PaperArtsy: 2024 Topic 9 : Alison Bomber Treasure Chest {by Ann Barnes}

Hi everyone it is Ann (aksbarchitect CREATES) here with you today. Where I live we are deep into the season of Autumn. The season where I often find myself noticing and picking up nature's treasures from the ground whenever I am outdoors.

When I first learned of this Topic's focus: all things Alison Bomber, my creative mind began conjuring ideas of a treasure box that would hold small natural elements, or treasures that I have found. A place for safekeeping until I use them in my art. Alison has a wonderful variety of stamps, both with words and illustrations. I have always been drawn to her gorgeous botanical illustration stamps. I chose to focus on Eclectica Alison Bomber Set 25 (EAB25) Acorn Edition, taking advantage of the tie-in to the season as well as our current PaperArtsy Blog theme: nature.

I am so in love with this Nature's Treasure Box! Adding the dimensional leaves to the base oak branch illustration stamp turned out even better than I imagined. The PaperArtsy Infusions created such a realistic palette for the leaves, bringing the entire design to life.

I am fawning over the wax seal that holds the leather closure piece. I wanted to draw special attention to the round stamp design included in this set, and thought that it would be wonderful as an actual seal; yet only having ever used metal heads to create wax seals, I was unsure if this could be achieved. I will explain how I was able to create this gorgeous detail using sealing wax.

I am often inspired by the colors I see in nature, and for this project I was definitely feeling the autumn vibes. PaperArtsy Infusions Dye Stains in Golden Sands (CS05), The Sage (CS03), Just Walnut (CS25), Terracotta (CS21) and Rusty Car (CS17) reflect the gorgeous hues of autumn foliage, while all of the stamping was done in browns using Ranger Industries Archival Inks (ground expresso, vintage photo and coffee) to keep it earthy and neutral..

I was gifted a few old cigar boxes from a fellow artist a number of years back and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use one. I wanted this treasure box to be large enough to hold a variety of pieces both small and large, and I thought this box was a perfect fit. I removed all of the stickers and sanded down the finish. Then I coated the outside of the box with clear gesso. At this point I was unsure of what color I would be using for a base.

Next, I created colored die cut leaves that I would be adding to the collaged, stamped images. I figured this would be the best way to select a background color that would complement the palette and allow the acorn branch imagery to take center stage. To make the leaves, I sprinkled PaperArtsy Dye Infusions onto wet Bristol Paper and allowed the colors to bleed and blend together. In some areas I used additional water and a paintbrush to dilute the color and others I blended the colors together. I tried to leave some sections with straight infusion colors so that when I die cut pieces from the sheets of paper I would have a large variation in leaf color.

It's always a good idea to die cut a lot more pieces than you think you will need, I seem to find myself using way more than I anticipate. If you have any leftover, you can always use them in another project or even to make a quick greeting card. With a gorgeous pile of leaves to complement, I am able to select a paint color for the outside of the box. I chose PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Chalk Paint in Buff (FF96), and paint the exterior. When the paint is dry I lightly distress the edges.

To add interest and give the box a more weathered appearance, I randomly stamp around the edges with PaperArtsy Minis stamp (MN72). Since I want this to blend into the background and not draw a lot of attention, I ink the stamp with Ranger Industries Archival Ink - Coffee, stamp onto a scrap paper and then stamp on the box using whatever ink remains on the stamp. This second generation stamping appears much less crisp than if I had stamped directly onto the box immediately after inking.

With the prep work complete, I was eager to see my vision come to life! I wanted to add a knob or pull to make opening the box easier. Considering that this would be fastened to the top, I decided that it was important to figure out what would be inside incase I needed to account for any fasteners.

I figured the best way to have flexibility with the interior finish would be to make a panel that could be attached after the knob was secured. I measured the interior dimensions and cut a piece of patterned scrapbook paper to size. Then, I selected a favorite section of the PaperArtsy Printed Tissue - Alison Bomber (PT08). Using Ranger Industries Distress Collage Medium matte, I collaged the tissue onto the paper panel. The patterned paper is faintly visible through the tissue and gives an aged appearance.

Using Ranger Industries Distress Crayons, and a water brush, I added color to the botanical images and circular seal portion of the printed tissue. to add a bit of grunginess to the panel I stamped PaperArtsy Minis (MN72) with Ranger Industries Archival ink - Coffee. I added bit of Gold leaf pen around the outside edge of the circle and the interior panel was finished.

Now it's time to work on the outside of the box. I want to create an overall pattern on the top and plan on creating this using the oak branch with acorns stamp. In order to gauge how the design will fill the space, I stamp it multiple times onto tissue paper and cut them out. Then I can easily move the pieces around. It also allows me to see where I might be able to include some of the die cut leaves.

I continue arranging the tissue pieces on the top of the box. Where necessary, I cut off sections of the design. In particular if there is an area that I would like a die cut leaf to replace one in the stamp design. Using another stamp from the set, I create a faux wooden layered plaque. This will be placed towards the center of the box top. I set it in place so that I can easily layout my design around it.

In areas that I want to add more acorns, I cut up the stamped tissue and situate the pieces to make it appear as they would be an extension of the branch.

Once I have my desired design, I collaged all of the tissue pieces into place using Ranger Industries Distress Collage Medium - Matte. After the collage medium has dried, I tested out some of the leaf placements before adding color to the stamped pieces.

To color the collaged, stamped pieces I used Ranger Industries Distress Watercolor Pencils. It is easy to add and blend the colors. I tried to make the acorns look as realistic as possible while also allowing for a range of color to distinguish all the elements.

Once satisfied with the coloring, I sprayed the box with Kylon Matte Finish Sealer. This seals the watercolor as well as gives the box an overall matte finish, concealing any of the matte medium brush strokes. I secured the gold leafed acorn knob to the top, and attached a leather closure.

The leather strap is held in place with a wax seal. I stamp the circle stamp directly onto my box with archival ink. This helps me to place the leather straps where I want them. To ensure that nothing moves when I stamp into the hot wax, I first glue the leather straps in place at the center of the stamp. I drip hot gold wax over the stamped area (covering the leather straps as well). Before the wax cools, I press the rubber stamp into the melted wax with even pressure. I allow the wax to cool completely before removing the rubber stamp. When the stamp is lifted, the impression reflects the beautiful design. This is one of my favorite details, it turned out even more beautiful than I imagined!

The final steps include gluing the colored and embellished tissue panel inside the top of the box, and attaching all of the die cut leaves onto the exterior. Gold leafed edges at the interior add the finishing touch.

Alison Bomber has the most gorgeous collection of botanical illustration stamps with PaperArtsy, I could imagine making various boxes for different seasons. These could make a wonderful gift idea for someone special. Perhaps I've inspired you to make your own treasure box, or even just to experiment with different ways to incorporate these incredible stamps into a project, either way I hope you find yourself getting crafty.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Ann