The Reliquary

Deep in the forest of Trinidad and Tobago lives Mama Dlo. The abbreviation of her name from the French "mama de l'eau" translates to "mother of the water".  Hunters often boast of seeing a beautiful woman sitting on river rocks warmed by the sun, loudly slapping her mermaid like tail on the surface of the water just before she disappears in a flash of green-gold.
She and her sometimes lover Papa Bois, are believed to be the guardians of the forest. Together they keep watchful eyes for any one who would be purposeless and wasteful in the killing of animals, cutting down trees or polluting the rivers and streams.  If such a person is caught my Mama Dlo, he finds himself married to her both in this life and in the next.
This reliquary (a place for sacred object) was created to house the memory of the love child of Mama Dlo and one such indiscriminate hunter.

I painted the box with Golden's black gesso, attached a Loteria Card to the back wall and added black/grey roses.  The love child and the Memory key are from Tim Holtz.

Happy

All Hallows Eve

Isabella's Treasure Box and Mini Album

Treasure Box and Mini Album

The fact that I created a treasure box and mini album in the style of the Twilight Saga should not come as a surprise to any one who knows me.  The thought that I might be leaning towards Jacob's team, well that might surprise them, but for me, it's the wolf thing.

A few months ago I bought Jacqueline Sullivan's DVD, Acrylics: Textures, Layers and Metallics and applied the techniques I learned to alter the cigar box.  I distressed the box (6.5" x 8" x 2.5') with gesso and applied the first layers of Golden Fluid Acrylic Quinacridone Nickle Azo Gold and Quinacridone Burnt Orange.  Then added layers of molding paste, tissue paper and watermark Uzumaki Spiral paper between applications of fluid acrylics until I got the color and texture I wanted.

I further embellished the box with Tim Holtz feet and page corners from 7 Gypsies. The interior is lined with red velvet, paper from Graphic45 and contains the Mini Album.   

 The Mini Album measuring 4 7/8" by 5 7/8",  consists of five embellished chipboard pages.  The pages all have areas for journaling and/or for photographs.  These two pieces were so much fun to make, as are all my pieces.  Enjoy!