Lotsa Stuff...

I am still on a quest to use the stacks of papers, bins of gems, tubs of rubber stamps.  On January 1, 2015 I will wander back into stacks of fabrics and begin sewing again on quilts for the Homeless Veterans that live in the forests of cold Northern Arizona.  I am proud to donate greeting cards to The First Families of Arizona of which I am a proud member.   Below you will see some of the 60 cards I completed.  The First Families of AZ are members whose forefathers came to Arizona before Statehood (February 14, 1912.)  My mother, her parents and 4 brothers arrived in Phoenix in 1909 when Mother was about 6 months old.  

I love to buy the little colored note pads at the Dollar Store and encase them in pretty little folded covers.  Here are a few.

 I made a LOT of Christmas cards as I do each year...some for my son and daughter in law, and some for me.  Below is a giant card for a high school friend, and a little sign that says "persevere".... She told me she needed reminding now and then so I helped out with a sign to hang.

 Christmas is nearly here, my friends.  Have a Merry one. And thanks for stopping by.

Tutorial for Making Boxes

MAKING BOXES THE EASY WAY

A few years back I think I posted a tutorial for making cute boxes.  I have recently made a LOT of boxes in attempts to just use up papers that I have stashed all over.  Boxes are so much fun to make and with each box, by decorating it differently, it's like making the very first one.  

I like using the 12x12 papers I have accumulated and two sided papers make that box pretty inside as well as outside. .  You can create a box of any size from large to tiny.  My favorite size is 8x8, and with the left over strip, I can make two little boxes in the 4x4 size.  A perfect little set up, as they say.

Here are two different patterned 12x12 papers and these happen to be really sturdy card stock which of course makes a really sturdy little box. I have the papers sitting atop my Scor-it.  There are a lot of score tools available but this is my favorite because the scoring design creates a really visable score. 

 You will need two of the 12x12 sheet of cardstock. I cut two in the 8x8 size, and with the remaining strips, I cut 4 of the 4x4 strips.

 An alert...!  You have to be really precise when measuring the cardstock cuts because if you are not exact, the boxes will not fit.  Either the top or the box bottom will be too large or too small and they will not fit together nicely,.  Believe me, I have a big tub full of box lids and box bottoms that are "failures"
I will be featuring the 4x4 box side.  Here is a view of a 4x4 piece slated for the box lid.  I have scored on all 4 sides 3/4 inches.  The smaller the score, the larger the box and the smaller the sides.  In other words, if I scored this paper at 1", I would have a small box but higher sides.  On the 8x8 size, I actually score at 2" for the lid and 2-1/16th for the box.  If I am going to decorate the box lid with additional embellishments, in order to not lose track of the lid and the bottom, I cut a small triangle from each corner of the lid and I do it the same time I am scoring the lid..  Below you can see the score lines on all four sides at 3/4th of an inch.

 This is a view of the box bottom and I have scored 3/4th plus the next 16th mark past the 3/4 line.  I try to be oh so exact so the top and bottom will nestle properly.

 To enhance the folding of the box lid and bottom, I fold up on each score line.  In the photo below you can see black marks from the score line down to the edge, with the lines exactly opposite of each other on each side of the cut. Do this on both the lid and the box.  Cut on these lines from the edge up to EXACTLY where the score line is.

 I fold up those cut edges.  I do each side separately for the gluing process  Glue on the outside of #1 and glue on the inside of #2.  Fold the #1 edges behind #2.  Hold for a second.  An alert...!  It is important that when you are gluing the small cuts to the #2 flap that the edge is right on that corner of the box.  If the flaps are not exact, this will also cause the box and lid to not fit properly.

 Here are the box lid and box bottom with the edges folded up and glue.

 Once the box has been closed and it fits nicely, then you can do your decorating and embellishing.

Trust me, these are addictive.  I love making boxes.  Please try some too.  If you have any questions, you can email me.

Paper Stuff

I leapt into paper stashes in October and typically I am still surrounded by paper projects.  I find that once I have moved over from sewing to paper, it is difficult to leave and go back to sewing.  That same struggle is true when I am sewing.  I want to sew forever and ever and ... well, you know. Right now I am determined to use up paper.  There are shelves and drawers and stacks so I am just slam dunking cards and boxes like a mad woman. 

I LOVE making boxes.  The 8x8 size uses up two 12x12 sheets of paper and that is a head start on slimming down the stacks.  I love sharing these boxes with friends.

 More boxes...  That orange and black Halloween box sure takes center stage, doesn't it?

 Boxes and boxes.  Years ago (and I mean years ago) I bought some cardstock packs at Tuesday Morning.  It is a lovely weight and this cardstock makes awesome sturdy colorful boxes.

 Now onto the cards.  These are card toppers with a few little punch outs in the mix.  I get these sheets at my favorite Scrapbook store, Scraps of Love, ... they can create a cute card in no time.

 More punch outs.  So quick to make, so cute in the end result.

Thanks for your visit.  Hugs to all.