Game On!

When I first spied the free svg cutting file for a Sony PlayStation game controller created and shared by Jennifer Maker's Craft A Life You Love DIY website, I had to download it right away, knowing I wanted to use it to make a birthday card for my "gamer" son in law. Jennifer Maker has also included an  easy to follow tutorial for a pop up gift card holder to go with her game controller svg cutting file.
 

For my card, instead of a gift card holder, I chose to showcase the game controller on a Surprise Pop Up Slider card. 

Pulling the tab on the top of the card allows the front panel of the card to slide up like an easel...

... to reveal the message underneath.

Here's a view from the top which shows the pull panel which was done as a print and cut with my Happy Birthday greeting. My original plan was to attach a gift card to the pull panel, but unfortunately I forgot to use foam tape when atttaching the front panel which would have created the needed extra space for the gift card to smoothly slide in and out from the top of the card.

But it's just as well because as I was putting this card together, I was informed by my daughter that the game system my son in law uses is the Nintendo Switch. Honestly, all of this is Greek to me so I googled "Nintendo Switch" it to see what a Nintendo Switch controller looks like.

I'm sure my son in law would have been happy with the old school PlayStation game controller birthday card, but this was a challenge I couldn't resist! Luckily the design of the Nintendo Switch is pretty simple so it wasn't too hard to design a cut file for it. 

I wanted this to be a gift card holder so I designed it so the game controller screen was a pocket with a clear acetate front. I found a Super Mario game backdrop on the internet and personalized it in Print Shop with a Happy Birthday greeting, sized it,  printed it onto glossy photo paper, and adhered it to a piece of folded cardstock just large enough to hold a gift card. Then I added a small tab to the back of the card so it could easily be pulled out of the pocket.

Last thing... everyone wants to open a  present on their birthday, right? So I made a little gift box to put the Nintendo Switch gift card holder in. This turned out to be a fun project... and I learned that not all game systems are the same... !