...i know i promised the first ever mo product review would come next but i decided before i posted it i would read the directions of the first ever mo product to be reviewed. the test went along fine without reading them. i even put three models up against each other and found the hands down winner. but a little direction reading might give me some insight you may want....and anything to make you happy!
so instead you get the first ever 'mo's trash is treasure' blog! oh how exciting! i know most of you guys hardly ever touch real paper any more but i aim to to show you some things to get you to put those digital skills (and expensive equipment) to use AWAY from the scrapbook now and then.
what you see here is what to do with all those things you print out that aren't quite right or those little bits of stuff you just can't bear to throw out but wish you had, later, when they need a home. so throw it in a pile somewhere until it's the next time of year when you are supposed to spend more on gifts in a week than you would ever dream of spending on yourself in a year. and when that time comes, rummage through all those rejects to find anything that now looks pretty interesting. cut what you like into nice pieces and now you are almost ready to make a oh so fabulous collage box.
what i used here is one of those boxes you see piled up at places like michael's - made out of cardboard and covered in kraft paper. they're really cheap and come in all sorts of silly shapes like bears and cats. i like to stick with the plain box shape myself. i'm sure ro would agree. just make sure the lid really fits the box as i think they make the lid and the box at two separate places because this is a real problem! i painted the box on this masterpiece with black matte acrylic paint - inside and out.
i use any sort of clear medium to attach my rejects, but have found the matte works best. liquitex or modge podge is good and if all you have is elmer's glue, his will do the trick fine if you water it down a bit first. just paint the back of the reject and slap it on the box. to get it to lay down really smooth - slap some more medium across the top and then gently rub your finger across it - starting in the middle and move out toward the edges. then slap on another piece! when they dry, if you have a bit of a bubble under under the art, just cut a tiny X over it with an exacto knife and tuck some medium under it with a little brush. smash it back down and smooth again with your finger. ta da! you're collaging your way to a cheap but lovely present!
when all the rejects are safely attached, i always paint a couple more coats of the medium over the whole shabang. it dries really fast so this takes no time at all. i like to even put stuff inside and on the bottom but just the outside is enough. it really depends on how much you like the person you're making the box for.
the one in the picture has all photos on the outside and i used deckle edged scissors to cut them out. on the inside i put teeny copies of letters my daughter had written and lots of her art work. we've filled our boxes with all sort of things. this one had cookies we pretended to bake (we actually baked some but as always happens, we ate them).
so you might say - BIG DEAL MO! well, the reason i decided to make this the first 'mo's trash is treasure' is because the first christmas i made these for everyone, i got more raves than for any of the things that i thought WERE really a big deal! and the next year everyone called me to get instructions so THEY could make them as presents. so you're just gonna have to give it a try to see for yourself.
if you need some help let me know. my directions aren't fancy and formal but i can still get you what you need to have the prettiest little treasure out of your trash in no time flat! be sure to send me pictures if you make some yourself.
okay - i promise the review to come will be even better now that i bought some time to check out the directions.
thanks for visiting the mo blog and be sure to check back often! you'd hate to anything!
ADDED FOR MACY's MOM: oops! this box is about as wide as a shoe box of someone with big feet. and the paper is epson photo quality item #41062. you get a big stack of it for about 13.99 - 100 sheets i think. i use it for all my trashy treasures as it prints color beautifully. it is NOT shiney...although i have nothing against shiney.
