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This blog is for those of us girls (and guys) who love everything artsy and enjoy the challenge of discovering new and exciting ways of creating something wonderful. We do not discriminate against any artform but are willing to try them all and pass on our knowledge to you. In addition, we love to feature our ATA Girlz (and guys) so that those people who can't draw a straight line - but love unique and handmade items - can help support our wonderful friends. Visit often to discover what we're "playing" with next!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Themed Shadow Box: Fill Er Up

Ok -- I freely admit I'm on a homemade decoration role lately - but this one I "borrowed" from a show on PBS and upgraded.  I wanted something different - and when I saw this project demonstrated - I thought to myself  "Self - I can do better!"  So here goes.....

I took a deep black-framed shadowbox in a standard size and removed the back. I measured the back dimensions and found a mirror that would fit inside perfectly.

I made a mark on the inside of the frame where the mirror would rest and screwed a couple of "stops" on each side of the mirror to hold it in place.

I wanted to be able to put flowers in front of the mirror, so I found a plastic tube that would hold a single stem of a flower and held it up so that it would reflect in the side of the mirror.  I made a mark at the appropriate height, then screwed a large hook into the inside of the frame so that the tube would be held by the hook. 

Since I didn't like the look of this green plastic thing... I, of course, broke out the beads and covered the entire tube with multiple shapes and sizes of beads, all in the same tonal family.  I had some shiny thin ribbon that I glued on the top to finish it.

Knowing me by now - you KNOW that I couldn't leave it at that!  I pulled out some different wood die cuts and colored beads and went to work again, completely beading the cut-out (I did the triple heart first - shown here).  I found some heavy duty magnets and attached them to the frame where the new beaded decoration touched the sides as well as to the back of the decoration itself.  Since I have a bunch of different shapes, I can change the outside decoration to match the season or my mood!

To finish it, I installed the mirror, replacing the back of the frame and fastening it in place.  While I could hang this on the wall, I kind of like having it sit on a shelf or table.   What do you think?
~ Dani





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