Friday Focus on Metal Embellishments

Hello everyone and welcome. Rebecca here with this fortnight's Friday Focus on metal charms and embellishments. There are so many new and wonderful metals for sale at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and the good news is that they are 15% off for the next two weeks!

I'm running late with this project. I thought summer was supposed to be laid back, relaxing and restful, but life right now is calling me to run in a few directions at once, so I'm going to share a nearly finished project and some tips I learned along the way. I've had a small wooden box, with dovetailed joins that I have kept for a few years, sure that a project would pop up for it one of these days and last week I started to convert the bare wood, footless, unfinished interior into a trinket box. It contained chocolates and were a gift from Bernard, along with some red roses, waiting for me in our cabin when we took the Queen Mary 2 across the pond (the Atlantic pond that is). Not being drawn to cruising, I wasn't sure how it was going to be aboard a small floating town for more than a week. Before they slipped the moorings in New York harbor, I was in love with this ship and the idea of the crossing!!

Here’s the starting point…

I had recently ordered some elegant little metal feet from the Funkie Junkie Boutique and the proportions were going to be just right for this box…not too big and not too small. The metal finish however, wouldn't do for this white/cream, vintage loving crafter. The first step was to paint the feet with a coat of white acrylic paint. When the feet were completely dry, I took some medium grit sandpaper to the surface, removing some of the paint on the high spots, down to the metal…

Then I used an ‘Emboss It’ pen by Ranger, over the entire exterior surface of each metal foot. The pen tip allowed me to get the sticky ink into the groves. Holding a foot with needle nosed pliers, I dipped each foot into white embossing powder and then sprinkled some coarse gold embossing powder onto the surface. Then the heat gun was applied. To prevent the chunks of gold from blowing away, I held the heat tool about 8-9″ away from the surface and as it heated up and began to melt, was able to go closer and closer. I didn't want to fully melt the chunks as I really like the lumpy, imperfect effect…

Some white paint and white enamel shows along with areas of exposed metal and chunks of gold embossing powder. I love the look of instant age! You can see a filigree medallion that I treated the same way and haven’t used yet. I've been painting metal for some time and staining it with alcohol inks, but this is my new favorite treatment! I just love the aged enamel effect!…

The next step was to paint every edge that might be exposed along with the inside walls of the box and the surfaces that touch each other when the box is closed. The exterior sides and top were going to be covered with paper, while the deepest recess on the inside of the bottom and top were going to be covered and didn't require paint. At first, I painted the edges white, but had a change of heart and used a very soft, pale buttermilk color.

The metal hinges on the back received a coat of acrylic paint, instead of the heat embossed enamel because that would have inhibited their function. The paint hasn't made a difference in their movement…

I decided to enamel the top portion of the latch, just as I had done with the feet and filagree piece. The bottom part of the latch with the post that fits into the hole received just a lick of paint as the thick enamel on the little post would likely prevent it from closing. Eventually, I’ll be adding other embellishments onto the latch…

My plan was to allow a narrow band of the painted edges to remain exposed all around the box, while patterned paper was used to cover the sides and top. I measured the height and length of the back wall, deducted the exposed allowance from each measurement and cut the strip of paper. By centering the paper on the box, I made tiny pencil marks at the height of the opening and cut the larger strip into a top and bottom. By centering the paper just above the hinges, I marked the placement and height of the openings by measuring the height of this half of the hinge with a ruler. Using a craft knife, both cutouts were made for the hinges…

Before adhering the paper to the box, I laid out the two pieces as you see them above…

Then the top strip was turned down with right sides facing each other, along the center edge as shown above and the placement for the cut outs for the hinges were penciled onto the corresponding spaces on the bottom strip, then cut out…

Using some heavily patterned paper with many design elements, I fussy cut them out and tried out some arrangements. I did forget to get a picture at that point. Once I was satisfied, I began to adhere the pieces to the box, working from the background to the foreground. I’m a big fan of Ranger’s ‘Multi Medium Matte’. Using a soft foam brush, a layer was applied to the back of the paper, one piece at a time and placed into position. I placed a clean tissue over each piece and smoothed it out by hand. The tissue prevented me from smearing the medium and accidentally shifting the pieces. When all the pieces had been attached, they were allowed to ‘cure’ overnight and then I applied a coat of Multi Medium Matte over all of the layers. When it’s wet, it looks very cloudy, but it dries absolutely clear! Since I was in a hurry to take the photo above before the light faded, I smoothed out the ridges in the medium with some more medium, as soon as I put the camera down…

The original plan was to cover a piece of chipboard cut 1/4″ smaller in both height and length, than the interior dimensions of the top and bottom. I planned to over the chipboard with some soft, woven fleece and then a top layer of some gorgeous ecru lace for an elegant touch. As I was working, I realized that the lace lining could possible be a poor choice if jewelry were stored in this box, causing it to snag and pull. The final choice was a fleecy layer covering the chipboard for both top and bottom…

The last step I completed was to adhere these half round pearls to the painted edges of the lid. My plan is to add embellishments to the corners, the top of the latch and some more dimensional embellishments on the lid. I'm eyeing the new metal butterflies that are at The Funkie Junkie! I will try and remember to post it when it’s all done.

Thanks for visiting and I my thoughts are with those of you dealing with the flooding and storming in so many parts of the country.

Sending you blessings and ((hugs)),

These products used on the above project are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, where most name brand products are always 20% below MSRP.

Ranger Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet

Ranger Adirondack Emboss It Pens

Ranger Multi Medium Matte 4 oz.

Ranger Embossing Powder - Enamelware

4 Piece Antiqued Bronze Box Corner Feet