Brocade Box

I recently picked up an alterable Plain Jane Cigar box at my LSS and decided today was the day to turn it into something pretty. I hemmed and hawed a bit about which papers to use, and decided to go with the gorgeous Brocade Backgrounds from last year's catalogue. (The same pattern is available now, but in fresh, spring colours.)

I started by painting the box with Antique Linen distress crackle paint (this stuff is so cool!), then cut my designer paper to fit inside and out and glued it down with Tombow Mono Multi. (I really like this adhesive, but I need to get better at not getting it on my hands because it's quite sticky. I know, I know, it's glue....) A little note about the paint - the crackle medium is built right in so no need for layering glazes over a base coat of paint, and the bottle has a built-in paint brush so no clean up afterwards! (Other than what you get on your hands and pants and floor when you drop the brush - oops....)

Once I had the box covered, I wanted to embellish the top a little, so I made a few layers with the designer paper and coordinating stamped images. I used the wonderful scroll and medallion from Baroque Motifs, and gilded the lily with the chocolate chip satin ribbon from the Winter Mini and a half-back pearl from the Pretties Kit. I added a little loop of ribbon to be a pull-tab for opening the box.

I was quite pleased with how this turned out. And the good news is I still have a box in my stash to try out another day, perhaps with a completely different feel to it. The original box has a window in the top, so the next one I do might keep that window. So much stamping, so little time!

Supplies: Stamps: Baroque Motifs - Stampin' Up!; Paper: Brocade Background, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, River Rock; Ink: Encore Gold, River Rock; Other: Cosmo Cricket Plain Jane Cigar Box, Antique Linen Distress Crackle Paint - Ranger, ribbon and pearl - Stampin' Up.