Wednesday 1 February 2012

Off the page

It's a new month so it's time for a new challenge at Tando Creative Challenges! Our theme this month is "leap off the page". There's a photo board if you'd like extra inspiration but I just went for interpreting the title and making a project that didn't start with a piece of paper.

I keep my collection of random die cuts in an old chocolate box. For years it's just been exactly as it was when I finished the choccies! I decided to give it a makeover and set to work with chipboard shapes, die cut lettering etc.

I used the clock and hands plus a partial cog. The bit I trimmed off the side of the clock face was used at the bottom of the lid. Some rubber washers and microbeads added a bit extra texture and lettering cut from cereal packet cardboard was used for the quote.

I glued everything down and then covered with a scrumpled sheet of tissue paper, giving everything a good soaking with slightly watered-down PVA glue. Once it was dry, I spray painted it black and then added some metallic blue, metallic turquoise and silver acrylic paints. Finally, I used silver Rub n Buff to bring out the edges and textures even further.

I think the effect of the tissue paper "rounding out" the edges combined with the sheen of the acrylics gives the appearance of something rising up out of a pool of oil or something!

I like the way the quote suggests that feeling when you're "in the zone" that you lose all track of time and just enjoy what you're doing. I thought an exploded clock went well with that idea, too!

Check out the Tando Creative Challenge Blog for details of the challenge if you'd like to play along and be in with a chance of picking out a prize of lovely Tando chippie or masks to play with - it's a random draw of all players so your chance is as good as any other entrant!

Thanks for stopping by!

17 comments:

cookcreateread said...

That is fab Joanne! I love the effect the tissue paper has! Love the quote too :)

tracy said...

WOW! this is fantastic joanne:)
love evrything..

Kath said...

What a fabulous box you have made, Joanne. Where will you keep it? You need it where you (and others ) can see it. Much too splendid to be hidden away somewhere.

Paula Whittaker said...

fantastic project!!

Kaz said...

This is fab Joanne! I love all the dimension you've achieved x

Karen said...

Wow! This looks incredible Joanne!!! The pieces really do look like they are rising up out of oily water...amazing effect xxx

Carol Plume said...

Joanne what a fantastic piece - it really takes your breath away - initially I though the base was metal - FAB piece xx

Tinkertaylor said...

Stunning I too thought it was metal.

sam21ski said...

WOW Joanne, this is fabulous and I love the way you've made it out of your old chocolate box.

It's really effective

TFS - sam xxx

Deborah said...

Wow, this is fabulous, Joanne!

Mari said...

The quote is awesome, but I really loved how the colors came together!

Janice said...

Love that relief look that you have achieved with the letters to match the cogs and clock parts.

Unknown said...

This is truly stunning - love it

salamanda said...

Beautiful box and what a lovely place to keep all the die cuts in. Love the saying.

Kathy said...

Oh my! I love what you've done to this box, it looks amazing with all the light and shade and variations in colour. Love the steampunk look you've got on this.

Eloise said...

I love your box!! It definately looks like it's made of metal.

Traceyr said...

Absolutely stunning Joanne! :)