INSM12#5--Faux Porcelain Flowers Box

Hi everyone!!

I finished another challenge for Let's Scrap INSM event. I have been working on this for a couple of weeks, mainly because I was getting some stuff to do what I had in mind for it.

For Denise's Challenge #5, she asked us to make an altered scrapping project using postage stamps somewhere on our creation. I decided I was going to make an altered box to hold my handmade embellishments that I've made and haven't used yet.

I did forget to take a picture of my box in it's original form, but it was just an unfinished wooden box that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I then painted it in a "chocolate" color paint. I only did one coat as I didn't want it too dark and I wanted it to look more weathered.

Once this dried, I then covered the majority of my box with stamp scrapbooking paper:

After I decorated the outside of the box with this paper, I decided I needed to do the inside as well: I also added a few more embellishments to the inside of the lid(more stamp stickers and some flowers).

 Closeup!!

Now comes for the really interesting part: the faux flowers. Now I saw this idea in a book I have and thought it was so neat. The stuff I originally was going to use freaked me out a bit. I'm one of those people who has to read the warning labels on stuff(my husband thinks I'm crazy!!) and on this particular product it mentioned that it was known to the state of California to cause cancer(!!)....among the rest of the warnings about it being harmful to skin, nose, etc., etc...like I said...I'm super cautious(a.k.a. a freak) about these things!! So I was trying to gather up my courage and just use it anyways when one day I was browsing the internet and came across Tim Holtz using UTEE(Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) to create faux porcelain flowers! Well needless to say, I found some at our Hobby Lobby and went for this safer option.

Now I do not have the Ranger melting pot they use for this material, but I do have that on my wish list. So, for now and to save money, I just heated up UTEE in a kettle on the stove until it was all melted and dragged my silk flowers and leaves through it and laid them on some foil to dry. My first attempt isn't the most perfect but I think it still looks pretty and the second time was even better!!

This first picture I just wanted to show you the comparison between the original silk flowers(left) and the faux porcelain-ized flower(right). It really improved the color!!

 There are a couple flaws in this one as it was my first attempt but what I tried to do was to paint the enamel on....it was a thought I had because the flower is so much bigger but it does not work so well!! It really is best to just drag it through the enamel and then let it drip off before you let the rest dry on a craft sheet or in my case, the foil.

 The leaves also porcelain-ized!!

 Once everything was dry, I poured the rest of the enamel on the foil to dry up and you can save this stuff to use later(just store it with your melting pot and reheat it when next you use it).

Then I hot glued my leaves and my flowers onto the top of my box.

 There you have it!! Gorgeous, FAUX porcelain flowers!!!

Thanks so much for looking and have a great Thursday!! The weekend is almost here!