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Thursday 20 June 2013

Weathered Shell Box - Thursday 20th June

Hello Blog Friends!


I hope you all managed to enjoy some sun yesterday, because I don't think Mr Sunshine is coming out this morning (at least not here in the Southwest, where it's pouring down!). Yesterday was a non work day for me, so the hens enjoyed a wonderful day in the garden, whereas I spent most of it inside making up my packs for the ladies at our workshop tonight and finishing off this little box that I started last week!

My regular followers will know how much I have have been enjoying using this stamp from Crafty Individuals and tonight is the second workshop where we will be using it - my group of ladies (a different group to last time), will be making the twisted easel I posted here.

When I saw that this month's Crafty Individuals Challenge had a beach theme and having made quite a few beachy projects lately, some of them using this stamp, I knew I wanted to create something other than a card. This wooden box had been on my altered art stash shelf for a while and looking at it, the idea of a shell box came to me...



First of all I sanded the box and then gave it a coat of Claudine Helmuth Gesso, both inside and out.  I made masks of the stamps from post it notes and positioned them on the box where I wanted to stamp them, then using a dotty mask I stencilled through with embossing paste. Once dry, I  sanded slightly and gave the entire outside a coat of acrylic (parchment colour); then I stamped the beach huts, sentiment and bathing belle and gave a wash of colour with promarkers.

Next I coated the front and sides with crackle accents to give a protective finish and left to dry...in an attempt to make the box appear as if it had been around for years, I rubbed it inside and out with gold rub n' buff and the edges with Patina metallic gilding wax.




 To decorate I added shells, starfish, some little metal charms and hessian to the top and sides and knotted some craft ribbon rope before tying around the box. I also decided to use a piece of knotted rope for the 'handle'.



I rubbed some of the gold relief inside the box leaving areas of parchment paint showing to create and worn look.

I stamped the quote 'May you always have a shell in your pocket' from the same stamp set(love this!) on card, tore it, distressed it and fixed it to the inside of the box lid. Then I stamped the postcard from Crafty Individuals stamp CI-119, a few times and inked with distress inks to make them look old. I distressed the edges and crumpled them up before tying with vintage lace (which I coloured with Vintage Photo distress ink)

To add finishing touches, I used some bottle tops, added a starfish to one and little shells with the others and filled with UTEE heated in my melting pot; I also made a cast of a shell from heated UTEE and added some shells collected on my own travels.


Well I think that's about it!!! Thank you so much for stopping by!


I would like to enter this project in the Crafty Individuals June challenge: Sun, Sea & Beach


I would also like to enter this project in the Our Creative Corner June Challenge: Recipe and have used:  

List A: Fabric: Hessian, craft rope and lace

List B: Wooden box, metal embellishments

List C:  Inks, Acrylic paints and rub n' buff stain


Love and Hugs

Carole X



22 comments:

  1. Gorgeous altered box Carole. The stamps are great. Christine xx

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  2. Ooh! This is lovely Carole. You'll have to bring it along to our workshop tonight to show our ladies. I'm looking forward to having a bit more of a play with this stamp as I've really enjoyed using it for our current project. Love all the bits & pieces you put inside the box too.
    See you later
    Amy x

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  3. Love your beach huts, great box and what treasures inside. xx Flora

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  4. Gorgeous shell box !!! You used very sweet colors, not the same as me, that's fantastic too! Coco x

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  5. Oh! Wow! Carol, this is stunning I love what you have done.
    Loving your treasures inside as well
    Happy Crafting

    Patricia xxx

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  6. Love what you have done to this little box it's stunning.

    Hazel xxx

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  7. So wonderful box Carole! great work!!bizz

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  8. Hi Carole,
    fab box with my fav stamp that you have used lately. Love all the hard work you have put into this.
    Have a wonderful crafty day.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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  9. Great treasure box for the sea challenge! Lots of crafty work here. Many thanks for joining in the CI Challenge. Jean x

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  10. I love the altered box. Thank you for the card in tonight's class. I'm looking forward to the next class. Sharon.

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  11. What a wonderful project Carole! So pretty, love the design. Good luck with the challenges!xx

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  12. WOW sure love this Carole, and your workshop cards above are awesome...looked like yu had fun..xxxxc

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  13. You certainly are making some gorgeous creations with these stamps Carole. I love this box - and the contents!! Methinks that this is a fun workshop.

    Hugs to you Sue Pxxx

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  14. lovely tecture on you great project, so glad you joined us at Sugar Creek Hollow
    hugs

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  15. Gorgeous box a lovely way to keep all the beach things I collect when at the seaside lol

    MaggieH

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  16. What a super way to decorate the chest, love it.

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  17. A really gorgeous altered box... looking fabulously weathered on the outside, and all those lovely treasures inside. Thanks so much for playing along with us at Our Creative Corner.
    Alison x

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  18. Wow, I love your beautiful alteres box

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  19. Oh Carol this is an absolute gem. It looks beautiful from every angle. Thanks so much for joining us at Our Creative Corner. Hugs, Jenny x

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  20. Carole your box is so lovely! I absolutely love the crackled outside and those stamps are one of my favourites which I should use again (they haven't seen the light of day for a long time!). What makes your gorgeous little box even more of a treasure are the wonderful little things inside it. I'm sure your ladies had a fab time!
    I'm not sure I've visited you before but I will now follow you and catch up with you again.
    Thanks so much for joining us at Our Creative Corner for this challenge. Juliax

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