Explosion Boxes for New Baby

I am going to a Gender Reveal party on Saturday for my Nephew and his wife's 2nd baby!  I love these parties since we are all involved in finding out what the sex of the baby will be.  Even the parents don't know at this point since when the sonogram is done- they don't get the news - they have the doctor put the results in a sealed envelope.  They find out the joyful news at the same time everyone at the party does.  It is fun!  I think it's going to be a boy!  I will have to let you know.  Anyway, I have been working on a card for them but it turned into an Explosion Box.  I made one in blue and the other in pink.  I wanted to have all bases covered.

I made the center of the pink box a Merry Go Round.  I was inspired by all the Explosion Boxes I saw on Pinterest.  There are sooo many!  This one is made with one sheet of 12 x 12 paper.  I only have two cross pockets ( to put cards into) that open from the outside for easier access.  If you have it open from the inside you can have 4 cross pockets but once you put something of any height in the middle, it's hard to pull out your cards.  So I made mine pull out from the outside of the box as you can see below.

I have worked on this for a while.  I don't have any horse dies so I looked around and found in my stash little horse stickers - I think they were by Jolee.  I bet I have had them for 5 years but they were perfect.  I used Papertrey Ink's Hexagon Box die for the top of my Merry Go Round and the trim.  It was the perfect size! I cut a straw down to size to hold the horses.  Then it was just finding ideas to add to the box- the shaker window was fun to make!  I love the ribbon on the top of the box with the pearls along the side.  I wanted this box to be very girly!

Below is a picture of the sentiment I used in one of the pockets for both boxes.  It is one I have used before but it is my favorite! 

The theme for the Boy Explosion Box was more Mother Goose than anything else.  Inspired by the Graphic 45 paper I used to decorate the box.  I used Stampin Up's succulent dies ( believe it or not) to make the flower on the top of the box.  Here is the fabulous tutorial by Claire-

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/48835977191421088/

The center of my Boy box is a baby's crib!  I used Tim Holtz's bird cage die to make my crib.  I also made a shaker rattle for my Boy box. 

I find it hard to get a good picture since there is so much to look at on this card!  Can you see the little teddy bear who is holding another little teddy bear?  That is a die cut from Sizzix - the little teddy is a sticker that I have had for ages.  I usually don't use stickers but sometimes they do come in handy!  The stickers today are much more detailed than they used to be ! 

Finally, finished the boxes.  I keep adding things I think of to make them just perfect!  Can't wait to find out what the sex will be- I am sure the parents are anxious too!  As I said, it's going to be a boy- wait and see!  Now, back to finishing my birdhouses!

PS:  UPDATE-  OK... I was wrong... it's going to be a girl!  They picked the name Isabelle Mae!  I love it!