Love Candle Holder for Anything But a Card

Love Candle Holder for Anything But a Card Tic Tac Toe Challenge #32

When one of my teamies came up with the idea of doing a Tic Tac Toe challenge I was all for it! I volunteer on a blog that lists challenges and I have seen quite of few of then & I think its fun to make things guided by a few rules.  Not too many rules, just a few.  Here is the Tic Tac Toe board we used:

**Disclaimer - I had pictures of the whole process for this post but they have magically disappeared! So what you are actually seeing are pictures after the project was done. 

While thinking of what I wanted to create and how I wanted to incorporate the challenge into my project , I was actually leaning toward an “un valentine” theme of some sort – like maybe a wall hanging to celebrate someone’s divorce, but the closer it got to Valentine’s Day the more I wanted to stretch myself and make something happy.  While digging through my stash I spied my glass square candle holder the idea just clicked in place!  I used the middle line, vertical, for this; Recycled the tin can, my faux velvet heart and the black is the ink. 

What I used to make my LOVE candle holder:

• 1 clear glass square candle holder (2 ½” all around)
• Alcohol Inks in shades of red (I used Ranger & TRIA refills)
• Ranger Alcohol Ink Blending Solution
• Ranger Blending Tool with felt
• Scrap from one soda can (I have a bunch of cans all cut up and ready to use)
• LOVE word stamp, manufacturer unknown
• Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
• Globecraft & Piccolo 3D Enamel Gel in Mars Black
• Scrap of waxed paper or non-stick craft sheet
• Faux velvet ribbon
• Silhouette CAMEO
• E6000 or industrial strength glue
• Crafter's Pick The Ultimate Glue

First, I washed the candle holder with rubbing alcohol to remove any residue on the glass.  Then I just began adding splotches of alcohol ink (using my blending tool and blending solution.  I love that alcohol ink dries so fast because that lessens a chance of me making the colors muddy.  So I colored my holder and set it aside to dry (overnight – I let lots of things dry overnight).

Then I needed to see if my Silhouette CAMEO would be able to cut the faux velvet ribbon.  I cut a few lengths off the roll (yes, I have a roll of it), went into my designing software & re-sized a heart to the size I wanted, stuck the ribbon on the mat and ran it through.  It took some tweaking with the blade, but finally I got all my hearts cut out.  Since these were to be put on last I put them aside.

This is the Faux Velvet Ribbon

Stamping on metal can be tricky because the metal is so smooth; it’s definitely easier than glass, but you still need to beware of possible slippage.  I took my scrap soda can and carefully stamped LOVE about 5 times using the Jet Black ink.  I let that dry.

I wanted something to look like the metal pieces were attached on to the glass holder, my first thought was to take the folding “legs” off some brads and just glue the tops on.  But the heads of the only black brads I had were too small.  So I made my own.  I took my 3D Enamel Gel and just made rows of little dots on my wax paper.  Some of them came out too thin and looked grey, but the more I tried, the easier it became to make them the size I wanted.  Again, these dried overnight.

Then I cut my metal can where the LOVE was stamped.  I used my paper cutter for this but I don’t think all paper cutters are strong enough to handle the metal.  I have a Genesis Trimmer, I have had this thing for at least 16 years and I haven’t even had to change the blade on it.  Yes, it was costly, but I feel the investment was a good one and it has paid for itself over & over again.  If you are interested in more information about them I highly suggest you go to Bonnie’s Best page HERE .  

Once I had all my metal trimmed around my LOVE sentiment and the gel drops were dry I glued the dots to the metal. To me, they look just like if I had used a real brad!  Gluing the metal onto the glass was the hardest thing for me because I have a love/hate relationship with E6000 glue.  I love the way it really makes things stick to each other but I hate the way it seems to get everywhere!  But I had to use it, so I smeared some on the back of the metal panels and stuck them onto the glass, one on each side.  I wrapped rubber bands around the panels to lessen the chance of them bending up and leaving sharp corners (remember, soda cans spend their life in a can position and I was essentially causing the metal to bend the other way). 

I still have some corners and if I had to worry about anyone getting hurt I would have glossed the whole candle holder, with the metal attached, really thickly – like using a resin – but I don’t have any little hands looking to get cut and if I am careful I should be OK.  The elastics did help bond the metal to the glass so that worked well.  Lastly I attached my faux velvet hearts to each side, under the LOVE.  Done!!

I tried a battery operated tea light and it didn’t give off enough light so for this I think I’ll use a regular votive candle until I can get a battery operated one – can I just say I had NO IDEA that there were SO many battery operated candles!! And some of them even have scent! Ah-Maz-Zing!  

I took a bunch of pictures & it is REALLY hard to get one of something that is lit!

I hope you have enjoyed what the Design Team at Anything But a Card has created using the Tic Tac Toe challenge.  There is still time to enter so go ahead get inspired, then create and ENTER!

Thanks!
Christi

I would like to enter this glass candle holder in the following challenges:
Cut It Up - #38, Valentine's Day
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes 
2 Creative Chicks - Re-Purpose Glass
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Craft My Life (All Crafts Challenge) - Feb/March Anything Goes

Alcohol Ink Tips and Information 101 {UPDATED 10/07/18}

Please know that most of this is purely my opinion & I received no compensation, from anyone, for this article.  Also, if you find the information useful, or not, please leave me a comment so I can upgrade the page!!! Also, please let me know if there are any broken, or bad, links. 
*Last update 02/02/14 

Please note this article is NOT about alcohol ink markers.  It is about actual alcohol ink!

Since the popularity of this post {that I first wrote in 2008!} is still getting a lot of visitors, I thought it might be helpful to put a link to my Pinterest Alcohol Inks Board - that's where you'll find more information and more projects.  You can get there by clicking right here.  There have also been some changes to some manufactures and products - I've updated in the article. 
*added 02/27/18
 *and sort of updated again 10/07/18

ALCOHOL INK TIPS AND INFORMATION

I am not comparing or writing about alcohol ink markers (like Copic, ProMarker, Spectrum, etc.) this post is in reference to the actual alcohol ink.  Personally, I can’t see how/why the different brands of markers could really be that unique, but that’s just my opinion.  If you are interested in alcohol markers, there is a comparison chart here: PaperCrafter's Corner.

You can do an internet search and find millions of ways to use alcohol inks as well as lots of useful tips that accomplished artists’ have put together.  My goal here is to hopefully pass along some practical tips – the things I learned the hard way so you don’t have to.  My main concern is helping you not ruin your home or studio and finding alcohol inks that are cheap.  I am by no means an alcohol ink expert, but I do love to play with them & nothing makes me more ornery than wasting expensive stuff.

Protect your workspace heavily.  Whether you use multiple non-stick mats, silicone mats or my fav cardboard covered with wax paper (my genius invention – I’ve been doing the cardboard & wax paper thang way before the non-stick craft mats were introduced & I always have about 3 of them going so I can put stuff to paint, or to dry on one and be able to grab another. Use rigid cardboard, I usually use the cardboard that comes in packaging or something like a cereal box with both sides) make sure you have a lot of it.  Especially if you’re crafting area is the dining room table or other public space in your home.  Alcohol ink & finish (any kind of finish) don’t get along well at all – trust me on this.  So over protect.  Protect like you have a group of 20 two-year-olds coming to play alcohol ink finger paint on your antique mahogany heirloom table.  Because even though alcohol ink bottles have little spouts they can leak if they are accidentally knocked over. 

ALWAYS wear some sort of gloves that are waterproof.  It doesn’t matter if you think you are just going to dab a wee bit of alcohol ink on a tiny piece of paper; if you are not wearing gloves you will stain your hands, your cuticles, your fingernails (which may or may not be an issue) and waaay underneath your fingernails where nothing can reach, and I mean nothing.  And while the various kinds of blending & clean up solutions do work, they will not work well enough to make your hands look presentable for that wedding, business meeting or other event where you have to look good and not like you dipped your hands in a vat of bright pink paint.  And alcohol ink takes forever to wear off skin, besides the fact it can’t be that good for you.

DON’T remove your gloves until you are sure you are finished with the alcohol ink, capped and stored the bottles (including the blending solution), any doo hicky you used to play with the ink (cotton squares, tools, etc) and have set aside whatever you were using the ink for.  If you are anything like me when you are working, you are usually in an artistic frenzy; you are grabbing inks, tools, paper, all sorts of stuff that you suddenly need for this project.  And perhaps you aren’t as diligent with capping things as you normally would be* (plus some alcohol inks tend to drip down the sides of the container in that little seam where you can’t see it).  My blending solution, mixatives, Krylon metal leaf pens and ink bottles are covered with the fore mentioned & that makes it SO easy to transfer ink to your skin when you think it’s dry – remember, the blending solution “wakes” the ink up, so that purple ink that is dry on your blue ink bottle may, in fact, just be waiting, quietly, for your index finger that got a teeny bit of solution on to touch it, then BAM you woke it up.

*which also reminds me to tell you to NEVER shake your Ranger Mixables without putting the cap on – I know, seems like a no brainer, but when I am in the middle of a crafting frenzy I often forget the most basic things (like eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, etc.) and I made the HUGE mistake of grabbing my bottle of silver Mixatives and gave it a good shake and promptly ended up with pretty little silver blobs all over the place – ALL OVER the place – I am still finding things that have been blobbed & I did this quite a while ago.

Always have plenty of items to ink.  I have started to keep at least 3 full sheets of glossy card stock next to where I am working because alcohol ink goes a very, very long way.  Two drops can make backgrounds for several cards, tags, ink some metal, plastic, transparencies (remember those from school?), clay, etc.  Instead of hunting for stuff to ink while you are in the middle of your project do yourself a favor and have the stuff right there.  Not only are you being frugal (and what crafter doesn’t like to be frugal?) but you are creating what could be the start of your best piece yet.  And there is SO much you can ink with alcohol ink – the list goes on and on!  Personally, I haven’t played with it on photo paper but I have heard good results from those who have so there is another option since glossy card stock can be pricey and most of us have some photo paper around somewhere that came with our printers.  I have also heard that the For Sale signs at Dollar Stores can be used with the same results as YUPO.  I've never tried it, so I don't know. 

If you use the Tim Holtz blending handle and pads DON’T get blending solution on the black handle part – it makes the handle amazingly sticky and I had a hell of a time getting the handle off my glove, I can only imagine trying to get it and the resulting tar-like mark (‘cause I have NO idea what coats that handle but it looks and feels like tar) off your skin. I learned this after I doused the tool in blending solution trying to clean it off a bit.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  I made my own applicators quite a while ago and just used regular craft felt, but I do confess, I like Tim’s tool and the pads the best.

The Basic Alcohol Ink Primer 
(or, why the HELL are these things so expensive?)

There are many different brands of alcohol ink – remember, alcohol ink pens need refills and those refills can be considerably cheaper than alcohol inks marketed specifically as an art tool.  Reminds me of wooden sticks, yanno the kind that ice cream comes on – well, you can pay $10 for 50 at a art store, $5 for 50 at a craft store or $3 for 1000 at a medical supply store (please don’t take my example seriously – I truly don’t know if you can get 1000 tongue depressors for $3).

A candle holder I made years ago using alcohol ink on the glass part & decorated with beads.  I used to be concerned about having flame near the alcohol ink until I read on Susan Brown's blog that the alcohol evaporates and therefore there is no risk of fire once the ink is thoughly dry.

I have several different brands of alcohol inks that I play with and I have had them for years, again, because alcohol ink goes a loooog way.  By far, the most popular alcohol inks are the ones by Ranger.  Some other brands are:

• Now Winsor & Newton Promarkers was Letraset  (TRIA markers were the first set of alcohol markers I ever had – and I still have them).  I have some refill inks in 40ml bottles {called Pantone}.  Winsor & Newton has acquired Letraset.  The ProMarkers are now called Winsor & Newton ProMarkers. It seems they are NOT refillable.  However, many companies are putting out "drawing ink" which is soluble dyes in a shellac solution. I don't know if that means they are alcohol ink or not; in fact, when I searched Winsor & Newton for alcohol inks I also got calligraphy ink, which is not permanent - so I suggest you read the ink contents prior to purchasing.  

• Jacquard Products puts out Piñata Color Alcohol Inks; I got the Exciter pack which has 8 colors and 1 bottle of clean up solution.  You can get these packs for about $20 which isn’t bad {I recently saw the entire pack on BLICK for $4!!}. I also found the individual bottles for about $8 each, which is bad, in my opinion.

• ShinHan is a brand I had never heard of until I was researching alcohol inks.  This company makes markers called Touch Twin (I have seen the name spelled like this ShinHan and like Shin Han). They do sell refills for their markers and they come in 20ml bottles.  The refill ink retails for about $5 a bottle and it seems that these are readily available in art supply stores as opposed to craft stores which may effect the price. One cool thing is they say they have 204 colors.

• Spectrum Noir offers little bottles with droppers as refill inks, their bottles are 30 ml (priced about $5.95 for a SET of refills to match the set of markers you want to refill) – these may be the best bet price wise. UPDATE: I couldn't find any information on the refills for Spectrum Noir.  I've contacted Crafters Companion and will let you know when I hear back. 

• Zig Kurecolor Marker refills come in 118 colors, in a 25cc bottle – you can buy sets of refill color, I even saw them on HSN’s website! (priced about
  
  $4.75 a bottle)

• Various Ink COPIC & Ciao refills are available also.  When I looked them up I found them on Joann.com where the price ranged from $8.99 to $5.99.  They refill all types of COPIC markers, anywhere from 7 to 15 times, depending on which marker you have. I couldn't find an actual amount of ink in the refills, but the bottles look fairly large.

Just to compare, Rangers Alcohol inks all come in 1.5 ml bottles – and since most of the other brands come in larger bottles and, of course, the larger the bottle the more ink you get, it is obviously cheaper to go with a bigger bottle.  Unfortunately, the biggest bottles, the TRIA ink, is no longer available.

There are TONS and TONS of tutorials on You Tube on how to make your own alcohol ink with everything from food coloring, liquid fabric RIT dye and Sharpie markers.  I am definitely going to try the Sharpie tutorial after I buy a pack, and I even liked the food coloring one, but, there was some concern about bugs (but unless you add sugar, or some sort of food for the bugs I would think this wouldn’t be an issue, especially since you are basically mixing the food coloring with rubbing alcohol & I don’t know of any bugs that like rubbing alcohol) BUT with my luck a mutant bug will live in my house and just loooove rubbing alcohol.

If you do get alcohol ink on your nonstick mat, regular old rubbing alcohol (with at least 70% ethyl alcohol) will get the ink off your mat.  I know, I used it.  I also saw a tutorial where they used the same rubbing alcohol as blending solution.  I did throw some on one of the alcohol ink background papers I made today and it did move the ink – I didn’t try it directly on my applicator. However, the ink didn't move as freely or as nicely as it does using the Ranger Alcohol Ink Blending Solution.

Do you have any alcohol ink wisdom you would like to share?  You can either use the contact me form (on the right hand side of this blog) or just leave a comment.  Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something, and if you didn’t, I hope you had fun.

I also wanted to share just a few things I have done using alcohol inks.  Hopefully this will inspire you to pull out those neglected alcohol inks and have a blast! 

Here are some backgrounds - made on glossy paper - that I made.

This is a Christmas Ornament I made for Christmas in July.
 You can see the tutorial HERE

Here are some applicators for the alcohol ink.  The small square and the one on the left side are home made & I use regular craft felt.

Thanks for reading my alcohol ink info article - try saying THAT 5 times fast - if there is anything you'd like to add, that you think would be helpful, or would like me to add PLEASE let me know! You can leave a comment or use the contact me form over there --------------------> 

One of my VERY favorite things I've made with Alcohol Inks.  I made this AGES ago and it's just Alcohol Inks on Acetate. 
I still play with my alcohol inks and I love them to bits.  Every time I am stumped on how to color something they come through for me ~ If you have found this article helpful, you may want to subscribe to my blog, or bookmark this page.  I do update it {not as much as I should} when I have the time.  As I said before, if you have information to add, or found something incorrect, PLEASE let me know! Thanks, Christi

PS: There are other projects on my blog that use alcohol inks - just do a search for alcohol inks, or look up the label, below everything and you will find them ~ hope you enjoy!

I got featured AGAIN! Woo HOO!

I am SO thrilled to be a featured post at Unruly PaperArts again! This site is SO inspiring and they have some great challenges - here is a link to the Postcards from the Edge Challenge - mine is the last postcard:
Unruly PaperArts Postcards from the Edge

And here is a small image of the card itself:

Thanks so much for stopping by & I would love to visit your blog - leave me some blog love & I will do the same ~ Blessings!

Christmas in July

The web has gone crazy with Christmas in July so I just had to jump on the bandwagon. Thank goodness the heat has finally broken here in Colorado so I could get myself into the holiday spirit (no way could I have done this a few weeks ago when just sitting was making me literally melt!) This project was easy and inexpensive – my favorite kind!  All you need is:

• Plastic 2 piece ornament (I used a star) – you can get these at most major craft suppliers
• Alcohol ink (I used red & green, but really any combination would work)
• Ultra Fine glitter (a neutral color or one that matches your alcohol ink colors)
• Inkssentials Glossy Accents

I had this ornament in my craft room, just waiting for something to happen with it.  I had used it a while back to see if alcohol inks would stain it and I had used a bunch of colors to test; fortunately, the bulk of the colors were red based and that made my decision of what colors to use easy!   Also, when I used it as a test I didn’t cover the entire inside so there were “clear” spaces left. 

So I cracked the ornament apart and (AFTER I put my latex gloves on!!) put just one or two drops of red alcohol ink – I then used my finger to smear it around and cover what I wanted.  I did the same with the green alcohol ink, trying not to overlap the red ink too much.  Before the ink dried completely (and beware, it dries FAST) I sprinkled in some of the glitter, put the two sides of the ornament together and swished the star around to distribute some of the glitter around.  Lastly to seal the star together and make sure there was no where the glitter could escape (even thought I didn’t use that much and it seemed to be stuck on the sides) I painted the entire ornament with Inkssentials glossy accents.  This also gave the star a really nice shine; too bad I can’t get a really good picture of it, it looks much nicer in person.

That was it! I am planning on putting a bow on the top after I get my decorations out and can find a real ornament hanger (don't you love my hanger!?!) and can find my skinny silver ribbon - if you've seen it, please let me know! I really like the simplicity of the ornament and the coating of the glossy accents makes it shine so nicely! I have a bunch more plastic ornaments and I think I finally know what I am going to do with them.  Hope you enjoyed this little project and please don’t forget to follow me – have a crafty day & I will be back soon (wait until you see my Halloween projects - Halloween is definitely one of my most favorite holidays!)

I am entering this in the following challenge:

Anything But a Card - Christmas in July Challenge #24

Alcohol Ink Postcard

I love Unruly PaperArts and I promised myself I would enter as many challenges as they’d let me.  Well, this month’s challenge is “Postcards off the Edge” – I still have a whole bunch of ideas with that in mind, but one stuck out so far I had to make it today.

This is what I used:

• 1 piece of Priority Mail box cut to 4 x 6
• Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley Stamp Set “Say What You Mean”, #DYR34551
• A whole bunch of alcohol ink background papers – all different colors (I used inks from many different companies to make these backgrounds)
• The little pad you swipe on the stuff you are gonna emboss so the powder doesn’t stick where it isn’t supposed to
• Extra Fine Detail Embossing Powder, Black, from Stampin’ Up!
• Top Boss Embossing Pad

The computer cannot due these justice - they are beautiful if I must say so myself :)

First, I cut 2 x 2 squares out of the background papers.  I tried to look for lighter colors because I wanted to be able to see embossed sayings.  I finally ended up with six squares that I liked.

I then went to my “Say What You Mean” stamp set and chose sentiments that would fit on the squares. I didn’t even look at what they said, if they fit, they were in.

Then I swiped my squares with that anti-embossing powder pad thingie, stamped each square with a sentiment with the embossing ink, sprinkled on the embossing powder and embossed with my kick ass Weller Heat Gun.  I have had this heat gun for 10 years and I LOVE it – It cost a lot of money, but it was SO worth it!

After a slight mishap where my quote literally chipped off my square, I cut a new one and all was good again.  This time the embossing held up fine.

I put them on my 4 x 6 postcard and there! I love this because it is so colorful – and if I am going to do color, you are gonna see it – no mamby pamby color here! OK, I think it’s time for bed. . . 

If I can't decide between pictures, you get them all

I dunno, maybe this one is the best pic so far

 I am entering this fabulous postcard in Unruly PaperArts: RAQ 1 - Postcards from the Edge Challenge and I have a feeling there will be more. . . ;)

"Stars" Project

I had an idea of what I wanted to do – that’s rare – usually I have no idea what I am going to do and stuff just flows.  This time I knew I wanted to make another wall hanging and I had found an old scrap of foam core board and I decided to use that as my base. I had tea dyed some coffee filters for a doll project I am making and while the filters were dyeing, I threw in some of this really cool “fabric” my honey brought home for me.  I say “fabric” because it isn’t cloth, it isn’t lace and you can tear it – so I don’t know what it is made of, but it took the tea dye beautifully.  This is a picture of the “fabric” in its natural white color with the tea dyed “fabric” next to it.

Since this “fabric” came out SO cool, I decided to make a project and enter in the Unruly Paper Arts RAQ2 challenge of Shabby Chic using the colors pink & brown in 3D.  Now this is a true stretch for me because I really don’t like the color pink but I marched onward in my quest!   I trimmed the foam core a bit to try to make it as even as I could, then I glued the “fabric” on it.

 

I used one of my photo stamps from The Stampsmith (Estelle has the most beautiful photo stamps I have ever seen & they work like a dream).  I used the stamp called “Heavenly Gaze” & stamped her on glossy card stock (I stamped her on regular card stock, too, so you could see the difference. It is recommended that photo stamps be stamped on glossy card stock) using Archival Ink in Jet Black.  Then I found my saying that I got from Quietfire (another AWESOME company) on light pink paper.  Edged the pink card stock that I stamped with my quote with Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy and then inked the edge of the frame that I cut out with my Cricut machine (this is a miracle in itself!!) with the same.  The frame was made out of paper from Dovecraft that was a gift many years ago.  I put together the frame and the picture and mounted them in the middle of the foam core.  Because the quote says “It is said that when it is the darkest that you see the stars the clearest” I wanted to put some bling on – stars of course!  So I dug through my gems and such, pulled out some stars and blinged her up!  I felt that she might have been done at this stage so I put her on my wall until I could decide if she needed more or not.

After looking at her all day, on & off, I decided, she needed something on the side.  So I took another piece of Dovecraft paper and used it to die cut the flower you now see on the left hand side.  Since I had to snip a bit off the flower, I took a piece that I snipped and put it down by the quote.  I then decided we need a little something on the right side, so I took that same light pink paper, die cut a little butterfly and made the body out of brown card stock (I don’t remember who the flower die cut is from but the butterfly is from QuicKutz).

I like her MUCH better now, don’t you?  Do you think she was fine as she was?  Please let me know because I am working on embellishing my pieces & all the comments are SO helpful.

Also, since I titled this project "Stars" and she is so shabby & chic I am entering her in the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog Challenge for the letter "S".

Faux Riveted Patchwork

I had every intention of posting this a few days ago but we were hit with a one day heat wave & I was just too hot to do anything.  Then I forgot all about it,  got all tangled up with some other stuff I am working on and my space is way messier than usual since we have finally begun to put shelves up in my room.  Yippee for the shelves, bummer for the mess, but anyway. . . 

I finally got my hands on A Compendium of Curiosities, Volume 2 by Tim Holtz – I love the first book, so I was ready to love this book, too, and I did.  I find lots of inspiration from Tim Holtz’s creations and I love finding new ways to use the stuff I already have as well as adding more stuff I absolutely need to my huge list of needs (notice I didn’t say want).  One of my favorite techniques in Volume 2 is what is called “Riveted Patchwork” using Inkssentials™ Metal Foil Tape and Adirondack Alcohol Inks.  The only problem was I didn’t have any Metal Foil Tape, and I really wanted to make something that looked as cool as what Tim did, so I did what every good crafter (artist?) does, I improvised.  This is what you’ll need to make the cute little box that I made:

• Metal Foil Tape (I used 3M Metal Repair Tape that we got a Lowe’s for about $8)
• Adirondack Alcohol Ink (I used Eggplant)
• Alcohol Ink Blender tool (which I never thought I needed but am now SO glad I got it)
• Alcohol Ink Blender Solution
• Small Box (I used plastic, but I imagine this Metal Foil Tape will stick to almost anything)
• Wooden Feet (buttons, whatever you’d like to use)
• Krylon Silver Metal Pen to color your feet (if you want to)

Make sure your box is dry & clean.  The box I used is a plastic box with a partial lid on it, that held cosmetic applicators that look like pointy cotton swabs, and measured 3 ½” x 3 ½” .  I chose this box because I liked that the lid had a portion that stayed on the box completely rather than a paper mache box where you just lift off the whole top (this a bit clearer when you look at the picture of the box).

I covered the box with the Metal Repair Tape.  I took the top completely off the box for this step and started at the edges of the box.  I figured this way I could get the tape right up to where the top went back on without too much hassle.  Once both pieces, the top & bottom, were covered with the tape I burnished the spots that needed it (like the bottom.  This box had little tiny plastic feet that I didn’t even know was there until I went to cover them.  So I fit the tape the best I could around the little feet & decided I was going to use something else for the feet that would fit right over the plastic bumps).  If I had wanted to make the tape look riveted this is where I would have used whatever tools I had to make little circles with the dot (rivet) in the center, but I decided that for this box, the rivets weren’t necessary (plus, I didn’t really feel like drawing all those little dotted circles).

After letting the box sit overnight (thought I doubt you’d have to) I used the Alcohol Ink Applicator and started to sponge the eggplant alcohol ink around the box & top, taking care to try to keep the pattern somewhat consistent.  When the ink color got soft, I put some Blending Solution on the pad & smooshed it around again.  This is where I also inked another small piece of the metal tape to use for the hinges of the top (I have many pieces of cardboard that I got in packages, you know the kind you get to keep sheets from getting crinkled when they are mailed or filler cardboard used in bigger boxes, not corrugated because that will bend.  I took some waxed paper and covered the cardboard & I use these to put my stuff on to dry.  It’s awesome because you can paint on them, glue like a mad woman, make a huge mess and it doesn’t go anywhere but on the cardboard.  When it’s too inky or messy, I just either rip the waxed paper off of it, or put another piece on top.  These work great if you are like me and make a few different things at once – the whole reason I am even telling you this is because I used one of my waxed paper boards to put the small piece of tape on and set it aside to dry).

Once everything was dry & I liked the pattern of the ink, I attached the top of the box with the tape hinges and used my Krylon Silver Leafing pen to cover some wooden pieces I had for the feet.  Then I attached the feet with some glue & sprayed it with some acrylic sealer. 

The sealer didn’t make it as shiny as I like, so I am debating if I am going to try some Inkssentials Glossy Accents or maybe some Modge Podge on it, (and I just got my order from Amazing Crafting Products (you HAVE to go see what people do with this stuff!)– the resin & the putty – so I might get crazy and mix up a batch of resin for the top, but here it is for now.  And, no, I have no idea what I am going to use it for. . .maybe a gift? 

Here it is all done! This view is from the front.

This is from the side - see what I mean about part of the cover staying on?

The cover is open and you can see the shine from the Metal Tape through the plastic.

A really good view of the hinges, kind of taken under the top.

And finally the bottom with the pretty silver feet.

I should have taken a before picture.  I'm still new at this!  Hope you like it and I would LOVE your comments!