8x8 Mixed Media Wood Box

Hello everyone!!!!!

Today I am going to share with you an 8x8 wood box, mixed media (of course).  This started out as an experiment on the background, so bear with me as I was just playing around at the start.  I love mixed media, especially the Finnibair inspired items.   I try to keep it as simple as possible but with a lot of texture.  I have include a list of the various products that I used.  For the paint I used the Finnibair patina effect pastes.

THE BOX

I am going to try to give you a simple description of how I did each layer.

First I turned the box over to the solid back.

I then cut chipboard into various sizes and shapes and laid them out onto the box as evenly spaced as possible.   I didn't worry if the spacing wasn't perfect.  When I was satisfied, I adhered the pieces down.  I used heavy gel medium for my adhesive but you can also use a hot glue gun.  I painted the entire surface with black gesso.  A good coat making sure that I got the spaces between.

I then applied a product called "glass beads" from Liquitex.   This is a thick gel that has a granular material in it - like very fine glass beads.  I spread this onto the chipboard shapes.

Next I took a product called "string gel" from Liquitex.  Keep in mind that I am just experimenting.  This string gel is a thick substance that you can swirl onto the background - you have to be fearless and don't worry about being perfect.  Both the glass beads and the string gel will take a little bit of time to dry and will dry clear.  It is shown still wet.

When the glass beads and the string gel were dry I began painting the background with the red/rust paste - starting at the upper left corner and working it in a circular motion for maybe 4 of the chipboard shapes.  I then went with the brown rust paste working it to overlap onto the red/rust paste.  I went back to the red/rust colour again then the brown.  I continued in this manner until I had covered the chipboard pieces.  When you have finished you can go back with either colour to add them in here and there if you feel you need more of the colours.  I then took the blue paste and dry brushed this colour here and there over the other two colours.  You can do it as heavy as you would like - I went very lightly with it.  Below you can see the various colours that I used.

I sprinkled teal "mica powder" here and there onto the surface and using a spray bottle with water I sprayed the powder and let it run down the box.  You can use a thin paint brush to get it to flow.

I then took all my metal, resin and chipboard decorative pieces and painted them with black gesso.  I accented the pieces using the pastes and I painted the gears using the brass paste.  I also accented each piece with the various colours of the paste that I used on the background.

I adhered the pieces down starting with the chipboard collage panel - a piece at the upper left and a smaller piece at the bottom right.  In the centre I adhered the large resin medalion.  I added the large metal key down the centre of the medalion.  I added the metal wings and butterfly next onto the metal key.  And lastly I adhered the gears as shown.

For the final touch, using my finger, I applied ArtO gold and bronze rub, here and there, onto the raised surface areas of the background and onto the surface of the various metal pieces at the centre.

For extra texture and accent I took some fine turquoise glass beads and adhered them around the centre pieces along with some turquoise pearls here and there.  The pearls were white but I painted them with turquoise paint.

And there you have it.  Below is a list of the various products that I used.

8 x 8 wood box

Chipboard pieces for base

Resin medalion

Large metal key

Metal wings

Metal butterfly and gears

Chipboard collage panel

Turquoise pearls

Black gesso

String Gel

Glass beads

Fine crushed turqoise glass beads

Patina effect pastes:red/rust, brass, blue, brown

Teal mica powder (Finnibair)

ArtO bronze and gold rub

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and I hope you will give it a try.

Until next time, this is Donna wishing you a safe and happy week.  If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

"Happy Scrapping"

"If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you."