So Many Themes For One Person- Dad

I want to focus on the creation of a father's Day Theme.  This was my favorite “Dad's Apples.”

You can find an image to purchase from Etsy or Creative Fabrica.  I found this image and cropped it to the size I wanted.  I also found an apple with some detail in it.

So, I have my image and now I want to add a message.  I want to “extend” my image, in this case, to add a quote or a message.  XCS now has a library or various shapes which include “borders.”  When used in your image, you can actually place text inside the border image.  Choose the style you want and once you click it, it'll appear in your work area.

Place it, resize it and you can even add your text to get the right size.  I'm going to leave it blank for now but I am going to give it plenty of space for a variety of messages.

Now that you have you “message bubble” and your image, you can group them together and insert an outline that will be used to cut around your images.  You can play around with the distance but remember, this outline will be from your image, it will frame your image so you want to make sure it maintains most of it's shape.

Once I did it to my main image, I did it with my apples that will each be independently cut.

I have no idea where I heard the term “Standing Notches” but it kinda stuck with me.

A "Standing Notch" is the notch on an object that allows you to slip it into a stand.  this project has two standing notches.  It's super easy to create them when you know how thick the wood you'll be using is.  I'm using 3mm Basswood, 3 layers for the stand so that's about 9mm thick.  I will actually only have the notches go about 5mm and not make slots/holes for the bottom layer of the stand.

I created two rectangles (20mm x 5mm) and “united” them with the “cut” outline.  I copied the rectangles but made sure to adjust only the 5mm to 2.8mm.  This will allow a very snug fit.

NOTE: I create most of my projects to be easily assembled and disassembled for shipping or storage.

Now we need a base.  Again in XCS you have a library of shapes to select from.  I wanted to try the half circle to allow my project to sit on a shelf or flush against a wall.  Once imported, I reshaped it to fit the length of my project.  I have noticed that the base should be about the length of the project to help keep it balanced.  It's worked for me so I continue to create my bases that way.  I created the large layer first then I added two more layers, decreasing their sizes but allowing the “standing notches” to be placed within the layer.  I only need to add the standing slots on the top two layers.  If needed, I can adjust any layer to allow for a short message.

The base can be expanded to include space for a short message.  The text bubble above the image is pretty much set and all you need to do is find a quote or a message to insert, choose a font then resize it to fit inside the bubble.

The same process can be done for the apples once you decide the number of apples you will want to use.  The apples can have names, words or if you make them large enough, you might even try adding printed photos onto them.

All your pieces are created, cut, painted and once you assemble it, you can sit back and admire it!

To apply the apples onto the tree you can try magnets, Velcro or just glue them as I did.  The tree and the base can easily be unassembled to be shipped or stored for next  year.

The apples don't need to be painted or you can add more color by painting the tree leaves green, maybe give the base some color.

I hope you find the elements within the file helpful.  This file is intended as a starting point for you to learn from.  To create the other projects, you can find a wide variety of images online.  

Custom make it into something that is uniquely yours!

Thanks for giving me your time. Comments and suggestions appreciated.

Robert

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