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Altered Chocolate Box - Steampunk Box Nature meets Industry

Altered Chocolate Box - Steampunk Box Nature meets Industry
Steampunk Altered Chocolate Box
Well, whatabout ye folks.  Me again back to fill your minds with more of my nonsense, lol.  Today I want to show you another altered chocolate box I made.  Heyyyyyy.......it was Easter recently remember!  So I got a box of choccies from Scrubby......so no I am not a complete gorbyguts!  Well......maybe just a bit when it comes to chocolate but anywho, Im not counting the calories so neither should you, lol.  Anyway calories don't count if its a special occasion like Easter, Christmas, my birthday, Our Anniversary.....everyone  else's Anniversaries, other peoples birthdays........Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesday's........... are you getting the picture?  Heehee.

Anywhoodles, I am doing a Altered Box Swap with a fellow Youtuber and friend, Vikkie from Norway.  Well no she is from England but now lives in beautiful Norway.  We decided an altered box swap would be the perfect thing to work on as we both LOVE doing altered boxes.  So, here is the box I made.  Now it is my FIRST EVER attempt at Steampunk so please forgive my amateurish work. I'm not completely happy with it if Im honest, and I don't know what it is that I'm not quite happy with but hey ho, I'll hopefully do better the next time if I ever do Steampunk again that is.  Maybe Shabby Chic is something I do well and should stick to and Steampunk is the Genre that I will always love but have to admire from afar?  Hmmmmm, who knows?  I wanted to use a colour scheme of pinks, browns and metallic colours.

Here it is.......time for the arty farty deep meaning bit......heehee.  We all know I'm as deep as a puddle, lol.

The whole theme behind the box is Nature meets Industry.  I wanted to have two distinct sides to the box. One side would be nature, filled with flowers and Butterflies and the other side with Industrial gogs and gears, chains and watch pieces.  But the whole point is that I wanted Nature to meet Industry and show that both can co-exist beautifully together.  I wanted the nature side of the box to be reaching out to the Industrial side of the box as after all.....nature is alive and the Industrial side although moving parts, its not actually alive.  So that is why the wee pearl sprays from the flowers looks like its stretching and growing out to touch the Industrial side. I also added fussy cut butterflies from the Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante papers to add to both sides. So with the butterfly on the flowers and one on the gears, they are the connection that brings the Nature and Industrial parts together.
Sorry I can't remember this paper on the sides of the box, but I added it and used Walnut stain on all corners of the box and paper....they may be from the Graphic 45 pad.....but my sieve head has forgotten!  The feet were coloured using the Umber coloured ProMarker.  Its my first time not painting them but the Promarkers did a great job colouring the wooden feet.  The closure is an amber coloured gem dismantled from an old jewellery piece from Fiona Jennings (Jennings644 on YT).

The beautiful braided trim is from another YT friend, Kerry (Youtube link no longer available) (thanks Kerry).  I think the colour was just perfect and looks very similar to the Victorian Velvet coloured Distress Ink.  Its stuck down using hot glue (of course......where would I be without my hot glue!?  Hmmmm, I'd probably have less burns on my hands and fingers for a start!)
The Tim Holtz Gears were very kindly given to me by Maddy......Hi Maddy (she says waving frantically at her screen!).  I don't have this die........YET!  But Maddy die cut me some.  I used the Tim Holtz Gears Embossing Folder sent to me by my lovely friend Bernice (Hello there!) and I covered all the gears with versamark ink with a little help from the versamark pen too and I embossed them with Debbi Moores Cooper embossing powder.

I got some old chains that I bought from Fi and worked them around the gears, gluing them down with hot glue.  NOW.......this was the most fiddly and infuriating job of the whole box.  The air was blue in my craft room by the time I finished adding the chains to the gears.  I had to set it down and walk away at one stage because I nearly chucked them all in the bin, I was getting so frustrated with it and as I dont have this die.....well chucking the die cuts in the bin would have been a daft move!  The Timmy watch face and spinner came from Bernice also.

I bought some wee broken down watch pieces off ebay and added them to the gears and box.  I also fussy cut one of the butterflies from the Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante papers and added it to the gears.

Here is a top view of the flowers.  For once I used bought flowers! GASP!  And some gifted flowers too.  I know.....they arent all handmade by me.  BUT dont panic.....do you see the wee Cherry blossoms (one of the right middle and one at the top middle of the picture).....they are made by me.  Some of the wee rose buds are from Lindsay (LindsayCraftymonster81, thanks Lindsay) and others are from friends and some I bought.    I couldn't do a project without some of my handmade babies on it.  I also added some crystal sprays within the flowers.

I added flat back pearls the whole way around the top of the box and coming from the flowers are some pearl sprays.  

Here is the inside.  I just LOVE how the pin board came out.  This is my FIRST ever time making a padded pin board and I love this one.  The fabric and ribbon ties in the browns and pinks on the outside of the box.  I do have a video tutorial on how to do this so it will be uploaded soon.  I kept the bottom of the box simple as the inside cover is so detailed.

I cut out some of the wee tags from the Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante papers and made some stickpins for the pinboard

I added some more chain as a way to keep the box lid open.  It ties in with the Steampunk feel of the box.

The chain is held on using brads in the side of the box and on the pinboard itself.  The brads connecting the chain also helps hold on the pinboard to the lid.

I added a piece of cream textured cardstock to the floor of the inside of the box and added bling mesh which I cut into strips and added it around the edge.....not too straight either as you can see, lol.

This is one of the stickpins using pink and brown beads and spacers

This is a more Steampunk style stickpin

I love the wings on this stickpin

And I had to throw in a lovely shabby chic stickpin!  Well, I couldn't not add it, its so beautiful.

And thats it, from inside and out
Sorry for all the photos folks but it is very hard to show a detailed project such as this with just a few photos.  I hope you like this box.  Vikkie really loved it, which Im so happy about.  See you laters alligators!  lol

Toodles Noodles,

Loops xx
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Comments

  1. another stunning project from you Lee........... I just love all the details you have put into it..........everything just goes together so well, no wonder Vikki loved it
    Tilly

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  2. Wowzers, this is absolutely stunning!! Read every piece, lol, had to see what you used, thought it was real gears, you did a super job on them. And then every other little piece on this box is amazing, can think that she will love it!!
    lotsa luv

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  3. Lee - you are so talented!!! I always love to see what you have altered!!! Love Graphic 45 paper too! xo

    -pamela ;)

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  4. Hi Lee, this is just one fabulous, amazing altered box. I love the theme you chose, putting together the natural and industrial sides of the world and your use of the G45 papers and elements is superb. love it.
    hugs {brenda} xox

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  5. Totally stunning and inspirational as ever Lee.

    All things steampunk terrify me, but there again so did bird cage dies until you cast your spell, so perhaps there's hope.

    Guess what I got in the post today ? And yes, the colour are yummy and the yellow just as I was hoping it would be. In answer to your question they have come out with re-inkers as well, and the price at my source the best I've found (imagine you can guess where it is).

    B x

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  6. Oh yes Lee! You did it again! Spot on, your steampunk creation, great job girl. Really love your gorgeous stickpins and those fab embellishments, even the inside is totally pretty! Superbly done! Hugs, Ira x

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  7. WOW, there are no words to describe what an amazing project and so much detail too, Luv Sam x

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  8. Hi Lee, wowzer hun this is simply stunning love the image and so many gorgeous other bits to look at wow time is ticking .... better move on
    take care
    Hugs Kate xx

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  9. This is totally stunning Lee! You are right the pin board inside is superb! Love it all hugs rebekah xx

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  10. Totally amazing Lee...love the altered box, all your scrummy embellies and the pin board is fantastic...you are one very talented girlie...:o)

    big hugs Vicky xx

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  11. WOW! WOW! WOW! Lee, this is incredible hun. Ooh! where do I start? love the image, cogs, flowers, butterfly, pins. I LOVE IT ALL! You are so talented Mrs.

    Donna x

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  12. stunning box luv all the details put in an order for graphic 45 papers and it came today, they are gorgeous.
    Chris x

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  13. Evening Lee, This is simply stunning, Love the steam punk and them graphic papers are lush, Glad that the embossing folder and clock gears came in handy, Beautiful Box, P.S sent you e-mail sat night hope you recieved it, Have a good evening xx Bernice

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  14. Great combo of beautiful flowers and gears, Lee! Very balanced and unique thing! (Well, if I may call this box a thing :) Great Job, my dear friend! Hugs, kissinia

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  15. so stunning lee.fantastic details and i love your colours :D

    xx coops xx

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  16. oooooohhhh my fav Graphic45 papers...love this amazingly made box...I could spend ages looking and still see something new
    Mina xxx

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  17. Wow! This is fabulous! Your swap friend will love it!

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  18. Oh my gosh, Lee, this is amazing!! Wow!! I am in awe!! All of the details you put into this are just fabulous!! What a stunning, beautiful creation...I just love it!! :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  19. Wowwwweeee Lee - what a fab project! I'm sure she will treasure it!!

    Everytime I read your 'what about ya folks' at the start of your post.... I hear Jim McDonald from Coronation St!! Please do some more videos with sound...... so I can hear YOU and not him!! hehe

    Hugs
    Christine x

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  20. Another stunning project Lee. So many fabulous details. Wonderful.
    Debbie x

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  21. Wow! This is absolutely stunning,I have no idea why you aren't happy with it. You are always telling me that I am my own worst critic, I think the same applies here. I love everything about this The cogs and the clock face look fantastic, the flowers look gorgeous, your stick pins are beautiful and the pin board inside is a brilliant idea, your attention to detail is wondeful, LOVE it
    Lindsay xx

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  22. Hi Lee, Oh my word..I just adore looking at all your piccies of your steampunk box...love those beautiful details, you are sooo talented and your oins are amazing:) Hugs, Teresa xx

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  23. Hi Lee, Oh my word..I just adore looking at all your piccies of your steampunk box...love those beautiful details, you are sooo talented and your oins are amazing:) Hugs, Teresa xx

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  24. Oh Lee, this is just gorgeous!! Absolutely love the design - I'll send you some more of those gears, they look fabulous the way you have double-embossed them. Glad to see your flowers being put to good use :-)). I adore the cushioned pin board inside, great idea. I know what you mean about sticking down the chain, I've had the same problem on a recent project - you get one bit stuck and go to stick the next bit and pull the first bit off!! Grrr, glad you got there in the end, and it was absolutely worth it. Well done me old mucker (or mush as they say where I come from!) Love Maddy xxx

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Helloooooo! Anybody out there??!! Hey....there you are! Thanks for leaving a comment and stopping by my Blog. Lee x