make them the same size as your window or larger.  Here I have chosen to use a slightly larger die--the next larger size in the Spellbinders Petite Ovals set.  I could even have just cut the paper in half and use rectangles if I wanted to.

Step 20
Open you card and on the back of card-front flap, arrange the first image in place, as shown below.

Step 21
Fold the card middle/inside and pencil draw around the image--again you are creating a guide for replacing the image later on.

Step 22
Apply glue to the back of the image.

Step 23
Glue in place using the pencil-drawn guide.

Step 24
Close the card and take the third piece of cardstock, 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm)--the one that is untouched up to this point--and line it up behind the card front.

Step 25
With your second image, repeat Steps 20 to 23, using the card back this time.

arrange image to fit into the window

pencil draw around the image

glue image in place

Step 26
Apply glue near the right-side edge of your card back as shown below.

Step 27

Glue the card front onto the card back.  And there you have your peek-a-boo card! 

Step 28

Now you can finish decorating your card with sentiments, embellishments, die cuts, etc. 

  

Have fun with this.  I love this type of cards--one of my faves now.  Happy creating!!!