Imaginarium Sue Smyth

Mermaid Canister and Happy Ever After Layout 

By Sue Smyth 

One of my favourite themes is the mermaid, and when thinking what will I do this 

year,, my hand reached to a black canister box. At first I was not

certain what I was going to do with it other than

put the lovely doily chipboard on the top 

But as I worked on, a treasure box to hold a Mermaid's treasures

was what I came up with. A gift box.

This one of my favourite ways of working, whether it 

is a 6 x 6 canvas or a note book. The layering of textured paper

paper towel, plasterers tape, masking tape or tissue paper as a base

and layering over the top selected chipboard.

Start with an ordinary box, this time the box is black

which is important for the final look.

If you don't have one, simply spray an old 

MDF box with black spray paint.

Sand the box, so that the gel medium has a good

surface to bond too.

Adhere chipboard and assorted buttons, beads and trinkets 

with gel medium or texture paste.

I have used a rubber band to keep the border 

in place while it bonds to the canister.

Snip away when dry.

For the lid I have added a little texture paste 

and carved wavy lines in the paste, to 

represent waves.

When dry, brush with gesso with a dry brush 

and allow to dry.

I love this look as it is! 

To skip ahead and I have sprayed with a selection of

dylusions and glimmer mists.

I like to mix the two and often 

use 4 to 6 colours to get the look I am after.

I have also added things as I worked. Just dry brush

with gesso and spray with inks too, then add with

gel medium or glue.

The mermaid is a home made mold, made from a 

chunky necklace, put into a mold making medium and 

now I can make as many as I need.

I have made the resin mermaid quite thin so

it bends to the side of the box.

Handy Hint

Often when you heat a resin item it will become 

pliable, so you can bend it to it the box. 

Also I like to apply dimensional magic over

seed beads to give a really good bond. This is best to let

set for a good while,

When you are happy with the colours, burnish with 

gold paint. I have also used a pearlised purple too.

Handy Hint

To burnish, use any good quality metallic paint, I like paint

because is it more fluid than inka gold or rub on pastes.

Rub over raised areas with an extremely light touch, use middle

finger and apply like you might apply blusher to your cheek.

Do not be heavy!!

I have trimmed the end off a Prima bead and hot

glued it to the top. To hide the

glue I have wrapped a tiny piece of 

fibre around it.

The other side I have made a bit darker with 

the sprays, like deeper water.

Add loads and loads of rhinestones in sea colours

around the sides of the canister.

A great time to use up odd and ends

Handy Hint 

Adhere rhinestones with a little gel glue as the

adhesive on the back will not 

be strong enough over time and use.

Fill with a selection of shells and wish stones

for some lucky young lady (or old lady lol)

Chipboard supplies

My next project is a Disney layout, I have made 

a pact to do more US layouts this year.

I have been to Disneyland 3 times and have not

scrapbooked one single photo. I think because 

I don't like the traditional cheesy Disney stickers

and images that it has put me off.

I have started by creating a laced element 

along the side of the layout

This is simply done, punch matching holes on either

side of torn pieces of cardstock.

Then punch small holes from some scrap cardstock, layer over a larger

circle and punch to create a hole reinforcment.

Adhere over the layout holes, for a lacing element.

Paint clouds with a thin coat of gesso, allow to dry.

Then coat with a thick coat of gesso and 

dry with heat gun, This will blister ad bubble.

When dry, coat with Pearlized Medium

Coat cardstock with a thickish coat of gesso, then 

stamp background stamps into gesso.

The stamp will actually remove areas of gesso

leaving the design etched into the gesso. Allow to dry.

Spray with mists and inks as desired.

For the rest of the layout, I have painted the chipboard with white gesso

and either coated with dimensional magic and  3 neutral shades of glitter. or 

given a coated of pearlized medium.

Some neat details for you to see.

Don't be scared to layer up your chipboard for a

finished dimensional look.

Add some fibres for a softer look, this is important 

when using so much chipboard which has

sharp linear edges.

Use glitter as a medium, I have coated the feather with 

white glitter, then added a strip down the middle for 

a beige glitter. This is subtle use of glitter as a kind of paint rather

than just for sparkle.

I love using graded colours of glitter to create an 

ombre look. Just coat the area you want darker

with Dimensional magic, sprinkle with glitter

then move on and coat the next layer.

chipboard supplies 

Happy Crafting 

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