Tim Holtz Shadow Box Shopping List

[GramBettyMae]

Shopping List for Shadow Box items. Hope this helps:
(*note: other sites had these items but they were in stock before Christmas at these sites.)

-SHADOW BOXES for scenes with Christmas tree were at IKEA. A nice lady offered to buy them and ship them to me since my IKEA does not carry them. They are slightly deeper than the Michael’s boxes to accommodate a tree. (Cost 3.99/ea but need to be sanded and painted and I sprayed a clear sealer on them as well) I taped the glass with blue tape to keep it paint free while I worked on the boxes and to also protect it from the vibrations of drilling the holes. I have heard in Tim’s class that they had a few windows break during the drilling process. I also had to trim a little bit off of the back of the tree to make it fit in the box with more ease. (just the bottom branches)
-Shadow Boxes with Photos were at Michael’s. Cost: 7.99 (used half off coupon but most of the time they were 40% off)

-CHARMS were at a few places but most came from Michael’s or http://www.acharmingplace.com. I also found some at http://www.articusstudiodesign.com. The ATT ladies have let me know also about http://www.fancifuls.com and that is a wonderful charm site!

-CORNER CHARMS all came from http://www.acharmingplace.com Larger corners were used on IKEA boxes. Smaller corners fit best on the Michael’s boxes. The prices were very good! I dabbled on black acrylic paint and wiped off the surface to get the vintage look and to tone down the shine. It was easy and quick. I just did it with my finger so I would not have to wash a brush. I hate washing brushes. Also used Tim Holtz keys on corners of son’s box. Again give lots of drying time before moving on with this one.

Other Items:
-December Calendar Stamps from Tim Holtz collection.
-Musical Note stamp was from Club Scrap Musical Interlude kit. (sorry, extinct – check Ebay)
-Vintage Santa used on background wall was in my stash, but most of these came from http://www.alteredpages.com
-Metal Numbers from Tim Holtz collection.
-Glitter used was all Stickles for best results by Ranger or Tim Holtz Distress Stickles. I have used other glitters but these are my fave! Soooo easy to use.
-Paint was all Tim Holtz Daubers but any acrylic will do.
-Sticky back canvas was found at http://www.blockheadstamps.com
-Merry Christmas white rub-ons are at http://www.hamblystudios.com (the only place I could find the white ones in stock)

-TREES are prelit 6” trees and are half off right now at Ace Hardware. They are a prelit tree that takes batteries and I have the battery box mounted on the back of the shadow box. They normally run 12.00 but are 6.00 right now. I added some extra balls glued onto the front for a little extra splash.

-KNOBS under boxes are actually resin crystals from Michaels. Comes in a clear plastic rectangle box with different shapes and sizes. I used them all. Drilled holes in bottom almost completely through and glued in place with my Club Scrap bookbinding glue. Let them dry thoroughly upside down and they will be rock solid. I also heard of another glue called E6000 that is suppose to work well for gluing these types of things but it needs to be used in a well ventilated area. It is toxic. They carry this at Michaels. I could not locate any cabinet knobs like what Tim used so I settled for these crystals. They are a little tricky so I have included some photos to help you out. Here is a close up of what they look like after they are glued in place (let sit upside down overnight). After this project I am much more comfortable with using a drill and changing bits. I am pretty pleased with that.

-TOPPERS were holiday picks that I cut apart and added some sheet music I printed from a Tim pdf that was shared on another board and a holiday light bulb.

-ICICLE SPRAY: I had to order it online because my Michael’s only has a frosted spray. It is called Santa Ice Crystals. When I Google it, several links come up. I did a lot of trial and error with this spray. My best result, was to cut a 5x7 piece of card stock and use my most jagged decorative scissors to cut an oval to lay on the glass. (add a couple of tape curls on the glass side to hold it down well) and then spray toward each corner on the inside of the box so the outside can accommodate the rub on. I tried to keep the ice around the perimeter because when I just sprayed the glass it was too much. It helps to keep it level after you spray it so it won’t run to the center of the window. It does not look like much when wet but after it dries it is magical! If you have some spots that you want a little more clear just use ammonia type Windex and it will clear the areas you don’t want ice on. Some of you might have experience with this and have more tips but this is what I found worked for me.

-The dreaded WISH and JOY letters were my most difficult part of this project. Once I got them strung on wire, I was trying to install them from the back side, but I found that if I lay them on the front of the glass in position, and then wrap my wire around a map or straight pen at the place I want to hang the words that took a lot of guess work out of the hanging process. After I pinned them in place I put a dot of Glossy Accents in place and removed the pins after it dried. Tim may have had an easier way to do this but again, I did it by trial and error. No sense all of you fumbling around with these letters. Oh, these are Thickers, Platform font in white that I added Platinum Stickles on top of. Extra side note on Platinum Stickles. It is like a combo of silver and gold and it was my favorite for Christmas projects like the letters.

My next one will be a Wedding Day box for my niece, I would also like to try Birthday boxes, Easter boxes, All About Me boxes for my grandchildren, Wedding Anniversary box with old wedding photo of cutting the cake or toasting maybe. The possibilities are endless!!

I have such an appreciation for the kind of creativity it takes to dream up these designs and then find all the items that Tim uses to put these kits together. That is no small feat! You rock Tim!!!

Betty Mae in WA

Below is a close up of what they look like from the bottom and you can see the extra glue that helps secure the crystals that do not have a nail through them.

[Paula]

I'm speechless Thank you sooo much for doing the list. It would only get easier if you MADE them for all of us, too
They are amazing

Paula

[troublesmom]

How very AWESOME this is. I hope to start on one in a couple of months. Thanks so very much Betty Mae

[wchpeters]

Thanks so much!! I have a lot of old family bits and pieces items. Your list is really helpful, and motivational!

Jean Peters

[GramBettyMae]

Oh, I am so glad you found this helpful! I started out with a rough sketch just so I would remember how I did these and it keep growing as gals were emailing me questions and I realized I needed more details to offer.
This was a HUGE hit in my family this Christmas. My grandchildren always get everything they could possibly want from their relatives and parents so I always try to make something that they will treasure for a lifetime. They seem appreciative of everything I do but their mother let me know that they really treasure everything I have made and they look at their albums all the time and they are never put away. So that was a huge motivator to keep me going on the handmade gifts.
If you want an easy version of this to do, the ones I did with photos inside are much quicker to put together because you can use the Michael's Shadow Boxes and they do not have to be painted or finished. AND, today they are half off!!! (guess where I am going after church) Here is what they look like below. I am picking up one today for a wedding present. Once I have a photo from the wedding, I will be able to put that present together. I could not go because air fare was so expensive so I am excited to do this for my niece.
Can't you invision these as a 50th wedding anniversary present with a photo of the happy couple inside this box? My aunt and uncle will probably getting that from me in October.

[jmp1022]

I made 3 for my kids but forgot to take pictures. They are in FL. I have mine at home which I am finishing up so I can take a picture of it. These were fun to make and my kids like them. I have some angels from their childhood that I put in them.
I ended up using the shadow boxes from Michaels. When I got the rest I needed they were half price.
I have some cabinet knobs that were on an old cabinet of my parents, I might use those.

[jmp1022]

I am so glad to see a place that has the Merry Christmas rubons in stock. I'll check there.

[Maritza]

thanks so much for posting