Top Secret Altered Box ~ eP Get Altered Challenge

It's time for the October Get Altered challenge at eclectic Paperie. The Get Altered Challenge is all about exploring your creative journey, stepping out of your comfort zone, experimenting with new products, and creating altered or mixed media art. We love to see your creations and if you link up to the eP challenge you could win a $15 gift certificate to the eclectic Paperie shop. Micki is our talented and creative hostess with the mostest for this challenge and she has chosen the theme Alter a Box.

 I have been altering more playing cards for a Christmas present and needed a home for them as part of the gift so I started out with a wooden box from Dollarama, similar to the one in the photo but with a different closure and size. Guess who forgot to take a picture before she started...lol.

I removed the handle and coated the box with white gesso. Once that was dry, I scribbled on 5 different colours of Neocolor II watercolour crayons and spread the colour with a wet brush. After allowing drying time, I intensified the colour particularly around the edges but also wherever it needed it using gelatos (Boysenberry, Snow Cone, and Margarita Mix) and a wet finger. Sometimes the watercolour crayons can have the same depth of colour throughout and I like the intensity of the gelatos to break up larger areas. The colours were further deepened around the edges with Cobalt Green, Cobalt Blue, and finally Black Big Brush pens.

Front open

Paper scraps were torn from an old book page and edged with Vintage Photo Distress ink. Papers from Lilybee Designs' Persnickety Tiny Tablet and Fancy Pants' Park Bench collection plus leftover bits of die cut borders were also added to the mix.

Back open

Background stamping was done with a TH script stamp using Memento Teal Zeal ink. Pieces of drywall mesh were added both inside and outside the box to add texture.

Stencilling was done with white gesso using TCW's Halftone Borders (seen below) and Spinning Tops stencils as well as Dylusions Number Jumble stencil. Memento Bamboo Leaves ink was applied through the TCW Confetti stencil.

Shading was created next to the papers on the background with a Sketch and Wash pencil softened with a waterbrush.

(Back view closed)

The collaged images mainly from Tumble Fish Studio were fussy cut and combined before being adhered to the box. The sentiments "Open at Your Own Risk" and "You're going to peek, aren't you" were computer generated and matted with black cardstock to allow them to show up better.

(Inside view)

The Top Secret, Evidence, and This is Art signs were stamped using darkroom door's Mail Art stamps, Versamark ink, and black embossing powder. They were grunged up with Vintage Photo Distress ink after heat setting.

(Sides)

Messy outlining was done with a black Pilot pen. Black gesso was watered down slightly and loaded onto a bottle lid to make the black rings. By placing them over all of the layers it ties them together and embeds the layers into the background and each other.

The knob was painted with the black gesso and a metal edged sticker was adhered to the center of it. What a fun and inexpensive holder...the atcs fit perfectly inside. I know I'll be making a trip back to the dollar store to see if they have any more this size.

Thanks for visiting today, for your amazing support, and wonderful comments. I truly appreciate your spending time with me. Be sure to check out the eclectic Paperie blog to see Micki's amazing altered box. You can see the ones from the rest of the DT and wonderful challenge participants by clicking on the thumbnails below Micki's post.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Here are links to the eclectic Paperie store for the following products used in this project:

Faber Castell - Gelatos - Tropical	Faber Castell - Gelatos - Blue Colors	Faber Castell - Big Brush Pens - Blue	Faber Castell - Big Brush Pen - Black
Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo	Lily Bee Design - Persnickety 6x6 Paper Pad	Fancy Pants - Park Bench 6x6 Paper Pad	TCW - 6x6 Halftone Borders Stencil
TCW 6x6 Template - Confetti	TCW - 6x6 Spinning Tops Stencil	Dylusions Stencil 5x8" - Number Jumble	VersaMark Stamp Pad
Liquitex Acrylic Gesso	Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Black Gesso