I got my first Silhouette way back when the company was still affiliated with Quickutz. When they came out with the Cameo it was a no brainer that I wanted one. One of my favorite things to do with my Silhouette is create 3D projects. I've used many files from the Silhouette store by Jamie Cripps, Lori Whitlock, and others as well as from outside vendors like SVGCuts. I also create my own and that is what I did this time.
A friend asked me to make her a box she could put soap or some other small gift in. She had a sample she had purchased somewhere so I had some idea what she was looking for. I looked it over and said, "sure". I was excited to step up to the challenge.
The first part I tackled was a rectangle box with a hinged lid. There wasn't anything in the Silhouette store that fit what I needed so I created my own file. The complete box measures 2.75 x 4 x 1.5.
Put together it is just a nice little box. It does need to be made using card stock or chipboard. Designer paper was just too flimsy and the Whisper White card stock from Stampin' Up! was too light weight too.
The sample she shared with me had a wrap around the box so that was the next thing to work on. Again, I couldn't find a file in the store that would work so I made my own. When it lays flat it measures 9 x 4. It was easy to figure out where to place the score lines since I had the box done and could figure the measurements to fit the box.
Once I had the basic shape I filled it with a gradient color using the Gradient Fill option on the tool bar. I then found a flourish from the Silhouette library, sized it to get the look I wanted and colored it using the Color Fill tool. I added several of the flourishes changing the orientation to fit the box wrap. You can see I went outside the border in some places but that all gets cut off anyway so it didn't matter.
For the two side panels I searched the internet to find pictures that would fit her ocean, beach, theme saved them as jpg's and then brought them into the program to adjust them and insert them. I can't share the graphics I used for my personal project but I'm sure you could find or make your own to use.
Next, I needed a couple of embellishments. I used Seashell image #3285 by Joel Pilcher for the clam shell. I turned the lines into black and filled the shell portion with a fill pattern so it became a print and cut. The starfish I used image 2202 by Silhouette. I took the dots out of it and found a background I liked for it and then just created a print and cut for that as well. After they were cut I added white glitter to the clam shell and gold to the starfish. I set down one set flat with no glitter and then added the second layer with dimensionals.
The rounded ends of the box wrap overlap each other and I had these wonderful 3/8" magnets that I attached with Crystal Effects from Stampin' Up!. That stuff works great for attaching non-porous items to your projects. The magnets were really quite strong so I attached one to bottom of the top flap and the other to the underside of the second flap. I hope that makes sense. It just means the card stock ends up between the two magnets so it lessened the grip and made it easier to pull apart. Here is a link to similar to what I used.
This was a fun project to create. I hope you like it as much as I do.
If you follow my blog leave me a comment and I'll send the basic cut files I created out to you. And if you don't follow my blog yet, I hope you will and I will send the cut files out to you as well any I've created in the past. I can't include the graphics so you'll get just the basic cut files but that leaves it up to you to adorn however you wish.
