Thinking Outside the Box....

Hello friends!

One of the reasons I wanted to join in both Wanderlust and Creative Carte Blanche is because

I wanted to learn new techniques, do new things, take myself out of my comfort zone.

So, when Creative Carte Blanche's April Adventure required us to

Think Outside the Box, using a cigar box, I just knew I wanted to join in the fun.

I had no idea how hard it would be to find a cigar box, I searched the internet, ordered one

from a auction site, going for the 'pot luck' option.  They sent me a beautiful box, which cost

peanuts, it is beautiful, quite large, but definitely not a cigar box, but a tea box!   Then we were 

out shopping and we went past an old fashioned Tobacconist shop and I got one - for free!

I decided after having some success with some Structurizer fabric hardener, that it was time

to move on to Powertex - scary, messy but lots of fun!  I really didn't know where I was

going with the project but in the end it became a sea theme - no surprises there then!

Here is the finished box:

This is how it started out:

A coat of Gesso

Now for the fun part, adding the fabrics, stings, mesh, art balls, all coated in Powertex, I gave the sides a coat of DecoArt Texture Sand Paste.  I left it to dry overnight.

I cannot tell you how many inks and sprays I used to colour the top, I didn't like the colours at first and changed them at least half a dozen times - I used DecoArt Media sprays, Dylusions, Lindy's Stamp Gang, Tim Holtz Distress Stain and even some Ranger Perfect Pearls.  I finally got to the stage where I actually quite liked it!  It was the final colours that made me decide on a sea theme.

I found some bits and pieces and also painted the inside of the box with Powercolour crystals in Ultramarine blue mixed with water, the colour is much more beautiful in real life.  I found some Calico Craft chippies and a couple of other things that I intend to use to decorate the inside and outside of the box.

I added a couple of starfish, coloured with Spiced Marmalade Distress Stain.  

The wheel was rusted Andy Skinner style using a layer of  DecoArt Texture Sand Paste, DecoArt Media Fluid in Paynes Grey topped with a layer of Quinacridone Gold and finally DecoArt Ultra Matte Varnish, drying between each coat.

I was going to decorate the inside with an underwater scene but I ran out of time, so I will do 

that at a later date.

I am entering this into Create Carte Blanche's Think Outside the Box Adventure.

I am adding this project to Frilly & Funky's challenge - It's not easy being Green - I up-cycled
a cigar box

I am also adding this to The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #23 where the
challenge is 'Dimension'

As always, thanks for looking!

Hugs, Anne xx