Thursday, February 5, 2009

It's very puzzling

I'm never sure what we're going to do for  Valentine's Day cards each year. I do like to do something fun and creative.  I drive my kids crazy because I like to make them and not buy the boxed ones, not sure why, just do!  But in the end, I know they love handing their own homemade cards out.  Click HERE to see last years project.  And here's our idea for this year.   

I made a sign for the boys to hold and took their picture.   Then in Photoshop I added their names.  You can do it in any  program that allows you to add type to your picture.  

Then I printed up the number of photos I would need in 4x6 and got together a bunch of cardboard. I used the thinner cardboard from Costco that comes with your enlargements.  It's fairly thin but not flimsy.  (LOVE the girls at Costco!)

I then trimmed the cardboard and photos down to the size I'd need for the puzzle die-cut.  I had checked ahead at my LSS, Treasury of Memories, and it was about a 4.75x3.5 puzzle die cut. 

I glued the photo onto the cardboard.

Then I took it in to Treasury and used their die-cut machine to cut it into the puzzle pieces. 

I'm going to try to pick up some cellophane bags from Michael's and make a bag topper like last years.  The boys are "sharing" the photo but they each get a couple pieces of the puzzle in their own bags to give to their friends and then the bag topper will say something like "Put all our pieces together to see what our Valentine's message is to you" and then on the back I'll put the answer.  

Can anyone figure out what their Valentine's Day message is? :)

I had finished up a couple of these today and the girls were originally doing something else but as of right now they want to do this too, so we've got lots of cutting and pasting and die cutting to do!  

If you end up using this idea, let me know. I 'd love to see your finished product!


4 comments:

AngMomof3 said...

Nice! I'm going to stash this idea away for a couple years. I was just wondering this morning how you get BOYS interested in sharing love on valentines day!

My girls were tired of "homemade" this year.. so Lik-m-aid Valentines Fun Dips to the rescue!

I'll have to channel my creativity in another direction, I guess... Nice work on yours! What are your girls up to?

Anonymous said...

Seriously...Beck. I don't think I can handle this - you are in a league all your own. Although, I will dial up my local photo place and see if they have a die cut thing.

Unknown said...

HOW do you do it???

Amy said...

A-MAZE-ING!! You are my hero!!