Iris Folding ......

Hello again,

I thought that I would show you some of my other non-SU cards which I made awhile ago.
I took a class in Iris Folding when I first started making cards and was instantly hooked.

This technique which looks complicated but is so easy to do, was created by two Dutch women
many years ago. It originally began using the inside of envelopes for the folded paper strips - in Europe apparently, envelopes have the most beautiful patterned papers inside in various colours and designs though we here in Australia do have some too.

Go ahead, look through your window-faced envelopes and see the different colours and designs. Unfortunately, we don't have very many beautiful colours but our shades of blue, grey and green are all suitable for this style of papercraft and I have used them to great effect when co-ordinating them with other coloured papers.

You can use a variety of papers for this technique - patterned scrapbooking papers, foils, old inner envelopes, wrapping paper, etc. as long as the paper isn't too thick for folding.

The 'Iris' in the term Iris Folding refers to the Iris of a camera or your eye, (not the flower), as you lay strips of paper around a central pattern template in decreasing layers so creating the central 'Iris'.

When you have finished laying down all the strips, you are left with an open space in the centre of your work which can be left bare or filled with whatever you choose - I usually use holographic paper or card but sometimes I add a small motif in the centre.

You need to cut an aperture in the front of your card which can be any shape - either the basic ones of circle, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, oval, etc. or any other shape you choose.
There are blank cards available with pre-cut designs or you can create your own using punches or cutting tools.

The cut-out section is placed (with the wrong side facing up) over a design template and you just need to follow the designated lines, laying down your paper strips as required until you've completed the pattern.

When finished, you turn the card around and your design is behind the aperture - then it's just a matter of finishing off your card by covering the messy bits at the back and decorating it as you choose and giving it to that special someone!


Here are a few of the cards I have made over the last few years - I have more, but need to find the disc that they're on in my mountain of craft supplies but that's another chore for another day.....





























































As you can see, the designs are only limited by your imagination and there is a shape for any occasion.

I hope you like these cards. If you want to know more about this technique, please contact me and I can give you lots of ideas and tips on this lovely art. It's just another facet to the world of card making and something a little different!


'Bye for now - see you again soon!