This is a wonderful, easy – and fun! – fold to do, but it LOOKS like it was hard. Your friends will be so impressed! Here’s how to do it!
1. Cut two pieces of card stock at 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. That’s a single 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece, cut in half across the short length. One piece is the “tunnel” and the other can be the card base or you can use another piece/color for that!
2. If you’re planning to emboss or do any background stamping on the inside piece of your “tunnel” piece of your tunnel card, do it now.
2a. If you’re embossing, try to put the right-side edge of the TIEF on the center of the card stock (4 1/4″) for the first run thru the Big Shot.
2b. For the second run, put the left-side edge on the center. You’ll hide the inevitable TIEF “edge” that way! As thusly:
3. With your Stampin’ Trimmer score the “tunnel” piece at 2 1/8″, 4 1/4″ and 6 3/8″.
4. Using the 5th-from-the-center framelit in the Ovals Collection, cut out the window of the tunnel. Align the center of the die with the 4 1/4″ score line. Tip: you can see that I’ve marked the center of my oval, to make it easier to line up. This wasn’t done with a lot of geometry or trigonometry or differential equations, folks. Just eyeball it and make your mark on the non-cutting side of the die!
5. Even if you have the Magnetic Platform, it probably helps on this to use some sticky notes, just to be sure that the die doesn’t wiggle around.
6. Once you cut the oval out – be sure to save it (yours won’t have all the writing all over it!) You can use it for the front decorations on this card or on any other! This picture shows how you’re going to fold each score line. A “Valley” means that you’ll fold IN (in this case towards the written-on side of the card) and a “hill” means you’ll fold OUT.
7. Like this. It’s starting to look like a “tunnel”, now!! Be sure to gently burnish each fold with your bone folder.
8. Prepare your card base. Score and fold it (in this case at 4 1/4″) and add your inside sentiment. Focus the sentiment around the center fold (you can lay your tunnel piece over the top of the base to visualize where to stamp…. These pictures show a card I made – I first sponged the background that I wanted (remember – this is on the INSIDE of the CARD BASE – not on the “tunnel” piece!) and then I added my sentiment and other decorations close to the center score/fold:
9. When your card base/inside sentiment is ready to go, turn the tunnel card stock over (important!) and glue just the outer panels. Use Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue – it gives you a little extra time to squiggle things around and ensure everything is lined up:
9. Stick the tunnel insert onto your prepared card base and quickly but calmly make sure all the edges line up. Here’s what it looks like when you’re done:
10. After a few minutes, the glue will be all stuck down and you can stand your masterpiece up. This doesn’t look like a masterpiece, I know. But, squint your eyes and go see a few tunnel cards in other posts on my site!
Here are a few examples. Click the pictures to go to the post and see how I made it!
Inky Bee Stampers
KarensCardCorner
Stamp with Amy K
Stamp With Nel
Stampin With Shirley G
Tarabeth Stamps
TL's Bright Spot
Excellent directions and photos. Liked the markings on the card. I think I will be able to follow this with no problems. Thank you.
Have fun with it, Betty! Thanks! 😊
Very clear directions. Love how you make and mark patterns for future
cards. I learned a lot from your example. Thanks for posting.
Glad you liked it and hope it helps you make one of your own, Mary! Thank you! 😊
Great instructions thanks for sharing
Thank you, Sue! Happy Tunnel-card making! 🙂
Thanks for sharing it is really appreciated
You’re welcome and thanks for coming by! 🙂
MERCI POUR CE BEAU TUTO
Thank you, Daniel – and you’re welcome! 🙂
Hi Mary–great instructions and photos! I have one question though, what does TIEF mean? Thank you!
Thanks, Barb – sorry for the confusion! TIEF = Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. It’s a Stampin’ Up! product for dry embossing using a Big Shot machine. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this looks like such fun
It is, Maggie – hope you gave it a try! Thanks! 🙂
I have a question. Your instructions say measurement measurement is 5 1/2 by 11 and then you say it is 1/2 of a piece of card stock cut lengthwise. But 1/2 cut lengthwise would be 4 1/4 × 11.
Hey Sharon – thanks for stopping by my tutorial! 😊 You’re right. Not lengthwise. I’ll take those words out so it won’t be so confusing! It’s a half sheet….crosswise? Width-wise? The right word is escaping me!! 😕
Sharon – also changed the second measurement so now it reads correctly – 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. Thanks for letting me know so I could fix it!! Hope you’ll give it a try! 🙂
Beautifully done! Thank you for sharing your easy to follow instructions 🙂
Thanks, Beth! Happy tunnel-card making! 😊
Your words say score, etc. at 4 1/2 inches BUT the numbers on the picture say 4 1/4 inches…Am I correct to assume you do mean 4 1/4 inches so that the score is at the half way point? or is it not at the half way point?
Hey Barbara – you’re so right. It IS 4 1/4″. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m going to go in and fix it as soon as I get to my computer!! Thanks for letting me know so I can make it right!! 😊
Merci, très jolie carte
Thank you! 🙂
I would think you could fill the circle with vellum that has been stamped and/of embossed, then put a tealight in the ‘tunnel’ to light it up. That way you can still put it in an envelope to mail sans light or make a little box envelope that holds the card and light. Hummm I think I’ll try it for a Christmas project!
Oh yes!! What a great idea, Debra! Thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂
Thank you so much for the instructions. I’m going to make it tomorrow! Cheers Pam
You’re welcome! Thanks, Pam! 🙂
Great directions and I love the card. I wish it not so late at night. I’ll be at it first thing in the morning.
Thanks!
Thanks very much, Joan! Have fun making one! 🙂
Thank you for giving clear step by step instructions. I learned about an abbreviation, TIEF
and a fun card that I’m going to make soon. I now want to follow you. Appreciative
Thanks very much, Sandy! Appreciate the kind words and so happy you’re following! 🙂
what a wonderful tutorial everything so clear and well explained .thank you so much from an
aussie great grandma
So glad that you liked it – and hope you’ll make one for yourself! Thanks, Jeanette! 🙂
It’s a pity the measurements are in inches and not in cm.
Hey Nadia – that’s true! Perhaps if you have a chance to convert from inches to CM you could let me know and I could update the tutorial! Thanks for looking! 🙂