Making Tiny Shadow Boxes

Hi y'all,

Cool and interesting boxes really capture my attention.  It might be the shape, color or material that it's made of, but whatever it is I like them.  Joe knows this weakness and gave me nicely made rectangular box that his wallet came in.  It has been sitting on the corner of my drafting table for a ... while, waiting to be something.
little shadow boxes

Then my daughter gave me a box full of random crafty things.  Inside that box was the tiniest clipboard I'd ever seen.  I picked it up and placed it in the cool box and bam! there was the thought to turn them into shadow boxes.

My first step is almost always the same: paint it with gesso.  That's just what I did with the box top and bottom. When it dried, then I really slathered on some white crackle paste.  I had to put it aside to dry all night, but the effects are so dramatic.
texture

It was time to add color. For one half of the box I painted it a warm orangey-yellow and the other one was a cool green.  After they dried I added a few gesso streaks.  Then for extra drama, I randomly smeared glass bead gel which added even more texture.  This gel takes a bit to dry as well, but worth it!  The sparkle is icy.

For the inside of the green box, I added some scrap paper from my scrap paper box.  You know I feel so virtuous using up scrap paper (cue harp music).  For inside of the green box I glued down a piece of wood grain wrapping paper.

A few weeks back I watercolored/pencil sketch a safety pin for a friend and that what I wanted to put on the clipboard.  You can find out more about the safety pin here.  To make it stick I globbed on a bunch of gel medium and let it dry.  The first attempt didn't have quite enough gel hence the globbing.
I wanted to add a real safety pin on the corner.  I put a small one in the corner.  To me it was too silvery.  Using black nickel paint, I dabbed it on and gently rubbed it in.

While the pin dried, I downloaded some angel wings from Graphic Stock.  I know, I know Pink Bunkadoo has so many downloadables.  But I don't have wings.  I need to take care of that.  Anyways,  colored my wings with my Tombow markers, then swiped some Wink of Stella shimmer over it, and finally I cut them out.  I like to color before I cut because you don't have to stay in the lines and that's just faster.  I glued the pin to the wings and the wings to the corner of the box all with gel medium.

For fun, I added a cute button in the opposite corner.  On the back I glued down some scrap ribbon with Ranger Glossy Accents for a serious sticking-on-and-never-falling-offness.  Another button covered up the ribbon ends.
Safety Pin Shadow Box



shadow box
My hibernating ladybug inspired the next little shadow box.  Click here for the Instagram picture.  I had this bit of decoration from a Christmas cracker (I know I recycle or save a lot).  I glued that diagonally on the box.  Then I put a vintage skeleton key on the bottom left, because the ladybug is an invited guest and now has its own key.

For fun I watercolored a simple ladybug, punch it out with a Stamping' Up punch, and went around the edges lightly with some Distress Brushed Corduroy ink.  I attached a Tim Holtz tiny paper clip to the picture.  Then I  glued it down with a touch of gel medium.  It was so stinking' cute.!Just like on the green shadow box, I added a cutie pie button.  I attached the ribbon down the same way, too.

Then buttons on the back were plain, flat unobtrusive button, but I felt like the raw ribbon ends needed covering.



ladybug hme
This ladybug shadow box is a keeper.  I'm not sure where I'm going to put it.  Maybe near the little ladybug?

I have enjoyed shadow boxing!  I highly recommend it.  There are so many possibilities.  I found a collection of antique drawers with  years of different paints on them.  Who knows?  Another shadow box might be in my future.

Stay cozy,
Carolyn

Want to take a peek at my little shop?  www.etsy.com/shop/PinkBunkadoo

Materials:  All materials are either Amazon affiliate links.  I buy most of my crafting supplies there. Or they were recycled and scrap items.