Let's get Shabby challenge 6, 'Christmas'

At long last here's my entry for the challenge on 'Let's get Shabby' blog. The theme was simply anything Christmas, so was wide open for a variety of ideas. In a previous post I showed a photo of this box I found for just 45p in a charity shop on a recent 'girly day' to Lincoln. It was cream, 'Edwardian Lady' design, a bit dated to say the least, but ripe for altering. Here's the finished item............

I wanted it to compliment one of the Advent calendars I had recently altered for Gina and Faye, (seen again here), so had to base it around black and gold.

Here's the top view of the box. I had lots of elements to add but in the end left it with lots of 'white space' as no matter what else I added it looked over crowded.

I loved this vintage type braid I found in a shop in Louth yesterday.

Anyway, here's the process. I gessoed the box, twice, then added Jo Sonja cream acrylic and black acrylic randomly on the top and the inside to give a grubby look.

I then covered the side of the box with black Jo sonja texture paste, allowed it to dry then buffed it with copper and gold wax rubs.

Distressed some cream lace with distress ink then glued it around the edge of the box lid.

Made a template of the lid out of corrugated card, painted it black, allowed it to dry then added wax rubs. I then glued it to the original lid using tacky glue and began to decorate the lid as follows. I distressed a torn strip of sheet music, printed a vintage angels image and made on acetate overlay which I stamped with Staz on to add some swirls as seen here. I made it into a tag, made and added a reinforcement ring, and tied it with string.

I made some holly leaves out of a left over piece of collage, scrunched them up a bit, distressed them and added stickles. When dry I added them to the left of the tag in a cluster with a couple of 'berries' recyled from last years Christmas crackers.

I finished it off by making a clay heart, stamping into it and allowing it to air dry. I coloured it using distress ink and wax rubs. This was topped with a chipboard snowflake, flat backed pearl and stickles.

What with Josh's book, Tim's tags and the other 'everyday' things in life at the moment I didn't think I'd get it done in time, have had fun again though!!!!!

Sue xxx