A Little Box

Arwen is hosting Stampotique Designers Challenge this week and has challenged everyone to create a box! Here's what she has to say about her challenge!

"What could be better than to give a loved one something? To present a gift effectively, I make nice boxes to do so. Be it for jewelry, candy, books, etc. - for all you can make great boxes.

But the box itself is a wonderful gift idea.

Show me your boxes!

As "given away" for something or as preserves things?
I'm curious about your boxes."

If you'd like the chance to win $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules, so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

My box will likely be given with something in it and is labeled "Treasures" in the hope that the recipient will keep it to hold some personal treasure.

Here it is!

My box started out its life as a plain kraft colored cardboard gift box with a debossed logo on the top. It held a small wind chime. Boxes are very useful, so I kept it and decorated it. It's roughly 3.5" x 3.5" x 1.1".

The box was painted with DecoArt's new Media Fluid Acrylics, which are part of the new DecoArt Media program. Burnt Sienna Media Fluid Acrylic paint was sponged over the top, sides, and of both the top and bottom of the box using Cut 'n' Dry Foam. When I was happy with the coverage, I added a bit of Burnt Umber MF paint to the same piece of foam and dabbed it here and there to deepen the color.

The same two paint colors (Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber) were sponged over a piece of script cardstock from an old Lost and Found 6x6 pad by My Mind's Eye. A piece of Cut 'n' Dry Foam was used to apply a mixture of Blue Green Light MF, Cobalt Turquoise Tint MF, and Titanium White paint to the Daniel's Hearts (Daniel Torrente) stamp, which was then stamped over the painted patterned paper. This step was repeated a few times to add more hearts. The stamped patterned paper was then torn so it would fit the box. The torn edges were sponged with the mixture of Blue Green Light MF, Cobalt Turquoise Tint MF, and Titanium White paint, which was also used to sponge the edges of the box. Matte Multi-Medium was used to both adhere the stamped painted paper to the box top as well as to seal it.

YumYum (by Kira Nichols), who looks like he's guarding that seed like treasure, was stamped onto the same patterned paper with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, then colored with Copic markers. It was then die-cut using a Nestabilities Circle die, kept in the die, while the inside of the circle was lightly traced with Copic markers. YumYum's background was then colored using Copic markers. An Ironworks Circle die (Spellbinders) was used to die-cut the same patterned paper, which was then colored with a BG45 Copic marker. The image circle was adhered to the Ironworks die-cut, then both were adhered to the box top. Multiple layers of Matte Multi-Medium were sponged over the top, sides, and bottom of the box.

Copper foil tape, which apparently is used as a snail deterrent by gardeners, was die-cut with a border die from the Ironworks die set and with the Delicate Chain die by Memory Box. The chains and the border were sponged with Jade and Verdigris Vintaj Patinas, adhered to the sides of the box, then sponged with Matte Multi-Medium. A small scrap leftover from the painted patterned paper was die-cut with a Memory Box die and rub-on letters were added for the sentiment. More layers of Matte Multi-Medium were used to seal all sides of the box.

Here are two other views of the box!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this box in the following challenges:
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges: Paint
• Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenges #38: Anything Goes
• All Crafts Challenges: Anything Goes, but not a card