In order have a stable base to put my laptop on (to keep the weight of the computer from collapsing into the box I would use for the body frame), I took two container lids and inserted a roll of cardboard in between. After applying lots of glue at both ends, I painted the surface a happy yellow (it was the only paint I had at the moment) and voila! A "neck" :)
A sheet of cardboard wasn't going to be strong enough to support a laptop, so I took an old hardcover book that we never read anymore (it was a Where's Waldo? book, except my baby sister had circled where Waldo was on each page...), taped down the sides and the binding, drilled a hole through the book, and using a screw, attached it to the container lid. I also added a few globs of glue for good measure.
To make the body, I took an empty cardboard box and cut it so that it would fit properly on office chair I was going to use to transport "Prairie" to class. (Sorry about not rotating the pictures...will edit these pictures after I finish my final paper for tomorrow.) This is the front view.
Side view
Back view
I made a few holes in the other end of the container lid and marked each hole with red paint, so that when I stamped the surface onto the "body," I would know exactly where to insert the screws to attach the neck to the body.
Once the neck was fully secured...
...I took the chair...
...and set the body on the chair to make sure it was secure. And it was!
I had accidentally put away most of my materials and the yellow paint by the time I took this picture, but this is a glimpse of what my workstation looked like. Messy and fun.
This was the last step. I took some of my clothes, stuffed it with newspaper to give it shape, and gave my project a computer mouse for a hand. I wish I had taken a final picture of my project, with the laptop screen and everything, but for now you'll just have to imagine Prairie's face sitting on top of that yellow platform, streaming live to the class via iChat.
Did I mention the mouse was fully functional? I simply strung the usb cable through the arm, up the neck, and into the laptop. The armrest on the chair was wide enough so that the mouse could have a surface to move. I was pretty excited that it actually worked!
So that's how my project came to life. Of course, for most relationships forged through the Internet, sometimes this is as real as it'll ever get. You can imagine all you want and piece together an image of your new friend with the information they provide, but unless you meet them in person and go beyond the computer screen, that genuine human element will always be lacking.
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