Creating Inside and Outside the Box for A Vintage Journey

Hello everyone and welcome!

As it is the first Friday of the month (and the year!) it is time to start a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and this month we are thinking both inside and/or outside the box!

Deb is our host this month and she is challenging us to 

CREATE WITH A BOX

Any box of any size will do. It can be one you made yourself or one that you are recycling or even one that you have drawn. Make your project either inside the box itself or do something imaginative on the outside or both if that's where your muse takes you. As always we like to see projects in our preferred styles: vintage, shabby; mixed media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn or steampunk. So put on your thinking caps and reimagine those boxes both inside and out.


Quite a few boxes have been looking at me over the last few weeks but I just didn't have any inspiration. Then ....... Christmas morning I discovered that my lovely son had bought me a fabulous selection of goodies from Stampers Grove in Edinburgh (he lives just around the corner!) including a little box frame and some Victorian pictures (and lots of other wonderful things too). Just perfect for Deb's challenge!


I decided to alter the outside frame of the box by adding lots of scrunched layers of torn up kitchen roll which I added with multi medium. It does give a lovely texture, if a little messy!



I added some clusters of metal embellishments and flowers which then got a coat of gesso.


I then sprayed everything with these Mists from 13Arts - Pastel Cinnamon and Pastel Antique Cream.


While that was drying I turned to the box itself. I wanted to keep it quite shabby and so added some tissue paper (also in my present!) and shabbied it up with a light coat of gesso and a little brown ink around the edges.



The box was then assembled and I used some more gesso and gold paint to highlight some of the embellishments in the clusters. I also added a few micro beads too.


Whilst clearing out some drawers in the back bedroom before Christmas I found an old pearl necklace belonging to my mother in law which was all in pieces. I decided to rethread a few beads and include it in the box as I thought it went so well with the lovely Victorian photograph. There is also a little bit of lace in there too on the muslin.


The box is quite deep so everything does nestle in quite nicely.


So .... thank you Robin for a lovely Christmas present! and one which allowed me to decorate both inside and outside the box.

I do so hope you will be able to join in our challenge. If you need more inspiration then do hop on over to A Vintage Journey where my fellow Creative Guide teamies have been busy creating some amazing projects. 



Our fabulous sponsor this month is the Funkie Junkie Boutique who are offering a fabulous $25 dollar prize to one lucky person.

As always thank you for joining me today and have a lovely weekend.

Jennie x



Comments

Julia Aston said…
My goodness Jennie - you trained your son well as to what a good gift for you might be!!! What wonderful texture you created with your paper towels and the soft colors everywhere - so "Jennie"! and how lovely that you used some pearls from your MIL's necklace - a beautiful memento! Julia xx
Annie said…
Your box frame is stunning Jennie x Love the texture with the kitchen roll and background colour. Your florals and adornments make this a very special vintage creation...Love it xx

Huge hugs Annie xx
Littlelamb said…
This box frame is brilliant and what a lovely present your son gave you. There are some lovely ideas there. Thank you sharing this.
sarascloset said…
As usual, your artwork takes my breath away, Jennie! Oh, how I wish I could watch you create, but your step by step photos and instructions are the next best thing! You just have such a delicate touch, and I am in awe of that! Gorgeous, delicate and feminine make using that box and squeal! your mother in laws broken pearl strand--PERFECT! Sending warm hugs!
S@ndy Diller said…
Such great colors and textures on this one Jennie. Leave it to you to go above and beyond the challenge decoration both inside and outside. love it!
Hugs, S@ndy
Marci said…
Elegant and beautiful!
Such a gorgeous vintage shabby chic box of delights, Jennie. The photo is wonderful, and I love the embellishing with the soft pastel sprays highlighting all the texture. I've got a bunch of the 13Arts mists and really don't get them out often enough... thanks for the nudge!
Alison x
A Pink said…
Absolutely Gorgeous! Jennie. Such a well considered alteration of your box to 'suit' your vintage photo so perfectly .The delicate tones , the texture and all those gorgeous embellishments positioned around and about so beautifully make for a real treasurable piece with a personal touch .
hugs x
Nikki Acton said…
Lovely Jennie and what a fabulous gift! Love the combination of the kitchen roll textured surface and beautifully arranged flowers. The little details of microbeads, pearls and muslin are stunning. Great design xx
Hello Jennie,
I came to your blog via Dorothe's as I saw your project in the side bar. This is so beautiful! I love every detail and that you shared the process. thank you!

Rita said…
What can I say Jennie. This box just takes the Brest away. The beauty of the creation both inside and out left me speechless. Absolutely wonderful. Hope you're safe and warm and enjoying the start of another curating year. Hugs Rita xxx
Astrid Maclean said…
Such a stunning box Jennie, elegant and stylish and so beautifully decorted with your signature shabby chic style!! The colours look fantastic and that photo is just perfect for it! Wonderful make!!
SewPaperPaint said…
Jennie, what a precious and beautifully altered gift! Your son is a keeper indeed. :) I love the idea of adding the kitchen roll texture and your beautiful soft sprays, pairing perfectly with the image and embellishments. Stunning work! Hugs, Autumn
Aimeslee Winans said…
Jennie, I love what you have done so much! Kitchen roll, love it! A very lovely and elegant creation. xoxo
hula-la said…
Very nice! And I just got a cutesy little box I'm gonna play with! Thanks for the inspiration! Aloha!
Deb said…
Oh Jennie, what a beautiful and elegant creation, I knew as soon as I saw it that you had created it! Gorgeous layers of textures and embellishments coordinated perfectly with your soft colour palette and what a special touch to include the pearls from your MIL's necklace. Thank you so much for sharing it with us, Deb xo