A Magical Fun Fold

Birthday Card with Lights of Aurora

Today I’m sharing a very special card I created for a dear friend who just had a birthday. She’s the kind of person who values experiences over material things, and she has the most supportive heart. I wanted this card to reflect just how magical and special she is, so I reached for the beautiful Lights of Aurora Designer Series Paper to be the star of the show.

The card begins with an Azure Afternoon base. On the front, I adhered a panel of that stunning Lights of Aurora DSP, which immediately sets the tone with its dreamy backdrop.

The fun fold mechanism inside the card is what makes this design stand out. I created it from a strip of Azure Afternoon. Folded in a valley-mountain-valley pattern, it creates an accordion-like strip that pops up when the card is opened. I anchored this mechanism to two Basic White panels that were attached inside the card, that I had already accented with a slim strip of DSP added along the top for a touch of color. Adhering the panels inside the card holds the mechanism securely in place, and when the card opens, the strip stretches across the inside, ready to show off its decorative details.

To decorate the strip, I layered Azure Afternoon, Basic White, and coordinating DSP squares to the two ends of the mechanism, creating little panels that frame the fold. I then stamped the sentiment “Wishing You A Year of” and “Magic” from the Light & Wonder stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black, placing each phrase on opposite sides of the mechanism so the greeting unfolds beautifully.

The card front is accented with die-cut mountains and pine trees from the Light & Wonder Dies. I cut the mountains from Basic Black cardstock, added snowy caps in Pretty Peacock, and brushed them with Wink of Stella for a subtle shimmer. The pine trees were trimmed to fit neatly inside the DSP squares on the mechanism, tying the design together. Seven Frosted Iridescent Dots scattered across the card front give the finishing sparkle, like stars twinkling above the mountain scene.

What I love most about this card is the sense of magic and movement. The Lights of Aurora DSP provides the perfect backdrop for the snowy mountains and glimmering details, and the fun fold mechanism adds so much surprise when the card is opened. At the same time, there’s still plenty of room to write a heartfelt message inside.

This card feels like the kind of invitation my friend would give to gather everyone together and go experience the magic of the northern lights. I know she’ll treasure it.

I am also entering this card into three online card challenges: Colorful Options for their September 2025 Anything Goes, Daisy Chain #100 for the More Than One Fold theme, and Inkspirational #350 for their trees theme.

Here’s something extra exciting for all stamping lovers: Stampin’ Up! is having a one-day sale on September 18, offering 15% off all stamp sets and stamp tools for 24 hours.

Annual catalog sets, holiday catalog sets, and online exclusives are included, although bundles and “last chance” products are excluded. It’s a perfect opportunity to grab some of the supplies used in this card (or new ones you’ve had your eye on) at a discount.

If you’d like to try this design yourself, I’ve created a free downloadable PDF tutorial with all the measurements.

And for those who prefer a visual walk-through, I also have a step-by-step video showing how to create the card from start to finish.

Thanks for stopping by – hope you have a chance to get inky today!

Supplies Used (also listed in Tutorial):