Cheese Boxes....

...come in handy.  I wanted to make a special something for a granddaughter who hasn't been that well lately - so I trawled through the trash and treasure I have stored in my workshop and found an empty cheese box made of balsa wood and made this! She loved it. However the trawl made me realise how much junk I have so I have had a clean out and purchased two more storage cupboards (hubby is putting together the second as I type) to hide the treasure and create a little order!

(Sorry - thought I had scheduled this to go live this morning (Monday 6th) but didn't work-aaaak!!!)

 Recycle, Eco Craft: Frugal bonus technique  - make and add a Paper Bead. 

WARNING: Long post, so you might need to grab a cuppa first!

I have made it for Unstampabelles new challenge for February (see details below):

I will also enter it into:
Gingersnapcreations Challenge - words of wisdom (I have them inside on on top)
Stampotique designers  - altered item (a cheese box)
Whimsy Stamps - make your own flowers (yep!)
Aud Sentiments - anything but a card sentiment (It's not a card!)



The prize for this months challenge is from Cardmaking Online.  The Challenge starts today and runs until Friday, 2nd March - so get creating!

Cardmaking Online has been running for two years and offers a large range of card making products, including Parchment Craft, European style card making, card stitching, 3D Decoupage, embossing folders and dies, Hobbyjournaal magazine, card stock, peel-off stickers and more.

http://www.cardmakingonline.com.au/

The Prize: 

(I have added a tutorial on making paper beads at the bottom of this post)

This is how I made the box:

I took the balsa wood box and painted it with some watered down gesso (white) as I wanted it to be off white in colour although I knew a lot would be covered up.

Here is a contrast - yes,we eat a lot of yummy cheese, especially over Christmas!

I got some old My Minds Eye Bohemia - Pretty Little Girl 12 x 12 from the stash and cut out the circle to fit the top of the box, using my SU Scissor Circle.  I cut two strips to fit around the edge and used Tombow glue on the top and double sided tape on the edges to attach them and then filed them with sandpaper to make them fit properly. This gave them a bit of a vintage look as well. The sandpaper disc is on the right (flower shape) and the glue rubber (eraser - essential when using Tombow for me as I get it everywhere!)  is on the left sitting on the double sided tape.

I found an old rub-on in the bottom of the rub-on drawer by I think Sandi Lion, but maybe not... and using the bone folder I finally got it to release and sit in the bottom of the base. In the top left (scissors handle area) you can see the wooden bird cage and birds I used.  They were purchased in Melbourne at Blackburn (PaperArts Bellbird) and there is no makers name on the pack. I sprayed them first with Tsukineko's Walnut inks -Willow and Lilac; and then with a top of Moon Glow's Gossamer Gold mist from The Stamp Gang. 

Then I fiddled with stuff until I had an idea of how I would place them - the epoxy sticker came from the pack on the left from Cloud Nine.  The flowers are two I  made earlier and I simply cut three leaves and stem from a Sizzix die from SU in SU Lucky Limeade scrap card. I put a piece of this card under the epoxy sticker as well to  highlight it. The lace was laying around on the desk - its from SU as well. At this time I noticed I had to do something about the bottom layer edge of the box as well - I didn't have enough Bohemia paper left so I found this strip of sticky 'ribbons' in the stash drawers (you can see it about 1-o-clock) -again, no idea where it came from but it matched! 

The next day I decided it needed something else, and added a scrap of purple ribbon that was also just laying around. I then took it outside and tried to photograph it and get the sparkle going! I had sprayed all of  it with a home-made gold mica spray the night before. It really does have a subtle sheen going on!

You will notice that the first photo above shows two home made paper beads added: I  re-read the Challenge you see, so made two beads and added them with gold embroidery thread - I have since shortened these threads as well so the beads only just hang off the ribbon. 

Hope you like it!


Paper Bead Tutorial:


1. Cut a strip of paper as wide as your bead (around half an inch or 1.5 cm) and as long as required.  Here I have used a piece of Japanese paper original sheet size is 15 x 15 cm

2.  If you want your bead to be bigger in the middle, and skinny on each end, cut the paper strip in half, beginning in the corner of the strip at the top and ending in the opposite corner at the bottom. If you want a blunt look, do not cut the strip.

3.  Using double sided tape or glue gun, or similar, attach ribbon or twine to the top inside edge of the strip.  In other words, the opposite side to the one you want to appear on the outside of the bead. Make sure the ribbon is at right angles to the end of the paper.

4.  Now using tweezers or fingers if you are nimble, simple wind the paper strip tightly until to you get to the last 3 cm or 1".  Now put some glue or similar onto the inside of the paper and continue to wind until the paper is completely wound up and glued. I used SU crystal Effects as my glue or sometimes Tombow.  Remove the tweezers carefully.  Let the glue dry. You have a bead dangling off a ribbon.  If you just want a bead, skip step 3.