5- Introducing Just Hatched!

The products I am about to introduce you to today hold a very special place in my heart.  Several months ago it occurred to me what an incredible blank canvas plastic hinged easter eggs are.  I wondered if there could be a way to make them elegant and versatile in the papercrafting world.  And that is how the idea of our Just Hatched stamp set & box came to life.

THE BOX:

This little box may look simple, but it has several attributes that make it a joy to work with.  It is made out of a very sturdy chipboard which is covered in a high quality matte white paper.  The box is white even on the interior so it is easy to maintain true color when painting it.  The matte white covering also gives you the ability to stamp directly on the surface with out any preparation work.

The box has a simple insert that has holes for six eggs.  It is a sturdy insert that can handle quite a bit of weight.  The insert is designed so that it is very easy to cover with designer paper as well.  The box measures about 4×6 inches and 3.5 inches tall.  The insert is removable for even more possibilities.  The box will be priced at only $4each, and of course, available exclusively from Papertrey Ink.

Easter is obviously something that comes to mind first when thinking of what exactly to do with this box.  But what about babies?  To begin my project for today, I painted my box pink.  I was very careful to paint the outside and the top rim only.  The matte surface of the box takes the paint beautifully!

I just adore lined boxes.  They have such a boutique feel.  I decided to line my egg box with custom stamped designer paper that I created with Beautiful Blooms.  The easiest way I discovered was to cut pieces of paper for each individual side. I have included measurements below so it will take all the guess-work out when you line your own box…

BOX BOTTOM LINING:

• 2) 6 x 3-1/4 inches (long sides)
• 2) 4-3/16 x 3-1/4 inches (short sides)

LID LINING:

• 1) 6-1/4 x 4-3/8 inches (top)
• 2) 6-1/4 x 1-15/16 inches (long sides)
• 2) 4-3/8 x 1-15/16 inches (short sides)

To finish off the box, I added a strip of the same patterned paper I created for the lining, to the outside cover.  I pierced holes along either side of the strip and followed up with a pink marker to achieve faux stitching.  I also adhered the ribbon and label.

I continued the patterned paper strip and ribbon down the sides of the box as well.

THE STAMPS:

With the concept of this box came the idea for our Just Hatched stamp set. This set contains images that make it easy to turn this box into the perfect gift.  This is one of three label images in the Just Hatched stamp set.  It reads "Half-Dozen Gifts Hatched Just For You, Little One".  The labels from this set coordinate with the Nestabilties Oval Dies perfectly!   

I knew that I wanted to put an itty-bitty pair of baby socks into each egg.  I rolled them up tightly and tucked a pair into each of six eggs.

To give the plastic eggs a little pizazz, I decided to add ribbon.  The ribbon needs to be about 10-inches long for each egg.  Lay the ribbon out flat, apply a glue dot to the bottom point and top point of the egg.  Adhere the bottom of the egg to the center of the ribbon strip.

Pull the ends of the ribbon up and around the egg and knot it into place on top of the egg.  The two glue dots on either end will prevent the ribbon from sliding off!

Once I assembled everything together, the ensemble looked like this…

I am just in LOVE with this box.  The way that the insert holds the eggs perfectly in place is such a STUNNING presentation!  After showing the Just Hatched Egg Box & stamp set to our Design Team, they came up with a plethora of uses that aren’t necessarily geared towards eggs, or Easter for that matter!  I thought I would share some of their ideas with you BEFORE the reveal on February 15th.  Somewhat of a sneak peek at what is to come.  Instructions & supply lists will be available for ALL of these project in the Ink Pad gallery after the reveal!

Lauren Meader designed this box with candy filled "carrots" made from disposable frosting bags!  She raised the box insert to the top edge of the box to allow room for the carrots.  They look as though they are being pulled from the ground when you remove one!  How much fun would that be for kids!  (Well, adults too, for that matter!)

Heather Nichols Created this vintage findings box.  It is the perfect gift for a crafting friend year-round.

 

She was able to use the insert holes to keep the spools of vintage trims in place!

Jennifer Ellefson created a special Easter box for a teacher.  (Take note of the special border along the edge of the box that uses stamps from the set that read "Just a little something" and "For an eggstra special teacher").

The eggs are filled with all kinds of fun desk supplies that will help get them through the last half of the school year!  A gift card to an office supply store could be attache to the inside of the cover to continue the theme and support your child’s classroom!

Taylor VanBruggen took a really simple approach to the outside of her box.  I just LOVE the way she used the ribbon!

She discovered that the holes in the box insert were the perfect size for miniature cupcakes!  Imagine bringing a box like this to a friend or co-worker!  They would be so impressed!

Lynn Mercurio made this colorful box.  She utilized all the wonderful colors in the ribbon she chose to decorate the box.  They are all wonderful "spring" colors!

I am in love with the way she decorated the eggs inside with ric-rac & primas!  They are almost too pretty to open!

Becky Oehlers took a nature based approach to her box, coinciding with the Spring Garden label included in the Just Hatched stamp set.

She used real eggshells to create a gift of a spring garden for someone special.  The best part?  The recipient can plant the flower & eggshell directly into the ground.  The eggshell will provide additional nutrition to get the plant established!

Geny Cassady created another version of a baby box with lots of assorted necessities, like washcloths, pacifiers, nail clippers, etc.  It is a wonderful gift that you can make in advance and will be very useful (and pretty to look at) for any new mother!  I love the way she added little buttons on either side of the label.  Such an adorable touch!

Amy Rysavy gave "Spring Garden" new meaning with eggs full of Primas!  Such a fun gift to give to a favorite stamping buddy!  We all know you can never have enough Primas!

Debbie Olson worked her usual magic with combining several patterned papers elegantly together when altering her box.  The colors are so fresh and "springy"!

Last but not least, Lisa Johnson created this masterpiece.  As a special treat to you, Lisa will be sharing some fun details about the contents of her box and a project idea with you on Tuesday in a tutorial feature on her blog!

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**Edited to Add: Believe it or not, after all the preparation of this post, I forgot to add the coinciding contest!  So here it is!

Do you want to be the first to play with one of our exclusive egg boxes?

We are giving away our EXCLUSIVE egg boxes along with the complementing stamp set, Just Hatched!  Let us know in th comments section of this post WHICH application intrigues you the most.  Cupcakes?  Baby socks? Spring garden in a box?  Or do you have an idea ll your own that your anxious to try?  Share your thoughts and you could win!

Contest ends Tuesday (02/12/08) at 12pm (EST).  The winner will be selected via the Random Number Generator and posted here, on the blog!  Good luck!

A little help from my friends:

As an additional change for this year, I have selected a few members of the design team to assist me with the countdown each month! Two heads are always better than one! Taylor VanBruggen has officially been assigned to post a sneak peek today!  Be sure to check out her blog and the amazing tutorial she has prepared just for YOU!!!  You don’t want to miss it!

Nichole’s Baby Sock Box Supply List-

Ink: Toile Pink Palette Ink, White Craft Ink from SU!

Paper: Stamper’s Select White cardstock from Papertrey, Pretty in Pink from SU!

Stamps: Just Hatched & Beautiful Blooms from Papertrey Ink

Other: Ribbon from American Crafts, Poodleskirt Pink acrylic paint from Americana, camel hair paint brush, Oval Nestabilities Dies, paper piercer, Pretty in Pink marker from SU!, white plastic eggs from Hobby Lobby, glue dots from Glue Dots International, Foam demensionals from Fiskars, Baby socks from Carter’s (via Target).