Not for Sale

Project Title: "Things to Treasure & Keep" (altered recipe box)

One of my favourite projects of all time. (so far) The felt heart embellishment was inspired by a Rebecca Sower project I saw on her blog. (can't seem to find it now)

Happy Accidents and Other Discoveries:
1. Grungeboard makes good handles! - It is strong enough and flexible enough. (see the handles on the side of my box). I used brads to attach them to the box)

2. Making faux leather / corroded metal from grungeboard: Rub Embossing Ink (or Glue Pad) lightly over the surface. Add gold embossing powder. Brush off excess (don't get too much on, its nicer if its 'scattered') Heat with heat gun.Rub distress ink all over into the grungeboard to get all other parts nice and brown. I used this on the handles and also on the fake clasps in the front of the box. (Attached with brads)

3. Fake 'Beaten Metal' corners: Cut out circles from brown cardstock, crumple them. Emboss with gold embossing powder (try to get the embossing mainly on the creases only). Ink with distress ink. Then cut a slit to the centre of the circle, fold over the corner (one quarter will overlap) and then glue onto corner of box. Its a nice way to finish off messy corners on a box

And here's a related True Story:
Someone came into the store the other day and wanted to buy the materials to make an exact copy of this box. And when she couldn't get the exact same materials (cos we weren't running the class anymore), she tried to buy my box. When I said it wasn't for sale, she tried taking pictures of it while I wasn't looking and I had to ask her to stop. (General rule is no photography in the store)

Don't know why, but I felt awfully defensive and angry about it. I felt like saying, "It's not so easy you know? Do you know how long I took to do this? You think you can just throw money at me to get what you want? Or just copy my design without asking me?" But of course I didn't. On hindsight, I realise it was pride talking... not everyone knows how much time and effort scrapbooking can take and I cannot expect everyone to understand and appreciate how this thing that I made is an extension / reflection of myself. So I am glad I didn't say something I would regret.

Anyway, the (happy) ending is that the box is now safe in the hands of my mother. I gave it to her to put in her home. She doesn't know how long I took to make this, nor anything about embossing and grungeboard, but she likes it because I made it and that's good enough for me.