A tale about how I had to punish a Box... - Fashionable Stamping Challenge #2

Re-edited: Hurray!!!!!! My box has been chosen as Top 3 at the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge!!! Yeeeeeeeey!!! ;)

This is going to be a long one so grab yourself a cuppa!



Let me introduce you to the Box… one shy, paper mache Box. It looked lonely and abandoned, it was crying for a new life and attention…

I said, “OK Box, I will give you a new life”. As I set to the task, I decorated it with an array of wonderful lively colours. The elegance of pinks, the wonderful charm of yellows, a decadent hint of royal blues… Bright and cheerful, I thought!

But then, somehow the Box didn’t look happy… it just didn’t feel and look right! So I kept working, improving things… spent days making alterations… still not right!

I begged, tried to reason with the Box, pulled my hair, no success. The Box just wasn’t happy with the look!

So, in this all frustration and despair I finally said, “That’s it! I’ve had enough! I will have no more of this nonsense! You want to be a grumpy dark mood Box, so be it!”.

So this is how I arrived with this…

I suppose making art is all about finding “IT”. This “thing” that makes the project look just… right… as it was always meant this way, even if it took a long time to achieve this… lol ;).

This time the Fashionable Stamping Girls would like you to show off your handmade flowers. But don’t forget – no digi stamps, traditional inky stamping only!

We are again sponsored by Marina from the Cottage Crafts.

I started my “dark mood” Box by covering it with a tissue paper. I used black tissue but you can use any colour and just paint it black ;). Crumple it nicely as you are gluing it to the surface for a nice texture. Then dry brush some gold paint over it….hmmm… see how almost instantly your boring Box transforms into a lovely antique looking gem ;).

Then I stamped the fancy flourish (Papermania Signature) onto tissue, heat embossed it in gold and glued on top, blending it in.

To “punish” my Box even further I set out to be very frugal with my embellishments. Most of the items used have been repurposed one way or another…

Starting from the bottom, the Tim Holtz clock shape, which was painted gold and stamped over with some text, did not make it for another project. The big “spool” was made from a kitchen towel roll, cut to size and covered with TH grungy paper.

The “ticket” was stamped with PaperArtsy Winter Wonderland stamp. All embellies are “resting” against the big spool and the metal champagne cork retainer… Hmmm, let me think…We drank this champagne after the balloon flight my DH and I treated ourselves with for our 1st wedding anniversary… And can you see that cute little Cherub?

Then I threw in a handful of vintage buttons, fibres, altered chipboard shapes and spools decorated with TH tissue tape. Flowers were made with Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die.

Somewhere there I’ve also hidden the champagne cork itself ;).

The top of the Big Spool has been covered with the some recycled packaging plastic, embossed with the Crafty Companions Time embossing folder.

This is a technique from Tim Holtz’s 12 Tags of Christmas – day 10.

If you are still awake, well, go crafting and join in with our fabulous challenge and check out the amazing projects prepared to please your art hungry eyes by my DT Sisters ;).

Thank you for your lovely comments and have a wonderful Sunday!

Hugs xx

Ps. If you've missed my previous post with the July calendar page, please click here ;).




Challenges for this project:
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Tim Holtz Technique
The Cheerful Stamp Pad #23 - Petals
Grungy Monday #19 - 12 Tags of Christmas, day 10
Allsorts Challenge #116 - Anything but a card
Stampalot Challenge August - Anything you fancy