Sea Shell Shadow Box

Do you procrastinate on craft/art projects?  I have to admit I do.  If I'm just not feelin' something I just can't seem to get into the mood to do what needs done.  That was the case with some shells my son and future DIL had collected.  Each summer since they have been going together they would go to a local park and walk along the shore of the lake and collect little shells which they kept in a mason jar.

When ds moved out in July he gave me the jar and asked me to do something artsy with them. They have been sitting on my desk ever since mocking me....I just didn't know what to do with them.  Yes, there were some easy routes which would have been quick like simply decorating the jar or gluing them to a frame but I wanted something more - something they could have and continue to add shells to.

Last month when I was organizing my stash I found some cool shadow boxes and decided it was the perfect vehicle for storing and displaying the shells and giving them the opportunity to add to their collection!

1, Start off by removing all of the "guts" of the previous shadow box display.  I was so excited I forgot to take photos of the before but this is what it looked like afterwards.  I also removed the front frame which held in the glass.  This was simply as it was held on with 2 tiny screws.

At this point you could paint the inside of the box and/or the frame but I liked the shabby distressed look which was accidental - it had a rough life prior to my finding it but I liked the look so I went with it.

2. Stamp desired image with VersaMark ink, sprinkle with embossing powder and heat to melt.

3. Since I wanted to create a lake in the foreground I had to add a lake shore area so I just took my VersaMark pen and beefed up the shore line along the bottom of the tree line, sprinkled on some black embossing powder and heated to melt that area.

4. Next time to play with a bit of Brusho Colour Crystals!  I wanted it to be a night time scene so I used a Ost. Blue, Prussian Blue and Purple.  

5. Once it had dried I glued that to the back of the shadow box.

6. I then stamped and embossed a couple kissing in a boat on a piece of acetate.  When it had cooled I cut around the upper portion of the image leaving the base in tact to use that as a stand for the image.  I filled the back half of the shadow box with some of the shells the used them as a prop to hold up the image while the glue dried.

When it was all dry I added the rest of the shells and replaced the glass & frame front!  

To add more shells all they have to do is remove the frame/glass.

It's very satisfying to cross a project like that off my ToDo list.

What projects have you been putting off?

Supplies:

Shadow Box
IMAGINE Crafts featuring Tsukineko: VersaMark Ink Pad, VersaMark Pen, Black Embossing Powder
Brusho Colour Crystals
Just For Fun Rubber Stamps - Tree Line, Kissing Boaters
Acetate
Shells