box with a secret drawer tutorial

Hi friends.  I have another tutorial for you.  I thought it would be fun to make a little box with a pull out drawer inside.  I started with a white one, and then added some pretty paper and a flower on the outside of the box.  I also made one from some heavy designer paper with a cream colored drawer inside.  The only tools you need are a ScorPal or other scoring tool, scissors, a 1/2" corner rounder & a 1/2" circle punch.

For the drawer, you need a 6-1/8"x7-7/8" piece of card stock.  Score each side at 7/8" and 1-3/4".  Marked in green on the diagram below.

On the short sides, cut on all 4 scores to the 2nd cross score.  On the long sides, cut on the outer scores to the 2nd cut; cut on the inner scores to the 1st cut.  This will remove the 3 corner squares, creating tabs.  Cuts are marked in black.  The highlighted areas are being cut away. 

The sides of the drawers will be double for added durability.  Cut the tabs and the outer sections at a slight angle.  It should look like this.

Valley fold all scores.  Bring the small tabs to the inside and glue them to the adjacent panels on the ends of the drawer.  Then glue all the remaining panels to the inside of the drawer.  The tabs will be hidden between the layers.  You can add pretty paper to the sides and inside bottom of the drawer, if desired. 

For the box, you need an 8-1/2"x7-1/2" piece of card stock.  On the long side, score at 1", 3-3/4", 4-3/4", and 7-1/2".

On the short side, score at 1", 5-1/2", and 6-1/2".

Referring to the diagram below, cut on the score lines as shown, creating tabs and removing highlighted areas.

Cut the small square tabs at a slight angle.  Valley fold all scores.  Use a 1/2" corner rounder to round the corners on the piece extending at the bottom of the diagram.  (I forgot to do that before taking a picture.) 

Fold the left edge in at the 1st score, add adhesive to that folded panel, bring the right side of box over to the edge and flatten to form a tube.  If you are decorating the outside of the box, it's better to do so before you glue the end closed.  However, it is possible to decorate after the box is all put together.  That's what I did. 

Glue the tabs to the outside of the end panel, and then glue the 2nd end panel over the tabs, hiding them between the panels.

On the open end where the flap tucks in, punch a half circle notch in the top panel.  This will make it easier to open the box and pull out the drawer.

I added a flower and leaves to the top of the box.

And here it is with the drawer tucked inside.

On the second one, I added the same paper to the inside and outside of the drawer.

Here they are closed.  When you open the box, finding a drawer inside is a fun surprise.  The dimensions of the box are 4-1/2"x2-3/4"x1".  The drawer is about 1/8" smaller in each direction. 

I hope you've enjoyed my tutorial and make lots of boxes with secret drawers inside.

Thank you so much for taking time to visit today. 

a few more vsn cards

Hi friends,

Here are a few more of the cards I made for VSN on Splitcoast last month. 

If you'd like more details on how I made these, click on the green button in the sidebar for my Splitcoast gallery. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

more calendar art

Hi friends.  Here are some more bits of calendar art. 

This next flower was done using the no line watercolor.  I had a harder time getting the shading right on this one, so I added black details with a Pitt pen. 

I spent part of today (Monday) prepping for my class on Thursday, but still have two more cards to design.  I guess I know what I'll be doing on Tuesday. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

class cards & calendar art

Hi friends.  I've been working on cards for my die cut class, so I thought I'd show one of them to you. 

I also have a couple more little bits of art for my February calendar. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

fan club challenges part 15

Hi friends.  Here is another installment of the cards I made for the dare to get dirty challenges on SCS. 

Gotta have coffee!

I used up some of my button stash. 

This is my favorite card out of the whole bunch. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

fan club challenges part 3

Hi friends.  Here are some more of the cards I made for the dare to get dirty challenges on SCS. 
Some butterflies from Our Daily Bread Designs. 

I'd never inked this bee stamp before. 

The dress form and ruler stamps were rummage purchases this summer.  The button is made from layers of cardstock. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

happy new year 2014

Hi friends.  It seems as though the past year has just flown by at high speed.  Or maybe I'm just slowing down.  Whatever the reason, I don't seem to get as much accomplished as I would like.

Although I haven't been employed for some time, at the beginning of December, I officially became a retiree.  So I now get to enjoy the benefits of social security and a pension.

I don't make resolutions, because I have the greatest tendency to completely forget about them, and thus, they become no more than a worthless thought.  I do, however, have good intentions.

Last night the Outlaw Women had a party - over the internet.  No being out on the road with drivers who shouldn't be behind the wheel.  We had lots of challenges, prizes, laughter, and whatever party food we wished, all from the comforts of home.  What fun.

One of the challenges was to make a card gift box.  I chose to make mine from recycled cereal box chipboard.  I have a pattern that I made many years ago, so I used that.  It makes a nice sturdy box that will hold 8-10 cards with envelopes for a nice gift.

After cutting out the top and bottom, scoring and taping up the sides, I covered it with some pattern paper from Indian Summer stack (I think I got that at JoAnn's).  I use PVA glue.

Then I stamped a couple of flowers and colored them with Copic markers, punched out a bunch of leaves, sponged the edges, and arranged them on the top of the box.

My box was randomly drawn as a prize winner - yay!

We also had a scavenger hunt type challenge, where we were given a list of items that must be included on our project.  And we only had an hour to complete it.

I made a card using naturals ivory as my base.  I stamped an alphabet (collage stuff) repeatedly, using wisteria chalk ink.  Then I added to different pattern papers - one with stripes and one with dots - from K&Company (a Christmas gift).  I stamped a flourish (inkadinkado) on the dotted one and then added a piece of lace from my stash.

For the main image, I stamped the little butterfly girl (lost coast designs) and just sponged on some of the wisteria ink.  I placed a stencil (TCW) over the image and sponged all around the little girl.  I then die cut the image with labels collection framelits (SU/Sizzix) and sponged the edges with vintage photo ink.  I added glitter on the wings, and then adhered the panel with dimensional foam tape.

After I uploaded my card to the gallery, I found out that I had missed a couple of requirements, when rushing to get them all written down.  I guess I got disqualified.

And I just have to show you one of the things my daughter gave me for Christmas.   She sewed it completely by hand.  I'm so proud of her.

The flowers were sewn individually and stuffed before they were attached to the background.  This view shows that better. 

She has more plushies for sale in her Etsy store, AdorkableDoodles.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I wish you many blessings in the year ahead.  Happy New Year.

hope you can cling to days 24 and 25

Hi friends.  I hope you're not getting tired of these cards.  I've been having fun making them.  I completed two more of the breast cancer awareness challenges on SCS. 

Challenge twenty-seven - keep it under wraps.  Make a decorated or altered notepad. 

Quite a few years ago, I took a class at a local stamp store.  We made a hard covered notepad for a mini legal pad.  Over the years, I've made more of these and knew this would be perfect for this challenge.  I dug out my instructions and went to work.

The covers were made from a heavyweight bookboard, but I don't have any of that, so I glued three layers of graham cracker boxes together and left them sit overnight underneath a pile of heavy books, so they'd be nice and flat.  Then I cut them to 8-1/2"x5-1/2".  I covered the outside with pink pattern paper and made the spine with suede paper.  Then the inside also was covered with another coordinating paper.

There are two pockets on the left side, and one on the right, made from cardstock.  I glued little strips of the same paper as the covers at the top of the left-hand pockets and over the top of the notepad.  The notepad slips into the right-hand pocket and can be replaced when it is used up.

I made pink daisies to decorate the cover and one for the inside.  I also die cut some letters for the front cover. 

Challenge twenty-eight - a listening ear.  Make a card with ears on it.  

I have lots and lots of flower stamps.  And butterflies.  I admit it.  But not a lot of other things.  So I wasn't sure what I was going to use for this challenge.  As I was looking through my stamps, I came across my fluffles stamps... perfect!

I picked fluffles leap (stampendous), stamped it with tuxedo black memento ink, and colored it with copic markers.  I cut it out with a die, but didn't like the shape, so I ended up trimming it off with scissors.  I just traced around a plastic container to get the curve.  

I sponged vintage photo ink around the edges, and layered with pumpkin pie and black cardstock on a summer sun card base.  

The sentiment is from SU's inspired by nature.  I added some tiny die cut leaves and black pearls for an accent.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today. 

hope you can cling to day 22

Hi friends.  Here is my latest card for the breast cancer awareness challenges on SCS. 

Challenge twenty-five -- Sending Flowers.  A card with one or more flowers.

After much thought (since I have so many flower stamps, it's hard to decide), I decided to make daisies.  The flower stamp from inkadinkado was stamped with tuxedo black memento ink, and then I added just a hint of color with copic markers. 

Then I punched a bunch of leaves from old olive card stock and sponged the edges with always artichoke ink.  I also die cut some flourishes with a spellbinders die set called floral flourishes. 

I arranged them all on certainly celery card stock and added a sentiment from stampendous. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

dare to get dirty - page 12

Hi friends.  Here are a few more of those challenge cards.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

dare to get dirty - page 11

Just a few more cards from the fan club challenges on SCS.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

dare to get dirty - page 10

Here are a few more cards I made for the fan club challenges on SCS.  There were 42 challenges, and I made a separate card for each one, so I still have a bunch to show you.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by. 

dare to get dirty - page 6

Hello friends.  Here are a few more cards from the SCS fan club challenges.

Thanks so much for stopping by.