If you have never tipped a spinner card from side to side while grinning from ear to ear, you're missing out! I had made the PaperTrey Ink Holiday Button Bits Santa spinner card posted above this one before the last release, but I quickly realized that I didn't have enough pictures to explain the process. With this one, I have plenty of pictures.
I started with some patterned paper cut to 4" x 5-1/4", and a darker strip (for contrast with my stamped gingerbread man) that was about 2" x 5-1/4". Adding a second layer of patterned paper helps to reinforce the spinning track. If you are using a cardstock front, you probably wouldn't need an extra layer unless you want it only for looks. (Papers are from The Merry Days of Christmas by My Mind's Eye.)
Next, using my Stampin' Up Word Window Punch, I pushed the punch up as far as it would go onto the bottom of the gingerbread house paper and punched as closely to the sides as I wanted to go before punching out the center portion too. Pushing it as far as it will go onto the paper or cardstock insures that you can get all three punched areas aligned. (If you don't have a Word Window punch, you can also use a small circle punch at the same height on either end, and cut lines between the circles, as Cami Turnbow shows here.)
This is what the paper looks like after you punch three times across it--once on either end, and a small snip in the center. If the punch was aligned properly, there will be no ragged edges.
After punching through my base layer, I added my contrasting strip of paper and punched through it as well. (I punch them singly because punches tend to get stuck when punching double layers. It's easy enough to attach the second layer, turn it over to the back side, and punch in exactly the same place since you will again be pushing the punch up as far on the paper as you can.) I added some stitching for interest, knowing that I wouldn't be having my typical huge bow on this card. . . Bows tend to get in the way of spinning action. ;-} That smaller dark red scrap of paper will go underneath the card front so that the spinner track isn't overly obvious.
For the spinning mechanism you will need two pennies and some kind of round dimensional adhesive that will hold the two pennies together. I used some old SU Dimensionals that I had in a drawer. I also found some Pop Dots in the drawer that would have worked if they had been the regular size rather than the micro dots. You could even cut a double layer of foam tape into a circle, about 1/4" in diameter. Dimensional glue dots do NOT work because they are sticky on the sides as well--not a good thing when you want the mechanism to spin freely.
Here is my gingerbread man (stamped in Gingerbread and Jumbo Java Versamagic inks and distressed with a Chamomile Vintage Distress Cube. Attached with Rustic Twine are his Pure Poppy Vintage Buttons. You can see my spinner mechanism in the background--two pennies sandwiched with a double-dimensional (two layers), and with some Scotch-3M foam tape on top of the penny to attach my gingerbread man.
To get the spinner mechanism in place, simply push it into one track, and then push out the opposite track until you can gently get it on the other side of the penny mechanism in place. By the way, before you put the mechanism on would be the best time to add a sentiment to this layer if you want one there. . . Trust me, it's a bit trickier after you have all of the foam tape in place!
Here he is, attached to his penny. Try to get the center of the image in the center of the penny, or you may notice an awkward wobble as the image spins.
This is how I tape the back. I use a doubled piece of Scotch foam tape. (You might get by with a single thickness, but if your pennies won't move freely, the spinner won't spin properly. As much work as it is, I'd rather add that extra layer of tape and know that it will spin well.) I put two long, narrow strips of doubled tape on both the top and bottom of the track to add extra support. The rest of the foam tape is on there merely to attach my card front to my mat layer.
My card base is PTI's Rustic White cardstock folded to 4-1/4" x 5-1/2", and my mat layer is Kraft, 4-1/8" x 5-3/8". Before I attach the card front to the mat layer, I attach that deep red strip onto the mat layer where the spinning window will be. That way I don't have a piece of kraft cardstock showing and shouting for attention there. This card is probably almost 1/2" thick by the time the layers are all attached, so it would require special handling to mail. (I would suggest a padded mailer.)
If you could watch my son's face when he sees a spinner card lying on my desk, you'd know why it's worth it to make these occasionally! Thanks for visiting.
