Chris’ Altered Box

An altered box is so easy to make when you have quality paper like Graphic 45. For this box I used Curtain Call and a couple of sheets from A Proper Gentleman. Inside I just measured and cut strips and glued them down with my Scor Tape. On the inside top lid I added a flower made from 3 circles of the same paper (2.5, 2, and 1.5 inches) and punched a hole in the centers. I distressed the edges with my Zutter Distrezz-It-All, sprinkled the circles with water, crumpled them and pushed a brad through it when dry. I then rubbed some Tattered Rose and some Antique Bronze Distress Stickles over the petals and set aside to dry.


The brads around the lid are actually half of a silver ribbon that I cut in half length-wise and colored with Copic Y28 Lionet Gold. This too was attached with Scor Tape (gotta love that stuff!). I then painted the lid of the box with Antique Linen Crackle Paint. (I did not use Gesso first because I wanted it to peel and show some of the gold print underneath--.) When it was dry I rubbed a bit of Black Soot Distress Ink into the cracks. Cutting out some more Graphic 45 paper I mounted them on slightly larger rectangles (from the Gentleman Collection), dampened the edges with my fingers and torn and folded/twisted the paper to make distressed frames.


To make the corner flower I cut up a used dryer sheet, sprayed it with Glimmer Mist in Sun Sisters and Santa Baby and a homemade brownish one using Distressed Walnut ink and some bronze mica powders. These were joined with a button and edged with Tattered Rose and Antique Bronze Distressed stickles. The two goldish-colored roses were made using SCAL and PDC’s cut file.


The sentiment I created on my computer and cut and embossed with the Cuttlebug Embossing Plus Fanciful Labels and Black Soot Ink. To age all the pictures and the label I smeared them with Rock Candy Crackle Paint and let them dry. Everything was adhered with Scor Tape. I then added Tim Holtz’s Ideology Film Strip Ribbon. This was tricky to curl where I wanted, but with a bit of patience and some Glossy Accents I got it to stick.


My husband is lovin’ it and has his jewelry stashed inside. What do you think?