Repurposed Box for a Masculine Gift

I tend to keep containers, notepads, and other objects in hopes that I might make something with sometime in the future. In this case, I had a box that came from a grab bag at a craft store. It was a red lacquer-type box with "hello" written in white on the top - not very exciting. The techniques here can be adopted for use in other ways, such as on a cover for a notepad or in multi-media artwork. Creative Medium, by Imagine Crafts, can be used on all types of surfaces - it adheres well and provides enough tooth for easy integration with other mediums. In this case I'm using black gesso as a base. The iridescent and metallic layers look best over black.

Making the Box

1. If the wood finish is shiny or smooth, it's a good idea to sand first. These techniques may be used over paper mâché or even plastic.

2. Watch the video below:

Notes: there are several choices for Creative Medium, different metallics as well as iridescent colors. There are also other choices for Delicata and Brilliance - making for seemingly endless combinations.

Supplies

• Creative Medium: Clear, Iridescent Green, Metallic Bronze
  
• Delicata Ink: Golden Glitz
• Brilliance Ink: Gamma Green
• irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Bronze
• Sheer Shimmer Spritz: Gold
• Ink Blushers
• Multi-Purpose Squeegee and/or Palette Knives
• Box
• Acrylic Paint Brush
• Gears Stencil (e.g. Dreamweaver)
• Black Gesso (e.g. Liquitex)
• Felt: Black, Red
• Optional: Soap Pen
• Recommended: Craft Mat

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Delicata Multimedia Grunge Card

Use the new Black Shimmer and White Shimmer Delicata Inks to create this grunge multimedia look. This would make a great background for masculine cards (maybe with gears instead of butterflies, heh). Check out all the layers of color and texture.

Making the Card

1. Cut blue cardstock 7x10 inches; fold in half for a card base.

2. Cut red cardstock 2 x 3 7/8 inches (for stamped sentiment). Cut blue cardstock 1 3/4 x 3 3/8 inches (for background for frame and the word "FLY").

3. Watch the following video to create grunge papers:

The piece on the left of the red label (where most of the butterflies are located) is the center of the frame used around the word "FLY." All pieces were edged with the Black Shimmer Delicata Ink.

Hint: arrange items before gluing; draw pencil guide lines before stamping (erase lines after ink has dried - you may want to heat set).

Supplies

Imagine Crafts

• Delicata Inks: Black Shimmer, White Shimmer
• StazOn Ink: Jet Black
• VersaFine Ink: Onyx Black
• Memento Luxe Inkers: Love Letter, Nautical Blue (or Stamp Pads)
• Ink Blushers
• Creative Medium: Clear
• StazOn All-Purpose Cleaner
• Tear It! Tape

Other Supplies

• Spellbinders Embossing Folder: Gridiron (SEL-002)
• Spellbinders Dies: Robo Bar (S3-232), Take Flight (S4-620)
• Acrylic Gesso: White (e.g. Liquitex, Prima Art Basics)
• Watercolor Paper: Arches Rough; optional, use Hot Press (smooth) for letters
• Cardstock: Blue, Red, White
• Butterfly Punches (e.g. Martha Stewart Monarch, Martha Stewart 3 in 1, EK Success)
• Large Background Stamp (e.g. Clocks)
• Alphabet Stamp Sets (e.g. Studio G, Hampton Art)
• Dimensional Tape
• Brushes

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Creating Water with Creative Medium

This is a cool way to create the look of water. I put in a bit more color than I would have liked but it still looks pretty good. The Shimmer Creative Medium looks really pretty in person - it gives it a subtle shimmer when you tilt the card.

Creating the Project

1. Cut light turquoise cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base.

2. Cut turquoise cardstock 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Cut fish patterned paper (Doodlebug Under the Sea) 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 inches. Adhere to turquoise then to card base. Stamp "you're fintastic" with Onyx Black VersaFine ink onto light turquoise cardstock, trim down. Cut turquoise cardstock to be 1/8 inch larger in each dimension (so 1/16 will show all around); adhere sentiment.

3. The flip side of the fish patterned paper is bubbles. Cut a strip from left over scrap and mat it with turquoise cardstock 1/8 inch larger in each dimension (so 1/16 will show around). Adhere together. Adhere to card where shown.

4. Die cut light turquoise cardstock with stitched rectangle die (2nd smallest in set). Cut turquoise cardstock 1/4 inch larger in each dimension (so about 1/8 will show all around). Adhere together.

5. Watch video below to create aquarium:

6. Adhere aquarium and sentiment using dimensional tape where shown. Add enamel dots to upper right corner to look like bubbles.

Supplies

Imagine Crafts Supplies

• Creative Medium (Shimmer or Clear)
  
• StazOn Ink: Jet Black
• VersaFine Ink: Onyx Black
• Palette Knife
• Memento Markers: Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Toffee Crunch

Other Supplies

• Cardstock: Light Turquoise, Turquoise
• Watercolor Paper (e.g. Arches Hot Press)
• Color Burst: Ultramarine Blue
• Plastic Packaging
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Fantastic Friends
• Watercolor Paint (e.g. Windsor & Newton) or Other Coloring Medium
• Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Design Under the Sea 6x6 Paper Pad
• Dies: Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables
• Optional: Clear Dimensional Tape (e.g. Scotch Clear Mounting Tape)
• Clear Glue (e.g. Glossy Accents) - for adhering aquarium front to water if you don't want to use the clear dimensional tape
• Dimensional Tape
• Enamel Dots

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StazOn Studio Glaze Papers

StazOn Studio Glaze is a translucent pigmented medium that works well on non-porous surfaces. The best results were achieved on gessoed or glossy cardstock. In the video I show how it acts on regular cardstock (not pictured above) - it's not as vibrant but it's not bad either, if you want a more muted look.

Making the Project

Watch the video for step-by-step instructions:

The papers have a wonderful texture to them. Both of the foreground pieces below were gessoed. The one at the top (between) is glossy; sorry, it's a bit hard to distinguish. The die cut pieces further below are on glossy. The biggest difference is that the glaze goes on more transparent unless applied thickly, whereas the gessoed pieces grab on to the glaze more readily. This technique could be used in mixed media projects.

These papers make great backgrounds for cards, scrapbooks, and other projects. The following pieces were die cut from Studio Glazed glossy cardstock.

I created the following card using one of the papers. Shimmer Creative Medium was added to the Studio Glaze. The dots are translucent and have a subtle shimmer.

The rest of the card was made with black cardstock, Stardream Neenah paper (Jupiter), seam binding (bow), and a die cut black clay heart (Makin's Clay, see the Clay Embellishments tutorial).



Supplies

Imagine Crafts Supplies

• StazOn Studio Glaze: Midnight Blue, Gold, Claret, Ganache
• Creative Medium: Clear, Shimmer
• Brushstix
• DoodleStix
• Palette Knives
• Brilliance Dew Drop Ink Pad: Rocket Red Gold

Other Supplies

• Gesso
• Cardstock, Glossy Cardstock 
• Craft Mat
• Dies: Alphabet (e.g. Sizzix/Tim Holtz Word Play, Word Dies (e.g. Elizabeth Craft Designs Get Well Soon)
• Stencil: Dots (e.g. Heidi Swapp 370580)

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Clay Embellishments

Makin's Clay is a no bake polymer clay that comes in several colors. I used black so that the iridescent Creative Mediums and irRESISTible products would really stand out. Use these embellishments for decorating cards and other projects.

Making the Embellishments

The following video is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make these embellishments.

Supplies

Imagine Crafts Supplies

• Creative Medium: Iridescent-Pink, Chartruse, Turquioise, Purple; Metallic-Silver
• irRESISTible Texture Spray: Silver
• irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Shimmer, Tuxedo Black, Wedding Dress
• StazOn: Blazing Red, Cactus Green
• Ink Blushers
• Palette Knives

Other Supplies

• Makin's Clay: Black
• Optional: Pasta/Clay Machine or Clay Roller
• Dies, e.g. Sizzix/Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers
• Stencils, e.g. Heidi Swapp (Dots/Hearts/Stars), Crafters Workshop (Butterflies)

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