Printery Shadow Box

Wow, was I inspired with this one!  In this project I challenged myself to use lots of goodies from Prima Marketing.  The Printery paper line was the source of inspiration for this shadowbox.  

The base is a 7 Gypsies shadowbox tray. I chose to have the small cubbies on the side, as you can really orientate the tray in any way you want for different looks.  

I have paired a fair number of Prima metal trinkets and junkyard findings along with a few special treasures to make a fun nostalgic collection.

To achieve texture in this piece I chose to blend my edges and corners with a treatment of black glass glitter from Finnabair.  I love how this adds some sparkle, but still looks grungy and industrial.

I found myself drawn to using symmetry more than once as I pieced this together.  I framed out the outside corners of the box as well as the large inset. 

One trick that I often use to alter things is to layer them.  By adding the tiny gear inside of the hexagon and framing it out with the watch fobs, it created a whole different embellishment.  You can also see my layering technique below with the faucet wheels. 

The special touch of a few trinkets that are vintage also give this piece a bit more of a story.  A vintage clip, a skeleton key, found safety pins from button cards, anything like this can give a piece personal meaning.  I also love these old jacks and how the color has been worn off of them through years of play!

Cheers,

Rhea

Xyron and Paper House Blog Hop

I just love how designing for teams challenges me to use different products and styles of materials.  This project is a result of a Co-Hop with both Xyron and Paper House.  There are a ton more great projects to be seen over at Ain't She Crafty  as well as Paper House.  For my inspiration I was supplied with the Generations Paper Pad.  A few sheets of this lovely paper and my Xyron Mega Runner and I made this cute display in just over an hour!

I swear that using Xyron products makes my crafting so much quicker and efficient.

The texture on the Graphic 45 Staples Box was achieved simply with Distress Stain. I spritzed and flicked lots of water to get the stains to react.

When embellishing this box I decided to add the Tim Holtz curio knob.  I thought it made it look like a cabinet instead of a box.

To frame it out, more Tim Holtz materials I had on hand.  Also notice that I popped out each frame to add some interest.

I hope you enjoyed today's project.  Be sure to hop around for tons more inspiration from around the world. 

Cheers, 

Rhea

Graphic 45 2014 Final Audition

Once again I am absolutely thrilled to have made it to the finals for the Graphic 45 2014 Design Team!  In the video below I have chosen to take you on a tour of three projects that I think represent me as a designer including assemblage, mixed media and book making.

Since the Botanical Tea Printer Tray is new, I thought I should also post a few pictures of that.  I made this project just for this audition, so I would have a little something fresh and new.

The spring theme is perfect as the weather finally slowly turns.  It has been nice to get outside and catch a few rays of sunshine. There are additional bits of embellishments within the peice that have special personal meaning to me.  I love this aspect of assemblage and collage.  

I even saw a few real spring blooms on my walk today, a sure sign it is really on the way!

I just adore all the details inside of each cubby.  I was sure to even cover the tops and sides of each box to ensure that the patter repeated itself consistently.

I could not resist adding a few eggs to the mix, as they were perfect for this theme.

Thank you as always for stopping by!  No matter what the outcome of this audition, I have to say it has been a great year Graphic 45, and I have immensely enjoyed the journey.  

Cheers, 

Rhea