Easter Explosion

     Where do I start.  Ever since I saw the "Explosion Box" made by Kittie C on Splitcoast Stampers I have been itching to make one.  I finally cleaned up my stamp area and sat down to play the other day.  THIS is not the first box I created.....that will be posted a little later so not to ruin a surprise for a friend.  After making the first box there were a gazillion ideas going through my mind.......something special for Easter just kept tugging at my heart....a box that holds a special gift reminds me of the great gift of Christ's birth at Christmas that culminates in the greatest gift of all when He dies on the cross so that I might live.
      While I wanted to use the acetate and have it look like there were things in the air as the box was opened, I just couldn't seem to grasp an idea for it - instead this is what I created!!  I used three different stamp sets.  The cross with a flower cut out and popped up on it is from Flourishes. From the get go I wanted a cross in the center and this one is the perfect size and can be cut out easily.  The 'Alleluia' sentiment is Stampendous, and the perfect scripture quotes, as well as the frame and matching dies used around the sentiments are from Our Daily Bread Designs.
     I started by taking a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock and scoring it at 4 inches on each side, then I cut out the corner pieces for a + shape.  I got a little carried away on the inside layers, running one through my Grand Calibur with the Spellbinders M-Bossabilities to create a wood look, and backing it with a darker purple cardstock.

     For the outside I created my own patterned paper using the flower stamp from Flourishes.  I topped the box with a small bow made with my NEW Becca's Bow Maker I recently purchased from Our Daily Bread Designs (I think I am going to enjoy using this on many future projects).

     The focal point in the center was the most fun.  I colored my cross and flowers in with my Copics and then cut it out.  I took some mirrored silver cardstock and took two of my circle dies, placing them so they cut slightly larger to the top and ran them through my GC. I cut two of these so I could sandwich a piece of vellum between them and form a frame - the cross was too messy looking from the back and needed to be hidden.  Then I put some pop ups on the back of my cross and placed it on the vellum.  For the base I took a small styrofoam ball and cut it in half....I used a knife to make an indentation across the top to place my frame and cross in.  Some leaves cut from my Cheery Lynn die and a few flowers from my Martha Stewart punch were added to the top of some moss I glued over the styrofoam....I also added a few dollops of glue and put a little touch of Flower Soft on my moss.
     This project was just toooo much fun - I am hooked just wait until you see the other box and the one I am planning next....lets just say 'Yee Haw' for that one.  !

Supplies:  Our Daily Bread Design (Stamps, Dies, Flower Soft, Becca Bow Maker), Flourishes Stamps, Stampendous Stamps.  Martha Stewart punch, Spellbinders Dies and M-Bossabilities Folder, Copics, Cheery Lynn Leaves, Pop Ups.  Cardstock, Ribbon

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Design ODBDSLC143, Paper Playtime CH #4 Use a Sentiment, Really Reasonable Ribbon, Spring Colors and Ribbon,  Hiding in My Craftroom #85 Embossing, Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes