3D Alphabet tutorial: Letter B

I wanted to write a full out tutorial for the letter B box but haven't been able to get around to it. Here's the photos I made a couple weeks for it.

I'm hoping you can understand from the photos until I can get around to explaining them. Already 2 am her so I need to head to bed!

"A" my name is...

I am really excited for this new series. I've been working on these for almost a month now. Lots of math involved to get correct curve lengths, but the end result are these fun 3D alphabet letters! Numbers will be coming too. I will be releasing at least 2 a week and in alphabetic order. So watch for these every Monday or Tuesday in the Silhouette Online store.

I hope all you woman whether you have children or not, had a terrific Mother's day! I hope the men in your life treated you well! I woke up to "French pancakes" with strawberries, whipped creme and powdered sugar. Yummm, so good. I did go to my crop last night too, and it was the best gift I could have received! I met some wonderful ladies, and finished a layout! (Minus photos) Watch for these shapes and more in the store this week too. (squiggle border is from Loni Stevens and sun is mine released last May. Search: '2 layer sun') 

Here is a sketch of the double page layout too. 

handled box tutorial

Most of the boxes with handles I've made available to the Silhouette Online store will follow the following assembly instructions. This includes:

• 3D handled box - heart (single heart window
• 3D handled box - hearts (2 welded hearts window)
• 3D handled box - lace (artisan looking lacey window)

The "3D heart handled box" is the only one at this time that's a little trickier, but it assembles the same. I'll let you know the tricky part on that box when we get to it, but for now, follow the tutorial below for it as well. 

Step 1

Crease all folds except the handles toward the inside. Handles fold towards the outside.

Step 2

Apply adhesive to tab on side, fold box around and attach tab to other end like photo below:

Step 3

 Fold bottom tabs in.

Step 4

 Tuck bottom round tab into slot.

Bottom should now look like this:

Step 5

If assembling one of the boxes with a window, attach cellophane or transparency material across the window on the inside. I usually roughly outline the window on the inside and place a square piece of thin *overhead transparency across the adhesive and window.

*You can find overhead transparency at most office supply stores.

Step 6

Fill box with goodies, gifts, or a special message.

Step 7

 Fold down sides with handles so the handles meet in the middle.

Step 8

 Fold over the side that does NOT have the round tab connected, making sure the handles slide into the slit. 

*This is the tricky part I told you about if you are assembling the "3D heart handled box". You have to gently push and bend the handle to fit through the slit. Be sure to work it through gently. 

Step 9

Fold the other side over and tuck the round tab into the slit on the other side. 

And your done! 

3D Steg Assembly Tutorial

So I thought I had done a 3D Steg tutorial before but can not find it. So here it is again. This dino was released last year and would be a great addition to any dino party or decor. 

These are the shapes you should have cut. I will refer to each shape by the number shown in the image below.

To give you an overall idea of how these will go together, 5&6 will fit together, then 3&4. After that, we'll slide the pair 3-4 with the pair 5-6. Lastly, we'll add shapes 1&2. 1 & 2 are actually the exact same shape.

Okay, so to start, grab shapes 5&6 and slide together as shown. 

*To be sure that the legs end up in the correct position, be sure that the lower portion 6 (that the legs are connected too) is behind the lower portion of 5 as shown below.

Next, slide 3&4 together as shown. 

*Again, be sure that the lower portion of 4 (that the legs are connected too) is behind the lower portion of 5 as shown below.

This is what you should now have. I'm going to call the one with the dino head and tail 3-4 since it is made up of 3 and 4 and the other I'll call 5-6.  

It's now time to slide 3-4 and 5-6 together. 

The lower portion of 3-4 should be behind the lower portion of 5-6.  

To place the rings (1 & 2) on the body, you will want to be sure that the slots shown below line up.  

Slide one of the rings over the spikes on the tail and fit any of the slots on the ring into the lower tail slot.  

Should like the photo below. 

Now pull the ring up and over until the slot on the ring the opposite the one you already used is settled into the top tail slot. 

This photo below shows that we're using slots that are opposite from each other. 

Repeat the last couple steps with the last ring fitting it into the slots near at the head end. 

Now comes the tricky part. Carefully tug on the ring while gripping two layers of shapes. Our goal here is to nudge them around the ring to their own slots.  

I like to work one side of a layer and then the next and also work one ring and then the other so there isn't too much pulling on the rings.  

The photo below shows what I meant above by working on one ring and then the other, and then back to the other to reduce pull on the rings.

Once you've accomplished the task of filling each slot of the rings, you're almost done! You could leave your stegosaurus as is, but I think his stance is a bit wide for my liking. 

To fix this, simply bend the legs in a little, and your done! 

As always, if you have questions about any of this, leave a comment and I'll try to answer it best I can as soon as I see it. 

Photo Ornament Assembly Tutorial

This tutorial is for the photo ornament that first arrived in the Silhouette Online Store in November or December of 2010.

These are the shapes you should have cut.

Shapes above will be numbered as follows:
top row (Left to Right)- 1 & 2;
bottom row (left to right)- 3, 4, & 5.

I find it easiest to attach you photo before getting started. Just be sure you do not cover up the slots. Also, if you don't want your photo's edge showing on the back or you want the photo to be on both sides, you could cut double of shape #3 and sandwich them around your photo. Just be sure that they have been well glued or taped to each other.

First we're going to work with shape 3 and 5. Slip the bottom slot of 3 into the bottom-inner slot of 5 as shown below.

 Repeat for the top slots. (The top slot of 3 fits in the inner-top slot of 5)

This is what it should look like.

Next, we're going to slide the top slot of 4 into the top slot of our combined 3 & 5 as shown below:

Repeat with bottom slots. (slide bottom slot of 4 into bottom slot of 4&5)

This is what it will look like:

Next step is to place shape 1&2 on our 3-4-5 combo.  Take 1 (1 and 2 are the exact same shape) and slide the top side piece of the 3-4-5 combo into any slot of 1.

Next, slide the 3-4-5 combo's opposite top slot into 1's slot that is directly across from the slot you already used. It should look like this when done with this step:

Repeat with #2 and your bottom slots of the 3-4-5 combo. Once you do, it should look like this:

Now we just need to move 3, 4, or 5 into the empty slots. To do this, I find it easiest to move one side at a time as shown:

Then move the opposite side into place with it looking like this when done:

And now follow that last step with whichever shape is closest to your empty slots and your done!

I hope that made sense. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll answer it as soon as I see it. Have fun!