Thursday, January 4, 2018

A Vintage Journey - January Challenge - Inside or Outside the Box

Today the January challenge is up over at A Vintage Journey and I am one of the Creative Guides participating this month.  Deb is our inspiring hostess and her challenge is:  Think Inside or Outside of the Box!!

Here is Deb's Description of her challenge:  For our first challenge of 2018 we'd like you to create with a box. Any box of any size will do. It can be one you made yourself or one that you are recycling or even one that you have drawn. We'd like you to make your project either inside the box itself or do something imaginative on the outside or both if that's where your muse takes you. As always we like to see your projects in our preferred styles: vintage, shabby; mixed media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn or steampunk. So put on your thinking caps and re-imagine those boxes both inside and out!
Here is my project but there's a twist about the box.......
  I started out to make a box using Eileen Hull's Trinket Box and Frame die and I wanted to use the wings from Eileen's Bird Die.  So I cut them all out of mat board.
Then my thoughts shifted and I wanted to create a little scene on a slice of birch tree (I've been making several holiday projects on these slices that dear husband cut for me from a fallen branch)  I embossed the tree slice with Ranger Snowflake Tinsel embossing powder (super glittery!)
So I'm imagining just how I can work this into the box theme.   I have this idea of the front of the box with a window in it and wings on the sides. I emboss the frame with Shabby White Frantage Embossing Powder and the wings in Shabby Blue Frantage Embossing Powder.  More wonderful glittery shine!
I pull out a couple of small white bottle brush trees and add Blueberry Ice Stickles (I  have tons of Stickles and haven't used them in ages! never throw out!) to keep them neutral and perhaps look like bits of snow on the trees.
My vision sees winter trees - so I cut some out of Brushed Silver cardstock using Tim's Treeline Thinlit die.

I choose one of Alison's sentiments from her PaperArtsy Set EAB03 - perfect for how I'm feeling about my little boxed scene.  I stamp it on a piece of mat board
I layer some trees across the top of the box frame and adhere the sentiment in front of the trees.
I complete my little forest scene on the slice of birch and attach the box frame on the front.
But I have left the sides and back open on my box. 
I've also attached a button battery light on the top inside of the box front. I got these from Papertrey Ink - but they don't seem to be carrying them anymore.
The trees around the back of the wood slice give an illusion of the back of the box when you look through from the front. 
My Inside or Outside of the box vision is:
Are we looking into a box where we see the lovely deer in his beautiful and serene forest world?   Or is the deer looking into a box where there is a noisy, concrete, sometimes dangerous world? 

Here's a photo of how it looks with the lights out and just the button battery light lit. (hard to get a good photo of it but it is just beautiful!)  I think I want to jump into his side of the box!

So please, check out all of the inspiring Inside or Outside the Box creations over at A Vintage Journey by the other Creative Guides!   We can't wait to see how you interpret this fun challenge! 
Our wonderful sponsor this month is  Funkie Junkie Boutique and the prize is a  $25 shopping coupon!

I also invite you to check out Eileen Hull's blog this month - where the Inspiration Team is posting all kinds of projects using her new Book Club dies!
Stamps:  Alison Bomber EAB03 Eclecctica3 set - PaperArtsy
Ink:  Archival Jet Black, Versamark
Paper:  Cream Matboard - Sizzix, Brushed Silver - Stampin Up
Accessories:  slice of birch tree, Blueberry Ice Stickles,  Bottle brushes - Idea-ology, Thinlits Tree Line Die - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Books and Pages Trinket Box and Frame Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, wooden deer - Hobby Lobby, Shabby white and Shabby Blue Frantage Embossing Powder - Stampendous,Quick Dry Tacky Glue - Aleenes, black half pearl, St. Tropex Crystals - Priima, battery button light - PTI

21 comments:

Christine Alexander said...

Julia, what a wonderful ornament, I love how you used the birch slice to create a base for that fantastic scene.

SmilynStef said...

Absolutely fantastic ... awesome creation.

Darnell said...

Just simply amazing, sis! I'm WOWed!! Hugs, Darnell

eileen hull said...

Super cool and I loved seeing how the art piece evolved! Great job Julia!

Loll said...

This is so cool, Julia. You always make the most amazing 3-D projects! Love the addition of the lighting! xx

nancy littrell said...

Wow, what an amazingly beautiful inside, outside box project Julia. Love how you added the battery light so all the pretty glitter really shines at night. A truly gorgeous inside and outside winter scene my friend. TFS Hugs...

Annie said...

what a fantastic make Julia xx I love the way you took the box and made this wonderful 3D project....it look stunning too when lit up....Love it !!

TFS and huge hugs Annie xx

sarascloset said...

Julia, I am literally sitting on the edge of my seat because I want to reach out and hold this in my hands! I love little scenes like this, and you have done an incredibly wonderful job on this! The creativity it took to mastermind this entire project amazes me! Oh, and when that light goes on! Wow! So pretty!

I hope you are staying warm and perhaps getting some extra crafting time as you hunker down through Grayson. We did get snow, and it looks like it will be around for a few days, at least. Of course, Wilmington is shut down with just a few measly inches of the white stuff, mainly because there is a good half inch of ice underneath. We went sledding for the first time in years yesterday after work.

S@ndy Diller said...

Thanks so much for sharing the details of this project. I especially love the wings. This is so perfect for the challenge. And lights too, amazing!! Hugs, S@ndy xx

Bonnie said...

What a wonderful, peaceful scene, my friend! I love how it lights up!

Mona Pendleton said...

Wow Julia! What a beautiful project inside and out! Love all the pretty scene and all the shimmery details! Obviously made with a whole lot of love!

Theresa said...

I am WILD about your project!! That reindeer is the cutest thing I have ever seen!! The whole thing is fabulous!!! Thanks for sharing your process!!!!

Redanne said...

Wow Julia, it looks like you could have created the scene by looking out of your window in all that snow!! I really enjoyed seeing how you brought this whole piece together, it is fabulous and the fact that it lights up is just a big bonus - I love it!! Hugs, Anne xx

Words and Pictures said...

What a glorious box full of winter wonderland treats - the blueberry snowballs on the trees, the adorable deer, the fabulous words (!) and of course it all looks amazing when it's lit up. Fabulous creation!
Alison x

A Pink said...

Such a beautiful project, Julia. I love how you have combined delicate tones of glitter and sparkle with the natural birch. A lovely contrast that works so well. You woodland scene is a delight and love how you have framed it with the trinket box to achieve the 'looking in , looking out' effect. When lit its truly magical .
hugs x

Nikki Acton said...

An amazingly clever and beautiful take on the theme Julia! Love your interpretation and all the glimmering details. The light is a wonderful addition and how cool does it look in the dark xxxx

Susan said...

A wonderful little scene - great use of so many details and media!

Astrid Maclean said...

Wow Julia, what an amazing roject and fantastic use of those dies! You have a created such a clever little scene, just wonderful and beautifully put together!!

Papercraft Boutique said...

Fantastic "inside or outside of the box" full of brilliant ideas, Julia! I always enjoy reading the process of your creations. Sometimes I go off to the product and web links you provide in your blog, so it takes time to finish reading it. (Ha ha ha :-D)
Starting with the slice of birch tree covered with the beautiful Snowflake Tinsel embossing powder, the snow on the trees made with the Blueberry Ice Stickles, the die-cut trees around the back of the wood slice, the button battery light attached to the top inside of the box front - I love all of these fun and creative features! Hideko xx

SewPaperPaint said...

I could not love this any more Julia! I was smiling from ear to ear at the first few pics then I saw this gorgeous box light up and I'm just downright giddy now! :) I love the grey and white w/ metallic touches color scheme and the beautiful use of the tiny brush tree and treeline die. Such beautiful and inspiring details! Hugs, Autumn

Deb said...

Oh my gosh Julia, this is amazing, talk about thinking outside (and inside!) the box! Adore your layers and all the shine and sparkle and the use of Eileen's dies was inspired. The addition of the light makes it so magical, thank you so much for sharing it with us all! Deb xo