The Everyday Muse: Summertime Shrine

MY STORY

A friend of mine recently checked off a big bucket list item -- a home near the ocean. In addition to hoping for many invitations, I wanted to create a unique home decor item for her housewarming. Being non-traditional in nature, my goal was to make something personal, maybe a little quirky and not your usual navy/maritime seaside motif. With the help of products from Relics and Artifacts, I love the way this frame came out.

YOUR TURN

Supplies used in this example:

Shadowbox frame with mat
Photo / photo editing software. I used Picasa
Ver Day Paints from 10 Seconds Studio Ten Seconds Studio website
Helios 11 and Coquille matte resin craft blanks Relics & Artifacts Shop
Acrylic paint
Liquitex Medium
E6000 adhesive
Charm embellishments San Miguel Collection Website

My friend loves seashells and I love to photograph them. Using Picasa, I used various filters to change the look of the original jpeg to make it more unusual. I practiced with a bunch of different photos until I landed on the one I wanted to use.

For the mat, I decided to create an "iron" look. Using VerDay Paints from Ten Seconds Studio did the trick! Paint a base of the iron paint, let dry completely. Add a second coat on the areas you want to add the patina to. While still wet, spray the patina finish and watch it do its magic.

I have a shell from a family trip that I have always loved so I tried to emulate the coloring when painting the matte resin blanks. Use a light hand as it is always easier to add more color. To get a soft look, when still wet, wipe down your piece with a paper towel and keep adding color until desired.

For the sun, I didn't want a typical color so for this piece I used the VerDay paints in copper, follow the same instructions as above.

Add embellishments as desired to the shells and the sun using a strong adhesive. I decided to remove the glass from the shadowbox to create a 3D look.