Pasting a folded paper onto a sheet of folded paper I made the first popups five years ago.  Pictures were then cut out to lean against the folds.

Then came the glossy paper popups.  Three sheets of glossy paper were used to make each “heavy” popup card.  Pictures were attached, using flimsy plastic strips.
Next came the discovery that I could omit pasting a folded paper onto another paper just by making a fold on the original paper. One paper – one fold.

I discovered that I could make stiff plastic strips to attach to the popups by laminating 10-mil plastic sheets with thin plastic sheets inside the laminating pouches, slicing them into ¼-inch strips.  I saved money by using card stock, instead of glossy paper, for the cards.  I use glossy paper only for the popup pictures.  My cards were now lighter and required less postage.  The cards were also thinner. Then came the wonder machine – the Silhouette Cameo – that cuts out my pictures for me. 

Last week, I pondered why my almost-perfect-cards were collapsing on the shelves.  I realized that the fold that held up the plastic strip and popup picture was thin, too weak to support the popup.  What could I do to strengthen it?  It hit me.  I cut 3-x-11-inch strips from cardstock and glued them to the lower third of the reverse side of the card stock sheet that holds the popup picture.  When the card was folded, it supported the weight of the popup picture.

All week I have been gazing daily at the popup cards I made this way.  To my delight, the stiff folds are holding up beautifully.

What else can I do to improve my cards?  Have I gone as far as I can go? Wait a minute.  Isn’t this just like life?  Just when we think we have done as much as we can, along comes a new, sometimes amazing, situation.  We revel in it awhile before deciding that is as far as we can go.

Do I sit back and wait for a new trick to aid my popups?  Or do I set my mind to thinking about what else I can do to improve upon them?  A no-brainer.  Just as I am dedicated to improving my balance with daily exercises, I will give my popups daily pondering as I gaze with amazement at those 3D events.

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com