Carousel Pop Up Mini Album Tutorial

        Hi friends sharing a very special project which I made as my first DT project for the  Israel based company " You Artists " You Artists have super cute pattern papers and since I loooove cute whimsical  designs , I didn't have to think twice when Noa Perez from You Artists asked me if I would like to be on their design team. And I am so happy to be able to work with such adorable papers!!

I used the  paper collection " Zoo" from You Artists to make a 3 D Carousel Pop Up Album. Here is how the  album looks when it is closed 

I made a belly band with glitter foam  and cardstock and added design motifs from the  paper stack to bring it alive!

Added satin and faux leather tassels and a cute binoculars charm to a bronze ring on the  closure . Decorate the  band on all sides with matching papers.

In modern zoos most of the  animals are not in cages but in enclosures and I tried to replicate that feel in my diorama style album. The first section is dedicated to the  majestic tiger!

 Each pop up diorama page has 3 layers which you can utilize to create a 3 dimensional effect and you can add photos right at the  back or on the  layers in front.

I didn't use any embellishments apart from motifs from the  paper collection and its matching die cuts on each of the  pages as it is best to have everything nice and flat for this type of pop up album. Isn't that sloth bear simply adorable !!!

I staggered the  animals in different layers to add to the  3 D effect ! 

The section below has adorable zebras and a cute giraffe

 I placed the  zebras in such a way that you can see them clearly when you change your viewing angle!

Carousel Pop Up Mini Album Tutorial 

The basic framework is pretty simple to make and is an adaptation of the  popular "star album" you must have seen in the  paper-crafting world. But this design uses less paper and so is easier to complete . I just added the  pop up elements to make it more fun! You can keep it simple by just adding photos or go all out like I did here and create mini pop up diorama scenes for each section.

Materials

Pattern Paper/Card stock - You can make the  basic framework using cardstock or if you have good quality, thick ,double sided paper this project is just perfect for it as  in this design you can see and use both sides of your paper. The You Artists papers I used in this project are 250 g thick and double sided so perfect to use as the  base.

You need 6 sheets cut down to 9 x 8 inches

This way you can use photos upto 4 inches wide  on each half. Tweak the  measurements to fit your needs.

Step 1

Step 1 : Score at 4 inches on the  8 inch side 

Step 2

Step 2 : Fold in half along the  score line

Step 3

Step 3 : Fold back the  upper free corners of your folded page to meet the  center fold as shown above in Step 3

Step 4

Step 4 :Chop off the corner triangles along the  fold lines [ as shown by black arrow]

Step 5

Step 5 : You will have a  "house" shape when you  cut off the  corner triangles from both the  sides.

PS: The cut lines should fall along the  black arrows in the  photo...I had initially added a flap to my design thinking I will add magnets there but later abandoned that idea and chopped off that flap...so don"t get confused seeing that extra bit.

Cardstock to create the  Pop Up frames : 

You need 

six 8 x 5 inch and 

six 7½ x 5 inch cardstock pieces 

Tip : Don't use very thick cardstock as it can become too bulky. 

Choose the  colours according to each section

Step 6

Step 6 :Score the  8 x 5 inch pieces at 1/2 inch from either side and down in the  middle along the  long 8 inch side

Step 7

 Step 7 :Score the 7½ x 5 inch cardstock pieces at 1/2 inch from either side and down in the  middle along the  long 7½ inch side

To create the  windows

To create the  windows in your pop up frames you can simple fold the  card pieces and cut out rectangles to create the  apertures or use dies in your collection to create the  windows

Tip : Take care not to make your frame borders too narrow as then you wont have room to add decorative and pp up elements.

Step 8

Step 8 : I used a simple rectangle die to cut out the  windows

Tip : Mark the  center of your die and align this to the  central scoreline on your cardstock to get perfectly centered windows

Step 9

Step 9 : Cut out windows in all the  frames

Step 10

Step 10 : Valley fold along the  central scorelines and mountain fold along the  scorelines at the  ends as shown above

Step 11

 Step 11 : Apply glue to the  1/2 inch ends[which are gluing tabs] of the  8  x 5 inch frame as shown

Step 12

  Step 12 : Stick one 1/2 inch gluing tab to the  edge of your base as shown

Step 13

 Step 13 : Fold over your frame with the  other gluing tab folded and facing upwards as shown

Step 14

Step 14 : Now fold over your base and the  gluing tab of your frame will stick in place.

Do the  same thing for the  smaller size  7½ x 5 inch frames...the  only difference is that these will stick over your 8 x 5 inch frames

Step 15

Step 15 : Fold a 5 x 1 inch strip of card stock length wise to create connecting tabs to join each of your pop up diorama sections

Step 16

 Step 16 : These will go on the  back side of your diorama as shown above. Apply on one diorama and align and stick the  next one [ red arrows]

Tip : A combination of adhesive tape and liquid glue is best for this step

You can see how the  pop up frames help to create dimension and depth in this seal diorama.

 This one below is my favorite . 

 You have the adorable sloth bear with the  serious gorilla in the  backdrop!

 I fuzzy cut leaves from the  paper in the  background and added them to the  frames

 The sign and the  fence are some of my favorites from the  Zoo theme!

I kept the  penguin diorama fairly simple using black and white frames to set a subdued tone to the  busy backdrop!

And here is the  back side of the  diorama...where you can see the  double sided nature of the  papers and which you can use to add more photos and journalling

The carousel is held in place using hidden magnets  

Here is the  video showing all the  features.

I hope you liked this idea and project.

Supplies : Papers : Zoo from You Artists , Die cut elements Zoo

Neolithic Age School Project

Neolithic Age Diorama

         Dear friends , this school year my daughter has to learn about the Stone age with all its subdivisions - the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic Ages! It can get pretty confusing trying to remember what happened during each age!! But kudos to the clever History teacher who asked the children to make a chart, a powerpoint presentation or a model on an assigned age!
           My daughter got Neolithic Age, and of course, if you have been following my blog for sometime you will guess correctly that she opted to make a 3 D model rather than an easier chart or powerpoint presentation!!Haha!!

Neolithic Age Diorama

        We planned out the elements in our Diorama such that each unique and important aspect of the Neolithic Period was highlighted.
        The main reason I am sharing this project in so much detail is that it may benefit someone in future...When I googled about this period I found there was hardly any school project type material online!!
        And for my crafty friends....well do sit back and be transported back into Neolithic Age!!

Neolithic Age Diorama

During  the Paleolithic Age which preceded the Neolithic Age ,  men were predominantly nomads hunting for food and living in caves. During the Neolithic Period they started farming and settled down in small fenced villages and built homes with thatched roofs.

Neolithic Age Diorama

The type of tools used is distinctive in each age . During the Neolithic Period , sophisticated stone tools evolved. My daughter made all the tiny tools referring to pictures of Neolithic tools in her textbook and online. She molded the tools using air drying clay and added "toothpick" handles to some of the tools as "handles" were a hallmark of Neolithic Period stone tools!

Stone Tools

       Neolithic man could make more polished tools compared to his predecessors as he made use of the "grindstone" to smoothen and shape his stone tools! My daughter's grindstone was fashioned with clay which she painted with acrylic paint to give the "stone look"!

Stone Tool Making- Neolithic Age

Neolithic man also used "basalt" ...a type of stone which did not chip easily and hence could be shaped into finer stone tools. And in the picture below you can see the "bone" tools my daughter fashioned by cutting clay which had dried up!

Neolithic Age Tools

During this period man discovered fire and pottery! And my kiddo was sooo proud of all her little pots and vessels she made painstakingly! She added all kinds of little details like the "mound of clay" on the side besides the pots from which the pots were made!

Neolithic Age

 And can you see the food she added to one of the plates![Its craft foam putty!]

Neolithic Age Diorama

And we added a toy basket as Neolithic man were expert at basket making!!

Woven Basket in Neolithic Age 

The invention of the wheel happened in the Neolithic Period ...and they made the wheels by carving stone!! Just imagine!

Stone Wheel in Neolithic Age

And the major points differentiating the Neolithic Period from the Paleolithic Period....cultivation and domestication of animals!

Neolithic Age Diorama

         It is times like these where I am soo glad I have a nice stash of craft supplies I can fall back on to make a project quicker and easier! We could use dies to quickly and easily add a lot of plants to our diorama!
         Neolithic Period man cultivated rice, wheat and barley. Our diorama has maize plants but then I guess that's okay!!Hehe!

Neolithic Age Diorama - Cultivation

Neolithic man settled down near rivers and streams and our deep blue stream is bordered by glittery reeds and vines! Th muddy mound you see near the flower is a lump of clay!! Turned out sooo realistic !

Neolithic Age - riverside settlement

           Most of the objects in the diorama were created by my daughter with help from me for the hot gluing aspect but I couldn't resist contributing bits here and there and one of them is the  lotus! [here is the tutorial : Easy Flower Tutorial ] !

Neolithic Age Diorama 

            My kiddo painted the muddy patches and grassy terrain for her animals. And boy was this an educational as well as a fun project!
            And can you spot the "socks" on one of the cows...well that poor chap had his legs eaten off by my dog when he was a puppy ...but the good news is he can now happily stand on prosthetic clay feet [created by my daughter] !

Neolithic Age - Domestication of Animals

We had signs put up to highlight each important aspect of Neolithic  life and my daughter used glitter foam  to depict fire! The little rocks you can spy right at the back behind the sign was the carton packaging of eggs!!Hehe yeah we used a lot of recycled objects in this project!

Neolithic Age - Religious Practices

         It is always fascinating to read about religious practises and I was so surprised to read that Megaliths [which are huge stone boulders used to mark burial sites] can still  be seen in my home state of Kerala , near the popular tourist town of Munnar!

Neolithic Age - Religious Practices

Our project took a good many hours to complete but boy my daughter was sooo proud of it ! And the best thing is that I think she will remember all the important facts of the Neolithic Period for a good many years!!

Neolithic Age Diorama School Project

Supplies : Dies :  Couture Creations Bijoux,Memory Box Fringe Border,Dee's Distinctively Tree Base 1,Sizzix Tapered Fringe,Sizzix Flower Layers 3 , Cheery Lynn  Sunflower, Spellbinders Frameablities Decorative frame S5 005,MFT Dienamics Cornstalk

Stamp and Die sets :Sizzix- Hero Arts Stamp- Die Set Flowers- Thinking of you, Heartfelt creations Classic Leaf Stamp + Heartfelt creations Classic Leaf Die

Punches : Balloon Punch

Edited : This project was featured at the Pixie's Snippets Playground - Thank you so much Di !!