Tim Holtz's Configurations boxes come like this. (I used the 6.75" x 8.75" size for the Birthday Treasury project featured in the Happy Birthday issue. Swappers can use any size.)
All of the boxes are separate so it's super easy to decorate and arrange the shadowbox.
When creating my Birthday Treasury project, I primed all of the pieces with gesso and then painted the "frame" with a wash of blue paint. I lined the inside backs of all the small boxes with papers cut to fit. I cut more papers than I needed in an assortment of patterns and colors and "auditioned them" as my friend Charlotte says. This is a very good way to start designing the shadowbox. It helps it feel less like a blank slate.
What's really fun about these Configurations boxes is that you can arrange the boxes however you like them. It's sort of like a jigsaw puzzle...but one with dozens of configurations.
Even if you're not signing up for the swap, I know you'll love playing with these shadowboxes. And the fabulous & generous Tim Holtz sent us some to share with you.
Leave a comment here with a special birthday-ish idea for the shadowbox and you will be entered to win one of four Configurations boxes. Drawing will be held Friday, May 20.
(There will be 4 winners, each winning one Configurations box. The sizes available are 1 small square (5.5" x 5.5"), 1 medium rectangle like the one I used for the Birthday Treasury project (6.75" x 8.75"), 1 long rectangle (5.75" x 10.75"), and one super big one (8.75" x 10.75"))
Good luck! And a special thank you to Tim Holtz for this fun giveaway!
55 comments:
This would be alot of fun to play around with. How about documenting a child's birthdays from birth through age 8 or how many boxes there are. Little things from each age....a binky, a hairband, a shoe, a toy, something like that.
I so loved the happy birthday issue! I would love to have a play with one of these boxes, how about "birthday memories" past parties, places visited on birthdays, or special cherished presents.
I love the new Birthday Issue, the projects and photography is amazing.I was thinking filling one configuration box with tiny paper party dresses hung on tiny hangers as if you were peeking into a little girls closet. Valerie
Wouldn't it be fun to use pictures of birthdays over the years and add some traditional birthday elements - candles, balloons, streamers, cake toppers? I haven't seen these in the stores near me yet so I would love to win one.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
Love this idea! I have always loved Shadow boxes!
I would make this a family birthday shadow box by decorating 1 little box per a family member. I have all boys, so it would be fun to really put their favorite animals and sports in their box. Instead if flowers and hearts, little lizards, snakes, cars, planets, frogs and Boy Scouting papers. My oldest loves electricity, so I could wire some dollhouse lights for his box or even his brothers. Oh I cannot wait to have time to make this for my boys!!
Oh my, what a fun giveaway! It would be a blast to fill these little boxes up with birthday items. One item that would just HAVE TO be included in a set is a mini-music box! (search on ebay for mini, or birthday, music boxes...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Music-Box-Movement-w-Clear-Case-Happy-Birthday-/250808328770?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a65576242)
There's even a tiny one that you crank that plays Happy Birhtday!
~Heidi
My big girl (who wants me to always call her baby girl) is 4.
Yesterday, a set of twins (she is a twin as well) at her school celebrated their 5th birthday.
On the ride home she says 'Mommy, did you know that they turned FIVE today? AND guess what?! They LOOKED THAT SAME AS YESTERDAY!'
Oh... if only that were true every year:) I will meet you at 40 on June 20th!
PS - OF COURSE I bought the issue - it always amazes me!
How fun Amy!!!! I can't wait to try some of your miniature pennants and I have to try making an itty-bitty cupcake.
-Amy
Crafting by Candlelight
if you have a youngest child, you can put a picture of the rest of the family when they were all a certain age.
-lauren
lauren51990 at aol dot com
I have a small collection of miniature hand woven baskets that I frequently get for my birthday. How cute would they look in one of these boxes?? Darn cute, I think!
I like the idea of adding a special symbol of each of a child's first years...very cute!
My 10 yo daughter just created an elaborate 10th birthday part for her American Girl Felicity doll....this would be the perfect case for keeping all of the pieces she created: party hats, gift bags, goodies, games, gifts. (In attendance were two AG dolls owned by her best friend.) Plus, my girl is VERY into mixed media!
Please enter me in this Giveaway - You have such a creative mind and I really enjoy purchasing your magazines - so much to make and enjoy!!
hi Amy...my suggestion for the b-day box would bee to stage it as a stage...on the side of box drape long crepe paper curtains & each mini box could bee a mini scene of the person likes or the stages of their age for 1 years old to 99 years old a box could bee increments of every 10 years...I think I would bee a lot fun to put together...have a honey of a Day ~ Marlene ;O)
I haven't seen these anywhere near me yet so it would be a super treat to win one.
I'd love to put a memento from each family member for a particular year. For example last year my son was super into his water table so a sailboat, I learned to hula hoop so I'd add some hula hoops or a hula hooping girl for my box, etc. It would be a fun reminder of the different things we get into from year to year.
I just had a home birth and it would be fun to put in different things that reminded me of the birth day, like a watch face with the time he was born, a mini version of my first breakfast after the birth, a scale with the baby's weight, and a few photos of special moments scattered throughout.
Oh, I love this idea! Thanks to you and to Tim! I think it would be a great way to make a 'birthday calendar'! Pictures of family members and friends with their birth date in funky fonts or something, and decorated with some of their favorite things. Placed on a desk or somewhere you are frequently, and you'll know whose birthday is coming up! Thanks for the chance! Becky Garrison
I just adore your blog..you always inspire me...I haven't seen this shadow box anywhere but I love it...please count me in!
I am going to be a first time grandma in October and I would love to use this to celebrate the baby's very first birthday!
1,001 Blessings...Deborah
I cannot stop thinking about candles.....no matter what else I used, candles would definitely make it in there .... I just love Tim Holtz! Thanks for the chance to win one of these!
what a great giveaway! my mind is spinning...i think i would take the four members of our house (and the dog) and find an age that i had pictures of each of us...say our 5th birthday...and put the pics at the back of the little box...then, i'd add a little doo dad for each that represents that person!
I would decorate the box with little precious items and surprises. I'd cover the surprise boxes with colored tissue paper that could be taken off for the party! Thanks for the chance!!
Would it not be nice to have it up and just OCCASIONALLY slip a box into one of the shadowboxes with an UNBIRTHDAY or BETWEEN Birthday surprise?
It could take the giftee a while to even notice a box because these are nice and small (hmm good for a pair of earrings or a miniature item?.
I could imagine gifting this to my hubby. He's in the Air Force and he is rewarded a coin for each accomplishment, and I need a handy way to display them!
how fun, I would love a box, any size!!
I'd love to create a treasure box to document my daughter's first year! There are so many moments that don't fit (literally or figuratively) in her baby book.
cute ideas as always!! my box would be one to reflect my favorite aspect of the birthday: the CUPCAKES! i am not a cake girl but a cupcake gal. my wheels are already spinnin'! besides this is the perfect theme as my big 30 bday is the 18th of may!!
So many possibilities! It may not be too late to start documenting birthdays for my poor, neglected second born.
i would love to do a b irthday box for my BFF who is I have known since I was 4 and who is in treatment for cancer..
I think I would make it all about my youngest boy's birth day - include his little hospital bracelet, pictures, bits of his newborn clothes sewn into a tiny pennant, and color copies of parts of the quilt his great grandma hand embroidered for him. What a cool box!
This is my first swap…EVER… and I am so excited. You matched me well I Think and I am thrilled that the ideas are flowing. I have no local source for any scrapbook supplies so I'd love to win one.
I love these! In one section I would place some vintage cupcake ballerinas, in another a little vintage birthday party candy/nut basket, some pink rick rack for "icing on the cake," some vintage birthday photos, and some cute little crackerjack prizes I have. Oh, and use some vintage wallpaper in the back of some of the squares too! :)
Fun, fun! Wish I'd have seen the swap info earlier. ;) You'll have fun with it!
All the best,
Sheila
I turn 50 in June. I would fill it with little mementos of the things I do this year. Collages of ephemera I pick up - tickets, cookie fortunes, tea bag tags. Make little flags out of fabrics from clothing I've loved and worn out. Maybe commission some fimo figures from my daughter, who makes wonderful little monster-y things.
I have a favorite birthday party memory at an ice cream parlor called Happy Joe's - it was old fashioned with red/white stripes and we were given hats to wear, balloons, etc. It would be fun to do the boxes in this theme!
Hi Amy
Wow, I was only looking at these boxes a week ago and was very tempted to buy some!
I think a fun idea would be to pop in the boxes some treasures (like party favours) and memories (photos, etc)from a child's themed birthday party so they can always remember their special day.
It might also be fun to have different friends each decorate one section of the configuration as a collaborative project.
By the way, LOVE the birthday issue!
love the birthday issue. thanks so much for creating...would love to win the giveaway!
Shelli
Love the birthday box idea, would love to win the giveaway!
Love the idea of making a special BD box for my daughter's 30th on May 30th. I would love to include all of her favorite things over her 30 years.
Love it! Favorite things for each year...
shelleyf76 at hotmail dot come
Fun, fun, fun! The box would be perfect for a special birthday...my mom turns 80 this year-and loves miniatures- It would be fun to use some mini photo paperdolls of her as a little girl incorporated with mini furniture and vintage mini items...
Thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to win for my son who is turning 3 this month! He's obsessed with tractors right now and I would love to decorate a box for him in the tractor theme. U know how it is as a mom, I was so good about creating keepsakes for my daughter, our first. Then this lil guy came along and hasn't stopped since. I would love to win and create something spectacular for him.
I would do a birthday box full of vintage cake toppers. I think that would make a great display.
I am signed up for the swap and have ordered one to use for that, but I hope I'm not exempt as I'd like to have one on hand to make at another time for a gift for a friend or whatnot. A birthday idea... fill the box with all pink vintage reminders of past birthdays, vintage candles, vintage card images, etc.! would be really pretty! Susan purrpage3 at verizon dot net
What a neat product! I love that all the boxes can be taken out and moved around. I keep thinking it would be a great gift for a milestone birthday: give each family member/friend in attendance a box to decorate and fill with a memory of the birthday boy/girl.
Amy, I am so excited to be part of this fabulous swap.....If I was doing a box for myself, I would use Vintage New Years Eve items. My Birthday is Dec. 31st, and I think it would be so much fun.
xxoo Valarie
I would put little mementos from past birthdays...number candles, photographs, birthday boy buttons or ribbons they wore on their big day. The possibilities are endless for something like this!
Thanks for the giveaway!
truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom
These new shadowboxes look like they'd be great for so many things. For a child's birthday, it might be a lot of fun to make a small book with details and pictures from the party (guests names and pictures, games, presents, etc.) and tuck it into one of the spaces. My kids love to read about these types of details from past events.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I think it would be fun to make it a time capsule of the day (year) you were born.
Would be delighted if I won a box!!
I usually celebrate my birthday during the birthday month, at my scrapbook store, surrounded with dear friends. I would let them know ahead of time that I wanted them to embellish a little section, in lieu of buying me a gift. They know me, and this way they could bring with them the things they believe "speak" of me. It would be a lasting treasure and the best birthday gift ever!
Wow, I have never made a shadowbox, but it looks like soooo much fun! I love vintage, so I would make mine with lots of vintage images and ephemera.
Michele
mjk5265@comcast.net
This is so adorable. How about one w/personalized little dolls.Friendly faces, different vintage photo bodies, or maybe one of special people from the past in party outfits and vintage 'clothing'.
Hello. Please enter me in your giveaway! I just did a post on shadowboxes.
So cute! I'd love to do one for my son and fill in each little box for each year - he's 4 now - with something special for each year and something that shows the theme of his birthday party. Maybe a present wrapped in Toy Story or Cars paper and a little sweet something. I have a little sleeping baby boy figurine that would be perfect for the first birthday. I even saved some number candles that would be cute. Thanks for the chance Amy! Love these boxes!!
oh these are so very sweet! i think it would be so cute to fill up the different boxes with photos of the birthday receipient at different ages or milestones. such a great momento! xoxo
hi Amy...my suggestion for the b-day box would bee to stage it as a stage...on the side of box drape long crepe paper curtains & each mini box could bee a mini scene of the person likes or the stages of their age for 1 years old to 99 years old a box could bee increments of every 10 years...I think I would bee a lot fun to put together...have a honey of a Day ~ Marlene ;O)
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