Deep sea treasures

 Hallo,
   This altered cigar box is a joint project between my craft room and my studio art space.
  This cigar box had an indention on the lid that I wanted to do some type of painting in so I first painted the box black and then the top I coated with white gesso(except the edges which I did black).
  Next I used alcohol inks and made a seascape in blue, turquoise and purple. Then I started gluing on seashells into the corner.
  I used resin and covered the  alcohol ink and part way up the shells - and used a brush to seal the tops of the seashells with resin also.
  On the inside of the box lid I glued a digital image from Selina Fenech that I had colored with polychrome pencils. and then lined the bottom and the edges of the image with different shades of blue/blue green and turquoise rhinestones.
   I really like how it turned out.
   I have a couple more wooden boxes that I got at A.C. Moore that I am going to do something similar with also - but I am thinking encaustic instead of alcohol inks for the next one.
   All for today - Take Care
       Tera

Mermaid Briefcase

Hallo,
  I finished off this cool briefcase yesterday using 2 mermaid images from Sweet Pea Stamps - they have them both in digital and rubber stamp form.
  Check them out here - www.sweetpeastamps.com
  The first one is by Norma J Burnell called 'Rayne' and the second is called 'Kiara' by Elaine Cox.
  I took a used, but still in good shape briefcase and covered the front and back with some pretty ocean looking paper.
  Both the images were colored with prismacolor pencils and cut out with Spellbinders dies. I glued the layered images down along with some seashells, charms and some seed beads. To do all the gluing I used a artis....t matte gel that works similar to modge podge only better. I used it because I ran out of modge podge and discovered that I  like it a lot better. The gel is a bit more expensive but it is easier to work with and dries a bit quicker and smoother than the modge podge....
   All for this am - worked last night so its time for some sleep now :)
      Take Care
         Tera