Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!  We actually celebrated Easter last weekend since family was in town.  Also needed to finish up this Easter project early since the recipient was going on a trip and wouldn't be here for Easter.  I knew the only person who would appreciate it here in Hilo is my friend Debi, so I designed it just for her.

While surfing YouTube, I stumbled onto this cool Easter Explosion Box Mini Album by Kathy Orta.  She is a whiz at coming up with cool projects and sells kits/teaches online.  By the time I saw this video, it was over a year after she originally published it.  I bookmarked it for future reference and found it just in time for this Easter.  

I didn't really want to make the box an explosion box, so I decided to just make it a regular box instead but decorate the cover similar to the video- like an Easter Basket... only mine is more Shabby.  Here's what I came up with...

Here's a close up of the box cover.  The box was made using the new Prima Fairy Rhymes paper.  Love love love that paper!  You can't tell cause I covered the cover up, but it has an amazing butterfly pattern on it.  I think you can see it on the box bottom.

After making the box and cover, I attached the handle on with some brads. Kept it simple since I wanted the cover to stand out more.  To decorate the cover, I stared by adding some tulle to the bottom.  Then added some of my home made burlap leaves that I colored using my distress stains.  Then added some I Am Roses roses and some gems/pearls.  Then I used some mini plastic eggs I found at Walgreens (yep, I searched several stores to find the small size and they were the only store in Hilo that carried them).  I decorated them using lace and flowers.  Then I found this chick from my Easter posts last year.  It made a cute addition to the lid.

Around the edge of the lid, I added some ruffled trim and then on top of that added some flower beaded trim.  I wasn't sure I would use this trim I got from Craft Supply, but I'm glad I picked it up.

On the side of the basket, I added some sheer ribbon and made a bow. In the middle, I added a Wild Orchid Crafts rose.

I took a photo from this angle to show you that I had also added one of my home made stick pins to the rose.  You can also see the lace on the eggs too.

And inside the basket, I added in a small notebook I altered.  It was originally a plain kraft recycled notebook I picked up for $1 at Ben Franklin.  With some of the scrap from the box, I was able to cover the notebook.  Then I added some flatback pearl trim along the edge of the book. This was the first time I've ever done that, so I wasn't sure if it would work, but it seemed to work out ok.  Then I decorated the cover using a MS doily (from Debi), handmade flower, and some Petaloo flowers from my stash.  Also added a Pink Paislee buttefly (love!) and Doodlebug heart pearls.  I'm linking these even more than regular pearls!  And finally, I used one of my coveted Melissa Frances lock and key resin pieces.  Love this look!

Here's a better look at those embellies...

 Debi seemed to like these projects a lot!  Glad I decided to give it to her. :)