Box Card How Too / Tipnique Tuesday

I pulled out a folded box from my folder of tips and techniques this week. Then I spent 2 hours trying to remember how to make it!! I put it back in the folder thinking I would have to pick something else only to turn the page and find my old instructions on how to make it LOL. I learnt how to do these one year at Stamping Down Under. I think it may have been Ellen Eadie whom taught it maybe? We were not given any instructions so I made it over and over again so I wouldn't forget how but putting it hidden away in my tips and techniques book for years and years meant I did forget how to do it...just as well I also wrote myself a how too way back then as well.

Below is a decorated box card I just made. I used gold vellum, folded the box shape, scored all lines and then stamped and embossed the flourish pattern on it. If you have used vellum before and tried stamping, embossing and then folding you would know the embossed parts fall off when you fold and score so hence why I folded. scored and then stamped and embossed instead

You gently open the box to reveal what is inside. I've put lollies, confetti and even money in these in the past.

                                  Box Card How Too

Practice this on copy paper first. If you get the measurements slightly wrong the center front folds will vary in size. You can hide this when you fold the flaps of the box in later steps.

1) Cut down an A4 piece of paper to measure 28cm by 21cms (11inches by 8 and a half  inches). Place it in the landscape orientation

 2) Lightly mark the center at top and bottom. You can do this by measuring or by folding the paper in half and gently pinch the center only at either edge. I marked mine with a black marker so you can see it clearly.

3) TURN PAPER OVER and lightly mark the center with a dot. You can do this by measuring or fold paper in half and gently pinch the center only. Do not score. Unfold and fold paper in half in other direction and gently pinch the paper in the center  Open it out and you will have a "cross" mark and the center intersection is the center of your paper.

4) Fold bottom up to middle marking and score along the folded edge.

 Repeat with top.

5) Unfold and TURN PAPER OVER.

Fold top corners into dot in center of top edge. ONLY score from top crease to first fold line

Do same to both sides. My Ice Resin filled bezel is only there to hold the paper down so I could take a photo.

Unfold and repeat this step to bottom part. It should look like the image below.

6) Lightly mark the four points that the creases made in previous step. TURN PAPER OVER.

Bend the left side over were the first two pencil dots are that you just marked and score along the folded edge.

Unfold and do the right side the same way.

Unfold it to look like image below.

7) Fold top and bottom to center as you did in step 4. Score folded edges and leave it closed.

8) Hold right side closed with your right hand (or ruler if you are taking a photo LOL). With your left hand place it under the left side and begin folding it toward the center

Let the corners open outward and collapse flat, forming wings. Score the wing folds. DO NOT UNFOLD.

9) Fold the wings in to meet at center. Score folded edges. DO NOT UNFOLD.

10) Now you can fold the flap back to the left over the wing or I prefer a neater look by folding the flap back to left half way and then fold over again. This makes a smaller sturdier flap and also if you have measured slightly wrong and have two flaps that are not quite the same size you can hide the fault under the first fold on the flap

11) Repeat to the other side

Pull it open to reveal the box inside

Practice a few times and then try using decorative paper/card or stamped paper/card inside and out :o). Attach to a card base as I did with my sample. Enjoy.

hugs

Annette In Oz

What's On Your Workbench Wednesday 205 (WOYWW)

It's Wednesday and time to share "Whats On Your Workbench Wednesday". For the run down on what this is visit Julia's blog here. Well yesterday there were some heart easel cards that I made last Friday but they are now in the post for Mothers Day. How to make them is below this post here. Today there isn't much changed since last Friday after I made the cards, cleaned up and got my jewellery stuff out again. I had every intention of getting my cuffs done and had started to drill holes to cold connect the bezel to the first cuff but something popped up...well more then one something....rather more like 21 somethings popped up and I never got back to the desk.

 Let me explain I left the desk to go to the Doctors to see about removing a skin cancer on the side of my left thumb but while there she decided to burn off all she could find in one session which happened to be 21 in total located on my fingers, hands and forearms. I've had them treated this way before with no problem...just causes a superficial blister under the skin cancer and they dry up and fall off. But this time blisters started forming within hours and steadily increased in size and pain increased till Monday I woke with red, inflamed, swollen hands and fingers with blisters that were 1-2cm in width and up to 1cm high. I was going to take a photo of my hands but they look gross LOL. I grew up near the beach and the damage was done long ago I'm afraid.

Some burst blisters on my left hand were infected and I couldn't bend the hand till today. So here I am with sick leave for a week, taking antibiotics and pain medication. I have a tone of stuff ready to get made and two sore hands not able to make anything with...aaarrrggg the irony of it all. SSSooo here is my desk for Wednesday hardly changed to last Wednesday. My cuffs got polished and there is my drill ready to do some cold connecting. The card at the back is one I made hubby for Valentine's day. To the left of that card is a journal and to the right a pyramid card and mixed media card. All of these are from past posts.

This is closer to the little ice resin filled bezel I was drilling

At left in the first photo is a new toy called a One Step Looper that makes precise eye pins. I haven't even had a chance to try it out!!

As there isn't much on my desk I thought I would show you a bit of stuff that is in my craft room. To my right I have my book shelf. It sits on cabinets that hold all my jewellery making stuff, my Cuttlebug things, paints, glues etc etc. At left in the coloured jars are my enameling powders and my Golden gels at the right. My trusty Dremel is obscuring some of the stash :o). On the top of the book case are some things I have made

The gorgeous Swallow  book at top left I made in a class with Jen Crossley...images for it are here. The rusty art doll opens and there is a working clock inside. Its over 20cm tall.

To the right of the art clock that you can just see in the image of the book shelf is a altered Pez container I made in a class with Michael De Menge a few years ago.

So now for the first time ever on a Wednesday I can go and visit other WOYWW players on the actual day!! Wether I can type a comment though may have to wait till tomorrow or later as typing hurts!!

hugs

Annette In Oz

Heart Easel Card How Too / Tipnique Tuesday

Ok whom ever is stealing my time can you give it back LOL. Really though the weeks are flying past and my day to share an old tip or technique arrives before I even think I have blinked an eye! This Tuesday my hand rested on a simple old favourite-an easel card. You can make these in any shape such as a basic rectangle, oval or whatever but the one I will make is a heart easel card. I chose a heart as I wanted to make Mother's days cards. I do apologize in advance regarding some finger prints you will see on the white card stock...I didn't know they were there till afterwards :o)

                      HEART EASEL CARD HOW TOO
1) If you have a large heart template use that. Mine was 13cm (approx 5 inches) across at widest part of the heart and 12cm (approx 4 and 3/4 inches) from dip at top to point at the bottom of the heart. An easy way to make a heart template is to fold card stock in half. Make a light dot at 6.5cm in from the fold and draw a half heart that goes over the marked dot and tapers down like below.

Cut it out

Now you have a heart template to use.

2) Use template and mark and then cut out a single heart

Then fold and score A4 card stock in half. Place fold at top and put heart template on so the top parts over hang a little. This bit makes a hinge to open and close the card.

Cut it out.

Now you have two pieces. One a double folded heart and a single heart.

3) Turn folded heart into the portrait position and so the fold in the middle is a valley fold. Fold up and score the heart at the bottom at the half way point

4) Turn it over so fold in middle is a mountain fold now. Place glue ONLY on the lower part beneath the fold line. This is the part that acts like an easel.

5) Adhere the single heart here and align it so it fits exactly in place on the glued section. It's top part will be free.

Fold it closed and it looks like this

Open it and the folded part bends down making the heart on top stand up likes it's on an easel!. 

Here is my completed one for my Mum with it all folded close. I used the blank card from above so I was able to cover all my finger print marks LOL.

and now open. I have stitched on a heart button to act as a stopper so the card stays open.

The next images are another heart easel card made for my hubby's Mum

An easy card that has a little wow factor to it. Enjoy!
hugs
Annette In Oz