Sunday 8 February 2015

Baby Name Frame


My best friend has just had her first baby! Hooray!!
For her baby shower which was back in January (well actually he was born a week after still in January so I'm rather late with my post) but I had decided I really like the idea of the survival kits that are knocking about on the internet but didn't like the idea of just giving seemingly useless things such a marbles and matchsticks in a bag! So I decided to make them into a picture frame spelling out his name.
 First things first, I knew I wanted an 8 x 8 shadow box as 6x6 seemed to small and 12x12 seems just a little bit too big, could I find a nice place wooden one anywhere - no, no I couldn't, but I did find this one in Wilko's so i thought what the hey I'll just take it apart make it look pretty and put it back to together ... how hard could it be ...
 ... turns out harder than expected when you find the little spacers and glued in and they need to be come out in order for everything to be visible! But after much yanking and pulling, some rather dangerous knife antics and help from the boyfriend the frame finally came apart hooray!! 
 Previous to all of this I had made my insert. I started by deciding which items I was using and then writing what each item was for and spacing it around in a square (I did all this on the computer) to fit in an 8x8 frame and then gathering my bits and pieces and gluing them down in the shape of LOGAN!
 Back to the frame. I applied a couple of layers of Gesso to my frame in order to get a nice white base and cover up all that black as I knew I wanted some nice neutral colours.

 Once the Gesso was dry I grabbed my Antique Linen Distress Paint and just started swooshing it across the frame on the front and sides, so that it more of a distressed look than meticulously ensuring that it was all covered - this was also the reason for the white Gesso.

 Once the paint had dried I grabbed a stamp and some Archival Ink in Coffee, and just started randomly pressing the stamp onto the frame. not using any acrylic block as it gave more of the shabby look I was aiming for


 Then I finished the frame off by just inking all the edges with some more of the archival ink
 Now it was time to add the spacers back in, so I got he trusty glue gun out and stuck all the little bits of wood back around the inside edges having already placed the glass back in

 Then I glued the insert onto the backing board and place it back inside the frame
 And taa daa my Essentials for Your New Baby frame was complete

And most importantly my Bestie and her lovely Hubby really loved it!
Speak Soon

Nat 
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