Shadow box art in miniature

Lately the CuddlyBunny Craft Machine has been turning out wee shadow boxes!

For this recipe the main ingredient is one teeny box, like the party favor tins available at most big box craft stores, and those found here at AlphaStamps.

Otherwise, you pretty much need whatever you'd like to see inside, and outside, of a mini box.

If you clicked up there on that AlphaStamps link I've already lost you, but that's OK because the stuff there is awesome fun. And because it's more or less where I got the idea!

Anyhow, my piece here is a simple one for a friend who loves Romance with a capital "R".

The picture is from a TwistedPapers collage sheet (maybe it's too late to mention this, but that link goes to risque French postcard imagery, so careful clicking for those of you who are prudish).

I pasted the picture onto a piece of heavy stock cut slightly smaller than the interior of the box and then attached two pieces of felt. This I slipped in without attaching to the base of the box, so that as the added inside elements, including beads and a button, moved around, the picture occasionally moves as well.

After gluing the lid onto the box (no stealing those beads!), I used Archival Ink to stamp "Adore" on each side of the box and stuck half of a business card magnet on the back.

Unbelievably, that's all there is to this lovely little box that is light enough to display on a refrigerator or other metal surface.

Other boxes I've made, but not yet photographed, have 3D effects inside, lace around the lids, Tim Holtz tissue tape coverings and handmade charm embellishments.

Those of you who stuck with me this long, thank you! Now scroll back up to that AlphaStamps link to check out what the artists there have done with small shadow boxes, because theirs are so very wonderful and inspiring!

Life inside of a glass house

You might remember my September Practical Magic Party post and the terrariums we created for the celebration.

Despite having been opened only twice and never receiving water in addition to the original "potting" soak, the fern in the large terrarium and the who knows what in the small glass jar are both flourishing.

The fern is developing new "branches" while the who knows what has managed to fill the jar and is currently attempting a jail break (we'll probably have to replant her in the spring ... she's likely ground cover and a silly glass terrarium isn't going to keep her from spreading).

And guess what else? We now know that mushrooms grow at the speed of Holy Shit Where'd That Come From because our fern was all by herself on Tuesday, but by Wednesday she'd been joined by a tiny white mushroom friend.

Thursday a second mushroom appeared.

We're expecting a tiny fairy to built a cottage beneath the fern fronds tomorrow.

A possibly bloody Valentine's Day tag

Lily Chilvers' wonderful Saint Valentine Octopode joined me yesterday to create a lovely and slightly strange Valentine's Day tag for My Guy!

Our Saint Valentine is a winged creature with a long, night cap-like hat and what appears to be a quite dangerous bow and arrow of love, making him absolutely perfect for a Valentine's Day gift, don't you think?

Me too!

Alright then ... the background was made using a Cuttlebug folder that imprints damask type swirls coupled with skulls and crowns.

That surface was inked with Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks using the heat embossing technique "Rusted Enamel" from page 41 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities (the only week I go without using the Rusted Enamel technique is the week I don't craft anything at all).

A slimy-looking border of drips at the bottom of the tag was created using Martha Stewart's goo edge punch on heavy, black card stock that was coated with Perfect Medium and Ladybug Red embossing powder. After heating we see that the drips look realistically wet and icky.

Yay! Wet and icky Valentine's Day! Is that even appropriate?

Ah well, on to the text: For the word "love" we have Tim Holtz's grunge letters finished using Double Distress, another of the Compendium techniques (page 40).

The final addition to this tag was the ribbon-esque string made instead of foil-wrapped wire garland that you can find at dollar stores.

The garland doesn't quite match the tag since the bulk of this project has a dark, matte appearance, but what the hell. I didn't have black or Spanish red ribbon. Plus, if one isn't careful holding this tag the garland wires might draw blood.

Let's hear three cheers for a Valentine's Day blood-letting!