It started with a little inspiration …

Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

It is a special, and somewhat serious, day for us as we both celebrate our love for each other and remember the most important vow we have ever taken. My husband usually gets me a gift and a card and sometimes flowers. There is often great meaning behind everything he gets for me — yes, he actually looks up what the color of roses mean and what gifts are traditional on specific years. He really does put a lot of thought into it.

Anyhow, I wanted to make him something that let him know how special he is to me. Although CHA products slowed me down and I did not complete the project until yesterday evening, it did not diminish the thought behind the gift.

So, it all began with a little inspiration … this time in the form of some stickers from K & Co.

Although the stickers never actually ended up on my project, I pulled my colors and thoughts from them.

I used the Grand Rectangle Globeframe from Globecraft Memories as the base of my project, but I wanted to include more than just a photo, so I modified it a bit … Here is what I created:

(click on the photo for a larger view)

Basically, I took the back of the frame and the bottom mat and hinged them together. It looks like this inside …

The little “story” I wrote to go inside is filled with references to shipping and sailing. I used Distress Ink to tone down the white of the paper. The lighthouse paper is really old. I’m not sure who made it. The hearts are Piccolo parts I pulled out of card decor set and then enameled with Vintage Copper.

Here’s a look at how the hinges work …

I didn’t have any hinges, so I made these using the Tiny Tags & Tabs die from Tim Holtz/Sizzix. I cut them out of Grungepaper, since it is stronger and allows some flexibility.

Then, I used Piccolo Enamel Powders to cover the Grungepaper. I used Vintage Silver and then a hint of Mossy Glen to replicate algae in the water. I added a few brads so they would look more industrial and less like office supplies.

Now for the front …

The main background is created by applying layers and layers of Distress Stain in several colors: Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint and Picket Fence. I used spritzes of water and a heat gun and kept going until I thought it looked like the water. Then I spritzed a homemade mix of Perfect Pearls (Gold & Salty Ocean Reinker) in a few spots because sometimes water sparkles.

I wanted to add a fishing net, but I haven’t been able to locate one, so I improvised with the Chicken Wire Crafters Workshop template. I used the Piccolo Enamel Powder Adhesive through the template and then applied Vintage Copper Enamel Powder. It’s shiny, but I think it gives the feeling of a net.

The top mat I wanted to look like a ship, so I embossed it with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix bubble folder and then coated it with Vintage Silver Enamel Powder. Next, I added some Archival ink in black, did a little scraping with my fingernail and a bit of sanding, then some more powder and more ink until I got the look I was going for.

The middle layer, which I attached with Pop Dots, was painted black and then coated with a 50/50 mix of Glastique and water so it was a bit shiny — like the paint used in ships.

I added a few metal hardware parts (stolen from my husband’s tool box) and a metal star from a Bo Bunny accessory set that I thought resembled a starfish. The smaller gear is another Piccolo part, enameled in Temple Stone.

I added a couple more Piccolo gears (one in Brownstone) and a compass sticker (the only thing used from that pack of K & Co. stickers that inspired me) to the bottom corner. The keyhole was needed to balance the project, even though it has nothing to do with a ship. It’s from that same pack of accessories from Bo Bunny. I did add a bit of twine to it, since there is always rope on a ship.

And, my sense of humor forced me to add the little fish in the bottom corner. It, too, is a Piccolo part (enameled in 24K) as is the seaweed next to it (Mossy Glenn). I love to add a cute or unexpected element and what was better than a fish?

To tie it in, I enameled a brass washer (also stolen from my husband) in Vintage Silver to serve as a port-hole. I must warn you, if you enamel metal, be extremely careful when you touch it. It heats up and, depending on the metal, may take a long time to cool — 30 minutes after I heated this washer, it was still warm.

Enjoy the day on or off the water!