The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #5 Aquamarine... Guest Designer... "Coeur de l'Oc'ean"

     What FUN it is to be chosen as Guest Designer for 
The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #5 for this year ! And the theme is going to make it exciting to see what everyone comes up with; "Aquamarine".  Cec is leading the DT with this and it involves making Aquamarine a focal point of your make. When Cec first contacted me about the taking her up on the Guest Designer invitation, she mentioned thinking of the color of the ocean. And right away, my Muse was off and running with that! She's included a photo showing the kind of color being mentioned here, and I'm not only sharing the photo here, but I'm also  including the written definition (via internet info). It's a beautiful color and I have 1 Daughter who has a March birthday coming up- on the 23rd- so she has this color for her birthstone. It's the first birthday our family celebrates each year, and the birthdays keep rolling in after this one.. 2 in

April, 1 in May, and 2 in June, before we get a break and the rest come in September, October, & November. While the summer season is my favorite time of year, I'd have to say that the color of the ocean is always at the forefront of my thoughts. It's such a mesmerizing color! 
    It's a fact that I am a huge fan of water disasters and movies of the same. When Steven Spielberg came out with "Titanic", I just had to see it on the big screen! And then again when it came out in 3D, or course. So, now you're understanding where the title of this post came from... "coeur de l'oc'ean" (French) means "heart of the ocean", and Wikipedia says it's straight out of the movie. (One of my Brothers is fluent in French and Spanish, but I was a Latin student, so I hope my capitalization is correct.) If I needed any other inspiration aside from the color itself, I had plenty; I played the movie any time it aired on TV- which was no less than 7 times during the 2 weeks I had to finish this project. It's okay- the ChiefHubby is pretty used to that by now. This make comes straight off the same idea ( The Do Nothing Box ) that won me this very spot for Guest Designer, and both are fires lit by Megumi Heraoka - a fellow Tim Holtz Addict (THA of Facebook). Make your fingers run, not walk, to Google her name and see her awesome designs that are totally interactive!

                          So here's how mine came about... 

Checking out the leftover Valentine clearance items

(they make good prizes for my Sunday School Pre-K Class),

I came upon quite a few nice things.

BONUS: the BOXES (with PLASTIC LID COVERS)

 the items came in were nice and REusable, definitely!

First thing I did with these boxes was open one up to make a nice keeper of a pattern

to use for future boxes of any depth.

Then, it was choosing paperie for my plan...

NOTE: I notice at this typing that I have the wrong die for the gear used.

The photo should have TH GEARS #1 (the first Bigz Gears Die).

Sorry.

...and picking out which TH Alterations Dies would work for the things I wanted to add into this.

The X is on the only die I ended up NOT using at all.

I was going to put the title/sentiment (of the character 'old' Rose) said at the end of the movie,

but ended up not wishing to cover up any of the backside. 

Next was choosing elements that fit the bill for "Aquamarine" requirement;

the gemstones and the glass beads looked great to me!

The ocean stamp set is one that I purchased years ago and hardly got any use out of.

Till now, anyway.

Second thing I did with the first box was use my Scoring Plate to resize the depth of the box.

The length and width stay the same- so the plastic lid will automatically fit

if you're only scoring closer to the main floor of the box to make the walls lower.

The fun was on: using the TH Alterations Thinlit - a fave of mine; Faceted Heart,

and using the aquamarine gems to form "The Heart of the Ocean".

A little bracelet from my stash of unused/old/misfit jewelry would work

as it would look the same scale size for a necklace.

For the inside background- I really wanted to use my new TH Alterations 3D 

Embossing Impresslit Crackle.

The trick was: I wanted to make both SAND and WATER with it.

Simply turning it over, I was able to get the pointed up side to make the water

(think of a photo of the top of your pool water sparkling in the sun).

Turn the Embosslit over and it made smooth hills- sand!

Shown here is the "water" with points up.

This probably could have been in the last "Leap Into The Odd" Challenge.

It's the bottom cover of one of my weekly immunity-killer shots (for RA).

I always wondered if there was a way to use that thing since the needle was

further up into the housing after the medicine is dispersed.

And YO!! it fit the middle of the gear!!

Since I have to do shots every week (since 2007 & for the rest of my earthly life);

I'll have a steady supply of these! And the killer is: FOUR of these little doodads

cost a whopping $12,000.00 (you read it correctly: $12K)!

Hmm...should I insure this little make for $1,000.00 ??

Oh, wait... I did trim a bit off of this one... "PRICE DISCOUNT!" Lol !!!

This is the MIDDLE GEAR from TH Alterations Die Gadget Gears (the first gears die).

*One MORE mistake: In the VIDEO, I think I only mentioned TH Paperie "Memoranda",

but BOTH Tim Holtz stacks "Memoranda" and "Correspondence" 

have the world map paper used on the outside back of this project.

The TH Tapes are great to use for the edges of the box- I added alcohol ink coloring afterward.

I trimmed the 'shot piece' to fit the depth of the heart/chain, box, and gear.

Then gave both it and the gear some Alcohol Ink in Rose Gold-

just for the fun of the play on the name...ROSE!

Should I name the gear "Jack"?? Lol

Here's where I am putting the tape around the top edges of the finished inside background.

Note the softer look of the sand compared to the pointy water.

I coated it liberally in Glossy Accents- to give the sheen of water.

Distress Oxide Inking in my go-to fave shade: Vintage Photo!

The cuts were doubled- the inside was the Corestock Classic brown backing with

the color showing on both outside front and back- using Glossy Accents 

very liberally. I shaped the pieces as they dried, so they could withstand the glass beads

banging into them on the inside.

Distress Crackle in Tim's Clear Rock Candy helped shape & texture the horsey.

Clear Glitter Stickles outlining on the seashells gave them some sparkle.

I'm holding the dried shape of seaweed. The twist holds really well.

This is where being 'heavy handed' with the GA glue works in my favor-

it helps give a 'wet look', so I used... like...a ton! ;)

Putting a few permanent stamps onto the clear plastic front-

using the backside of the box for a base to steady the stamping.

Adding a bit of faux rust...

it's been under the water for 84 years*!!

(* years according to 'old Rose' at the time of the movie setting)

Dive in for the Result:

"Coeur de l'Oc'ean"

The bottom of the ocean floor- as seen from the bottom of the box.

The Heart of the Ocean- as shown from the top.

The heart is actually on the 'pedestal' end of the shot cover piece. 

Since the white shot cover piece was a bit flimsy (it had previously been

supported with tough rubber inside, which I removed since it had touched the needle),

so I just filled up the tube with the tiniest lesser-used sticky pop dots.

The dots not only firmed up the shot piece very well, but also helped adhere

the heart & chain piece to the pedestal.

(I wish I had taken a photo of this....next time!)

For the heart/chain piece: in order to keep the chain from getting tangled on everything,

I came up with the idea to mount the heart and chain on a cut out clear plastic circle

from another piece of plastic trash out of my stash of plastics.

I simply laid the chain down in a circle around the edge of the plastic, connected

one end to the heart and then poured a heavy layer of Glossy Accents

(I'm so good at that) over the chain as well as the spot under the heart.

As you'll see in the VIDEO below- the glass beads run freely all around the heart and chain.

The chain looks like it is spinning  away from you- just as if you've just

tossed it into the water like old Rose did off the end of the R/V Keldysh research ship. 

The BACK- note area where Titanic sunk is shown.

The 'plug' in the middle of the gear is just a spare piece of Mat Board

leftover from another die cut.

I actually found it on the floor after a night of die cutting and picked it up

thinking I'd use it for something... you just never know!

It was fun to add a different tape around the outside edge...

it caught my eye and I was thinking of "old Rose" saying

"The heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

The look of writing reminded me of tiny written 'secrets'.

And here's a VIDEO...

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my inspiration for this

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #5 AQUAMARINE

I hope you'll join in on the fun of challenging yourself in crafting

AND

getting in on a drawing for a $25 GC-

courtesy of our Sponsor;

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

And I'll be having some FUN checking in to see all the great makes

while getting a couple of weeks 'off'.

See you on the flip side, folks!

Till next time:

Be Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!