phone message

gettin' my crafty paper cutter out.   my dear hubby brought it home a while back with out me even saying anything.   we left everything behind and i had quite a crafting selection at my disposal.   slowly i am finding some of the things i want again, but crafting isn't as popular here so it's been difficult.   things like a paper cutter and a glue gun are things that show me he is paying attention.

here's the story.   i am going on my first visiting teaching assignment here in germany.   if your not familiar, visiting teaching is how we keep everyone connected in our church.   each woman is assigned a partner and 3-4 other women to visit each month.   we bring a positive message of some sort and check in with them.  if there is anything wrong, any emergencies or anything that needs attention over the month we are to try and help them out with it or let the leaders know so that we can get some help for them.   often it's bringing in dinners or babysitting, helping with some chores that might need done or getting rides for appointments or something.    i arranged dinners to brought in to one of the women i visited when she staying in the hospital with her infant daughter who was very sick.   i also helped get some people lined up for babysitting when her husband went to work and grandparents couldn't be there.   just some little things that help out and take some of the worry off of the family.   we assign people so that there is an organized reporting system and not just hoping that someone will get help for them.

that's the basics.   this being my first time out here, i'm getting to know these people.   i thought it would be good to bring them something with our phone numbers on it so that they can call if there is anything they need.   i think cute doesn't get lost as fast so i came up with cute.

here's my phone with numbers -

i cut a basic old phone shape out of paper with the base on the fold.  

 when i cut the cradle of the phone out, i just cut straight down and then folded them so it would hold my pull out paper for my numbers.

 i folded the excess over to form the diagonal form of the phone base.   the folded piece also forms the stop for my pull out.   then i could glue the outside edge and the folded pieces.

 be sure you put your pull out piece in first, before you glue.   and make sure your pull out has a flared end or it will come all the way out.   it would work that way too if that fit your purposes better.

then it's just cutting some large circles for the rotor and some little details.   i have all the punches and cutting equipment in the states.   this tracing around a glass and cutting by hand thing really took me back to doing things with my mom and grandma as a kid.    i used a marker and just colored the edge of the lid to stamp my finger holes.   i could only fit 8 instead of 10 holes so i just didn't number them.   it's still bugging me but i'm trying to ignore the perfectionist part of my brain. i traced the inside of my tape dispenser for the center of the rotor and just free handed the rotor stop.

when i started gluing on the receiver,  i realized that i needed more room but then the paper would show when the phone was closed up all the way.   so i just folded the end over and then glued the receiver on.   the receiver flips up and then you pull out the rest.    german phone numbers are often 13 digits long, so it just bought me some space.  

all that's left is writing in phone numbers.   it would be a cute invite or way to give money if you stuck money in where the white paper is.

hope you find a fun use for it!   enjoy!