A Happy Birthday Heavy Metal Box for my son.

Today we took my son Josh and his girlfriend, April, out to eat for his 37th birthday (which was actually last weekend).  I always give him money - as that's what he likes most - so he can use it as he wishes - but I always put it in a homemade card.  This year I was inspired by the A Vintage Journey Heavy Metal Challenge for my design of Josh's gift container.  I made a box to hold the monetary gift.  For the challenge you can use any form of metal - paper, paint, Idea-ology  pieces and it has to be in the "Tim Holtz" style.

 Here are some photos of the steps I took to create this box.  Using Little Sizzles Black Mat Board - I die cut two pieces for the box using the Sizzix Block/Cube/Bank 3D die.  Then I masked each piece with Eclipse tape. 

I then stenciled the sides with Tim's Dot Fade, Stripes and Lattice Work Stencils using Brushed Pewter Distress Paint -  the paint, being more liquid than ink, ran a bit behind the stencils but I like the look it gives!

Then I went to work adding stampings and metal to the sides.  Here's how the decorated panels look before putting the two pieces of the box together.

Here is a close up of the top of the box.  My son was in the Army for about 8 years right out of High School.  He had hoped to make the military his career -  but he was shot (by a civilian in a robbery) while he was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC - and had to be discharged on disability.  He was left blind in one eye, with a bullet lodged in his neck near his spine, suffering from nerve headaches and a good dose of PTS, but otherwise in good pretty good shape considering - and thankful to be alive. This all happened over 14 years ago.  He now works in a motorcycle shop and riding is his passion - so heavy metal is a good theme for him!  I chose the LUCKY Heart Charm for the top of his box -  as he was blessed to have survived when he was shot - he also has a tattoo of the word on his arm and it's his biker name amongst his friends.  I painted the Clock Key and Time Piece with the Brushed Pewter Distress Paint and used a wire pin to attach the Heart Charm.

 On the front panel I adhered  Mirrored Stars along with a sentiment and frame from Saying Stuff from Stampers Anonymous which I Black Sparkle embossed on Brushed Silver card stock.

I painted a Word Band with the same Distress Paint, wove a piece of Tinsel Twine through it and adhered it to the box with Glue N Seal.  I embossed this sentiment (Keep Cool and Bike On) from Jillian Vance Designs on silver, punched it out and adhered it with a foam dot.

More Tinsel Twine knotted through a Philosophy Tag painted with the Distress Pewter.  This sentiment is from Classics #16 Stampers Anonymous.  Again - embossed with Black Sparkle on silver card stock - I hand cut around the sentiment and adhered it with foam dots.

Another sentiment from Live to Ride set by Jillian Vance Designs - and two Sprocket Gears painted with the Distress Paint.

I'm happy to say he liked his Birthday Gift Box (along with a check and 4 Reeses Peanut Butter cups inside)!

You'll find the A Vintage Journey challenge here.

I'm also linking this to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #5 - Ribbon, Twine and Fiber -  I used Fiber!

Stamps:  Live to Ride - ajillianvancedesigns, Saying Stuff and Classics #16 - Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  Little Sizzles Black Mat Board - Sizzix, Brushed Silver - SU
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Black Sparkle Embossing Powder - Ranger, Ranger Distress Paint - Brushed Pewter, foam dots, Glue N Seal - Ranger, ScorTape, Idea-ology Time Pieces, Clock Keys, Word Bands, Tinsel Twine, Sprocket Gears, Philosohy Tags, Wire Pins, Heart Charms, Mirrored Stars, Die - Block/Cube/Bank 3D - Sizzix, Tim Holtz Stencils - Stripes, Latticwork, Dot Fade.