Sunday 1 February 2015

Tic Tac Toe Challenge . . . . . .

Good morning everyone, it's my turn to host the challenge at Our Creative Corner this month and it's the sort of challenge that I love - of course!

My challenge is a Tic Tac grid and here it is along with the instructions we'd like you to read and follow:

Here's what we'd like you to do:
  • Choose one line from the grid shown. This can be a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line but you must select the middle square as one of your choices. 
  • What you make is your choice but please ensure that the three items you have chosen are clearly visible on your make. 
  • Please state in your post which line you have chosen. 
  • Inks, stains, sprays etc can be used as necessary on your project.
Here's what I've come up with:


A pewter effect finish to a bought box.
The line I chose is: Die Cuts, Stamps & Embossing Folders. (The embossing folders are used inside the box).

The transition from the papier mache blank; followed by two coats of gesso and finally the basic makeover is complete bar the flower.
The box is painted inside and out with the metallic paint.
Paint the outside of the box and lid with antiquing cream and leave to dry. Use a baby wipe  to remove as much of the cream as required. I find that although I wipe most of the cream off, the metallic paint has taken on a deeper tone, more like pewter - yay!
Two ovals of white card are cut and embossed - one for the inside of the lid and the other for the inside base. Next, one coat of gesso, two coats of the same metallic fluid acrylic as before followed by the same antiquing cream process. Love this effect!
Florals are die cut from card and painted with two tones of chalky paint - quite roughly as they are far from finished!
The floral die cuts are stamped with versamark followed by detail silver embossing powder.
The die cuts are antiqued using the same colour as previously shown. Next they are shaped using a paintbrush handle.
A silver charm is painted with gesso after the hanging loop has been cut off. This is followed by the same colours used for the floral die cuts. 
Next a little randomly applied detail embossing powder and lastly, some carbon black antiquing cream as described earlier.(Not shown here).
The completed charm is used as the centre of the flower. You can see that a fair amount of the antiquing cream has been left in the 'folds' of the charm.
Double sided tape is applied around the lower half of the box. The edges of the grosgrain ribbon are sealed with a lit match and the ribbon is placed into position.
A strip of card is die cut with a Spellbinder's die. Small stick on pearls are attached along the strip then everything is coated with gesso followed by the metallic paint and antiquing. The pearls are mostly silver coloured now with lots of black left around them. An Andy Skinner texture stamp is used on the lid and outside of the box just to add extra grunge - archival ink is used.

An oval of grunge paper is cut for the base and goes through the same embossing (works better on grunge board than grunge paper), metallic acrylic, antiquing cream followed by stamping with archival. When dry the grunge paper is glued to the base - I don't like leaving things unfinished (or I don't know when to stop!).The darker scratch marks have been stamped with archival using the same Andy Skinner stamp as before.
As it's Valentine's Day this month, what better use for the box than to squeeze in four chocolates as a tasty treat for the one you love - or you could eat them yourself like I did!

Thank you for sticking with me to the end! I do like to see lots of pictures myself but I know some find it tiresome!

Our sponsor at OCC this month is the wonderful Tando Creative. 


Over to you now - lets see what you can do with our Tic Tac Toe challenge!

18 comments:

  1. Wow Julia, what an amazing project, - from a humble paper mache box to a glorious metallic treasure box like this, - stunning! The flower looks incredible in ll it's metal look glory and I adore how you did that strip around the circumference! Great use of embossing folders too!

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  2. I love the box, what a transformation, the flower is beautiful. I need to buy some black antiquing cream. Hugs Jan x

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  3. I LOVE THIS!!! So many inspiring techniques! I agree with Jan - I HAVE to have the black antiquing cream now! This is a brilliant example of how effective paint can be in achieving wonderful effects. Thanks so much for setting such a fantastic challenge at OCC - Have fun with it! Lots of love and hugs Laura xxxx

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  4. Wow...how gorgeous this little box is....great alteration Julia!!!
    Have a nice Sunday, Alie :-)

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  5. Such a beautiful flower on this amazing transformed box! Very inspiring for the challenge you gave us. Thanks!

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  6. Absolutely stunning Julia!! I thought that die cut strip was inlaid, what a genius trick of the eye! Love the pewter and your flower is spectacular! Thank you for such a creative challenge! hugs :)

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  7. This looks gorgeous. Thanks for showing how you made it.
    If i had a box I would start right away. Very inspiring Anneke.

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  8. Golly...it looks just like pewter! Fabulous project & tute dearie! xxx

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  9. Fabulous Julia, love the flower idea and such cool colours, gorgeous!!! Hugs, Kerstin

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  10. Oh, and you've stashed chocolate inside this gorgeous box?! LOVE IT even more, Julia!! The steps you took to transform this simple round box, into the gorgeous, vintage treasure trove it's become--Fantastic!! I love everything about this--the inside, the outside, the beautiful bloom!! Such a wonderful inspiration for the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge, Julia!! Thank You!! XOXO-Shari

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  11. Gorgeous! LOVE the metallic look and the inside too! Oh that flower is yummy!

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  12. Julia, this is just wonderful! And all the better for having lovely chocolates inside too. Gorgeous work. Hugs, Anne xx

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  13. Wow! Your box is amazing, I love it.
    xxx Hazel.

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  14. Julia when I saw this on OCC I really thought the box was actual pewter!!!! What an amazing transformation. I am searching all over the South African Internet for that gorgeous metallic paint now. This project is so wonderful. Thanks for stopping my blog as well.

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  15. Fabulous box Julia!!! I hadn't had time so far to read your tutorial, fantastic as usual, thank you!! Have a lovely week-end, Coco xx

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  16. Oh my gosh Julia, that is absolutely stunning! Thank you for such a wonderfully detailed tutorial and for a great challenge at OCC.

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  17. Incredible !!!!!! One of the best alterations I have ever seen !!!

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  18. Taking in those details and loving them all! A true transformation into an aged metallic work of art. LOVE it! Jenny x

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