Koch Snowflake cards

Like most self respecting nerds, I love fractals. So what better way to celebrate winter than creating a fun card based on the famous Koch Snowflake (also know as the Koch star and island)!

A fractal is a geometric figure that has some pretty awesome special features. They have "self symmetry," creating detailed repeating patterns that are often described as "the same from near as from far." They're found all over the place in nature and are used in math and science in a variety of applications. 

One of the easiest to create by hand, and also one of the easiest to understand, is the Koch Snowflake. First described by Helge von Koch in 1904, this fractal is based on an equilateral triangle. To build it one, you create an equilateral triangle, then remove 1/3 of one side of the triangle and replace it with an new, smaller equilateral triangle. You repeat this process on each side, then repeat it on each side of each new triangle, and so on. The result is a shape that can literally have infinite perimeter, but finite area. Cool right?

So, for an extra nerdy card, I used the Koch Snowflake shape and created a fun, glittery pop up.

The process is simply to make a Koch snowflake template, trace that into a card and cut around the shape with a craft knife, leaving the shape attached to the base at a few points. Then fold the pop up in the opposite direction of the card, creasing the contact points carefully. Finish by backing with contrasting cardstock to create the front of your 4.24" x 5.5" card.

To make it more festive, I created snowflake "covers" that were just the Koch snowflake. These I embossed and glittered to make them stand out beautifully. I also used the inside of the double snowflake to create a custom stamp, simply tracing it onto craft foam and cutting it out, then adhering it to an acrylic block with some double-stick tape. I used it as I would any other stamp. This card reads "Baby, it's cold outside."

Now, I'll have really detailed instructions up on CRAFT soon, I hope, but in the mean time, why not just grab my templates and make a card the easy way?

Print the PDFs below onto cardstock and cut until your heart's content!

• Single Koch snowflake pop up card
• Single snowflake cover
• Double Koch snowflake pop up card
• Double snowflake cover

If you have a digital cutter, like I do, this all becomes very easy, indeed! I have an old first generation Silhouette from Quickutz. You can pick them up for about $100 on eBay, and they are amazingly useful. I use the free software Inkscape to design my digital cutting files and then the free software for the Silhouette to manipulate and cut the shapes. It's totally awesome!

Anyway, if you have such a machine, all you need to do is download the appropriate DXF or SVG file and let your computer do the work for you! You may opt to throw in a perforation or scoring line down the center when you cut to make folding easier, but I just used my Scoring Board. Now you can make cards for all your nerdy friends!! Huzzah!

• Single Koch snowflake pop up card (dxf)
• Single snowflake cover (dxf)
• Double Koch snowflake pop up card (dxf)
• Double snowflake cover (dxf)
• Single Koch snowflake pop up card (svg)
• Single snowflake cover (svg)
• Double Koch snowflake pop up card (svg)
• Double snowflake cover (svg)

Anyway, I hope you have fun. Be sure to share pictures of your cards!

Fractal Christmas Card

We've been studying fractals with the Kaleidoscope Cooperative for Science and Math. As part of that study, we explored Sierpinski's Triangle, a fractal in which equilateral triangle shapes are removed according to a specific set of rules, forming a repeating pattern.

I wanted to extend the 2D version we made in class to a 3D project. Luckily, I found the Fractal Foundation and their instructions to create a triangle fractal cutout. By making repeated cuts in folded paper you can create a shape similar to a Sierpinski's triangle. And when you're done, it looks like a Christmas tree. Which makes it a most excellent holiday card!

The kids had a great time making these, but I wanted a little more refined version for my nerdier friends and family members. So I pulled out my craft supplies. For this project you need: colored cardstock, a ruler, a pencil, scissors, a glue stick, a star punch, an embossing folder and embosser, and assorted inks.

I started by cutting a piece of green cardstock to 8.5 x 5.5 inches. I folded this in half to create a 4.25 x 5.5 inch card. Using my ruler I marked the middle of the card and drew a line from the folded side to midway across.

Then I cut along the line, folded one section away from the folded edge and creased well. Then I unfolded the flap and inverted the tab, pushing the fold inwards.

Refolding the paper, and tucking the tab inside, I once again used my ruler to measure the halfway point on each of the side "steps." I drew a line halfway across the step. Then it was cut, fold, invert.

 I repeated the cycle once more. After this point the paper was too thick to fold and cut neatly. I you used copy or origami paper you might be able to get more detail.

Once all the tabs were done, I used the edge of my ruler to crease them really well. Then I un-inverted the folds to flatten the paper and ran the card through an embosser. I also trimmed the paper by 1/4" all around and inked the edges. When that was done, I carefully refolded the tabs to create the pattern and sprayed the front with gold ink.

I cut a piece of red cardstock to 8.5 x 5.5 inches, folded it into a 4.5 x 5.5 inch card and embossed that as well, inking the edges when it was done.

I applied glue to the back of the triangle tree and carefully attached it to the inside of the red card, pressing down well and being sure to center the green card. I punched a little star from yellow cardstock, folded it in half and used the glue to attach it to the top of the tree. I then decorated the front of the card with some scrap green cardstock and another yellow star.

All I need to do is add a cheery sentiment and this card is ready to add a bit of geek chic to someone's Christmas.

Blinky Birthday Card

I know lots of kids love making special cards for parents on their birthday. Actually, I know a lot of adults do to! But what do you do when you have a hacker husband and you want something that really says, "Wow!" Well, in my case, you add some LEDs.

The finished card, with an embossed and decorated envelope.

For this you'll need cardstock in red and black, a printer, a paper cutter, an X-acto knife or something similar, a glue stick, 2 LEDs (I used ones that blink), an old mousepad, a tack, a coin battery and some duct tape.

Making the card is easy. I created a graphic (in GIMP) using the Android robot and added a present to his belly. In my case, I cut it from red cardstock using my digital cutter (a Sillhouette, which I love), but you can print the graphic and use an X-acto to do the same thing. I sized it to fit a standard 4.25" x 5.5" card, which I made from textured black cardstock. I just used a glue stick to paste the robot to the card.

Click for the full-size image, and right-click to save it. 

The card before LEDs.

To add LEDs you'll need two blinking LEDs and a coin battery. I pulled both from a "Learn to Solder Skill Badge" from MakerShed that I had laying around, but you can buy the same thing at RadioShack.

To place the LEDs in the eyes, I opened the card and laid in flat on an old mousepad. Then I used the LED itself to determine where I wanted the holes for the leads. Using a tack, I punched the holes and inserted the LEDs.

On the inside of the card, I traced my coin battery in between the leads. Then I bent the positive leads (the long ones) against the paper and cut them so that the met inside the circle I'd drawn. I trimmed the negative leads a little as well, though I left them long to account for the thickness of the battery. I placed the positive side of the coin battery (marked +) on top of the positive leads and then bent the negative leads over the battery. I little red duct tape, pressed well for good contact between the battery and the leads, sealed everything in. I didn't bother with a switch (though that'd be super cool).

All that was left was to add a cheesy birthday greeting to the inside. :)

Quick, easy and impressive. To "turn off" the battery, you just need to loosen the tape a bit and let the negative leads lose contact with the battery. This isn't a card I'd mail, by the way. It'd get damaged and the blinking envelope might put more suspicious postal workers on high alert.

If you like the music in the clip, it's called "Stardazed" by a band called "Virtualizer" and is available for free on Last.fm.

Happy Halloween Lunch!

As I believe I have mentioned before, I LOVE Halloween. So of course, I wanted to do something special for the girls when I packed up their lunchboxes on October 31st!

I started with the citrus. It's really easy to use a sharp knife to carve little jack-o-lantern faces into the rind of oranges or clementines. They'd dry out if you left them out for too long, but they'll survive to lunch time without a problem.

Next up, the main event: a classic PB&J turned into a spooky ghost. I just made my usual sandwich, being sure to use gooey strawberry jam. Then I cut with a favorite cookie cutter. Use a little peanut butter to stick on dried cranberries as eyes and place into the reusuable container with black bean chips to create a backdrop. (I used scraps of wax paper to secure everything into place when I packed it up.)

On to the treats! I pulled out my cookie cutters again to cut a piece of cheddar cheese into the shape of a bat. Then I wrapped up some roasted pumpkin seeds in a bit of wax paper (secured with invisible tape) and topped the packet with a cute sticker.

Once that was all packed up, I made some quick Happy Halloween cards. I just ran premade cards through my embosser, inked the front to add depth and then added some sparkly stickers. I stamped the inside with a sentiment and wrote in "Love, Mommy and Daddy!" I slipped that into the lunch box and called it a day. Happy Halloween!

We have to do something equally fun for dinner. We're planning Hotdog Octopi in tomato sauce, served with sliced orange and green bell peppers. Should be pretty creepy and super quick, so we can get out to trick-or-treat!.