One Of The Best

Hello friends and welcome to a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog! This week our theme is called ~ ANYTHING BUT A CARD! So, with the clue in the title and with a wide open brief, we would love for you to join us and hope you'll play along...

For my project, I created a very special gift for my Dad for Father's Day using Tim Holtz Vignette Boxes as a base for this piece of home decor that I will be filling with my Dad's favourite chocolates but can then be used as a trinket box for anything that he wants to pop inside. It also gave me another chance to use one of my favourite products at the moment ~ the 3D Texture Fades! These are just amazing and the depth and detail of the embossing is second to none, if you love embossing folders then you will fall deeply in love with these!

So, it's time for the new challenge to begin and hope you'll read along to see how I created this project.

To begin with, I started with the boxes and the lids and taking the second largest size of both boxes in the set, I then used Humidor Design Tape which I absolutely LOVE and adhered this around the raw edges to create the look of an old cigar box. I then covered the outside of the box in metal to create an old fashioned trunk. To do this, I used foil metal sheets adhered to card, placed the metal sheets inside the Foundry 3D Texture Fade and then ran it through my Big Shot. For this you box, I used one sheet of the foil but had plenty of left over to store in my box and use for a future project.

I then altered my metal to create this vintage, antique look by first applying a layer of Antiqued Bronze Distress Paint, allowing it to become slightly tacky before wiping the paint away with a soft cloth and then applying a layer of Black Soot Distress Paint over the top. Again, allowing the paint to become slightly tacky before removing it with a cloth but ensuring that the paint gets into all the nooks and crevices of the embossed areas. Once the painted surface is dry, I then cut the metal sheets to cover the top and sides of the box.

I attached the metal using Matte Collage Medium and then using a small amount of Aged Brass and Old Silver Alchemy Waxes, I applied these to the embossed metal to accentuate the raised areas.

To complete this part of the box, I added some metal embellishments, Hex Fasteners and Mini Hardware to the lid, Mini Foundations to the bottom and added a lock to the side.

For the next stage and moving onto the smallest box in the set, which will eventually sit on top...I covered this box with papers from the Dapper Paper Stash, sanding the edges slightly to create a worn effect and then inking them with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. I then attached the small box centrally onto my metal covered lid.

I then took the corresponding lid and applied some more of tape from the Humidor set but this time using a different design and placed this around the raw edge of the lid before attaching a panel of the embossed metal to cover the surface.

Taking the smallest Vignette Frame, I applied a layer of gesso over the surface to prime it and then painted it with a  blend of Walnut Stain, Antiqued Bronze and Black Soot Distress paints before adding a touch of Aged Brass Alchemy Wax to accentuate the beading.

Place the frame over the top of the top of the vignette panel to form the lid for the smaller box. You will also see from the photo below that I lined the box with some more papers from the Dapper Paper Stash which just makes it look more professional and gives a lovely finish inside.

Finally, I added a quote chip to the front of the smaller box.

Now to move onto the embellishments and for this, you can use anything you choose ~ you can add completely different embellishments to the ones I used or you can make it personal to the recipient and add a photo of them ~ it's entirely up to you!

...but for my project, I chose to use a Trophy Cup, altered with Distress Paints to make it look lovely and rusty and which I would fill with a few Tim Holtz bits and pieces.

I began by making a rosette, cutting paper from the Etcetera stash using the largest of the Rosette dies. I attached the rosette to a cocktail stick, adhered to the back and added a Milk Cap Label to both sides of the rosette to hide the stick. I then popped this into the cup which has a piece of foam placed inside. I added a Photo Booth image, complete with a clippings sticker attached to it and added this to the arrangement, together with some moss.

I added an adornment star painted with Broken China Distress Paint, a hat pin and some linen ribbon dyed with Candied Apple Distress Spray. To finish the arrangement, I attached a story stick to the bow and added a label complete with a 'love' tiny text remnant rub sticker.

Place the decorated trophy cup centrally on the top of the smaller box and then to finish, I added some Mirrored Stars and painted Adornment Stars around the base of the cup.

...and that completes this week's project, ready to give to my Dad on Sunday together with the card I made him.

I hope you've enjoyed this creative process of this fun project and don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I'll see you very soon!

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies and Texture Fade: Rosettes, Foundry 3D Texture Fade

Distress Spray Stain: Candied Apple

Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Broken China, Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Antiqued Bronze

Idea-ology: Clippings Stickers, Quote Chip, PhotoBooth, Trophy Cup, Mirrored Stars, Star Adornments, Vignette Box, Vignette Panel, Vignette Frame, Linen Ribbon, Hex Fasteners, Tiny Text Remnant Rubs, Story Stick, Mini Foundations, Locket Keys, Humidor Design Tape, Milk Caps

Mediums: Gesso, Matte Collage Medium, 

Surfaces: Etcetera Stash, Metal Foil tape, Dapper Paper Stash

Moss

Prima/Finnabair Alchemy Wax: Aged Brass, Old Silver

Finnabair Mini Hardware

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Big Shot Plus

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun