A picture says a thousand words

We have wonderful news to share!

A new member has recently joined the Summer-Ray family. Little Yuu Hyiim the baby girl of Seck Hoe and Pei Kuan. To celebrate her birth, I made a brave attempt at making a picture frame to showcase that cute-as-a-button face.

Since we were commemorating the miracle of life, I thought it would be best to make the frame as fun and lively as possible. Taking some hardboard, I measured out the size of the frame (8 x 8.5 inches), cut out the base and the front, and drew in the position of a 4R sized photograph.

Two strips of baby footprint ribbons were glued on next.

A couple of careful measurements later, it was time to cut out the pieces to showcase the ribbons and photograph.

Satisfied with the fit, I glued the front and base together with E-6000 adhesive.

For the fun element of the theme, I stuck on Kawaii Resin teddy bears, 10mm grosgrain ribbons and a dainty pair of little girls' shoes from the range of baby shower favours. Pink, round, pearl beads were used to fill in the loops above the shoes.

The finished product may either be given hardboard legs to lean on (this can be glued on to the back), or mounted in a wooden frame.

Not being able to help myself, I kept staring at the picture frame. Did it come out all right? Apprehension began to set in. Then Seck Hoe gave me the photograph of little Yuu Hyiim...

...she was the finishing touch that no amount of money could buy. :)

Tips (and what I learned while making the frame) :-

1.  When measuring the layout of the design, remember to measure it out as mirror images, especially when the design has different gaps and designs on the corners and edges.

2. The front inner frame should be slightly smaller than the size of the photograph. For example, a 4R sized photo should have a frame measuring around 2-3 mm smaller than the 4" x 6" (or 102 x 152mm) 4R photo.

3. When cutting the boards, it is best to do it on spare tiles or flat-glass that are no longer in use. This will help keep the boards from moving because of the pressure applied while cutting, and it will ensure a smoother cutting edge.

4. A sharp blade and metal ruler works better than a blunt blade and plastic ruler.

5. When gluing the front and base together, remember to leave a gap on one side that is wide enough to slip the photograph through.

6. Last but not least, be careful when cutting.

Happy experimenting!