This is a pop-up card I made for my sweet friend, Amanda. I collaged the cover with models from a 1976 JC Penny catalog. I had no idea floating pensive hand gestures had such a MOMENT in fashion history! This was fun to make and Amanda's gratitude was the cherry on top of the project.
The pop-up functions when the card is opened.
Need: I have two similar but opposite photos that I want to flip back and forth at the pull of a tab.
Mechanism used: pull-strip with flap that lifts up in opposite direction of the pull.
Why it works: the slot in the page acts as a fulcrum for the two little tabs to move behind the page.
That's all for my Valentine's Day book! I'm stoked for how it's turning out so far but also equally as stoked that I'm getting better with time management to fully finish my personal projects.
Need: a cutout to pop up in 3-D in front of a crowd of people.
Final mechanism used: twisting mechanism.
1st attempt: photo glued flat on top of a floating plane.
Why it doesn't work: I want my image to have more dimension other than simply being glued on top of a raised plane. I've cut out the photo of my boyfriend so I want him to appear standing upright.
2nd attempt: unfolding mechanism that twists as the page opens.
Why it works: this mechanism is the most impressive to me. I still don't fully understand its workings, but I do know that the complicated folds allow it to perfectly fold up when closed and out when opened. It is such a smooth action! I played around with the length of the center strip of paper to perfect the angle of my image.
I experimented with the length of the center strip of paper. I found that the longer it was, the tighter the angle of the fold and the more upright the image would stand.
Need: An arm to move in a natural rotation at the shoulder. I have a photo of him playing the guitar that I want to move as though he is actually strumming the guitar.
Final mechanism used: rotating hub with pull-strip.
1st attempt: rotating hub with manual pull-strip.
Why it works: It rotates an image (or in my case, part of an image) around an axis point and allows the rest of the image to stay stationary. I like this mechanism because there is magic in the fact that your manual action (pulling the tab out straight) results in a different type of movement (a circle rotation).
front
back
Need: A photo of my boyfriend skateboarding should move so it looks like he's skate-surfing on a wave. I want this to have to be done manually so the action can be repeated at all speeds without having to open and close the page.
Final mechanism used: basic slot-guided pull-strip.
1st attempt: slot-guided manual pull-strip
Why it works: this is the easiest method to move something from point A to point B, in my opinion. I can add a stopper tab to make my image stop wherever I want (see below). I don't necessarily need the guiding sleeves as used below, since the slot determines to range of movement.
Meows did not approve of my research.
I've begun an elaborate Valentine's Day present for my sweets: a book with 5 things I admire about him and each thing will have a different paper engineered mechanism that makes it interactive. This first item has proven to be a real brain-bender for me because while I can usually follow my pop-up guru Duncan Birmingham's videos and make subtle modifications for my need, this one demands more freestyle engineering than any past projects.
Need: An arm to rotate at the shoulder when the page is opened without having to manually operate the mechanism (other than opening the page).
Final mechanism used: cross-page pull strip with hub and rotating pivot.
1st attempt: using a moving arm on an elevated plane.
Why it won't work: I can't have the image on an elevated plane. I need it to be level with the background I'm using. This is a pretty remarkable technique, though.
2nd attempt: using a pull tab with hub and rotating pivot.
Why it won't work: This is the basic idea of what I ended up using, but the trick is getting it to function on its own (insofar as the opening page controlling the movement) without having to be pulled manually.
front
back
3rd attempt: using a pull tab with hub and rotating pivot starting on the opposite page.
Why it works: The tension from the strip being glued down on the left page pulls the strip taut, which slides the hub and thus, rotates the pivot point.
Cons: The strip has to be exposed at the crease to enable the strip to be loosened before being tightened, so it loses some of the magic in the motion. I'm also struggling with the strip creasing at the wrong spots when the page closes, so it doesn't work smoothly. I'm going to experiment with some less fibrous papers.
top item
Stay tuned for the next page!
