…boxed up…

18 months into this pandemic life, cancelled plans and border closures are pretty much expected. Everything changes day by day, and even though it’s always in the back of our minds that anything is possible, it doesn’t suck any less when Delta cruises on in and bites us on the bum. In June, it happened to us less than 36 hours from leaving home for a family long weekend. We’ve cancelled quilt camp for the second year in a row, in what should have been our 10th anniversary year. Last week, it was the turn of one of my bible study friends. A long awaited graduation ceremony got the go-ahead – on the wrong side of the border.

After a zoom last week, a side chat popped up – what could we do? Not only was the border closed so she couldn’t go, but we are currently in lockdown, so we couldn’t even take her out for dinner or get together. We kicked around a few ideas, and then I remembered the Birthday In A Box that I made for my sister all the way back in 2014. Can’t remember what I did last week, can remember a random project from three quarters of a decade ago. My friends agreed that could be the perfect solution, and next minute, I had a lovely brain dump list in my notes app. Friday morning, I culled the list, we allocated out jobs, and I got to crafting.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you would know I love playing with paper and creating a whole suite of collateral around a central theme or idea. This project was brimming with possibilities for little bits I could design and add-in. My contribution included:
*”border pass” joke card. I whizzed this up in photoshop, complete with some rather crazy “fine print”
*a playlist card – I made up a grad party playlist on Spotify, generated a QR code for it, and made up a 4×6″ card with some Spotify style graphics
*a Photo Booth pack – I cut a heap of props from black cardboard on my circuit, used my stampin’ up envelope board to create the wrapping for it, and then made up a card with another QR code, this time to my fave Photo Booth app.
*what care package from me would be complete without an oil roller? I made a card explaining the what and how
*it’s graduation, so of course, I had to made a little cardboard mortarboard to top off the package!

Other things we included:
*choccies – Celebrations, of course!
*a photo frame to show off a photo with her friends or otherwise record this milestone event
*a scroll with an encouraging verse on it. How cute is that little flower arrangement my friend who made the scroll put on it?
*a bottle of champers
*party poppers, because what’s a party without loud noises and messy streamers?

We bundled it all up in a white box padded with Kraft-coloured tissue, and wrapped with a hessian and lace ribbon. Because it’s lockdown, it presented a few logistical challenges, and we couldn’t get a photo of the finished product, but we managed to get it all together and delivered. Judging by the email that came through last night, we did a pretty good job in creating a party in a box. It was such fun putting it together. Care packages are some of my favourite gift types to work on because there’s just so much scope to really customise them.

Lockdown week three is well underway, and we’ve reached the “should I start a podcast” part of proceedings. I haven’t finished a lot yet, but I’ve been poking along on a few projects so I hope to see some progress this week. The children are doing a virtual excursion all week, so that buys me a couple of hours a day.My Oz cross-stitch is screaming for attention. I want to get a mini book finished. I’m also contemplating starting a new quilt. There’s even a cart loaded with fabric. How I quilt in a tiny house, I don’t know, but when has that ever stopped me? It’s lockdown, the normal rules don’t apply…right? RIGHT?