Tiny boxes

My friend made me this adorable little box for a swap. I loved it and even more when I learned that I could make it with a template I already own. 

So here's my box, made from 6x6 double sided paper. 

This is the envelope template used to make the box!  

The template made by We R Memory Keepers and it punches and has score lines to make various sized envelopes. It comes with a plastic folding tool. 

Just line up to 1 3/8" and punch, then use scorer to make score ling along the groove starting in the bottom right corner.  Then move to 4" and repeat.

Turn the paper counter clockwise and repeat on each side.  You'll end up with the following.

Cut along the score lines and use a corner rounder!  You'll then just tape up the sides and have a little box!  You can punch holes and attach ribbon to decorate.

Great for party favors!!  Here's a blog post that has the complete instructions tiny box template

Makeshift Billboard

I happen to pass an intersection on my way home from work and I've noticed that there is a very basic wooden sign. Periodically, some mystery person decorates the sign, customizing it according to current events, or their take on life. 

Don't know who's doing in this but I'm starting to really be entertained by it!!  Here's one of the recent displays, voicing an apparent opinion on the election. 

The latest, a take on the horrors in Syria. I love this homemade billboard. 

Let's see what comes next!!

Dahlias!!

My neighbor grows these beautiful dahlias and I thought I'd send out a virtual bouquet!!!

Beauty speaks for itself. 

Love this use of paper!

Went to the Chicago History Museum and saw this creative display with a costume from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Love the paper hair!!

Chicago!!

I used to live in Chicago over 35 years ago. Just visited and the city looks amazing. Chicago has amazing architecture and there are so many cool things to see.  I was eager to see Millenium Park. They have fountains where they project photos of native Chicagoans and they "spray" water on people!  Whimsical and clever and the kids love them, particularly at this time of year. 

Public art that is interactive is the best!!

We saw "the bean" as locals call it. Amazing from every angle, and it's great watching people interact with it. 

Love this selfie!!

Then we went across the street to the Chicago Cultural center. Totally amazing building beautifully preserved with intricate, gorgeous inlaid mosaics everywhere. 

This stained glass rotunda is breathtaking. 

Loved this tour!  

How about this table at a restaurant we passed by?

Then we walked past the Tribune building and embedded in the outer walls are relics from all over the world. Fascinating!!!  Too many to take pictures of, but there is a piece of a moon rock on the building. 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-tribune-tower-wall-artifacts-htmlstory.html

Here's a link to a story about it!!  

I just adore this city, the people are nice and it looks fantastic. There is a lot of pride and those stewarding this town are doing it well. 

Kirigami

I think I have a new addiction! It's KIRIGAMI, which is similar to origami, using knife cuts, in addition to folding.  

A search of Pinterest opened up my world to this topic. I found some amazing templates, which I was able to print on the back of cardstock. Doing this allowed me to cut on the back and reveal the design.

The one below is one of my favorites. It's supposed to be a pencil/pen holder, but I cannot help imagine Ida, the charming protagonist from the game Monument Valley, walking up and down these steps.

I found the template at the site below:

http://www.extremepapercrafting.com/2010/01/improved-pencil-holder.html

The card below is a castle that I found on YouTube. I love it because it's primarily straight cuts, only a few curved ones. Plus, it's a great pop-up card.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmEolXRQd4s

Give it a try!!  It's really rewarding!

Have a great week!

Smash books

You know how sometimes a new thing comes along, or a new way of looking at an old thing?? Something that totally changes your perspective?? I had no idea what the term smash book meant until five years ago when I watched a YouTube video by a company called K & Company. They created their own line of journals called smash books. They coined the term and came up with a really clever video that just made me want to create them. 

In fact here's the original video that really got me started I love everything about it I love the music I love the demonstration versus words to show what it's all about. 

https://youtu.be/_PFsArr4Z1s

I think what I loved most was the idea that you didn't have to be perfect, you didn't have to agonize over what to put in the journal. It was meant to be a daily life journal that you wrote in every day and that you used to capture the ephemera of your life. 

That concept really freed me up!!

So my smash books have evolved from composition books that were decorated to the official smash book. Some were gifts. The nice thing about the official version is that it comes with a pen attached to the journal.  Also the pages are not blank, so it takes some of that fear of the white page away. It really doesn't matter what you use for your smash book. The main idea is that you capture  moments and have fun. 

I went to break in a new smash book and found my old ones and decided to stop and reminisce. 

There's really nothing like going back and looking through these books it takes you back in time and remind you of all kinds of fun things you did.