I Love Creative Challenges!

This week, Kristina Werner challenged her blog followers to make a dual-fold card with a locking device.  She got the idea for the mechanism from the book Folding Ideas for Cards & Envelopes, by Laurence K. Withers.  I love cards that use paper engineering techniques, so this challenge was right up my alley.

I decided to use an origami tatos, Japanese for self-closing pouch, for the closure.  I made the pleated triangle using a design that was created by Susana Arashiro, an origami artist from Argentina.  To give the tatos some stability, I traced it on card stock.  Then, I cut the triangle and glued it inside the tatos.  To give the card some contrast, I cut a 2" strip of striped card stock in colors that coordinated with the background.  I glued the strip on the left side flap.  Using a silver square shaped eyelet, I attached the tatos over the strip.  The latter allows you to slip the right side flap under the tatos to lock the card.

I like the simple elegance of my design, which will make a nice card for my brother or other male family members.  Did any of you take the challenge?