Resin Crafts Blog readers meet
Valerie Spanswick of Sparkle Park Designs. This is her Buddha Box featuring an up cycled Altoid tin! I asked her if she would mind sharing some tips with you and she wrote me this fabulous "how-to."
For this up cycled Altoids tin I wanted to
use my photograph of a red-columned pagoda. The tin is decorated with origami
paper and a small metal Buddha, so the photo carries on the Asian theme. The
pagoda is actually along the shore at Newport, Rhode Island. The photo was
taken on film, so I had to scan the print. I enhanced the color in Photoshop to
give it a vintage look, and then added some hand-painted highlights.
The gold frame encircling the picture was
made from twisted gold paper – not a technique I would use again! All the paper
was applied using Mod Podge, then sprayed with lacquer, and the little gold
beads were glued on. I like the look of the tin decoration, but I wanted to
picture to stand out more.
Plus, I was worried the beads would fall off or the
gold frame would get damaged.
On the Resin Crafts blog I read that Carmi
often brushes resin on her pieces. So I bought some cheap paint brushes and
coated the picture in Envirotex Jewelry Resin. I also brushed the resin on the
gold frame and made sure to get some over the beads. I ended up doing two
separate layers because I had left brush marks the first time.
Now the picture really stands out and
almost looks like it's under glass – without being breakable! And I'm not
worried about the beads falling off anymore. I think the resin really finished
the piece off and also made it more durable.
Thank you so much for your tips and advice Valerie!
Labels: Designer Feature, Envirotex Jewelry Resin, Glaze, Tips
