A Long Time in the Making . . .

I usually wait until I'm done with a project before posting it. However, this one has been such a long time in the making, I'll post it in it's unfinished state. I received a Comfort Candle last Christmas, and this is the box it came in. The original packaging included some pretty ribbon and a small floral spray tied to the lid - beautiful packaging for a lovely candle. Sturdy with an almost suede look, the box was a keeper, and right away, I knew I wanted to do something with it, using either the Vintage Travel or Simple Pleasures papers. I ended up opting for Vintage Travel.

There are a variety of things I could have done. I could have torn the paper and done something a little more random . . . and probably, artsy. Instead I opted for a patchwork design, leaving space between each of my paper pieces to show a bit of the original box. Early on into the project, I realized that butting the papers up against one another would have been the easier way to go. As it was, my ruler got a lot of use. Measuring to a 1/16th of an inch was often required, and there was the fact,too, that the box was not perfectly straight. I was reminded of my wallpapering days when I took for granted (at first, anyway) that every wall was straight. Most of the paper pieces were distressed with Bamboo ink. The only paper in the packet that I didn't use was my favorite, the colorful stamp paper. Instead, I cut a few stamps out and added them when the box was done to add little splashes of color here and there. As I look at the photo, I'm thinking I may add a band of the stamp paper around the outside of the lid. I'll cut a strip and see how it looks.

I have not finished the inside of the box yet but plan to do so with some cut-to-fit, sanded cardstock. I would also like to add some type of knob to the lid - something antiquey looking, maybe metal or perhaps wood that's painted and sanded.


While most use Modge Podge for paper crafting projects, I use Yes! paste. The jar describes it as an "All Purpose Stik Flat Glue." That's a good description, as I've never experienced wrinkled or buckled paper. It's said to be a favorite amongst bookmakers, and I've used it successfully for those projects as well. What it doesn't work for (permanently, anyway) is covering metal boxes. For those projects, I've had more long-term success with my Xyron. I've had my jar for at least a couple of years and will probably have it for another year or so. I purchased it from scrapbooking-warehouse.com, which at $8.68 still has the best price I've found.

I have yet to decide what I'm going to do with my box. I may just find something special to put inside and give it back to the person who gave me the candle last year. There's the possibility, too, that I might find the perfect place for it and keep it. I've got to finish it first!