I swear I dropped it here somewhere. Yes, by the umbrella field. No, no, no! Of course, I didn't drop it on purpose! You think I wanted to lose my head? Oh, just keep looking.

You remember this place. It's been so long since you were last here. But, the feeling is the same. That pull, that desire. All of a sudden you get the urge to do something crazy. Something out of the ordinary. You don't know what it is, but it takes a hold of you and won't let go. So, you embrace it. And that's when you see it. Box. That place you've never forgotten; all of it's oddities, eccentricities and downright strangeness. But there's no denying it. You're happy to be back.

Recent Favorite Creations

Updates

August 13th, 2012

Hiatus

As I stated from the get-go this summer, my comeback would unfortunately be short lived. I enjoyed every second of my temporary return but as the summer is coming to its end, I am getting more and more busy and will soon be off again into the wonderful world of college and simply have no time to continue making buttons.
As is usual with my hiatuses, I never shut down Box as I adore it too much to think I won't want to come back to it some day. I love this site world as much as always but, simply won't have time for it. I may return next summer, or maybe even sooner if I get the sudden craving for button-making but, rest assured, you will likely see my buttons popping up some time in the future.
I wish you all the best in your site building and that each of you continues doing awesome things both on neo and in the outside world.

And to those of you who still love Box, I thank you for standing by this now over two-year-old site. I'll be sure to return, just for you, my little circus freaks and spazoid geeks and Box collectors alike. Till then: stay bold my fellow sitemakers.

Your favorite eccentric,
Winslow

August 3rd, 2012
I apologize for my absence! I had to leave for Chicago and didn't have time to update beforehand. I'm getting a lot busier as summer draws to a close, so, we'll see how much I can handle with Box before I head back to school.

Finished four buttons.

July 27th, 2012
Newly affiliated with the great new button site Fairytale.

Finished two buttons.

July 25th, 2012
Newly affiliated with the nifty new button site Bourgeoisie!

Finished two buttons.

July 24th, 2012
~~Requests are open!~~ Closed them quickly because I'm not sure how many I'll be able to finish before leaving. They'll probably re-open again before then but, for now, I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

Newly re-affiliated with the great button site Buttons Galore! BG makes awesome and super original buttons so visit now!

Ranked 7th Request Site at Scamander Directory!

July 22nd, 2012
I'm back! My trip was absolutely perfect, I did not want to come back. I'll be around for about a week before I leave for Chicago at the end of the month. I'm back doing some basic updates and checking up on things but I'm not sure if I'll be opening requests just yet.

Got some of the most awesome fanmail while I was gone! Check it out in the "Cool Stuff" section under "Site" in the navigation!

Box has been listed at a cool new site called Collage of Talent. Always looking for great new directories so, check it out!

Newly affiliated with the great button site Inspire!

July 12th, 2012
Seriously guys, I apologize for my absences. I've been busy getting a bunch of stuff on track before my trip and, unfortunately, buttons weren't on the top of my list. ~~I will do my best to finish what I can before I leave in two days.~~

Phew! Cleared all waiting requests today! It's likely I won't be online tomorrow then so, this is goodbye for a week!

Newly affiliated with the always wonderful Whirligig!

Finished eleven buttons.

July 10th, 2012
Sorry about my disappearance, some days I just can't come on. I will have to finish waiting requests quickly though because I'll be leaving for San Francisco in only a few days.

Finished four buttons.

July 8th, 2012
Requests are closed.

July 7th, 2012
Dudes, I know I'm sort of out of the loop when it comes to review sites but, if you're a review site or have any interest in reviewing, you should definitely check out Turnip's newest guide, How to Write Great Reviews. I don't know how she does it but, Turnip has graced us with yet another extensive and hugely helpful guide, this time into the world of reviewing. SO CHECK IT, YO.

Requests are still open so, keep 'em coming.

I'm going through a white text stripe phase if you couldn't tell...

Ranked 6th Request site at The Shelf!

Finished six buttons.

July 6th, 2012
Finished six buttons.

July 5th, 2012
Requests are open!

New limited edition button! For those of you who are still collectors, there is a new LE button, the second in the Randomosity series! Get it while you can, this one will be shortlived!

Reached 14,000 page views some time in the past few days!

Ranked fourth button request site at Illusion!

New link back for Box in the sitely section.

Finished six buttons.

July 4th, 2012
Sorry about my little absence -- my schedule is pretty sporadic these days.

Ranked second button request site at Bedazzled! Thanks Monky!

Finished two buttons.

July 1st, 2012
Happy July! I'm super excited about this month because in two weeks I will be going to San Francisco to visit my boyfriend which will easily be the best 7 days of my summer. So, yay July!

I've had to get used to a new way of animating which I think was severely slowing down my button making as I grew accustomed to it. But now I've gotten in the groove of things and should be back up to speed and churning out buttons daily.

Finished six buttons.

June 30th, 2012
I apologize for how slowly I'm going through requests. I'll do my best to pick up the pace a bit.

Ranked 1st button request site at The Lunch Box!

Finished six buttons.

June 29th, 2012
I had to close requests -- I seem to have become a much slower button maker than I remember. I used to average 8 buttons a day, what's happened to me?

Finished two buttons.

June 28th, 2012
Newly affiliated with the button site Opaque!

Finished two buttons.

June 27th, 2012
Finished two buttons.

June 26th, 2012
I have the day off today but I will be going to see Brave this morning - necessary day out, in my opinion. So, I won't be getting around to making buttons till late afternoon. I'll try to get through a lot today.

Box has four new affiliates, the wonderful sites Euphoric, Blackbird Fly, Seasonal and Radiance!

Finished four buttons.

June 25th, 2012
Holy sudden bunch of requests, Batman. But, sweet! (I assume I have The Lunch Box's shout-out and Plethora's bulletin board to thank for that.) After the inactivity of the last two days I'm happy people are out there. And requests are still open so, keep 'em coming.

Newly re-affiliated with one of my absolute favorite sites, The Lunch Box as well as Turnip's button site Open Eyes! Both are amazing and have new layouts so check them out!

Also affiliated with the amazing sites Asylum and Hooroosh!

Thanks for all the welcome wishes! Feels good to be welcomed back.

Finished four buttons.

June 24th, 2012
Wow, I chose a bad time to come back didn't I? The site world has really died down since I was last here. Ahh, well. Regardless, it's good to be back.

Newly affiliated with Names in Bloom!

Finished two buttons.

June 23rd, 2012
Could it be? Has Box really come back after a ten month hiatus?
It is the truth my friends. BOX IS BACK! But, that good news is followed by the bad news that it will unfortunately be only a temporary return. My summer has slowed down and every day the prospect of re-opening Box has become more and more appealing, I just couldn't resist. I will be busy though with work, travelling and so on. And as soon as I'm back at school I will sadly close Box once again. But, hey, let's make it a good ride.

As you can see, there is a new layout to commemorate Box's return. My layout making was a little rusty but tell me what you think. I did some cleaning up around the site; my affiliates have been cleared so get at me if you want to be affies. The old portfolio is still up, two years of button making, I'd be too sad to see it go. I won't be undergoing an entire revamp, I'm both too lazy and too set in my old ways for that. Everything is probably just as you remember it (that is, if you remember it).

So, without any further ado, requests are open! Let's return Box to its former glory!

Limited Edition Button

Limited Edition: Randomosity v.2
Really, is there anything better than perfect randomness? In order to explore that wonderful world, I introduce to you a brand new series of Limited Edition buttons: Randomosity! This is the second edition in the Randomosity series; a cat staring at the moon, you know, in the fashion of a cat staring at the moon.

So, this is something or other like a site sign or award but, it's limited edition. Every now and then I'll release new limited edition buttons made by me that anyone who wants to can show off on your site. They change constantly so you never know if you'll snag one that's really rare, celebrating something, or holiday themed. Happy collecting!

Have an idea for a Limited Edition Button you'd like to collect? Suggest one to me here.

Limited Edition Buttons are my original idea and have been around since August 23rd 2010.

Well, I say rules but it's basically just info. Really, how many limitations can you put on an 88x31 button? But there are things you should know about Box because there are quite a few things I do differently than most button sites. So here:

Rules, aka tiny-bits-of-information-to-do-with-Box-that-it'd-be-cool-if-you-knew-before-requesting.

1. I make buttons for anything. Sites, guilds, applications, about me pages. Whatever. If you want a link back button for it, you got it kid.
2. I always make two buttons per request. You can only use one if you want (but use at least one or ask for a re-do.)
3. I don't care how many times you request from me as long as A), you don't request a ridiculous amount of buttons all at once and B), you've used the other buttons I've made for you.
4. I don't neomail you back til I've made your button -- if you're wondering if I got your neomail or not, check the requests page and see if you are on the current waiting list. If I have updated since the time you sent your request and you don't see your name, neomail it again.
5. The only restriction I have: if you have over 20 buttons for the same site that all say the same thing, I don't see the need in having yet another.
6. There is no limit to waiting requests; I accept all requests I get in the order I get them and close when needed, no discrimination.

The One Thing That's Actually a Rule

LINK BACK.

Request a Button

Use the following choices to put together what kind of button you would like.

The Waiting List

From soonest to be made to latest.

None.

Borders

Fonts

Animations

Currently I don't offer animation selections by list but feel free to look through the portfolio and suggest an animation you'd like in the "other" section of the form.

The Types of Forms and Which to Use

Image Custom is the classic form and lets you pick absolutely everything you want on the button.
Color Scheme lets you pick the border and the general color you want the button to be.
My Pick means I pick everything. Usually I base the button slightly on the theme or layout of your site.

Because I make two buttons per request, you are allowed to mix and match forms. In your neomail, copy and paste the two forms you want to use and a button will be made abiding to the first, and another abiding to the second.

The Forms

Image Custom:
[Image Custom] Your Name: Text on button: Image on button: Your Site URL: Border Style: Font: Other:

Color Scheme:
[Color Scheme] Your Name: Text on button: Color: Your Site URL: Border Style:

My Pick:
[My Pick] Your Name: Text on button: Your Site URL:

_______________________________________________________

Pick-Ups

Sharon:

Lolanako:

Evan:

Carol:

Annika1211:

Snowflower and Muse:

Eve:

Annet:

Jes:

Nat:

Sky:

Fangs:

Melody:

Skye:

Emily:

Leaf:

Moose:

Jasmine:

Rica:

Marijke:

Turnip:

Christine:

Meghan:

Fish:

Max:

Jackie:

_________________________________________________________

Portfolio

Current Count: 957
as of July 6th

Want to see all my past buttons? Here you go.

About that one kid who runs this site

T.P.D.R.A.B.I.W.T.A.A.

Notable Sites

About Me

The Not-So Abridged Version So I decided to write an about me section because I find it increasingly enjoyable to write endlessly about myself and figure other people would revel in the thoughts of knowing more about me. Because I am so utterly interesting. . . . x)

Anywhooooo, my basic info should come first I suppose. My name is Winslow, and yes I love my name. I am a ninteen year old girl who watches too many movies, writes too much, has too wide a range in musical taste, and is too preoccupied with her own imagination. I am mature but afraid to grow up. I would live in Disneyland if I could and I collect limited edition Disney plush characters. I have every intention and little doubt that I will become a highly-acclaimed author because writing is what I do. Neil Gaiman is my idol in so many ways and I hope to achieve at least a fraction of his success. I'M INFATUATED WITH CIRCUSES AND MIMES. Don't ask me why (because I just don't know). I've been in love with with the story and concept of Alice in Wonderland for as long as I can remember but am agitated at the fact that Tim Burton's film has incited an inordinate amount of untrue Alice fans who are only following a trend. One of my favorite things to do in the site world is to read through the recently closed sites at Soroptimist. I don't know why but it is. They're like obituaries, I just can't stop reading them.

I could talk endlessly about films since I'm obsessed with them. I watch a movie almost every night, go to the theater far too often and have seen approximately 900 or so films according to my Netflix rating count. (netflix is my heaven) I'm a total cult/understated/underground film enthusiast; so many of my favorite movies are ones that nobody else knows about. I have far too many favorites to narrow it down but here are a few I quite like: Labyrinth, Donnie Darko, V for Vendetta, Mirrormask, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Stand By Me, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Stardust, Coraline, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Waking Ned Devine, The Breakfast Club, Benny and Joon, L.A. Story, The Hudsucker Proxy, Dream a Little Dream, The Fall, Pirate Radio, Mary and Max, Amelie, The Shining and, of course, many more. Talk to me about one of these movies and I shall adore you forever. I am also thoroughly obsessed with film scores and their composers. My knowledge about them is unnatural. I watch stage productions as much as I can such as Cats, Into the Woods, Cirque du Soleil, Wicked, Les Miserables and so on which I adore just as much as films.

I love how different I am from everyone else and attempt to reflect that absurdity in this site. I do hope you like Box, so enjoy it. Adieu!

Things-people-don't-really-ask-but-I-want-to-answer-anyway aka T.P.D.R.A.B.I.W.T.A.A. aka NOT an F.A.Q.

It always bothers me when sites have FAQs with questions people never actually ask. So instead of being one of those sites, I'm actually telling you, these are questions not very frequently (sometimes never) asked, but I just want to answer anyway.

Why is your site called Box?
Truth? I have no idea. I started making the layout before I named the site and I randomly put the word "Box" at the top to test fonts and liked the way it looked so much, I kept it.

What program do you use to make your buttons?
I actually use three different programs. I use Photoimpression for image editing, cropping, layering and such. Depending on what kind of button I'm planning on making, I'll either use Microsoft Paint or GIMP for fonts and animation.

Why did you decide to open a button site?
I had this graphics request/resource site called Such Nonsense that I adored but that wasn't very successful. I most enjoyed making buttons but it's rare that your button making becomes popular with a general graphics site rather than a particular button site. So, I opened Box but kept Such Nonsense open at the same time and tried it out that way. And it worked. Pretty darn well in fact. Eventually I closed Such Nonsense because making other graphics nobody really used became slightly less interesting. My button making got better and Box got successful so I'm pretty happy with my decision.

Can you make me two buttons?
*pokes rules* Section 2, Paragraph 3, line 1
I always make two buttons per request".

Why do you always make two buttons per request?
I started doing it early on because I would get few requests at a time so I'd try to soak up as much button making as I could so I offered to make two buttons instead of just one. But turns out, making two buttons is actually easier. You have a greater chance of making at least one the requester will like, you can animate one but not the other, you can be really creative with one and it balance out with a simpler one. Overall, it actually makes button making a bit more stress-free.

Can you make me a layout?
Sorry, but no. I do love making layouts but, I'm slow, picky and bad with responsibility (and designing the image of someone's site is responsibility). I'm honored you'd want me to make you one though.

Why do have such weird layouts?
To tell you the truth, I'm really sick of the same old too-bright, too-texturized, over-colorful layouts most sites have. Don't get me wrong, they're usually great looking but just so... common. And I'm all about originality. Surreal, eccentric, and totally odd is my thing. So, I've begun using artwork from some of my favorite artists to make sure Box does its best to stand out.

Can I review you?
I'd prefer it if you didn't. It's not that I have anything against review sites; I think they're fabulous and tremendously helpful, but I'm not really looking to change the site to anything other than my own preferences. By all means if you see something pertinently wrong with the site such as broken links, a messed up layout in different browsers, and so on, tell me. But I don't want a reviewer telling me how they think I should reword my introduction or that my layout choice is too scary. The site is all mine, the buttons all yours and, voila, we're all happy.

Does my site have to be high-quality to be your affiliate?
Actully, no. Not all sites are going to be of amazing quality right away (mine for example was FAR from it). But why should that stop you from getting affiliates? I love to affiliate with sites that are brand new, growing and showing promise. I loathe elitism in sites and getting to know the lesser-knowns is what I'm all for.

Why did you decide to make an FAQ?
This is mostly just an extension of my About Me section so I can ramble on and on about things nobody really cares about. Besides, there's things I'd like people to know about Box that take up too much room on a rules or about me page.

Notable Sites

I don't particularly want to order sites in the way I rank them so, instead, I'm just listing the ones I find particularly wonderful. There are some obvious choices, some not so obvious ones and below, I explain what makes them particularly notable. And yeah, this is basically a list of my favorite sites.

(Listed alphabetically)

Although there are SO many amazing button sites out there, Aurora merits a place amongst my favorites because of the fact that Elizabeth sticks to her style, regardless of what every other site out there is doing. All about great textures with rare color schemes and classy text, I love that I can recognize her buttons whenever I see them which, with today's caliber of quality and regularity, is something that's very hard to do.

Checkmate is a Portuguese premades and request site that I find completely fabulous. Frueer's layouts are incredibly original and I say that with utter truth; it's hard to find originality in today's site world and while many claim it, few actually are. Checkmate is one of those sites. Of course, I admire the fact she offers what many other sites couldn't even imagine but, the layouts are of immensely high quality as well, there's no downside.

This is one of those obvious choices that it may not even be worth mentioning but, no, it's worth mentioning. The insane amount of helpful information held on this site is mind-boggling. The Closet is one of those sites that people just know. We kind of accept it as part of neopia. not a site someone made, but a legitimate part of neopets. It's obvious, I know, but still, it's one of my favorite sites out there, regularly updated and jam-packed with everything you could possibly need to know about neopets' clothing.

The Lunch Box has to be one of the most dedicated sites out there. I mean, Turnip has, what? 1000 available resources? And not only that, she goes through and re-does them to keep everything up to the highest quality it can be. Continually churning out amazing resources, graphics and requests, TLB also offers some of the most work-intensive and helpful extras of any site. The guide on great service, the ranking explanations, the fact TLB's one of the only sites that actually keeps up with featuring sites/graphics and everything else, how can you not be amazed?

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Lola's sites. Although sad Cloud Nine has gone, it's good we still have Pirouette to keep us satisfied. Her pixel skill is kind of ridiculous because, seriously, I can't even fathom how what she makes are even pixels. They're just too perfect. And the fact that she actually comes out with new pixels so often, re-visiting Pirouette is an absolute must.

Not only is Fa is my very good pal but her site Psychochromia is now pioneering the icon world. With an adamant mission statement, she has strongly set her views against what is now accepted as a high quality icon and not only explains why, but shows that her icons, completely void of the regular over-color, over-texture, over-whatever, bear just as much, if not more, quality. She's the first to focus so strongly on simple, textless icons and everyone else is soon to follow. But, let it be known, Psychochromia was the first.

I know, this one's a little obvious but, I don't care. Cass at Soroptimist, although known by all, constantly gives up credit for everything she does by allowing basically EVERY site out there to borrow each original idea she has. There are so many things today that are just accepted as a routine part of a site when really, Cass CAME UP with that idea. I know Soroptimist's success is enough reward but, it's hard to appreciate the composure someone has to have in order to not go crazy angry when they see their original ideas being used with the least amount of credit. So props to Cass, guys.

Features Seriously guys, stop featuring Soroptimist and The Teahouse. A feature is something given attention and publicity. So why are you featuring sites that already have all that? Think about it: is someone coming up to your site, reading your feature about Soroptimist and then deciding, hmm, you know, maybe I should visit that site. NO. You know why? Because they probably used Soroptimist to find YOUR site. By all means, give the amazing sites credit -- there's no question that they deserve it. But that's what rankings are for. Gush all you want about how much you love Buttoness's buttons... in your site rankings. But save the featured sites for sites that deserve attention that haven't necessarily had it.

Most Viewed Buttons

I've recently been having fun checking which of my buttons are most "popular". In this case, a buttons popularity is determined solely by the number of times it has been viewed, this being the number of times a button has been fully loaded and appeared on any person's computer. This is usually dependent on the number of sites displaying the button and the popularity of said sites.
This is simply a fun feature reflecting Box's creations and doesn't particularly reflect my opinions of the sites belonging to these buttons. So, without further ado, here are the current top viewed buttons!

Last updated August 13th 2011

*Note: this list only accounts for buttons made after July 2011.

#1: Box's Zombie Button

8,309 views.
#2: Made With Love's Paper Crane Button

6,612 views.
#3: Innocent Banner's Squirrel Button

6,376 views.
#4: Zioned Directory's Laser Gun Button

6,614 views.
#5: Critique's Canoe Button

4,842 views.
#6: Planetarium's Earth Button

4,794 views.
#7: Green Jasper's Link Button

4,380 views.
#8: Once Fallen Directory's Wing Button

4,225 views.
#9: Jewel Reviews' Jewel Heart Button

4,099 views.
#10: Freezing Heat's Burning Heart Button

3,853 views.

Curious about how many times a button I've made for your site has been viewed? Send me a neomail!

Link Back

Affiliates

Click here to become an affiliate. Have a cool site and I'll think about it.

My Other Sites

The Badly Named Project is a site idea I had to decrease the amount of pets stuck in the pound. The Project is all about adopting pets from the pound with names so bad no one would adopt them, zapping them to a color then re-releasing them back in the pound for someone to find. It has recently expanded to a guild which I also own. Visit and contribute to the BNP!

Royal Revolution is my royal pet directory and guide that I created as my very first site. It's undergone several changes since opening over two years ago but is still a pretty old-school neosite. Although I don't update it anymore, I don't have the heart to close it and just let it chill solo, like a piece of site world history.

Listed At

Hover for Ranks/Recommendations.

Past Layouts

Drag and drop to your address bar to see full-size screen shot of the old layouts of Box.

v.1, Kacheek Herder Box (June 16th-July 16th 2010)

v.2, Solo Box (July 16th-August 5th 2010)

v.3, Ghost Box (August 5th-August 19th 2010)

v.4, Ratty Guitarist Box (August 19th-September 20th 2010)

v.5, Explode Box (September 20th-November 9th 2010)

v.6, Runaway Balloon Box (November 9th-December 7th 2010)

v.7, Applesauce Box (December 7th 2010-January 3rd 2011)

v.8, Big Top Box (January 3rd-February 6th 2011)

v.9, Bunny Box (February 6th-March 10th 2011)

v.10, Hot Air Box (March 10th 2011-June 28th 2011)

v.11, Cloud Eater Box (June 28th 2011-July 13th 2011)

v.12, Helium Head Box (July 13th-August 7th 2011)

v.13, We Followed The Horses Box (August 7th, 2012-July 23rd 2012)

Cool Stuff, Yo

All Current Rankings
Ranked 1st Button Request Site at Cabana
Ranked 1st Button Request Site at The Lunch Box
Ranked 1st Button Request Site at Rowlier's Guide to Neopia
Ranked 2nd Button Request Site at Bedazzled
Ranked 3rd Request Site at Aurora
Ranked 3rd Request Site at Lasting Impressions
Ranked 4th Button Request Site at Illusion
Ranked Top 4 Button Site at Planetarium
Ranked 5th Request Site at Delicious Pie Directory
Ranked 5th Button Request Site at The Faerie Compass
Ranked 6th Request Site at The Shelf
Ranked 7th Request Site at Scamander Directory

Features
Featured at Atlas on Sept. 22nd 2010
Featured at Bijou on Dec. 6th 2010
Featured at The Lunch Box on Jan. 14th 2011
Featured at Buttoness on Jan. 15th 2011
Featured at The Button Workshop on June 5th 2011
Featured at The Workshop on July 20th, 2011
Featured graphic at The Lunch Box on Aug. 5th 2011
Site of the Week at The Faerie Compass on August 28th.

Miscellaneous
Interviewed at Lotte City
Considered one of Morgen's Sites of the Year - 2010
Interviewed at Blank Canvas Magazine; September 2011 Issue
Third Place and Turnip's Pick and The Golden Sandwich Awawrds for Best New Site
Fourth place in The Golden Sandwich Awards for Favorite Site Owner

Hover!

I love you all!!!

Credits

Buttons, content and layout created by me, silvernonsense. (Current layout, v.14, Umbrella Field Box: Artwork by Stefano Bonazzi.)
Limited edition buttons my original idea.
Open/Closed signs from The Lunch Box.
Envelope on request page from Sticky's Goodies.

Images either credited to neopets or their respective artists with a particular nod to deviantart(dot)com.

Contact Me

If for any reason you want to neomail me or add me, go for it. =]

Started June 22, 2010