The Mystics Box

This is my submission to the Colourarte Design Team call.  Colourarte are the manufacturers and retilers of the fabulous Silks Acrylic Glazes, Twinkling H2Os, Primary Element Arte Pigments, Radiant Rains Shimmering Mist and  Radiant Gels Iridescent Dimensional Paint. The Colourarte Blog is full of lots of techniques and tutorials for using these luscious things and there is a monthly challenge as well. 

It is a gift I have made for my sister who has recently become interested in things mystical.  I began with a plain wooden box which a friend’s husband had made.  The lid had 3 compartments which can be sealed to hold a permanent display and 4 compartments inside for storing little treasures.  It measures6.5 x 6.5 x 4 inches.

I started with a coat of Gesso to provide a surface for the crackle to stick to.  Next came a thick layer of the Croco Crackle.  I only had bronze to hand but as it would all be covered over in silks the colour did not matter.  I put on a really thick coat of the crackle, imagine putting the fudge frosting on a cake. I left it overnight to dry and get a good deep crackle. 

  

Next came layers of colour using the silks. Starting with the deepest shades  I dipped my cosmetic sponge into a colour and dotted it around the box.  

 

 When dry I added another sponge and another colour and so on.  When everything was covered I left it to dry before coming back in with more colours and more layers.  I was looking to achieve lots of colours all blending and gleaming together.  After several layers of dabbing and blending I was happy. 

I painted the inside of the box and the compartments in the lid  with a mix of water and Blue Zircon  I then added Oyster using a damp paintbrush and dabbing it across the Blue Zircon on the inside of the box.Adding Emperor's Gold Silk with my finger around the edges and the seal to the lid compartment.

Next I added my ephemera to the lid compartments, dotting some micro beads around for extra texture.  

 And then it was complete.

Materials

Wooden Box

Gesso

Viva Croco Crackle paint in bronze

Silks – Azurite, Autumn Leaf, Snap Dragon, Wine and Roses, Fern, Guatemalen Green, Carmen, Persimmon, Sunflower, Raspberry Wine and Emperor's Gold,

Arte Pigment –Blue Zircon and Oyster  

Ephemera – 7 Gypsies and Prima

Paperclay

Face Mould

Prima Art Ingredients Micro Beads

Triangular cosmetic sponges 

Paint brush