Embossed Poinsettia Box

I'm honored to be the guest designer today at Anything But a Card.  I recently received an incredibly generous prize package of Lindy's Stamp Gang loot from them and I have had a blast playing with all the inks, powders, and micas.  This is some seriously fun stuff!

Today's poinsettia box uses both the Starburst Sprays and the micas.  There's a lot of details to tell you about on this project, so bear with me on the length of this post.  I promise it's cool and most likely something you haven't tried!

The Box Details:

• This now elegant Christmas box started life as the top portion of a LaChoy chow mein can.  I love recycling / repurposing what would otherwise just be consider junk!  I chose this particular can out of the stash because it's short and wide and perfect for a little trinket / candy box.  I should also note that the top was removed using a can opener that only cuts the seal, not the metal, leaving a safe edge on the lid.
• After cleaning my can, I embossed metal duct tape using the Sizzix Basic Grey Flowers embossing folder.  I aligned this on the base of the can and cut off the excess with a craft knife.
• The top has rings like most canned food cans, so I cut a cardboard circle to fit within the rim using my Cricut.  This circle was also covered in embossed metal tape before adhering to the lid.
• I then colored all the metal tape with Alcohol inks.  Mostly Cranberry and Red Pepper, with a little Silver, Gold, and Mushroom thrown in.  I pounced the inks on with a felt blending tool.
• To finish the rims, I busted out my new Vintaj Patinas.  These are so awesome!  I was expecting an Alcohol Ink-type consistency and application, but these are much, much thicker and you apply them with a brush.  It was so fast and easy to achieve the gorgeous gold leaf-like rims.  It's mostly Victorian Gold, with just a hint of Nouveau Silver added here and there.

• The final coat on the outside of the box was an application of Lindy's Stamp Gang Micas mixed in Future Floor Polish (now called Pledge® Premium Floor Finish with Future® Shine).  I used the Burnished Golden Leaf mica and it, along with the floor polish, really gave a lovely, shiny finish to the embossed metal.
• The inside of the box is finished off with a cardboard circle and a pretty frame / word art from The Graphics Fairy.  I again just didn't want to see the rings on the bottom of the can.  It's a nice touch too, that the inside of the can is glossy white.

The Poinsettia Details:

• The poinsettia is cut from scraps of red and green patterned papers using The Creative Pointe's "Poinsettia" SVG file.  I have loved this file for a long time...probably because I LOVE poinsettias...and will be wearing it out making these three-dimensional beauties!  When selecting your papers, be sure to use your darkest paper for the bottom and work to your lightest for the top.  This will give it the best dimension.

• After the pieces were cut, I embossed each layer of the blossom with a different pattern.  The bottom has the same Basic Grey Flowers embossing I used on the box, the middle layer is Birds & Swirls, and the top is Tim Holtz Damask.

• Then things got really, really, REALLY inky!!  I started with LSG Starburst Sprays, then added some Distress Inks, and finished things off with the floor polish / mica combination.  I absolutely love the effect of the floor polish on paper!  This allowed me to shape the petals and the polish adds just enough stiffness to lock the shape in place.  It also gives them a wonderful shine.  (I have been polishing everything but my floor since making this box!  LOL!)
• The leaves were done exactly the same except that I used the TH Cracked embossing folder.
• Each layer was added to the box lid with Pop Up Glue Dots to create even more dimension.
• The center was topped off with a brass snowflake charm.

Whew!  That's a lot of details!  Thanks for sticking with me.  I hope you've been inspired and have found a little nugget in there to spark a project of your own.

Challenges:
The Graphics Fairy:  Brag Monday #163
Southern Girls Challenge: #57 - Christmas
Little Red Wagon: Challenge #159 - Texturize It!

Supplies:
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found ‘Union Square’; scraps
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Poinsettia’
Image:	The Graphics Fairy ‘Stunning Silhouette Frame – Christmas’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Barn Door’, ‘Walnut Ink’; Alcohol Ink ‘Cranberry’, ‘Red Pepper’, ‘Silver Mixative’, ‘Gold Mixative’, ‘Mushroom’, ‘Blending Solution’; Vintaj Patina ‘Victorian Gold’, ‘Nouveau Silver’; Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays ‘Ponderosa Pines Olive’, ‘Bougainvilles Fuchsia’, ‘Rhododendron Red Rose’, ‘Autumn Maple Crimson’
Embellishments:	A Charming Place charm ‘snowflake’; LSG micas ‘Oak Leaf Olive’, ‘Terra Cotta’, ‘Burnish Golden Leaf’; metal duct tape
Tools:	Sizzix Texture Boutique; embossing folders ‘Tim Holtz Damask’, ‘Cuttlebug Birds & Swirls’, ‘Sizzix Basic Grey Flowers’; Sure-Cuts-A-Lot; Cricut Expression; heat gun; Future Floor Polish; felt and foam ink blenders; Glue Dots; Glossy Accents; paint brush
Misc:	Recycled metal can