18 January 2014

The one where I put a ring on it....

Sorry to any of you expecting an OHMYGODWE'REENGAGED post, but I couldn't resist titling this post à la Beyoncé. Bahaha. I'm actually sharing a ring-related craft project.  

The project was to make over the rather tatty jewellery box I'd had since I was little; a treasure trove of colourful plastic trinkets which had started looking a bit sorry for itself. I've never been particularly enamoured by the colour or design, aside from the tiny ballerina who used to dance inside the box whenever the lid was open (sadly long ago misplaced), but it holds too many childhood memories for me to bear to replace it. 


The white mark is from a snowman sticker I stuck on it when I was 8.

I had planned to decoupage it, but instead I covered it with a magical adhesive blackboard foil which Tom bought me last year. I used a scalpel to trim the foil around the hinges and the clasp once I'd smoothed it over the sides and lid.


Looking better already!

Then came the exciting part; choosing what to draw on the box. I initially tried to find a fashion-related quote to write across the top, and nearly went for this one, but decided I'd get bored of reading the same quote every morning. Admittedly, the blackboard foil will allow me to erase and re-do the design whenever I like, but I wanted to start with something I'd be happy looking at for a while. 

I considered covering it in cartoon-style diamonds, and then I remembered the amazing diamand ring painting I'd seen at the Tate Modern's Lichtenstein exhibition. Isn't it pretty? 


Image source

Chalk pens can be quite tricky to rub out, so I decided to sketch the design onto greaseproof paper first, and then trace it onto the lid of the box:



A lot of careful colouring-in later, and my jewellery box makeover was finished!






 It's not a perfect replica of Lichtenstein's version, but I'm pretty happy with it. It certainly looks much better than it did before!




What do you think?

Katie xxx

10 comments:

  1. Ooh how did I not know blackboard foil existed! Love the ring design (totally fell for the blog post title too!). Xx

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    1. Teehee :-) sorry! I'll end up like the boy who cried wolf and should we ever get engaged I'll have to write "it's actually, definitely happening this time, promise!" :p blackboard foil is rather excellent, although the adhesiveness is a bit less than ideal xxx

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  2. This is beautiful! You did an amazing job! And I so need some blackboard foil! It looks brand new!

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    1. Thanks lovely :-) I'm really pleased with how much better it looks! Xxx

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  3. Very very very good!!!! You are such an artist! Did you study art?x

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    1. Thank you :-) I did art at A-level, but I'm hopeless at doing my own pictures I can only copy stuff! Basically a slightly off human photocopier :p xxx

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  4. It's fantastic, like a whole new box! Love the design you chose. And Valentines day is just around the corner... I'm crossing my fingers for you! ;)
    xxx

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    1. I'm very pleased with how much nicer it looks now; although it's quite odd I prefer it this way as normally I try and scratch things up!
      We don't "do" Valentines Day; it's the only holiday I don't like. I would rather be proposed to on Halloween I reckon- at least a bouquet of plastic bats would be more original than roses :p xxx

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  5. Love this! Where would one purchase this wonderous blackboard foil?! I needs me some of that!

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    1. You can get it on Amazon, and probably ebay too :) xxx

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