Friends forever box

Hi everybody!!!

So sorry to have been gone from my blog for so long. I have just not been in much of a mood to craft and when I was nothing worked. The paper I used to color with my Copics just didn't seem to do what I wanted anymore and I was completely out of inspiration. But I got myself some new paper... Paper Tempress Cryogen White (I read it was Suzanne J. Dean's favorite paper at the moment so had to give it a try) and that's made a world of difference. LOVE this paper!! Furthermore I had bought this absolutely adorable Friends Forever stamp from Whiff of Joy when I was at the Art Specially stamp show and did a very short sort of a demo for them and have been wanting to use it ever since. I decided to make a box for my best friend Diana who came with me to the Art Specially and who I'm trying to get excited for stamping. I bought her a small gift (hope she doesn't read my blog) and thought the sentiment used was perfect. It's by Nicole Verkooijen and it reads Everything is better when shared with a friend... which is absolutely the case for me and my stamping.... I love the Diana is showing interest in stamping as well because I love to craft with her. Anyway.... here is my first creation in ages :) : I used a square doilly I bought on Ebay and some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and some rhinestones from stash. The backing to the image is a die by Spellbinder and the paper used is by MME from a Stella and Rose Gertie paperpad. Here is a close up of the cute image by Whiff of Joy:

Colored with my Copics and 3D paperpieced... hope you can see that better on this picture:

I used some twine as rope for the swing. Here is the complete box again:

It's a sigare box actually which I have first sanded (geschuurd, hope sanded is the correct name) and then painted with different colors of paint, there some light and darker blue, some pink and some silver paint in there. Finally I gave the box a layer of varnish. Here you can see what the paint now looks like:

Well hope you like!! I am already busy on my next project so hope to have something to show you soon. Take care everybody!!!

xxx

Mariska