I Know That I Am Home

Hello Friends,

I am circling back to idea-ology today and a favorite project I created earlier in the year. I love this one, created with the Divided Box, which has been a favorite substrate of mine over the years.  I have loved it's size, depth and that it had so many way to configure it.  But all things comes to an end of their lifecycle and this is one such product.  I know many retailers still have the Divided Box in stock, but when retailers are out, they are gone for good. So fair warning.

The entire box was covered inside and out with Backdrops Volume 5.  I used blue and cream for the front, then added aqua, purple and pink to cover the back.  It takes time to cover any Vignette Box with paper so I alway measure, cut and glue (Collage Medium) on day one.  Then I walk away and come back to the filling the box.  For me, it feels good to come back into the workroom the next day with the box ready to go.

My paper choice led me to the blue color scheme that runs through each compartment.  The shade of blue varies for interest, but blue and cream are dominate throughout.  I chose a black Design Tape with numbers for the lip edge of the box.  You could use multiple tape designs if you wish but I liked the continuity of just one design.

On the back you might notice that I mixed in two Collage Strips.

The pink strip on the left and the group of neutral pieces on the far right side.  You can tell it's a Collage Strip because of the scale of the images.  I think they work really well with the larger Backdrop images.

When working on this box, I knew I was going to need multiple Corked Vials to fill the space, so I created all the bottles at the beginning.  Then when the box was ready to fill, I could just use the ones that fit the space the best.

CORKED VIALS

1. coat with a base of Collage Medium - let dry.

2. coat with Crackle Paint- translucent - let dry

3. drip or pounce Alcohol Ink over the bottle (do not soak or your crackle finish might lift).  I used Mushroom, Moss and Bottle Alcohol Ink to color the glass.

4. don't forget the cork - paint it or rub Alcohol ink on it, maybe add a Hitch Fastener, pick at the cork so it's not perfect, etc. Mine are all different.

5. add string or wire around the neck of the bottle.

Now back to the large compartment...

The entire piece started with this photo from Snapshots 2. 

1.  I pounced Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on my glass mat then sprayed it with water to created droplets.  I pressed the Snapshot into the ink repeatedly (drying the ink in between) until I had an aged look to the photo.  This method only works on a slick surface if you press, then dry, then press, then dry.  Somehow the ink fuses to the surface enough to create the aged look. I used this same method on the blue label that sits below the Snapshot on the right.  

2. Tint the Snapshot photo with Distress Crayons and a cotton swab.  To get the textured look on the skirt and red coat, I tinted the skirt and coat with darker colors.  Then I pressed a piece of paper towel over the top (do not rub).  The paper towel pulls enough of the dark crayon away, making the clothes appear to have the texture worn away. 

3.  If you look closely, you can see that I also used a cutting knife to cut around the top of the car and along the top of the frame.  I also cut out the windows of the car so you are able to see through.

4.  I added thin foam squares to the frame, then added a 'scene' of a house that can be found in the Ephemera Palette Pack. 

5. Once the photo is ready, it can be mounted on foam squares and added to the back of the tray,

The bottom of the large compartment can be filled with anything you have on hand.  A little vintage is a must. Here is a list of what I've added:

from left to right:

+ Corked Vial with ephemera label and vintage lace.

+ Foliage Adornment - white paint added

+ Photo Frame - Foundry Wax + Mushroom Alcohol ink.  I cut a piece of chipboard for the center of the frame.  Then covered the chipboard with a piece of vintage velvet. I used Scor-tape to add the velvet so I could still stitch through the velvet to add the Bouquet flowers.  As you can see, it just added three stitches to hold the flowers in place. There was no glue involved.

+ Mini Flair with 4 leaf clover

+ Second bottle with snippet label (Curator pack) and wire around the neck

+ Corked Dome filled with vintage buttons (I collect buttons that have been used and still have the sewing thread in place).

+ vintage spool of silk thread with added threaded needle.

+ Figure Stand - I painted the top hat black and added the metal flower that I cut from a vintage earring.  I LOVE the new Figure Stands so much!  Tim's idea to have interchangeable pieces (the other pieces are a pointing finger and star) on a stick is just brilliant. They are the perfect miniature size.

The figures are double sided, so for instance, the pointing finger can face either left or right.

The MADE IN paper is vintage.  It was on a bunch of vintage flowers and I removed it to use here.

If you are wondering how I made the Butterfly stand up in the background, it's very simple.  I cut a sturdy wire and hot glued the butterfly to the end.  On the other end I added a cork (larger end down) which gave me something to glue to the bottom of the box.

The top right compartment has blue paper so I tried to use more cream items.  Cream in the labels I chose for the two bottles, the Baseboard window frame in the background, and the Collage Paper I used inside the large Pocket Watch.  

The word Sweetheart is vintage, as well as the blue flower cluster (a vintage earring I have had for years). You can see I added the Hitch Fastener to the top of the Corked Vial to make it look like a stopper of some sort. I painted the metal and the cork with metallic paint so the two pieces look like they are one.  The blue stamp in the background is from the ephemera pack and I just stapled it to a vintage card of hook and eyes.

I added the phrase, "I know that I am home" from the Clippings sticker book.

In the bottom compartment, you will find a Matchbox filled with more Bouquet Flowers (Antique Linen Distress Spray was used for color).  The metal embellishment with the French feel, is from the Ornate Embellishments pack.  The words are, again, from the Clippings Sticker book.

I added a Word Tag to the neck of the bottle and a snippet label (I LOVE the Curator pack of tiny labels).  

To make the ball of string, I just started with one of the larger Bubbles left over from a Halloween project...winding and winding till I had a ball of string.  I stuck two tiny Sequin Pins into the ball like they were knitting needles.

The vintage button card with added ephemera was added to the background.

And that is it.

Creating all the bottles at the same time made the work seem easier, since it really is messy when you are coloring with Alcohol Ink and paint, and inked string, and wire, etc.  Once that's all done, you can clean up and then come back to assembling.

Three cheers for idea-ology...I love the kooky, creative thought process to make things come together!

now carry on,

paula

Destination Divided Box

Hello friends,

Today I am sharing a project I made for Creativation.  This was one of my favorite makes from the show and I toyed with teaching it as a class this spring...well as we all know flying somewhere to teach or even being in a group is out of the question so I've decided to share it here instead.

I started with a Divided Box, one of my favorite substrates because it is adaptable for so many projects.  I drilled a hole in the back of the center section for the Tiny Lights that illuminate the center section of the box (you could use an awl if you don't have a drill).

I painted the front edges as well as the inside of the top and bottom compartments with Weathered Wood Distress Paint.  After I waited for the paint to dry, I used Collage Medium to add layers of Worn Wallpaper to the sides of the box, overlapping as needed.  No rhyme or reason to the layering, I just used the paper I liked.  Once the Worn Wallpaper was added to the box,  I added a coat of Collage Medium over the top to seal the paper.  Do not skip this step because the Crayon needs a slick surface to work effectively and the Collage Medium will provide that.

Once the surface was dry I added Texture Paste Crackle to some of the edged of the box.  NOTE: Be sure NOT to add the paste to the center area because the Velum Scene will be glued directly to the center section.

Once the Texture Paste Crackle is dry, you can begin to add the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon over the surface.  Use as much or as little as you want.  I scribble it on and then use my finger to rub the crayon over the surface.  A small damp paint brush can be helpful to get it into the Texture Paste.  And I ALWAYS have a wet wipe near by to pounce over the surface to remove the excess.  

I threaded the Tiny Lights from the back of the tray to the front (so the on/off switch is on the outside of the box).  From there I wound them around in a circle and used scotch tape to adhere them to the back of the tray. NOTE:  I completed the rest of the box before adding the Velum Scene to the center section so I wouldn't get glue on it!  

Inside the top compartment are large wood numbers from the new Number Blocks pack.  I painted each of the three numbers a different color, then sanded them back once the paint was dry.  They are thick enough to stand up by themselves which makes them easy to stack.  The photo comes from Photobooth and the tiny name comes from the new Clippings sticker book (it now contains not only new sayings but many names).  Of course the popular Tiny Clip is holding the name in place.  The Mushrooms are from the Field Notes Ephemera (as well as the Specimen tag on the Finial).
I painted the Finial with Weathered Wood Paint and added the Texture paste just as I did on the box itself.

You may not even notice the tiny crown (from Adornments Treasures) in front of the photo.  I love that little crown and it just seemed to go there.  I've added more ephemera from Field Notes onto the background as well as the cute bird button from the Vintage Flair Pack (one of my favorite new products).

On the bottom right compartment I created a little garden scene.  First, Worn Wallpaper in the background with added Ephemera.  The bingo card is from Junk Drawer, which is a Baseboard product, meaning it is thick board that won't bend.  The butterfly from Field Notes was the perfect addition to the center.  I used bingo chips on the back to pop it out from the back of the box.

The Metal Gate was added after painting, adding Alcohol Ink and then bending until it broke into two pieces (it sounds hard but it's not).  I scribbled a bit of Walnut Stain Distress Crayon onto my mat and picked it up with a damp paint brush.  I used the brush to add the crayon over the Heirloom Florals as well as the inside corners of the box.  It ages the Worn Wallpaper and the Weathered Wood paint to marry the two together.  I had a stick on my desk so I broke off a small piece.  After gluing the fence into the box, I added the tiny piece to the one end as if it was the garden gate.  It was only AFTER I did this that I went looking for a Clipping Sticker to use under the butterfly.  I think what I found could not be more perfect for the scene...

On the bottom left I used an awl to create two holes for yet another stick.  You could absolute use a drill here but I just didn't want to walk out to the garage again.  I know...stubborn.

I created a bunch of embellishments with some random idea-ology pieces from my stash, a bit of chain and some jump rings. Idea-ology jump rings come in two sizes.  I used the larger size to go through the chain then slide down the twig.  

Here is the list of charms used (left to right):

key - Locket Keys

clover - Adornments Treasures

no.247 - Story Sticks

glass bottle - Tiny Vials

letter G - Type Chips

bird - Adornments Treasures

pen nib - Pen Nib

heart - Adornments Treasures

spoon - Adornments Silverware

stylized cross - Milagros

hand of friendship - Milagros

*all words from Clipping Sticker book

I used a bone folder to add the Remnant Rub to the Vellum Scene. It was only then that I added Collage Medium around the center compartment to adhere it to the box.  Three sizes of scenes come in the pack, this being the largest size of the group.  Each scene is different with both horizontal and vertical choices.

Well, I hope you were able to get the gist of this piece.  It's not hard to make, just very detailed so give yourself time if you try it.  I looks so cool when the light is on during the evening.

Thanks for stopping by!

Now carry on,
paula