Hello from the Otter Side with Davina

Hello and Happy New Year! Davina here today on Heffy Doodle blog sharing a bright and playful Interactive Card using the newly released Otter Side  stamps and dies. I also combined a few images from the previously released set called Oceans of Love and the Hello sentiment from Hello Everyone.

These cute otters don’t only look adorable, but they twist side to side with the ocean when you pull the tab at the top. I took a few photos while I was constructing this, and combined them into a 4×4 grid. But keep in mind I snapped these mid-making, and my desk glass is messy, and the light is harsh haha.

Before I ever sat down to create, I found a stack of 10 odd sized envelopes in my Christmas stuff. They are sized for a 4×7 card and since it isn’t too far off from the shorter slimline cards I enjoy making, I thought I would roll with it, and make a few cards to fit. I selected a piece of patterned paper that had an aqua and off white pattern. I like the distressed look, and since it had some pink and pomegranate colored coordinating  prints in the pack I chose a nice rich rose to layer it on. I trimmed a piece of Bristol smooth cardstock to 3.5 x 6.5 and cut the remnant 3 inch piece with a stitched die for the sand bar.

I inked up my panel using Distress Oxide Inks in the colors Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, and Antique Linen. I inked the smaller sand portion with Antique Linen and a little Brushed Corduroy. Then I gently splattered both with clean water, white ink, and blue and brown distress ink. I put them aside to dry and stamped my images using my Stamp Platform.

I colored all of my images with Copic Markers then cut them out using the coordinating dies and my fancy new Big Shot Express. I told my husband that I was tired of cranking my old big shot, which was easily 13 years old, and asked him for the motorized version for Christmas. Currently I’m in love with it and have had no issues other than where to put my old one. Next, I dotted little white highlights onto the images then stamped and embossed the “Hello” for the sentiment.

Here’s where I had to use some creative engineering. I wanted to make these otters wriggle around but not slide around. I have done this type of card before with no fancy dies, just 1/2 inch wide strips of thick cardstock cut at 2 inches and 1.5 inches (2 of each) and 3/4 inch wide pull tab cut as long as the card is tall and a handful of tiny mini brads. Since then, I have acquired a die set that cuts those strips, but it isn’t necessary to achieve these results. Even with the dies you still have to play around with placement. You will notice my extra hole and added extension in the pics.

I cut my pieces ( and two wrap around strips to ensure the pull tab slides straight) from kraft, and my pull tab from white cardstock (I later added a little extension to the tab since the die wasn’t as long as I wanted it) I attached each of the shorter tabs, to a longer tab, with mini brads to make 2 little arms. Then I marked on my inky panel where the center of each otter would be. I poked through all of my layers with a piercing tool. I die cut two little 1/2 inch circles from the top inky panel, making sure the piercing was in the center. You can use any circle shape die you have from a bubble, ball, or planet. Next, I made the mechanism on my patterned paper. It resembles a tall cactus with two jointed arms. Only the “hand” on each arm is secured through the paper. The elbows are not attached down, and the center is only attached to the white sliding strip. I secured the two belly bands with glue to the patterned paper.This allows the sliding and turning motion of the paper while keeping it all in place.

I flipped over my inked panel and framed it all in foam tape. Then I stacked some circles of cardstock and glued them together and attached over the top brad. These stacks will “stick out” once the inked panel is attached. That is what I glue the otters to, and as the kraft tabs move underneath, the otters are just spinning in place like a limited motion record player. I glued the kraft circles over the top to prevent glue from getting onto the brads. Then I adhered the otters on top. Once those were in place, I added the remaining images and a few sparkly sequins.

I know this was a lot of info, haha, but I hope you try your hand at making an interactive card today! Please visit my Instagram post @popsiclesticks to see a little video clip of the otters in motion. Thank you for stopping by,

Davina