So, this week I have been creating a couple of Box Cards. If you haven’t seen a Box Card, it is a 3-dimensional card in a box. They are a lot of fun to make although they can be challenging at times, and a lot of fun to give! My grandchildren love them, especially my oldest son’s three girls. I try to create them with a theme. For example, my oldest granddaughter loves Harry Potter so hers had all things HP. I was fortunate to find a HP Stamp set at a craft show I attended here in Phoenix a couple of years ago. I knew it would come in handy!
This week my very dear friend asked if I could make a Box Card for a friend’s grandson who is getting ready to turn 1 this month. The theme of his party will be Lil Pumpkin, so she wanted a pumpkin themed card. Challenge accepted! My first thought was of course a Pumpkin Patch. I put the creative juices to work, looked for images I have and what colors I wanted to use. I could have purchased an SVG file from a vendor, but I decided I wanted to try creating my own card and inserts using images I already have. There’s a bit goes into it and sometimes I feel like I need an engineering degree! Definitely used my math skills! When I’m ready, I cut a prototype to make sure it’s what I want and like before cutting and putting together the actual box card. Sometimes you have to make a few alterations and tweak things a bit here and there. I was so pleased with it and I think it is definitely one of my favorites and so cute. Here’s what it looked like.
Isn’t it cute? I think so. Lots of color and dimension too. I used a woodgrain look paper for the outside of the box and a light gray cardstock is the base. On the backside of the box is a greeting and a place for you to sign the card. The card fold flat for mailing. The finished size was approximately 5.75” x 6.00”. When it’s open it is 3”w x 2.25”d x 5.75 h. Yes, it’s a good size card. Here’s what the back looks like.
Although this one was made for a little one turning one year old, I can customize for other ages or occasions. Even Halloween! That would be cute!
Not only was I working on this card, but I also worked on another Box Card to put in the shop. This one is a Birthday card and the theme is Hot Air Balloons! I thought it was so cute! I purchased this SVG file from SVGCuts about 4 years ago. It came with about 5 other Box Card files and I’ve made a few cards from them. Their files are so easy to use and the cards so cute. Here’s the Hot Air Balloon Card.
I made my own patterned papers in Adobe Photoshop Elements and printed them on my inkjet printer. I often do this when I don’t have a patterned paper that suits my purpose. YouTube is a great place for tutorials on how to’s. I love the softness of the colors in this card with a little brightness in the yellow balloon. It’s like the sun in the clouds, in the sky. Although I made this a Happy Birthday card, I think it would make a great Welcome Baby card too! What do you think? Like I mentioned earlier these cards can be custom made to your needs. Here’s the backside of the card with the greeting and a space for you to write.
This Box Card will be for sale in the shop. If you like them but would like a different greeting or maybe a different theme, please email me using the contact form on my website. I’d be happy to try and accommodate your needs.
Box Cards haven’t been the only thing on my agenda this week though. Halloween has also been on my mind. I recently purchased a cute stamp set called “Have A Hoot” from Stampin’ UP. I’ve been having so much fun with it. On Tuesday I did a Zoom Class with my friend Pat, who is a Stampin’ UP demonstrator. This class what all about the new stamp set and was so much fun. We made 3 cards and 3 adorable little treat boxes using this set and the matching die cuts. Here’s a snapshot of the 3 cards.
These cards will also be available for purchase in my shop. The little owls are so cute, and I just love the looks on their faces.
I take a lot of care when making my cards and a lot of thought. I want you and the recipient to love them just as much as I do. Care also goes into sending them to you. I want to make sure they arrive in excellent condition and that the utmost care has been taken to try and assure that. Each card, or set of cards, and envelope(s) are enclosed in a clear, resealable cellophane bag. I use bubble mailers for mailing them to you, so they are protected during shipping and a tracking number is available. Shipping them this way, they will avoid going thru any machines at the P.O. My goal is to make sure you receive them in tip top shape and the same condition they were in when I finished making them. If you order a Dimensional Card or Box Card, and you intend on mailing it to your recipient, I do highly recommend that you pay the additional postage and write on the front of the envelope “Non-Machinable” so they don’t go thru the machines that can cause damage to them. Believe me, I’ve had mail that has been received damaged and it is not a pretty sight! The additional postage is about .15 cents to make it non-machinable, and also another .15 cents if it is over an ounce in weight. Did you know that square cards require additional postage too? Yes, if your card is square, it requires the additional .15 cents. I did not know this until a couple of years ago. Box Cards require square envelopes so they will always require additional postage. They are also dimensional, so you definitely don’t want them going thru a machine at the P.O.!
I have a couple more new stamps to play with and some very pretty papers. I’m hoping to have the opportunity to do just that this week and create some more Christmas Cards. I love making Christmas Cards but I am definitely not one of those people who like to bring Christmas in before Thanksgiving. No, I like to let Thanksgiving have it’s time and then we can move on to Christmas. I do have family members that are the opposite!
Enjoy whatever it is you do this week and make the most of every day! I’d love it if you would subscribe to my website. I promise I won’t inundate you with posts but I will post from time to time and when something new shows up in the shop, and of course if you see something you like…….. You can also follow me on Facebook @CactusCornerCreations and on Instagram @CactusCornerCreationsAZ
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