When Gilly, author of the excellent blog Lucid Gypsy, read my last Kaboodle Doodle she commented that she didn’t understand the ‘chocolate box’ reference. So I thought I’d better explain.
Anyone who has ever given me a present knows that I’m excited by the wrapping paper and ribbons almost as much as what they conceal. I save them ~ not to wrap my gifts to other people, like my grandmother did (although if you iron them they can save the day in an emergency) ~ but for future art and craft projects.
It doesn’t stop there ~ I think about the potential of all my ‘rubbish’, before (reluctantly) consigning it to the recycling bin. Plastic containers, glass jars and bottles, labels from items of clothing…..etc…..etc….. get stashed on shelves and in empty shoe boxes and ~ until they started charging us 5p for each one ~ plastic carrier bags. Which is why it takes an entire building to house my collection of art materials.
I’ve even been influenced to buy certain products, based on the desirability of the packaging ~ £1 shop chocolates being an excellent example:
Once we’d scoffed the contents, which tasted surprisingly good, the empty box reminded me of a deep~sided picture frame:
So I masked the holes on the inside and papered over the cracks……
…..primed it, painted it and added special effects ~ the one below (yes, I bought several more) has had a coat of home~made moulding paste slapped all over it and the protective material from some flat~pack furniture wrapped around the edges, to give it a more rustic feel:
So there you have it ~ empty chocolate box picture frame done!
Now all that’s left is to decide what I’m going to put in it. Maybe it will end up with hearts and flowers, like Kaboodle Doodle Number 5.
Or perhaps it’ll turn out like this:
Kaboodle Doodle Number 6 ~ The Circles of My Mind
The design in the middle was originally intended as part of a larger, Steampunk~themed project but when it didn’t fit in as well as I’d hoped, I decided to use it as a stand~alone piece. Martin created the background of cogs, which I distressed with used tea~bags; the studs around the edge are dead batteries and the washers, nuts and other round thingamajigs were simply lying around.
Putting it together was so relaxing that I didn’t have to concentrate too much. I could allow my thoughts to wander while my hands worked and suddenly it was done ~ hence the title, ‘The Circles of My Mind.’
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m just popping into town for another box of bargain chocolates.
🙂
p.s. I’m lying ~ I gave up refined sugar weeks ago, so the current ‘chocbox’ series will be a strictly ‘limited edition.’
Watercolour and Wax Resist by Martin King
Grace and I at my daughter’s 40th birthday party on Saturday.
Tao of Scrumble 