Saturday 18 August 2012

A Touch Of Gold With Some Flowers. . . . . . .

I have to say that I LOVE embossing powder or enamel! If it's gold I love it even more and I'm always looking for places to use it. I have to stop myself reaching for it because otherwise everything I make would feature some!

Another thing you've probably noticed is that I like to make little grungy flowers - not the beautiful multi - petalled ones that lots of you clever people make but the simple, two or three layered ones that suit my lack of flower making skills best!

I love using sprays and inks combined with stamping to make my own backgrounds too.

I love using die cuts in different ways on my projects too. . . . . . so where is all this 'love to do' leading you ask? Well, at Simon Says this week the challenge is to make something using your favourite technique and I tried, I really did, to narrow it down to one but it's impossible!! Perhaps if I said top of the list at the moment is to make my little flowers then that's probably true but at least two of the other things I've mentioned need to be there too. . . . . . . !

The challenge at Sunday Stampers (which I might just make!) is to make something Shiny - I do hope Hels thinks the enamel, perfect pearls and gold leaf coloured paste fits into this theme as I'm going to share  my work with her talented followers.

The challenge at The Stampman is Precious Metals/Medals - Olympics - Gold/ Silver/ Bronze so I'm entering my work in their challenge too.

OK, down to what I've actually been up and to and really LOVED making: my Sister Sandie gave me a little wooden box which had originally contained decorations - being a lover of all things second hand AND free, I grabbed it quick before she changed her mind!

Here's what I made with the unloved little box:

The box was painted with Claudine Hellmuth's gesso and all visible edges were coated with gold leaf paste.
Eventually, the inside of the box, not covered with home-made background card, was painted with good quality gold acrylic.


The top of the box - not sure why it looks curved as it is completely flat! All the background card used was made by using a combination of dylusion inks, perfect pearls and distress inks. Simple script was stamped using a toning chalky ink and all cut edges were inked with Walnut distress ink.

The lid slides open to reveal the interior: the base is another piece of my background card, made as described above and the 'walls' are painted but you can't see how much they glisten here due to the light and angle.

The scrolls across the lid are die cut and then given two coats of Aged Gold embossing enamel - I love this stuff because it's quite chunky and has the little black flecks which give it that grungy, aged look. You can also see evidence of the 'Forever Green' Perfect Pearls which was scattered over the wet inks.

Slightly blurred - sorry! The flowers are die cut and punched from the same background card as used elsewhere but not all the layers have been stamped. Each layer was then inked with walnut distress and some random gold pen was applied before they were spritzed, shaped and assembled.



On the internal base of the box, the same die cut as seen on the lid was cut from my card and attached for extra interest.


Here you can see the edges not covered with card are all coated with the gold leaf paste to give a quality finish. The random inking of the card pieces shows up beautifully here - how I love using dylusion ink sprays!!

Hope you like my little box - I've become quite attached to it so I hope my Sister doesn't ask for it back!! I really do appreciate how many of you pop over and see my work and then take time to leave a comment - it's much appreciated and if I can find you again, I will always pay a return visit.




38 comments:

  1. Very very beautiful box Julia
    Love also the color very much.

    Greetings Janny

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  2. ...this is stunning Julia...richly decorated in the most beautiful of shades, the jade aqua and turquoise look gorgeous and together with the old gold you have created something very special, from a drab box to a stunning keepsake...superb crafting...Mel :)

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  3. Wow! I love this box! I love the colors and that GOLD is just fabulous against that gorgeous aqua/turquoise color. Absolutely gorgeous die cut scrolls that you have made looks so fabulous with the gold embossing enamel. I also love the fact that you kept those beautiful flowers the same color as the box. Very effective and rich looking. Thanks for sharing this beautiful box with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

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  4. Your box is simply beautiful Julia...I love the colours and gold embossing!
    Alison x

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  5. Hi Julia, who would have thought that a plain box could end up looking as stunning as this and the embossed die cuts really do shine! I think I would hide it from your Sister when she next visits..........your flowers are gorgeous too. Crafty hugs, Anne x

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  6. Don't know about your sister wanting it back but if I come to visit I may just swipe it as it is so adorable. Turquoise and gold is just beautiful, you have transformed an old ordinary box into a piece of treasure. Think you'll have to hide it from me too. BJ

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  7. Hi Julia, saw this as I likned up to the StampMan. Stunning transformation! Those colours with the gold embossed die cuts are fabulous. As Anne said, hide it from your Sister when she next visits.
    Avril xx

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  8. Absolutely gorgeous Julia! The colours are sumptious (I love turquoise and gold) and the gold enamalling on the scrolls is fantastic. The flowers just finish it off perfectly. What a treasure!

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  9. Wow! I love your box! Beautiful colors and i love the scrolls!

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  10. Beautiful transformation. I love the colour and all the gold.

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  11. Wow Julia ! You turned the plain box into a stunning masterpiece ! I also LOVE gold and that shade of blue that you used. I was using Gold embossing on almost every project for a long time. Awesome work, Shirleyx

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  12. What a fantastic box that gorgeous rich colour and the gold work is awesome not to mention your lovely flower. Glorious box thank you for bring this and joining us at The Stamp Man XOXO Zoe

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  13. It really is a very regal looking box beautifully done :)
    Von ♥

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  14. Oh WOW!! Your little box is just GORGEOUS! I love the deep colours and the contrast of the gold against the blue. The Aged Gold embossing powder is just scrummy! I share your love of gold embossing... I have a Pirate Gold powder that I've had for donkey's years and is my "go to" embossing powder.

    Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog... I must warn you, digi stamps and colouring with Copics/Promarkers is highly addictive! :lol: My colouring technique is actually fairly simple... decide which direction the light is coming from and which areas will catch the most light... leave those areas white and colour everywhere else with the lightest colour. I then add layers of progressively darker colour, each time leaving some of the lighter colour underneath showing, putting the darkest colours into the most shadowed areas.

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  15. Hi Julia... Did you say you hope we like your little box... Well I love it!! it's breathtaking.. stunning.. beautiful.. Gorgeous.. I can go on you know!!! the colours, design, detail & the flowers are simply perfect!! Hugs May x x x

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  16. Your little box is well loved now and looks gorgeous!! You did a fabulous job and I love all the embossing, gold embossing powder is one of my favorites!! waving home from the last day in Florida :)

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  17. This is just unbelievably stunning Julia!!!! You are one talented lady! So much attention to detail too. This should be treasured and displayed (under lock and key of course!) Don't worry if it seems to take longer than others to complete projects - when you put this much effort into something it becomes a work of art. Besides which, it covers several challenges too! and you've been deservedly winning so many of them too!!! Hugs from a huge fan, Buttons x

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  18. Great ideas , very fine and looks fab

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  19. Absolutely stunning, what a transformation. And I LOVE all the techniques you have used, especially that Aged Gold enamelling on to die cut scrolls - gorgeous colour and I'd say it was shiny enough to qualify. Many thanks for your kind comment on my blog today. Elizabeth xx

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  20. This is so beautiful! The Simon Says Stamp & Show design team thanks you for participating in this week's challenge! - Ashli

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  21. Absolutely STUNNING altered art ... I LOVE IT...especially loving the embossed diecuts, how amazing does that look! Thanks for joining in with the Sunday Stamper x

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  22. Julia, your box is just so beautiful. Absolutely wonderful.
    Sue x

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  23. Wow! Another gorgeous creation, Julia! I LOVE the rich embossing, the stamping, the sponging, those flowers.....it's all beautiful!
    Hugs and smiles

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  24. Wow! This is the first time I have visited your blog, I think I will be following your beautiful creations!

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  25. Wow Julia, this is one stunning box. I love the colour and the gold embossing on the lid looks fabulous. Love it! xx

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  26. AWESOME!!!! Love this Julia! The color is grand but that gold is spectacular! Love the filigree design of it. What a fab box!

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  27. WOW - stunning gold embossing, amazing colours... what a glorious altered box!!
    Alison x

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  28. Wow, as everyone has already said, this is stunning. A fantastic alteration.
    Yvonne

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  29. Julia, I LOVE your box!! Wow! I mean WOW! Great job!

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  30. What a totally gorgeous combination of colour and texture. Your box now is a very special treasure.

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  31. Oooh Julia, I think I'm in lurve... That is one of the most stunning things I've seen online!! It's totally, totally gorgeous! The colours, the design, the detail... It's a real jewel, and all I can say is, you'd better not show your sis or she's bound to want it back lol lol!!! I do agree with you about embossing and about gold too - nothing like it to add some real quality to a project! So versatile too.

    Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog. My stamps from Ryn arrived in Saturday and I have to say they are fabulous! I've already put them to good use but can't post about it yet - I expect you can guess why! The blog post is ready and waiting to be uploaded. I had such fun yesterday with them and tried a new and very exciting technique... Watch this space, is all I can say lol!!

    There wasn't any problem with customs at all. The parcel just arrived, and it didn't take that long either. I'm super-delighted all round. Ryn is so lovely too - we've struck up quite a friendship and now correspond!

    Have a great week,
    Shoshi

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  32. What an amazing altering of this box Julia...the looks are zo elegant now, wowww...don't know how to express it in English...it is gorgeous!!!
    Love this box!!!

    Greetings, Alie :-)

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  33. Too gorgeous! Every single time I come on your blog, I fall in love all over again! this is my newest favourite - now just to wait for your next project to knock this one off the list!!! M x

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  34. Oh this is gorgeous! The colors are beautiful, the embossing is stunning, and I LOVE those flowers! One amazing transformation!

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  35. Fantastic transformation! Great colours and texture!
    Hugs from Slovenia

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Juliax