That Recipe Box!

Hi, Jane here again!

I’m taking a bit of time off working on my retreat class in order to blog today and the arrival of our choice of classes last night reminded me that Mel asked me to do some pictures and instructions for how to make the recipe box that I made as one of the challenges at the last retreat...

Unfortunately I can’t show you step by step because I didn’t take photos at the time and I don’t have another box to cover, but it’s a simple process which I’ve outlined below.

You will need a plastic box to cover – (we got these from Mel and Jill so I’m not sure what make they are)

Brown alcohol ink (I used ‘rust’)

Graphic 45 ‘Domestic Goddess’ range,

I used a sheet each of…

Quilting Bee

Farmers Market

Domestic Goddess

Simple as Pie

7 Gypsies vintage hardware (from which I used the clock and spoon)

7 Gypsies crystal book knob

7 Gypsies typewriter words (from which I used ‘best’)

Twill

Thickers – I used ‘Jewelry box’ in black - but any lettering would do

plus I used wire and beads from my stash

I started by colouring all the bits of the box that would still show at the end with the brown alcohol ink. Not having my proper applicator with me I resorted to just squirting it straight from the bottle onto the box then dabbing and blending it with a bit of tissue.

I also used a black sharpie pen to colour the front of the press-stud (it was white before).

I then covered the box with the different papers – inking the edges with brown ink before I stuck them down…

I used pieces of the ‘Quilting Bee’ paper to cover the sides of the box and front flap – cutting a hole for the press-stud. To get the pieces the right size I just measured the part I wanted to cover then took off a few millimeters so that there would be a border. The rounded flap was a bit trickier and I used some scrap paper first to get the curve right by drawing round the flap then cutting out my paper a few millimetres inside the pencil line.

I tied a piece of twill onto the plastic hanger on the back of the box then I used the large panel picture of a lady holding a pie from the Domestic Goddess sheet and stuck this onto the back.

Again, using a paper template first I cut a piece from the checkerboard side of the Farmers Market paper – (though check which panels from the other side you are planning to use first!) I cut a hole for the press-stud and stuck this paper onto the front of the box.

To embellish I used panels from the Farmers Market and Domestic Goddess papers which I cut, inked and stuck on. I attached the crystal knob to the top of the box and put the typewriter key sticker and thickers on the front to make my title ‘Best recipes’.

Finally I used some wire, jump rings and beads from my stash along with the clock and spoon to make the dangling decorations. I poked holes in the bottom of the box and then poked the wires through, securing them with some double sided tape – I then covered this with a strip of paper to hide the wires even though it was down inside the box.

I used the left over papers and some of the Simple as Pie paper along with some kraft card to make recipe cards and dividers for inside the box. I punched tabs using the Stampin Up! tab punch.

Ok... now back to working on that class. I'm very excited about teaching at the retreat and am loving the 7 Gypsies papers I'm working with!