It's March now, so I'm going to officially declare it Spring time! I know so many of you are still stuck under snow drifts and icicles...but here where I live it's allergy-flowers-grass-bunnies-blooms time already! I have been taking the Claritin for a month! (But I totally digressed right there). It is Spring, and to me, now it's time for lovely soft pastels in my crafting, and time for renewal and hope and happiness. I have a really special Spring Garden project to share with you today! I don't really even know where to start with this one...There are loads of pictures!
Do you have those projects that you pour your entire heart and soul into? Where you just escape into it and spend hours and hours making something? Like you became one with the project?? Well, that is the case with today's project for me. I'm calling it my Spring Garden Configuration Box! I made this one for the Ideaology booth at CHA, and used just about every single Tim Holtz product there is! LOL. (This one didn't make it into the final booth). I used dies, and adornments, and washi tape, and vellum, and ribbon, and glass jars, and dolls, and birdcages...and glitter, and pocket watches and pearls, and distress ink....and well, you get the point! I'm so happy to share it and I hope you find something inspiring! I used the 6x8 sized configuration box. Happy Spring!
One thing about starting a Configuration Box, is you have to have a theme... I chose Spring, since I love flowers and birds and plants. So, with that, I chose the GARDEN letters from the Letterpress set and painted them in some pretty colors with Distress Paints. The next thing (in my opinion) to making a Configuration Box, is to choose a color palette. I chose pink, green, blue and yellow for mine (again to fit my theme). I kept repeating these colors throughout the project.
All the boxes were first lined with patterned paper and then taped around the edges. I chose this pretty music paper for this box! Here you can see I cut out some vellum butterflies and put them into my cloche jars along with some moss and metal pieces. Yeah, this project required lots of glue...and tweezers!!
This box in the upper left corner was filled with buttons and a pretty pen nib.
You've seen me make roses from the Tattered Pinecone Die before! It's a favorite technique for sure! I made this one from pink core-dinations paper and then drenched it in rock candy glitter! Oh, then I added a pearl to the center! The pearls are colored with alcohol inks throughout the piece. LOVE those new shield charms!!
Around the outside, I covered the box with vellum and then edged with tape. The top has a knob attached to a compass...
I hand dyed my own ribbon with distress inks and then tied it around the knob.
More Spring related items....
The bottom left square has a pocket watch that I filled with a bird picture, some pearls and a little crown...
This birdcage filled with pearls is hanging from the main compartment with an eye hook so it swings back and forth. I also added some twine at the top and a flower/pearl to the outside.
The Distress paints work so well with the metal pieces. Here I colored my metal butterfly with honey and china distress inks and then added china glitter!
Thank you so very much for letting me share this joyful project with you! This kind of project is why I am a crafter...It was an escape and a true artistic endeavor! It took me many many happy hours to make it...a labor of love. I hope that you will try to make one of these at least once! It seems really hard, but just take it one square at a time and fill each one...before you know it, you'll be finished. I have more items already picked out for my next one - a bigger one!
Have a very happy Spring day today everyone!!! XOXO
SUPPLY LINKS!
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Super impressed with this - what an awesome work of HEART!!!!! You made this completely and totally wonderful!! Love the details and the way each spot has candy for the eyes to pull in and just enjoy!!! You are remarkable - I am becoming convinced that there is no art project that you could not do!!!! Kudos to you!!!
Posted by: Taunya Butler | 03/16/2015 at 09:02 AM
I can see and feel that you poured your heart and soul into this project...it is fabulous. Your color palette is divine. I always enjoy seeing a more whimsical touch when using the Tim Holtz product line. Awesome!
Posted by: Laurene | 03/08/2015 at 08:29 AM
How many adjectives can you use too describe how fabulous this box is....truly one of the most beautiful items I have ever seen....you can see the love you poured into this project...the colors the style it us just awesome!!
Posted by: Geneva Null | 03/07/2015 at 06:32 AM
I absolutely adore this! Everything about it is perfect. It is so inspiring I feel I could make one and I'm not usually into things like art boxes. Hubby picked up a Tim Holtz birdhouse thing to decorate. He isn't even crafty but thought it would be fun. I think I need to use your inspiration to help him get started on it. This is just fabulous!
Posted by: Princess Judy | 03/06/2015 at 10:30 AM
What a lovely Springtime project...although you made it during your cold season for CHA. I think it shows that you put your heart and soul into your craft. Its beautiful Wanda and deserves a place of honor in your home as you decorate for Spring. I too, have decorated this week for Spring here in Nebraska USA as Im trying to rush the last cold days on out of here! I love anything flowers, blooms, birds and birdhouse or cages and my home reflects that. Im done yammering on...I just wanted you to know your box is beautiful.
Posted by: Connie Brooks | 03/05/2015 at 07:24 AM
Amazing! Ok I may be bias....but you never cease to amaze me! You are so talented!! I love you!!
Posted by: Mark | 03/04/2015 at 05:36 PM
This is just amazing Wanda, And I am so glad you shared all these close ups of all the wonderful details. I don't garden, but I would love to have one of these beauties in my home :)
Posted by: cheiron | 03/04/2015 at 05:30 PM
Oh Wanda, that is stunning..... love how you've used so many of Tims products and created a fresh, decorative item which would look lovely in a sitting room or hall way... I will definitely be giving this a go..... x
Posted by: Nikki Brown | 03/04/2015 at 03:33 PM
OMWOOOOOOOOOORD!! 8-) How Absolutely GOOOOOORJUUUUUS is this! 8-) You are simply one Super Crafty Genius Sweet Lady! Wow!! Love every Fabulous detail!! So much to look at and marvel over! Love the harmony and happy garden peacefulness it brings! Just Love this Girly! 8-)
Hugs
Shannon
Posted by: shannon white | 03/04/2015 at 03:05 PM
WOW! This is gorgeous! What a lovely idea - would love to make something like this someday!
Posted by: Jen | 03/04/2015 at 09:43 AM
That is the most beautiful, inspiring, lovely Spring box I have ever seen. Not hat I've seen many, but this is just fabulous!! The colors, the items, the way they are all put together and embellished is beyond my words. I too have become a fan of Tim Holtz. So creative, Wanda. So happy your shared.
Posted by: Fonda Jo | 03/04/2015 at 09:16 AM
This is just absolutely gorgeous! I am not a gardener (I can kill a simple houseplant) but love the idea of this!
Posted by: Celeste Goff | 03/04/2015 at 07:49 AM
OMG!! My kind of project!LOVELOVELOVEit!! Think we should "hack into" Tim's blog, and post it there, for the whole world to see!!
Posted by: Janice Rosenthal Rock | 03/04/2015 at 07:46 AM
SOOOOO beautiful! Stunning! Magnificent! LOVE IT
Posted by: Chris | 03/04/2015 at 07:04 AM
This is absolutely stunning, Wanda! Love every little detail of this!
Posted by: Stephanie Kraft | 03/04/2015 at 06:57 AM
Wow this is a real art piece Wanda! You are so talented lady and should be doing this professionally so many inTRINKET (lol) details. Love it
Posted by: Tracey McNeely | 03/04/2015 at 06:25 AM
I have SUCH mad love for this project, Girlfriend... I can't even begin to express it all! You are amazing! Absolutely amazing!
Posted by: Audrey Pettit | 03/04/2015 at 05:58 AM
Girl...you are AMAZING! This project is just FABULOUS!!!!! I can't stop looking at it. I do have a question though....where and what kind of ribbon do you buy? I love how you are always dying your ribbon and I love the texture of it.
I was so inspired by this I just put a ton of products in my cart at SSS so that I could add them to a project I want to do. Thanks for the inspiration. You are just so talented.:)
Posted by: Michelle Liimatainen | 03/04/2015 at 05:24 AM
OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!
IN LOVE..sigh.......
love everything about it...a Masterpiece...
where will you put in your home?
Hugs Holly.
Posted by: Holly Saveur | 03/04/2015 at 05:06 AM
JUst gorgeous!!!
Posted by: Jamie Vanskiver | 03/04/2015 at 03:36 AM
As an avid Gardener, I'm envious of your Spring weather, Wanda! March for us up here in Canada only means "extended Winter" (LOL), but at least one gets the sense that winter is loosening it's cold grip for another year!
Your Spring Garden Configuration Box is a definite Labour of Love, and reminds me very much of Spring in that you put all this work into preparing the "garden", and once it's done you get to sit back and enjoy the rewards of the love & time you put into it. A visual Masterpiece it is, and I see something creative & new every time I peek into it's crevices.
It should have been Front & Centre at the CHA Booth IMO - it's stunning!
Posted by: Susi K | 03/04/2015 at 03:10 AM