Playing with Chibitronics Light Up Cards!

What you are seeing in the picture is my first light up card!  I used the kit from Chibtronics to make the light up circuit.  So much fun!

I again got the idea from Big Picture Classes, this time from a class called Interactive Cards for Kids.  The card above lights up beautifully (the eyes of the mask on the left light up when you press the flower on the right).  But, and this is a big but--you have to use three layers of thick foam adhesive tape to keep the battery in place.  (The battery is below the red flower on the right.)  This is way thicker than any shaker card I have ever made.  More about that later.

Anyway, I made the card front in its entirety first.  I embossed a piece of aqua cardstock with a tropical embossing folder and then rubbed one of my new loves over the top of it--Nuvo Embellishment Paste, in copper.  I then stamped, colored, and cut the images from My Favorite Things Tiki Party stamp set and arranged them on the card.  I then poked holes in the eyes I wanted to light up and followed the directions given on the Big Picture class site.  Very successful, but like I said, a thick card.

So-o-o-o, I went to work fixing this problem.  Here is my next card, with my "fix" included:

This time, after making the card front in its entirety, I punched a 1 3/8" square hole in the bottom right of the finished card front.  When I made my circuit, the only adjustment I made was to make sure the folded card stock that holds the battery is no bigger than 1" square.  I then made a layered adhesive "box" around the 1" folded card, added a 1 3/8" square with a 1" square cut out in the middle out of matching brown cardstock and affixed that to the top of the layered foam adhesive.  I added only a single layer of foam adhesive to the rest of the card front and slipped the card front over the "box", centering it on my folded 110 lb cardstock notecard.  (You really have to use the heavier cardstock as a card base.)  Finally I added a bouquet of flowers over the "box" to hide the battery button assemblage.  This way, only the battery assemblage is thick.  It makes a much nicer presentation

Anyway, if you want to learn more about how I made this fun light up card, head over to Big Picture classes.  I can't quit pressing the flowers to light up the eyes!  Very fun!  I will, however, give this card only to older children since it does contain a lithium button battery.