Metallic effect decorated box

When Sheena Douglass brought out her Oriental Birds embossing folder as part of the A Little Bit Oriental range one of the samples was a decorated wooden box. It looked absolutely fantastic so when I won the embossing folder recently I really wanted to have a go at decorating a box.

I didn't have a wooden box so I used a cardboard mâché one. The sample appeared to use black cardboard with the embossing folder. The embossed panels were then gilded with silver gilding wax. I didn't have black card or gilding wax so did it all slightly differently...

Here is my box.

I cut three pieces of white centura pearl card to 5"x7" and embossed them using the Oriental Birds embossing folder then I coated them with 2 layers of Black Soot distress ink. I covered the edges of the box with black soot and painted the inside of the box silver.

Having cut the panels, glued them to the box and left it to dry I then gave everything a final coat of Black Soot distress ink. Once dry I gave everything a liberal spray of Spray and Shine to seal the ink and glued edges.

The final effect in real life is of a metallic charcoal. The box lid is a bit tight because of the added thickness to the walls of the box but it can still be put on and removed.

It may be nothing like the original it was inspired by but that's half the fun of creating!