Creating pop-up card is something that I initially experienced during my last year of residence in Budapest. It is unimaginable how delightful creating a pop-up card can be. Before learning how to make them, the structure seemed to me very difficult; but then I found it quite easy. It just needs careful cutting and folding. The two images below are my first pop-up cards. I drew rectangles in the center, cut the horizontal lines and folded it.

This card is called an Explosion Card. The main characteristic of this card is its simple structure. It needs only a rectangular colored cardboard. The whole process is based on folding. In the end you arrive at a square-shaped card with a diamond shape at the center. Whenever it opens up, it will explode and becomes a rectangular-shaped card with a plenty of space to write wishes inside it.

This Fancy Fold Card has three different applications. It is at the same time a card, greeting letter stationary, and an envelope. The whole structure is challenging to create, because it needs precise measurements. In the end its a very nice and adorable work. It depends on the recipient; it can be done in different colors with attractive decorations.

This is my favorite card. It is called a Never-Ending Card. Its my favorite because I used very small pieces of colored cardboard and small amounts of glue; and while it seems complicated, the structure was really easy. It has four different sides with four different views and never ends, because you always return back to the first view and again continue to fold it and see the next. Many people were particularly fascinated with this card and asked: How did you do it?

These three-dimensional tiny gift baskets are my other new experiments. I really enjoyed making them. Like the Never-Ending Card, they have a very simple structure, which seems elaborate. I had made gift boxes before; it is a very time consuming and difficult process and at the same time needs expensive material. However, from now on, making these gift baskets for small gifts is preferable for me.

This Waterfall Card is the last pop-up card that I made before my exhibition at McDaniel College for my senior seminar course. It is interesting that it was the first which attracted everybody at the exhibition and also the first that I sold in my exhibition. This pink-purple color is my favorite dye and I think it is one of the reasons that made my card attractive. I sold this card to a professor who wanted to send this card to her daughter as a birthday card. I am particularly happy that cards such as this might bring their recipients a bit of joy. -Vahideh Ahmadpour