Let's Recycle, Vintage Style!

Hello folks!
So good of you to stop in to see what's on my blog today! This is a long post, so make sure you are comfortable and have some refreshment with you....lol!

This is our last challenge for 2013 and sadly, my last project on the Design Team. More about that later.
Our Challenge #76 is for a Recycled/Repurposed project, anything goes, but please remember, we are a Shabby/Vintage lot here at Sugar Creek Hollow so please do keep this foremost in your mind.

We also have a Guest Designer joining us today - Laney Delaney, and her blog is Laney's Place. Do pop over and take a look at her lovely work!

My project came about through a need for a gift box and remembering this challenge was pending, I could make both happen together! I had to take a hand made gift to a ladies lunch and I made one of those awesome Mannequin Pin Cushions, but being an odd size was stumped as to how to present it. Walking past my hubby's bar, I spotted a fabulous box on the counter, looked the right size, was beautifully made and it was empty!! The Johnnie Walker whisky bottle was out of the box, in fact, missing completely, so I guess my darling hubs knew not to discard the box as his 'crafty' wife would have killed him!

The original box.

 I then ripped out the insides and if you remember reading my last DT post you now know where the gold card came from! I recycled the inside as well (VBG)! I then gave the box a good dose of Gesso, but in hind sight, should have left some areas uncovered so the gold could show through. I had taken a wax crayon and scribbled over the box in places, hoping the Gesso would 'lift' when I sanded it, but it stuck like crazy! A lesson learnt from this project. So, well sanded down, I was ready to go.

The outside, with a good layer of Gesso on it.

I did not take any more photo's of the process as my hands were constantly sticky and to be truthful, I had not planned it, but just looked at the box, scratched around and used whatever I had that I could! In fact, I can truthfully say, this was a totally 'recycled' project as everything originally came off or out of something else!

 Now, to digress a little, I inherited my Gran's Button Jar and I have added to it as well over the years. So often people have passed on buttons from a deceased relative, and all is in this jar. I would love it, if every button could tell me it's story, where it came from, who wore the garment, how old it was etc. What fun!

Because the contents of the box related to sewing I thought of carrying the theme through to decorating the box, so buttons and bits of lace as well as scraps of textured paper I had saved, all found their way onto this box.

The lid with a die cut I rescued and a button with a pearl
in the center taking pride of place.

Below is a picture of the finished project. I Podged all the paper scraps and lace bits onto the Gesso layer and added some more texture interest by using a Tim Holtz Burlap Stencil and Vintage Photo Distress Ink and ponced it over everything, filling in the empty spaces. 
The edges, top and bottom, have a layer of pretty lace around it and some satin roses that were also in the button jar (?). I selected a lot of buttons and tied ribbon or cord bows through the holes in the buttons and hot glued them on at random.  All the lace came out of a box I inherited from a porcelain doll maker's estate and it was full of all sorts of interesting bits and pieces. I snipped the longer lengths up and podged them onto the box. I found some flowers I had pulled off projects of old and placed them onto the box as well. Some were paper, others fabric. Also found some Washi Tape I had used, but did not like, on a previous project and discarded, so tore it up and stuck pieces onto the box as well.

Recycled into a useful new storage box.

 Below is a picture of the Mannequin Pin Cushion, next to the box. I had stamped the fabric using script and swirl stamps and Stazon Saddle Brown ink. Narrow strips of lace were attached to the seams and I placed tiny pearls all along the lace with two rows of pearls around the edges at the bottom. A friend gave me some of this lovey pleated ribbon which I attached to the hem and neckline. No lady should be seen out without her pearls on, so a couple of strings were made and attached as well.  A Satin rose from the button jar was placed at the waistline for interest.

Recycled box and contents!

A close up of the pearl necklace!

A back view of the mannequin with pretty laced up detail!

The base with pretty paper roses and a
bow!

I sincerely hope that the recipient uses it for something useful, like knitting needles etc. 

I do hope you have enjoyed my project this week and will pop over to visit my 'teamies' - links on the right side bar, and then take a good look around your homes for something to recycle/repurpose and enter it into our challenge.

So, after many months of working with Cec and the girls, it is time for me to say thanks and goodbye! To Cec, thanks for your patience as I learnt the ropes, for sorting out the hiccups created by the newbies along the way and mostly for asking me to be part of this awesome DT on Sugar Creek Hollow! It has been an amazing journey, one I will treasure and perhaps in time to come, repeat, but for now, I know I need to pay more attention to other areas in my life in 2014 and do not want to short change SCH's awesome followers or the team, by being late of not keeping up the amazing standard set by you all. My heartfelt thanks to the wonderful team, who encouraged me along the way and sent such supportive messages that always came through just when I needed them! I want to wish each and every one of you ladies many happy designing hours and I look forward to catching up with you all on your blogs. 

To the SCH followers, please keep visiting the ladies and leaving comments as that is what keeps us all focused and creating. I now know the hard work that goes into being on a DT. It is really hard work, with deadlines and computer work that never ends, so give them all a little bit of love in a message with each post. It keeps them going!

On a personal note, a special thanks to my darling Hubs, who is so supportive and will make whatever I asked him to do for my projects. Who patiently waits for dinner/tea/lunch/whatever, whilst I 'quickly finish' something and hours later remember him still waiting. What would I do without you, darling?

When you read this post, we will be up in the air on our way to Cape Town to spend two weeks with our darling children and get to say hello to our first Grandchild (albeit still in Mum's tum)! I have no words to describe the happiness this visit will bring us both. It would have been more than a year since last we spent time with our darlings and now, a Grandson on the way, how blessed can we be?? We will get two glorious weeks with them all, get to shop together, cook together and pray together. Open presents together, snap crackers together and lay around like beached whales together after Christmas lunch cooked by me 'Mom'. OMW, how special is this time going to be? Then, back again in February for the birth of our precious little boy!

I doubt that there will be any more posts from me this year, as I will have so much to do with my family in CT, I am unlikely to spend much time at the computer. But, you never know.....

I will for now however, wish each and everyone of you, God's Richest Blessings for a wonderful Blessed Christmas and may 2014 bring you all that God thinks is necessary. May you be happy, creative and blessed with family and good health.

Until 2014, God Bless and Hugz from

Moz