Vintage Dragonfly's Altered Matchbox Swap - June - Travel

This month our theme was travel - places we'd like to go, exotic and interesting destinations, etc.  I created the matchbox suitcase.  Instead of filling the box with goodies, I have a fold-out picture map of travel destinations.

Since I didn't have any goodies in my suitcase, I made some other items.  Karla, of Misses Peaches Meows, was my recipient.  I used two of her cats' pictures to create geishas (for when they travel to Asia), a key ring to hold important keys for car trips, and a button butterfly featuring Misses Peach.

Treasures of the Sea Matchbox

This month's theme is Treasures of the Sea.

This box took A LOT of time to make!  I didn't know what I was getting myself into. 

To make the outside of the box, I first covered the entire box with sea aqua paper and then painted 3 sides of the lid with Scribbles 3D paint and gave it a couple of days to dry.  I left a big opening in the center of the box lid, which was to be the ocean.  A couple of days later, when I was sure the Scribbles was dry, I cut some paint chips into little fishies and put them in the large opening, attaching with glue.  When that dried, I filled the opening with a layer of Glossy Accents.  I wound up with a few bubbles; but that was fine for the ocean!  I glued small shells to one side of the box, and when that dried, glued on some sea green Austrian crystals.

On the other side of the box, I constructed a little fence using matchsticks and arranged nylon net on it.  I then glued on some raffia to look like foilage.  So, the top was done.

 I knew from the start that I wanted to use an undersea scene for the inside of the box, and I knew I wanted to use this Mermaid image for the scene.  I glued the Mermaid into the bottom of the box, then added some raffia to look like seaweed.  At the bottom of the scene I glued actual blue topaz crystals.  I painted the interior of the box with Scribbles 3D paint.  I gave the inside of the box a long time to dry, meanwhile painting waves on the outside of the drawer and attaching a ceramic bead as the drawer pull.  When everything was dry, I added the little shells and covered everything with a thick (and I mean THICK) layer of Glossy Accents.  I just about filled the drawer with the stuff!  Then I waited 2 days while it dried.  But after 2 days was up, I couldn't se the Mermaid - the Glossy Accents looked cloudy!  I figured I'd overdone it and used way too much.  I was depressed, because it was the day I was leaving on vacation and I didn't have time to start remaking the drawer.  So I figured I'd have to start all over again when I got back to make the drawer with a thinner layer of Glossy Accents.

I was gone on vacation for 6 days.  When I got back from vacation, I was AMAZED to find that the Glossy Accents had dried even more and now I could see my Mermaid!  HOORAY!  So, this box, about a month in the making, was finally done!

Since I'm not filling the box with goodies, I wanted to send along a little something extra so I used the Mermaid image to cover a Formica sample, added some German scrap and ModPodged it to make a key chain.

Another Great Day!

I was fortunate enough to win Vintage Dragonfly's recent giveaway.  She said she would send a kitchen-sized match box crammed with goodies.  And she wasn't kidding!  Here is what she sent:

Can you believe it?  A little bit of everything - and everything wonderful!  I completely love the white china bird - he will be placed on my display shelf for all to see.  and here is the gorgeous altered matchbox:

Isn't it just perfectly beautiful? She covered the matchbox with burlap and everything is so natural looking in the bird display on top.  I just love it!  I'm so thrilled and honored to have won this!  I love her blog!

What a fabulous Monday!

Look what came in the mail for me!  It's my altered matchbox from the Things with Wings Matchbox swap.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It's so chock-full of little bits and baubles that I can't get it shut again since I've opened it!  LOL.  Lynn made this lovely box and also the tag you see here.

Lynn was assigned to send me a matchbox; but I was assigned to send my matchbox to someone else.  So Lynn suggested we exchange tags.  That way, she has an example of my art, even though she doesn't have a matchbox from me.  Isn't this a great idea?  And look at the fantastic tag she made!  Lynn, you are quite an artist and I loved getting your matchbox.  I hope I get the chance to make one for you very soon.

I will post the tag I sent to Lynn after she has received it.

Vintage Dragonfly 'Things with Wings' Matchbox Swap

This is the first swap for this new swap group.  Our theme was 'Things With Wings."  So I chose butterflies.

I covered the top of my matchbox with matchsticks and then covered the sticks with gesso.  I wanted the top to look like a white picket fence.  On the 'fence,' I put a small silk flower, some die-cut leaves and two gorgeous blue butterflies.  I added stickles to the flower and leaves.

The drawer pull was made with a metal butterfly bead

This photo shows the little wooden legs on the box.  I covered the sides of the box with spring-green acrylic paint and stickles.

Here is what was inside the box: