PERSONAL PROJECTS
POSITIVE MESSAGE BOARD
DIY String Art and Calligraphy
Expressing my love of flowers, I decided to create a flower while trying out nail and string art. I sketched out my design on the board and then hammered nails into it outlining the flower. I wanted my flower to remain white as a message of positivity and emphasized the flower and the beauty within its individual petals by outlining them in purple. After having only practiced calligraphy for a month, I daringly free-handed my positive message onto the board, and it was done!
WINE BOTTLE BOX
Laser Cut and Assembled Box
For my friend's 21st birthday, I wanted to giver her a special gift. I decided to make her a personalized box that perfectly holds a bottle of wine. I used Adobe Illustrator to design the box cutting a "Happy 21st Birthday Caroline" with a pair of toasting wine glasses on the front and engraving a short, personal note on the back. Using a laser cutter, I turned this design into a physical model. It was a long cut but after assembling the box, I knew it was worth it. I covered it with a few coats of varnish to give the box a shiny finish. I put a new bottle of wine inside and closed the lid with a bow on top and the birthday gift was ready by her birthday!
(Side note: she loved it! :) )
COASTERS
Laser Cut Elephant Coasters
My mom's favorite animal is the elephant and she loves cute coasters. So, I decided to make her coasters with elephants as a Christmas gift. I found some images of elephant clip art and drawings online. In order for the colored ones to look nice, I adjusted lighting and other effects on Photoshop before importing the images into Illustrator. Once in Illustrator, I designed the coasters with the elephants on them. Before cutting them, I also designed a small container to place the coasters in when they are not being used. Then, I laser cut the different parts and assembled the carton. Finally, I coated the box and the coasters with varnish to give them all a shiny finish.
KEYCHAIN
Personalized Laser Cut Keychain
My cousin recently turned 16, so for her birthday I made her a keychain for the keys to her first car. I personalized it by making it in the shape of her name and adding layers around her name which was all done in Illustrator. It was a to of work to get the sizes and shapes of each outline even and accurate. Once I was done designing, I laser cut the keychain and coated it with varnish for a smooth, shiny finish. I then attached a keyring to it so it's ready to add to her first set of car keys!
MOOSE
3D Printed Moose
I decided to make my first personal 3D printing project a tribute to my favorite animal, the moose. I found the .STL file on Thingiverse and set up the .gcode file using Cura Type A. I used this file to print my moose in PLA on a Type A printer.