Good Fortune Keeping
Chinese New Year is still fresh for me and I want to keep some of that good fortune with me as we move toward spring. As I was finishing a delicious meal of lo mein and reaching for my fortune cookie, a vision for a fortune keeper came to me. As a saver of the fortunes from the many cookies I have known, it seemed a good place to store them and any other fortune I could gather. The things I had from Gwen’s shop were perfect for this project.
A Pringles tube was used for the base. (After eating the contents and wiping clean with a damp rag.) Instead of going for a fresh, consistent color, the look of a box that has been cherished throughout a period of time was chosen. The whole was given a fresh coat of gesso. Layer after layer of color was added. This added depth.
Next Gwen’s Stencil Girl Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen Stencil was applied to the can using spray ink. A questionable decision, given the fact that the container is a cylinder. Blur, drips, and imperfection was embraced for this project, but if you are after a fresh, clean stenciled image I would recommend pouncing paint when stenciling on a tube.
Using the dragon from Gwen’s Exotic Orient Chinese Paper Cut-Outs – Chinese Zodiac as a stencil and an embossing pad, the image was transferred to the tube. Seth Apter’s Baked Texture in Rocky Road by Emerald Creek was applied to the embossing powder. Seeing it react to the heating unit was a treat. The words Good Fortune were added with a brush pen.
Dresden trim was adhered along the bottom edge.
Next, the bottom was embellished. It was painted with the same paints as the sides. A large Chinese coin was hot glued to the bottom and black beads glued around it. After poking a hole in the middle, the Exotic Orient Chinese Coin Tassel – Large was added. The tassel was attached to a black bead on the outside with a thread, this was pulled through the hole and attached to another black bead on the inside.
The top saw the same treatment with paint and black beads glued around the outside rim. A round, Chinese screen Exotic Orient Traditional Chinese Metal Wafer Die was transformed from it’s original silver to a mix that would match the piece. First, it was turned gold by covering with two different gold markers.
Then a layer of Seth Apter’s Baked Texture in Chunky Rust (Emerald Creek) was applied and heated.
Another layer of Baked Texture was applied, but this time it was Rocky Road. Swoon! I love the look of this.
Finally a hole was punched in the lid and a piece of Twisted Sister Sari Ribbon from Darned Good Yarn was added for a hanger.
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