fantasy forest

A tree trunk is build on a V mechanism design. Flat branches are passed through the tree trunk and fixed parallel to the flat opened card. The double V shape tree trunk closes when the card is closed which angles the trunk tucked into the center of the card and collapses the inserted branches like the wings of a butterfly folding. The V shape is pulled apart when the card is opened which lifts the tree trunk up into position and drags along everything that is attached to it.

Content is drawn in anticipation of a platform to be built upon posts that present upright forward-facing content and that will be attached by an elevated platform to the tree trunk.

These are the square posts that will connect the platform to the tree. These posts determine the height of the platform. All following posts must conform to these original tree trunk posts. These are the only posts with four sides. Although as it turns out the forward facing sides were not used here, they could have contained upright forward-facing content and in that case then, one side is glued to the tree, another side glued to the background of the card, the top side used to build the platform and attach it to the tree, the fourth side to forward-facing content.

Notice the lightly penciled chevron design extending outward from the tree trunk.

Two of these pages of plant life were needed to form the floating platform and to cover the background of the card. 

These are the paper sticks that connect the tabs at the top of the posts that both elevate the platform and present upright forward-facing content obediently conforming to the V of the tree trunk. You can see they are nothing more than random shapes and lengths. Some curve will be needed to connect the uppermost tabs of each post so most of the sticks are drawn and cut slightly curved one way or another. They will be mostly covered so there is no point in being precise about drawing the sticks. These were scratched out in less than one minute. 

It looks like a mess at this point, but it's an organized mess! All of these upright pieces will be connected by their top tabs, here still flopping around but eventually forming a incomplete platform that is connected directly to the tree trunk.

The remaining posts are all scored three-square rectangles. One side to attach to the card background, the middle square to present upright forward-facing content, the last top scored square to build a matrix of paper sticks upon which plants are glued and that is connected to the tree.

Finally, all the top tabs of the posts are connected with paper sticks and covered with plant life forming a platform conforming to the tree trunk. Extra plants are glued to the background to create two layers of plants.

The card is seen to fold neatly and close as it should.

The backs of the forward-facing content is colored carelessly. I simply do not have the patience needed to carefully detail the backs of everything.