Notecard Portfolio / Holder Tutorial

Back again as promised earlier with my project for this week's challenge over at Card Swaps on the CardMakers site. The challenge is to make a card portfolio. We were given a link to a tutorial on how to make one that we could use or we were also free to tweak the design a bit or design our own. I did a bit of tweaking and came up with a design using one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock. The size of my portfolio will hold size A2 cards with envelopes.

Here is an inside view of my portfolio. I kept it simple. The cards I plan on making to put inside will feature the window die template that I used for the front of the cover. I plan on making a card for each season, Summer, Fall etc.

Here's how I made the portfolio:

Take a piece of sturdy cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 11". With the 8 1/2 side at the top of your score board, score at 6" and 6 1/4". Now turn your cardstock so that the 11" side is at the top of your scoreboard and score at the following score marks at:
3/4", 5 1/4", 5 3/4", and 10 1/4" all of these score marks are scored all the way down. Without turning the cardstock you will score at the 1/2" mark only scoring up to the 6" score line that you first scored. Then score one more line at 10 1/2" up to the 6" score line. Now flip your cardstock around so that the last two score lines you made are on the bottom.  Here's what your piece of cardstock should look like:

Take scissors or an exacto knife and cut on the 5 1/4" and 5 3/4" lines up to the 6" score line and remove that piece. On both sides cut out the notch between the 6" and 6 1/4" line up to the 1/2" score line and remove. Now your piece of cardstock should look like this:

Fold and crease all of your score lines. You will see the portfolio take shape as you are creasing the score lines. The bottom two flaps form the pockets, the space between your two middle score lines form the spine etc. If you would like to add ribbon to your project for ribbon tie closures, you would do so at this time. Using an exacto knife you will cut a slit on the 3/4" score line and on the 10 1/4" score line (your side flaps) on each side in the middle. Cut your slit to fit the width of your ribbon. Insert the ends of your two pieces of ribbon into the slits and then glue your 3/4" side flaps down which will secure your ribbon ties in place. You can see the ribbon coming out of the sides in my inside view picture. In that picture you can see how the ends are hidden under the side flaps. Here is a picture of what your cardstock will look like as you are folding the score lines:

You will need to apply a strong adhesive to the 3/4" side flaps and the 1/2" pocket side flaps. That's all there is to making the holder! Pretty easy eh? I recommend doing any decorating and embellishing that you may want to do before you glue your holder together. I find it easier.

The supplies I used:

Memory Box Grand Madison Window Die

Memory Box Flower Box Die

Memory Box Primula Flower  Die

Memory Box Fern Leaf Die

Martha Stewart Twig Branch punch

Martha Stewart border punch

Sizzix embossing folder

Kraft cardstock by The American Paper Co.

White cardstock by Bazzill

Raw Silk Pigment ink by Colorbox

Thanks for stopping by!