Ocean Adventure

Can you believe it?  This project also won at the City Crafters Challenge Blog!  Thanks you for selecting my project, I'm very proud of it and when I gave it to my daughter today she was blown away by it.

Thank you Hand Stamped Sentiments for chosing my project among the Artist Picks winners for your challenge #76  

I found a small Tim Holtz configurations box at the local craft shop and just had to grab it.  All sorts of ideas were racing around in my head and I finally settled on an Ocean theme and decided to make it for my beautiful daughter.  She lives at the beach and loves shells, fishing & camping and all that stuff.  It also happens that this fits a couple of themes for challenges as well so I'm entering this project into those.  I have been inspired to make a project like this from the moment I first saw the amazing Encouragement Emporium over at Neelz Expressions.  So here is my first effort at one of these wonderous creations.

I warn you though, this is a long post so grab a cuppa and settle back in for a long scroll.

 This pic was taken without the window sheet in, to prevent reflection in the photo.  

 This is the configurations box without the lid, you can clearly see all the little boxes inside now.

The next pics are all closeups of each of the boxes so you can see them in more detail.

All the boxes are lined with some ocean themed papers I found on holiday in Cairns months ago,  I inked the shell paper with Antique Linen distress ink and the edges of the box have been inked as well.  Included in the back is a little glass bottle filled with gold leaf, (sorry about the glare in the photo)  Next is a resin treasure chest and star fish and a of couse the obligatory gold dubloon...OK not a real one.  I aslo added a stamped shell image from a SU retired Stippled shells set behind the treasure chest.  The netting in the top of this box is a deep brown with gold highlights and seemed to suit the whole theme so I added some.

This one is lined with a beautiful foil paper is inked with faded jeans distress ink and the whole box is loaded up with charms laid on a bed of gold and champagne micro beads from my stash. ( I wondered when I'd get round to using them)  I couldn't really make the amazing books that Neil created so just made up some covers...Moby Dick and a whale stamped on the cover!

Compartment number 3 has some gold netting an anchor and a series of fish, tyres and whatnot caught with a home made fishing rod....a cut down toothpick and a gold safety pin!  Loved making that one.

Compartment number 4 is the largest at about 7cm square, the note in the bottle says HELP!.  more microbeads and a coiled rope and a starfish charm along with the large silver starfish and the gold net this one has a picture of my granddaughter and my daughter on the beach and a copy of Treasure Island.

Compartment 5 has a double sailors knot tied out of glittery elastic and adhered to the side wall of the box, again some charms and this time some antique copper buttons and a pretty little dragonfly.  This box was inked in Weathered Wood distress ink.

More microbeads, this time in a little glass bottle in compartment 6.  There is a silver dragonfly on the wall and three mini photos of family on the beach. on the other side wall and this time a copy of Robinson Crusoe.

 

I love compartment 7 because I've used two buttons to make the fishing reel and yes it has actual fishing line on it!  I've wrapped some jute around the glass bottle, hoping for it to look like some rum....maybe I should have put some strong tea in it...LOL.  Silver charms were added to this box.

Now we come to the wrecked pirate ship and the treasure map which of couse would lead you to the treasure chest up in box one if you're clever enough to follow the clues!  Oh don't you just love the skull and crossbones button?  More microbeads and an anchor and starfish complete this little box.

Finally, my own little pirate....this is a photo of my grandson at about 5 or 6 years old riding his Hardly Davidson motor bike on the beach.  More microbeads and some netting,  I had to add this amazing glitzy blue card on the base of this box, it is just gorgeous.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing my little Configurations Ocean Adventure as much as I enjoyed making it.  Congratulations if you've made it this far!

I am entering this project into the following challenges.

City Crafter Challenge Blog ~ It's a Shore Thing

Hand Stamped Sentiments ~ Summer Theme