The Courage to Cross the Ocean Shadowbox Frame by Irit Shalom

The Courage to Cross the Ocean Shadowbox Frame

Designed by Irit Shalom

Hello my dear crafty friends! Irit is here again and this time with my Summer project.

I live in a very hot country, Israel. Actually we say that we have only two seasons here: Summer and a very hot summer. So for me every day a year is a summer day and to make a shore project is something that is very close to the heart as we live maybe 20 minutes ride to the shore. (Need to add that this very pink girl doesn't spend a second on the beach and is in a permanent struggle with her close family members about the issue). But then I do love our sunset shores a lot. I even love sand and pebbles and to collect shells with my grand kids. But this piece is not about collecting shells and about the lovely shores. It's about a courage to cross the ocean even when you lose a sight of the shore. So this is my tribute to anyone who needs a bit of courage to make a first step. Believe me, the next step is easier, and the next, and so on...

And now for the real thing: shadow frame in the canvas.

Materials:

Makin's Clay® - White, Natural, Blue, Earth Tones (mostly Adobe Brown, Sand)

- Sea Shells Push Mold

- Texture Sheets Set Summer time

8x8'' canvas

Stamp - Inspired by Stamping

Ink- Clearsnap®

Cork and cardstock stickers - Paper House Productions

Micro beads - Martha Stewart®

Mist - Tattered Angels™

Paints, varnish, powder - Earth Safe Finishes

Step by step instructions:

1. Use Light Adobe clay from Earth tones set with Cobblestone texture sheet from the Summer Time set. Then texture additional Adobe clay with the Sand texture sheet. If you have an issue with your fresh clay sticking to your texture sheets, try applying a small amount of corn starch to the texture sheet before applying your clay. Excess corn starch can be wiped from the clay after texturing. Let the clay dry after and then tear them and arrange one over another as stones and sand on the beach.

2. For the next step mix a lot of white or natural clay with Adobe Brown and Persimmon colors and make a few sea shell shapes using the Sea Shell push mold. The colors may vary and can be totally mixed or partially mixed as it is with nature. Release the pieces and let them dry.

3. Mix about 1/2 of a small white clay package with just a bit of blue clay. Don't mix it to the light blue color, but make this marble look with a partial mixing only. On the back, INSIDE of the canvas, arrange a big "ocean and sky" clay piece and cover it on the bottom with your "stones and sand" pieces. Make the arrangement random. Later I decided to add some wavy texture with another Texture Sheet and just re-arranged some small blue clay pieces. Take the clay landscape out of the canvas and let it dry 24 hours.

4. In the meantime paint the inside of your canvas. I used a couple of Chalk It Up ESF paints and even made some splashes with water mist over the dirty paint brush. Anyway, most of the painted space will be covered by clay arrangement, so don't try to be a great painter.

5. And now I just glued the clay piece inside the painted canvas and added all those push molded sea shapes that are already dry.

I added some color splashes over the shapes with ESF Ann Butler's Iridescents powders in a couple of shades. A couple of cardstock and cork sea stickers were added over and inside the frame. The sand on the bottom was made with ESF Varnish and a mix of golden micro beads. And now is was a time to add the stamped sentiment. Makin's Clay® can be rubber stamped with permanent inks, however; if you have trouble getting your stamped sentiment to be clear on the clay, stamp over white tissue. Bingo! It's the best way as you can't even say where the tissue begins and where it ends. I used ESF Gel medium under and over the tissue and the piece was almost done. Not yet! I few teal mists over the piece were added and I was happy with the final result.