beyond the card | a lavender folio with Angy Hughes

Happy Tuesday, STAMPfriends! Today we're back with another Paper Goods VIP Showcase from STAMPgirl Angy Hughes -- and this time, she's taking our paper goods beyond cardmaking.

Angy used the Lavender Pocket Backdrops along with sentiment stickers from Hey Sunshine and New Day to create a beautiful interactive folio filled with pockets, tuck spots, tags, and uplifting messages.

What Is a Papercrafting Folio?

If you're unfamiliar with folios, think of one as a cross between a mini scrapbook, a memory keeper, and an interactive paper project -- all folded into one compact package. 

A papercrafting folio is typically constructed from folded panels that create places to add pockets, flaps, and tuck spots. Those spaces can hold photos, journaling cards, tags, notes, ephemera, keepsakes, or whatever else you'd like to collect inside.

Part of the fun is that a folio doesn't reveal everything at once. You open it, unfold it, pull pieces from pockets, and discover what's tucked inside. And unlike a full scrapbook album, a folio can be relatively quick to assemble while still giving you lots of room to play with paper, texture, and layers.

Angy's project is a wonderful example.

A Look at the Cover

Closed, the folio already gives us a peek at what's waiting inside. Angy used one of the sheets in the Lavender Pocket Backdrops pack that features soft vintage imagery and lavender tones, which include a collage of florals, documents, handwriting, and butterflies. A pocket on the front holds another butterfly piece, while ribbon and lace add texture. The "soar high" sticker gives the cover its finishing message and hints at the encouraging words tucked throughout the project.

Open It Up...

...and there's a lot more to discover! Once the folio is completely opened, the different panels become a patchwork of lavender, cream, vintage papers, florals, and butterflies. Pockets and tuck spots hold removable tags and pieces while still allowing the patterned papers underneath to become part of the design. Angy scattered sentiments from the Hey Sunshine and New Day clear stickers throughout: yes, you can; be amazing; embrace life; you are a gift; be fearless; choose to shine. Rather than adding one main sentiment as we might on a card, the little messages become discoveries within the folio.

And Look What's Tucked Inside

Remove everything from the pockets and you can really see how much a small folio can hold. Angy created an assortment of coordinating tags using sheets in the pack -- all featuring the same lavender, butterfly, floral, and vintage imagery found throughout the project. Each becomes a little project in its own right, finished with messages including choose kindness, change the world, you are a gift, be fearless, and be amazing. They can be pulled out, handled, read, written on, or simply enjoyed as part of the interactive experience.

Don't Forget the Back

Even the closed backside becomes another opportunity for a pocket and more tucked-in pieces. That's one of the things we love about projects like this: there's no reason to limit the creativity to the "front." Every panel can become useful real estate for another pocket, another image, or another little surprise.

Creative Takeaway: Think Beyond the Card

Paper goods don't have to stay flat on a card front. Pocket Backdrops in particular lend themselves beautifully to projects like folios because they can be cut apart, layered, folded, tucked into pockets, or turned into tags and other interactive elements. And because the designs within a pack already coordinate, you can repeat colors and imagery throughout a larger project without having to hunt through your stash for pieces that work together. Add clear stickers and you have an easy way to scatter words and messages throughout the project without introducing bulky layers.

Cards may be where our paper goods often begin, but Angy's folio is a wonderful reminder that they certainly don't have to end there.

Discover What's Possible

Our Paper Goods VIP Subscription lets you choose the paper goods you want every four weeks -- including Card Fronts, ATCs, Collage Sheets, Pocket Backdrops, and more. No mystery box and no long-term commitment: simply choose the designs that inspire you and see where they take your creativity.

Maybe they'll become cards. Or maybe, like Angy, you'll turn them into an entire little world that unfolds in your hands.