Spark Some Creativity Saturday @ The Kraaft Shaak

Hello Friends :)

Yay!!!!! It is my first ever Kraaft Shaak Design Team post! I have been waiting all of April to show you the first item I have created with my Kraaft Shaak Mixed Media Kit exclusively from the Kraaft Shaak Shop :) When you order a Mixed Media Kit from the shop, you get a choice of a 'alterable item' and my kit included an adorable 5" X 9" wooden tray. So for this 'Spark Some Kreativity Saturday' feature I will show you how I altered my tray. I chose to make it into a jewelry catcher for when I take off my rings and bracelets for washing up. You could also use it as a valet on your dresser or a keys and change catcher by the door. Really, just a cute little catch all to store those items you don't want to lose, but are too tired to put away right then :)

To begin with, my wooden tray came painted in off white with a floral design in the center. A interesting thing I noticed immediately was that the beautiful napkin that also came in the kit was a perfect fit for the inside of the tray. So I knew I would be using a panel of it as part of my altering for sure!

So, the first thing I did to my tray was to lightly sand off the raised part of the design as well as peel the sticker off the bottom. Then I give it a good coat of black gesso over the whole tray. I used black gesso because it gives a good foundation for however I wanted to alter the tray. In addition, it is very opaque and I knew it would completely cover the former painted design. 

Next, I decided to use the Art Extravagance Copper Crackle Paste from Finabair. This is one of the samples I chose for my kit. I applied the paste with a palette knife on the edges of the tray. Then I had to let this dry overnight.  

The next day, I decided to paint the inside portions of the tray with the other sample I had chosen. 

The Prima Chalk Board Paint in Charcoal. I was amazed how opaque and matte this paint is and how little I used. Basically, just the paint that was on the lid of the sample container covered it all. I left the bottom inside part of the tray unpainted as I was planning to collage over it anyway.

Now I decided I wanted a design on the inner sides of the tray, so I used a stencil from Mr. Hueys and a small stencil brush to apply a repeating pattern using the Copper Crackle Paste. And...more drying time!

Next, it was time to start the collage I had planned for the inside bottom of the tray. I cut apart one of the six panels of the napkin and peeled away the extra blank layers in preparation to apply it. But when I laid it into the tray, the black gesso peeked through the thin napkin and made it seem dark and dingy. So I first painted a layer of Art Basics Heavy Gesso in White. Then I applied the napkin using Art Basics 3D Matte Gel as a glue. I smoothed the napkin using a old plastic keycard to remove any bubbles.

After a short dry time,  I then laid out my collage using items that came in the Mixed Media kit, as well as a few from my stash. The kit comes with a random assortment of lots of different paper samples, metal findings, and ephemera..from book pages to die cuts to maps & sheet music . The fun is you never know what cool stuff you will get! A good tip to remember is to lay out your collage until it pleases you, and then take a photo with your phone camera so you can remember what it looked like as you do the gluing. I attached all my pieces using the 3D Matte gel in a heavy layer.

Now for some BLING. Another fun feature of the Kraaft Shaak Mixed Media kit is the samples of the different types of Finabair add ins like glass glitter, mica flakes, and mini beads. I can't get enough of the sparkle factor! So, I used a few of my samples in places where my 3D Matte Gel was thick. In some cases I added more gel in places where I needed it. Then of course, more drying time!

Once my collage was dry, I really felt my repeating pattern with the Copper crackle paste wasn't showing up enough, so I decided to outline it using a Black Posca paint pen. I did this by placing the stencil over the areas and drawing through the holes. This added a bit more drama to the design.

Now, I decided if I was going to place my wooden try next to the sink to catch my rings and bracelets, I really didn't want the bottom sitting in water. So, I thought I should add some feet to give it height. For these feet I used 1/2" wooden beads. I first painted them with black gesso while keeping them on skewers. Then I dipped them into the crackle paste and smoothed off the excess. Finally, I heated them with my heat tool for speed drying. Then I used E6000 glue to attached them in each corner of the bottom of the tray. 

To finish off my tray project and make it truly functional I needed to really seal up the collaged and 'blinged up" inside bottom of the tray. To do this I used a resin product called Envirotex. It is a pouring resin that gives a hard thick coat. I carefully measured and mixed it as directed and filled up the bottom of the tray. Then as any bubbles arose I popped them by blowing on them with a straw. Then I placed the whole tray under a plastic box for over 24 hours to harden. I think this step really makes for a professional looking finished altered item!

I hope you enjoyed my project for Spark Some Creativity Saturday from the Kraaft Shaak!

Leave me some blog hugs in the comments if you liked it :)

<3 Shel