Love Bandit ~ Mixed Media Box

 

Har jeg nevnt før her på bloggen at jeg er veldig glad i steampunk, vintage, industrial, cogs n gears og alle ting distress, rust, mørke og varme høstlige farger? Tror nok det.. sånn ørtogførti ganger ;) 

En annen ting jeg er veldig glad i er å spare på produkter ~ hvorfor kjøpe en dyr gaveeske for gaven jeg skal gi til ei venninne når jeg kan pynte en helt gratis tom Q-tips eske? Blir jo like fin den! Og venninnen min kommer absolutt til å bli like glad for en håndlaget box som selve gaven ♥ Den er hemmelig.. sånn i tilfelle hun titter innom bloggen :)

Mixed Media Altered Q-tips Box

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First I covered the box with meshed tape from a typical 'guys' store, hardware store? The correct name for it is 'Drywall  Mesh Self-adhesive tape'. But this I had forgotten when I had to buy a new one because one of my brothers had snatched my old tape! 

The guy that worked there was struggling really hard to understand me when I said; 

"I want a tape thats full of small squares and has some glue on one side and I want to use it for canvases n craft items, but I know dudes uses it to put on walls.." 

He understood me in the end though ~ and now I have a huge tape that will last me forever.. unless my brother sees it ;) 

I used some extra strong red tape to help adhere it to the plastic Q-tips box and the lid. I also have a metal/aluminium tape bought at the same store, also adhesive on one side. Not sure what guys use this for though, but it is super sticky and such fun to use on tags ~ then put in embossing folders and get amazing results, but thats a project for another day.

Next I added a strip of tape around the lid of my box, put down a bunch of beads and bling. The middle piece is just cardboard wich I cut in a crown like shape. More Metal tape on top and then the tricky bit.. To very gently rub down and press around the shapes using a little tool like a q-tip, a paper stump, the rubber end of a pencil or an actual stylus tool for such things ~ u know the ones with a little metal ball tip. I used all of theese, but the metal ball thingy got a bit too scratchy so I used the paper stump mostly.

I used Matte Gel Medium to make everything stick together nicely, and painted everything with black acrylic paint (Can use Black gesso instead too), and baby wipes to clean my fingers as well as buff off excess paint. Twice.

I let it dry, wich does not take long at all, and then I applied Inka Gold metallic waxes to the raised surfaces. I used my finger to do that as the wax ain't toxic. But don't go putting the finger into the jars or u will get mould! I use the little plastic spoons to scoop up some wax onto my craft mat. Those spoons that comes with youghurt cups sometimes, and I have sometimes taken a couple extra plastic spoons when in a restaurant or fast-food places.. Perfect for mixed media uses :)

And finally the image on the inside of the lid is a supercute raccoon that apparantly stole someones heart.. ? The text translates to something like: "Good friends are worth both Gold & Silver"..

I didn't really think of what the box would look like when adding the sentiment to my image. My mum said when I showed her the 'finished' box, ~ "Oh it's gorgeous, BUT the box is silvery not gold?".. Argh! Had not thought about that at all.. So I added gold wax to the hearts and 'silver' to the text, and hope it's not that weird-looking ;)

I actually made a similar mixed media project to this a couple years ago, Steampunk Owl Box ~ wich is all in bronze rusty colors, and uses embossingfolders. It too has lots of photos of the process if u want to check it out! 

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Have I previously mentioned here on the blog that I am very fond of steampunk, vintage, industrial, cogs n gears and everything distressed, rusty, dark & warm fall themed colors? I think so, a multitude of times :)

Another thing I like to do is to save on products, especially in the craft-room. Why buy a new expensive gift box for the present I am going to give my friend, when I can instead decorate an empty Q-tips plastic box? It will look just as fancy when altered and my friend will treasure it just as much as the actual present ♥ What's that? That is a secret.. just in case she pops in on my blog :)

...

I enter my box in theese fab Challenges: [Ends on](last check 17/5)
● We Love to Create #4. ~ Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes [April 24th.]
● Creative Artiste #48. ~ Anything Mixed Media Goes [April 29th.]
● Dragonfly Dreams ~ Include an Animal [April 30th.]
● Frilly and Funkie ~ Re-Purpose, Re-Use, Recycle! [April 23rd.]  
● QKR Stampede #343. ~ Always AG! [April 18th.]
● A Vintage Journey ~ the Neutral Zone! [May 2nd.]
● Simon Says Wednesday ~ No Designer Paper! [April 17th.]
● Pile it on #153. ~ Lots of Layers! [May 4th.]
...
 EDIT: I was named a Frilly and Funkie Top 3, thanks bunches :)
 

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Stamps/Images: High Hopes 'Love Bandit' rubberstamp. Kort og Godt CS 'M-386'.
Papers: I prefer Canson Montvale aquarelle paper (200 g/m coldpressed) for my motifs. Plain white cardstock.
Embellishments: Panduro Hobby mixed beads. a Bracelet I cut up n repurposed. Bling ribbon and hearts unknown - from Europris or Nille maybe.
Tools: Stylus Detail Shaper Ball Tool. Q-tips, rubber tip tool,  paperstubs. Wet baby wipes.
Stencils/Embossingfolders: ...
Dies: Spellbinders™ Nestabilities 'Small Labels S4169'.
Essentials/Adhesives: Drywall Mesh Self-adhesive tape. Aluminium Metal Foil Self-adhesive tape. High-Tack Double Sided Red Tape (Red Liner/Stix2/Miracle tape). Liquitex Matte Gel Medium ~ glue.
Techniques/Mediums: See the blog text above about the process. 
Viva Decor Inka Gold waxes 'Old Silver' & 'Inka Gold'. I also used Rangers Tim Holtz Distress Ink pads to watercolor and distress image and splatter papers. Black acrylic paint.