Shakin’ up the Mailbox

Hi!  Melissa here, sharing a really fun project and an out of the box view of the just released Mailbox by Lori Whitlock.

The Design Team has created some really fun mailboxes to share and I’m sure you’ll draw inspiration from them all. But, if truth be told, I challenge myself to look at dies and try to make something other than what was intended. So I worked very hard on making this mailbox work on a card and not lose all of it’s 3D greatness!

So pull on the handle (made from baker’s twine) and reveal the surprise inside!

Yes! I did that!  I made it into a shaker card.  It took some figuring out and since I’m not a video person and forgot to keep taking pictures to make a pictorial tutorial I’ll have to do my best to explain how I did it.

Here’s a better view of the sweet surprise inside. That bird is so adorable!

1.  Cut your pieces.  Don’t forget to use your i-Mend Self Mending MAGNETIC PRO Deck.  You’ll want to cut 1 of the arch pieces, 1 of the mailbox lid piece, 1 of the hinge piece, 1 of the pieces with the the teeth (not the mailbox itself) and then whatever you’re going to decorate with.  I used the bird, branch, flowers and “mail” that comes with the die set.  I also used “happy” from the Valentine Gable Box by Lori Whitlock, and I used the scallop border piece from the Money Roll and Lip Balm Box by Lori Whitlock to make the post (cut 2).
2. I used bristol smooth card stock and some random cloud stencil to make my background.  I used Distress Oxide inks and they blend so well on bristol smooth.
3. Cut 1/4″ thick fun foam into strips.  Put the mailbox lid together.  Then bend the foam to make pliable and push along the inside edges of the mailbox cover.  Keep these together and squeeze in a bit on the sides and glue down the arch piece to card base.  You’ll want it it to be a little smaller than the inside so that mailbox lid will close and hold and not flare out a little on the sides.  This takes some patience.  Once the glue is set on the fun foam, slide the mailbox lid up, put in the bottom piece of foam so that you make the shaker compartment and ensure it’s tight so nothing leaks out.
4. Using the arch cover pieces, cut a piece of acetate.  Fill your shaker cavity with decorations and shaker bits.  Then close up the shaker piece with the acetate and strong adhesive.  I used Scor-Tape.  Then decorate this piece to cover the fun foam with washi tape.
5. Now, going back to the mailbox cover, poke holes for the baker’s twine and tape down.  Add your hinge to the inside of the cover and then using the arch piece (you may have to trim it a bit) adhere to the inside to cover the teeth and hinge.  Makes it nice and neat.  Now adhere the other half of the hinge to the bottom of the fun foam to make the door.  Decorate.  Add the mailbox posts to the card base.  Voila!  A really sweet card with a surprise wow factor.

I hope you enjoy this card and it inspires you to think outside the {mail}box.