Pin It!

No, this is not a post about pinterest (although I've very recently started pinning and enjoy it a lot), but rather my response to the current Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge.  Linda is giving us two weeks to work on a configurations project. All of the details you need to create one of your own can be found on pages 33 and 34 of C of C, Vol. 2.   You know, those boxes that Tim Holtz designed with many smaller boxes inside that can be used to create all sorts of things in the shadow box style.  I've made a few, as well as some printers trays (same idea, just shallower sections), and wanted to do something a little different.  Although the configurations pieces lend themselves to collections of memorabilia, they certainly can serve other purposes.  I had an idea percolating inside my head for some time, and Linda motivated me to finally put it into action.

Here's my piece.  Any guesses what it is to be used for?

C'mon, doesn't the post title give you a hint?   I have a huge collection of pins (that I mostly forget to wear), and I think they are too beautiful to keep tucked away all the time in jewelry boxes.  I've long wanted to have some way to display them but still be able to wear them if I want.  Enter the configurations box.

Admitedly, this project would have been easier to do with a configuration tray, but that's not what I had on hand.  First thing I'd need to do (well, not the first thing.  First I decorated the outside of the box with Tim's vintage subway sign paper.) was raise up the insides of the inner boxes, and at the same time have something to poke the pin backs into.  The solution, foam.  This is really easy.  Just use foam that is the correct depth, cut pieces slightly smaller than each inner box and wrap them in the fabric of your choice.  Gift wrap style.  You don't have to be  terribly neat in your cutting as the fabric hides all sins.  Put a glob of strong glue (I used Ailene's tacky glue) in the bottom of the box and stick the fabric wrapped foam inside. 

That's what I did.  If I had it to do over, I'd to the tissue tape part first.  It would have saved a little time, but it will work out either way.

The other thing I would  have done first was attach the decorative finial on top.  As it worked out I had to do a tiny bit of deconstruction to make the hole for the screw. 

It's helpful if you have some coordinating fabric, and I had this pack of different patterns within one color scheme by Moda:



So, here is what my finished piece looks like filled with just a few of my favorite pins.  The best part of all is that I can change out the pins whenever I want.  And I'll be able to enjoy them even if I forget to wear them.  Maybe if I see them on display I will put one on from time to time.

Looking at it makes me think it gives the expression "think outside the box" a whole different meaning, LOL.







Totally Configured

The configurations tray I started on the cruise is finished.....I think.  There are a few little spots with room for more, just in case I should find something that absolutely needs to be there.  But I feel satisfied with saying that I am done.  And that everything on the tray reminds me in some way of the wonderful experience it was to cruise the Caribbean with Tim and company.

Some closer looks at the compartments:

A shaker box full of sand, shells and sea glass

(but no one better shake it!):

The flip-up photo album, and under that,

some nautical looking flags I had

in my stash at home:





 

A compass, a bird, and a thimble:



A pirate ship....I finally did find one online.  And

next to it, pieces of a pirate skeleton:

I found this guy in the gift shop on the ship

and couldn't resist:



The tiara Pat made for me, that I regally

wore on our last night onboard:

A silly doll I found in St. Maarten, and dangling

next to her, many of the charms I received

as swaps or gifts:

This compartment is full of goodies that

were in our class kit:

We received a piece of adhesive backed cork that

fit perfectly in one of the compartments, and I used

it to display some pins and one special charm:



 Beach souvineers:

"cruise" spelled out with grunge blocks, and check out

Mario and Tim on the "round trip" ticket:



I had the skull and crossbones charm at home.

The cork is from wine at dinner, and you

know what the cocktail umbrellas represent:

A very special photo deserves its own

place:

Now, all that's left to do is decide where to display this great memento.





Cruisin' The Caribbean With Tim

Friday, September 30th

Saturday, October 1st

Days At Sea

and

Workshop #4, Parts 1 and 2

***EDIT:  Check out this awesome slide show Linda Ledbetter did with her cruise photos.  Great music too!***

My group wasn't scheduled to have class until 2:00 on Friday, so the early part of the day was spent relaxing, reading, wandering about the ship, and of course, eating.  Sometimes it seems like that's the number one activity on a cruise.

Everyone was super curious about what sort of project would take two days and a total of 6 hours to complete.  So, when we finally entered the classroom we were surprised to see that there weren't any class kits out on the tables.  Hmmmm.....Tim explained that he wanted this project to be exciting and a total surprise for us.  He hadn't even allowed the other group (they had the class in the morning) to take their projects with them.  They were collected and stored so that we would have the same "ooooh" moment that they experienced.

And so, when Tim's helpers started distributing rather large items, it really was a total surprise.  We would be working on a configurations tray!  Very much like the configurations boxes, but the compartments are shallow.

This is the sample that Tim had done.  His wasn't even complete when he got on the ship.  Just as he suggested we do, he'd gotten some souvineers at each port to personalize his tray.

We were all taken with that ship in the upper left.  How come I didn't find any small ships when I went ashore?  Lots of us were asking that question.  In addition to the naked tray, we also received this intriguing bag:

Inside, a huge amount of "stuff" to help us fill our trays.  By the way, this photo was taken after I'd used many things in my tray.  There was even more in it to begin with.

Oh, and we also received paper, all cut to size to fit the compartments.  We spent most of the first day of this project inking and spraying the papers, inserting them into their rightful spots in the tray, and then pulling it all together with tissue tape.  We made the separate compartments appear seamless with the tape, and also used it around the outside edges.  And even the back of the tray was finished with paper (a gorgeous pad from Prima).  Here's how my tray looked at this point.

Look at the upper left hand corner.  We attached one of Tim's binders to the compartment before adhering it to the tray, and will be able to add photos and/or journaling to the pages we prepared.  I used that custom cruise stamp to decorate the first page.  The pages flip easily and that's a great way to use a lot of photos in a limited space.

I hadn't acquired a lot of stuff in port, but luckily many of the swaps and gifts  I received could be used.  For example, I got this cool metal Mickey Mouse from Carol and Mike of Stampers Corner.

And in the right hand corner of this compartment is a tiny shadow box I received from Wendy.  It works perfectly with the other beach themed items.

Several of the charms I received found their way onto my tray.

                                                                                 

This is as far as I got on the boat, but I've added some things since I've gotten home.

I still have a ways to go, but I have a few more sections filled.

I've added more charms, mardi gras beads from my stay at Port Orleans in Disney, a cork from a bottle of wine we had one night at dinner, a playing card with a Caribbean map that someone gave me, a thimble from St. Thomas,  and some pins.  I think now I'll go on a hunt for a sailing ship.

Tomorrow, some miscellaneous photos taken throughout the cruise, and our farewell (boo hoo!) cocktail party.

Goin' Hauntin'

I had a blast working on this week's Grungy Monday project.  Linda L. chose a cool technique for us to incorporate.  Click HERE to see how it's done from the master himself.  And for those of you who just arrived in my world, I am referring to Tim Holtz.

While I do enjoy the quirky, I am not particularly a lover of all things Halloween.  However, at this time of year so much of the new crafts products seem to involve that holiday, so it's been on my mind.  And, I had this leftover cover from a small configurations project, and some Halloween tissue tape, and a stamp set, and ......

So, here is my skeletal friend, just chillin' in front of his digs, doing some last minute prep work before his big day:

I lined the inside with one of Tim's Halloween tissue tapes, and the outside with the other.  The back on the inside is the apothocary label page from his Lost and Found paper stack.  Here's a side view:

Inside, behind Mr. Skeleton is the piece I did with this week's challenge technique.  I used the witch hazel stamp from Tim's Haunted Mansion set.  Attached to the top of the box is a raven, also from that set.  I put a poison label (from the Curiosities set) on a small vial, and attached it with wire to the vellum piece.



The haunted house is actually called Rickety House, and it is a Tim Holtz Sizzix die.  I cut it from a piece of Core'dinations paper (the black magic line), then ran it through my machine in the Cracked embossing folder, and sanded the raised areas.

As for Mr. Skeleton himself.....I bought a bunch of them in Mario's shop on the 2009 cruise to Mexico, and this is the first one I've used in a project!  He's somewhat pliable, so I've managed to sit him up, cross his legs, and manipulate his arms so he's holding his book.  C'mon, admit it, that book tickles you as much as it does me. 

I tore some black lace up and attached it the top.  It sort of hangs down, and I'm not sure how well you can see it, but here's trying:

I didn't even try for any twofers or threefers this week.  This was one of those rare times when I actually had a clear picture in my mind of how I wanted this to turn out.  So, now I'm off to see what I can do with the Simon Says challenge.