Diorama

I live near Cambridge, MA, home of Harvard University, and much more importantly, Harvard Square where Black Ink once was. This was the first store to carry my Mac&Craft products so it will always have a special place in my heart — and now, in my house, in the form of this little diorama.

It’s a foam core box with an open top and front. The front is thin plexiglass repurposed from an Ikea frame (score it deep on both sides with a craft knife and it snaps nicely). I glued a cut-out storefront image onto the plexiglass.

All the fun stuff inside is photos skewed for perspective and inkjet printed on cardstock. The card island is free standing (glued to the floor). The window garland is made out of catalog paper and string.

I found that tipping the floor up at the back about 30 degrees made the box look deeper, but the slant itself isn’t noticeable to the viewer.

That’s Susan, the owner.

Cardstock, scored and folded to be bookcases, window ledge, and the card island. Window items are cutouts with tabs for gluing in place.

Remembering a Black Ink neighbor that lost its lease, the great Crema Cafe.

Bird’s eye view of Black Ink’s block.

The lid lifts off for access to the battery pack/timer. The interior is lit by a single ultra-bright chip LED.

Measures 6” wide, 9” tall, and 3” deep.