17/12: NOT MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I don't make New Year Resolutions .... because I know I won't stick with them beyond January  .... but I have set myself some goals (which isn't the same thing) LOL

I must improve my time management - it seems the more free time I have, the less I achieve and a lot of that is down to spending too much time on the computer and getting sidetracked.


I downloaded a course of Spanish language lessons several months ago and haven't got beyond the first two sessions.   
David has just bought me Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 (which I haven't downloaded yet) and I've identified an online tutorial course to teach me the basics (haven't paid or downloaded it yet).

I also need to learn a lot more about how my camera works - I can't keep using the automatic 'idiotproof' button ... I'd like to understand more of its functions before we go to India in January as its going to be an exciting photo opportunity.  I'm a bit of a technophobe though and I find it hard to concentrate on learning from manuals and screen.  I much prefer to have a 'person' show me how to operate things but the only digital photography classes I've seen locally have cost an arm and a leg to attend.

but I get sidetracked by irritating little things ... such as why have my 'followers' disappeared from the front page of my Blog today?   They were there yesterday, nothing has changed and I've deleted and reset the button but still they don't show!!    I guess its just another Blogger Bleep and will rectify itself in due course but I've wasted an hour fiddling with it

I'm just waiting to hear whether our local Made In Whitstable Group will be staging an exhibition of work this week.   We have been offered a cancellation slot at the local Horsebridge Gallery in Whitstable if we can get enough of us together at short notice to hang/display pictures this evening.   I'm just dusting some of mine down and waiting to hear if 'we're on'.   Going to be a last minute dash to get it all ready but it will be nice to get one last exhibition in this year.     Watch this space.

In the meantime, here's a great way to recycle Christmas cards ... or any greetings cards of the right size/quality really.      I was recently shown how to make these neat little gift boxes without using glue or tape. 

For the lids you need a piece of card which is square approx 6" x 6" and for the base a slightly smaller square.

Finished box

I've unfolded this lid to try to show a 'step by step' process.   Sorry I couldn't get the card to lay flat here

Fold the four corners into the centre and make sharp creases

Then fold the tips back as shown below.  Make sharp folds

Now make four cuts as shown.  I've made some pen marks to show the cuts better.  

Fold the non cut corners as shown below

 The 'tips' of the wings fold back flat on themselves and these form the sides of the box.

Then the remaining sides fold over the wings and tuck down inside the box to make it sturdy and hold everything in place.  Here you can see one side folded into place

and the final side in place

The box bottom is made exactly the same way but a tad smaller so the lid fits comfortably on top

The sharper you make the creases when folding the card, the easier it is to construct the box.    Sounds fiddly but once you've made one, the rest is easy