Happy New Home, Alex!

Hey, CardMonkey fans ... today it's my turn to be Guest Designer on one of the blogs that I truly enjoy reading -- Alex Conde's "You Had Me At Craft." 

Alex asked for volunteers to take over posting duty while she does the thing that gives me shudders to even think about ...

... she's packing to move. Now an empty nester, she and her hubby Jamie are realizing a dream to move to the beach. OK, I'm jealous about that part, but not about the pack/move part. I did that 5 years ago ... will likely do it again in my lifetime ... but ... 

Alex gave her guest designers the "open door" to do whatever we pleased, and it pleases me to tell you about how much I enjoy Alex.

I happened across one of Alex's UStream video sessions and inserted my Monkeyness on her during the open chat -- that is, a free-ranging instant message session. I learned a lot and had a super-amount of fun, especially making Alex giggle!

So for my guest stint, I decided to make Alex a card, to celebrate her Happy New Home.  Here it is!

To make this card, I used October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker "Suppertime" shaped paper as the base. I embellished the window boxes with leaves and flowers punched with my Punch a Bunch punches.  A free-hand cut the pennants from an assortment of paper scraps, and used Making Memories' tiny alphas "pink ledger" letters to spell out Happy New Home. Baker's twine threaded through the card serves as the pennant strings; I added brads just because it seemed to need them.  The most fun: I added fussy-cut pictures of Alex and her hubby Jamie to the front window. I lifted these off of Facebook and printed to fit. I ♥ making my cards super-personalized, and think this does it. Do you agree?

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Aren't they the CUTEST?!

Banner with letters ... plus the sweet little flowers

Hop on over to Alex's blog at http://www.youhadmeatcraft.com/ and leave some love!

Making a Card Box: A Work in Progress

Last night (and into this morning, too), I was privileged to participate in the Pajamas, Popcorn and Projects UStream event hosted by Alex at www.YouHadMeAtCraft.com and Ruthie at www.septemberninth.blogspot.com. It was so much fun to see these two crafters at work via webcam and to chat with other crafters via Instant Message. 

Does anyone remember the old days when all we had were scissors, white glue and photo corners?! 

At any rate, one of the very fun projects that Alex showed was a card/stationery box that Alex called a "Transformer Box". 



Photo lifted from http://www.youhadmeatcraft.com/ ... thank you!


Hers looks like this (and go to her blog to see other pics/credits).  Having seen it done, I dreamt all night about making a template for a similar project, and sharing it with you all here. 

Now first a warning: this is a work in progress.  I'm not done ... I haven't dressed or embellished it, and I haven't decided whether to make the lid that Alex and Ruthie showed.  This modifies their design a bit, but includes the elements I wanted: a place to hold larger cards, smaller cards and a matching pen.

This design takes 3 sheets of 12x12" paper (with a lot of scrap left over).  Here is the template for the first page, which is for the large main area of the box:

Fold along the score lines, and it should look like this: 

Assemble the box with an open top. It will be 7" wide by 5" high, and 2" deep.  In the little 1/2" square cut out area, use a piece of the trimmings to make a V-holder for the pen.

Here is the template for the second sheet. First, trim it to 6" x 12"

You'll be assembling the box to affix to the bottom and the front of the main box.

It should look like this:

The third sheet (for which I did not make a template, as it's self-explanatory) is trimmed to 7" x 12" and then scored and folded so it wraps around the box from the bottom and up over the top. 



Note that my box doesn't have the front notebook area that was shown last night, just because. 

Alex and Ruthie also showed us techniques to etch designs on glassware.  That will be my next project, as soon as I purchase what I want to etch.  I've been wanting to try this for a while, and Alex & Ruthie were inspiring! 

Today, I also worked on some layouts and things to show in next month's Disney Pixar Blog Hop (Mar. 26), being coordinated by my "Sistah" Shawn Mosch at http://www.craftychicsblog.blogspot/ and http://www.cricutsearch.com/.

I've been blessed to find so many kindred "sisters" here in the papercrafting world ... and I'm delighted you're here!