Be Happy

I was making a card background for my entry into Crafter's Companion's Floral Challenge at their Facebook page and decided to use a quotation for the focal point. Looking through some rub-ons that I have had for quite some time (a few years actually) I found this one:

The embossed background was created using Sheena Douglass' Water Lilies A4 embossing folder from the A Little Bit Oriental range and makes me think of the lotus flower, which in turn made me want to choose a quotation that reflects inner peace or spirituality.

I mounted the embossed background onto some glossy black card and was going to attach the finished panel to the front of a 6"x6" card but as I looked at it and tried to imagine who I would send it to I decided that it would make a good piece of wall art. An 8"x8" frame and some papers from the A Little Bit Oriental range and this is what I ended up with:

The frame had already been painted blue for a different project. I thought of painting it black but then realised that I don't actually have any black paint! The blue that is visible on the inside of the frame matches the blue of the koi carp paper that the panel is backed onto so it's not too bad....

Having cut the floral paper and stuck it to the frame I gave everything a good coat of Spray and Shine. The main panel was stuck to the backing paper with Stick and Spray so that it can be removed and replaced with panels using images from the A Little Bit Oriental stamp range. I'm thinking of doing one panel using the koi carp and another using the tree.

So here it is, my entry into April's Floral Challenge over at Crafter's Companion's Facebook page. The challenge is open until 30th April so there's still time to enter.

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!