Retro Communication Case Repurposed

A handwritten letter, in my mailbox, envelops me in warmth; as if my late Grandma had scooped me into a tight hug, smelling of sugar cookies.

Seriously. Who wouldn't rather find a hand-lettered envelope instead of bills or junk mail?
Knowing that time was spent writing each word, addressing the envelope, and adhering the stamp.
Even the walk to post the letter says something about the value that person gave us when we receive a handwritten letter or card. It says we matter.
Don't you know someone who could use that handwritten hug? I know I do! Let us revive the retro art of mailbox hugs!!

To make this happen more than the one time, I created a letter box to store my letter writing supplies and give me the ability to transport it. Think of waiting rooms, etc...great down time for catching up on correspondence.

My tablet Christmas gift came in just the perfect box for the job. So I repurposed the trash to contain my hug incubator.

Supplies that I used were fairly simple:
Box to repurpose
White Gesso
Splash Ink
Stencils
Writing Supplies; pens, paper, bone folder, etc...

This type of box has a coating, so gesso is the perfect medium to give the surface some tooth and hold onto the watercolor paint.

I love love love this paint!! Do yourself a favor and invest in this economical and practical set; Splash Ink - I have used it continuously for months and the color combinations are endless (recipe card included).

I used my heat gun to dry the paint and move it around for visual texture. I wanted to use the top of the box as a writing surface, so I kept the texture visual only.

Here is the side of the box:

AlteredPages.com has a great selection of stencils and this is one of my favorites:

I used a sponge to add various paint colors; kinda creepy.

I used a light varnish to seal the painted surfaces after a heat set.

The inside is the important part.

Look at those goodies:

I also used the journal stencil and a Versamark pad to create faint lines to write upon.

Well, Stella (I call her Stella rather than Maggie) and I are ready to hit the road and send some awesome handwritten hugs your way. Come join us!!

The greatest Design Team is playing diligently to create magic for your inspiration. Give them some love!!

Ciao for now,

-Trish Alger

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Handy Tip for Artists, Recyclers and Neat Freaks! I have a follow-up to the Citra-Sol method for creating fabulous background pages and collages. I bought a big bag of navel oranges and realized I had the ingredients to make my own solvent! Simply take a clean glass jar, peel the rind from the oranges and place all the rind/peels, without the pulp (tangerines, oranges, navels) into the jar. Pour enough vinegar over the peels to cover them. Allow the jar to sit for a week or two and VOILA! You have made your own solvent for literally pennies. You will notice the liquid getting a bit thicker than the plain vinegar and it does not smell bad!!! I now have a HUGE jar on the window sill! Be careful and only use this after testing on a safe spot.

DINA WAKLEY Featured Artist

We are SO Proud to present Dina Wakley with her ART and February Tip (oops, she says she is totally disorganized, so there is HOPE for all of us!) Dina Wakley is a mixed-media artist and teacher. She loves everything about art: creating it, thinking about it, looking at it, and teaching it. Dina is passionate about teaching art. She teaches both in-person and online workshops. She is a docent at the Phoenix Art Museum, where she gives tours to school groups and gets kids excited about art. As a Ranger Signature Designer, Dina designs a line of mixed-media art supplies that includes acrylic paints, mediums, brushes, rubber stamps, stencils, and more. Look for the Dina Wakley Media Line by Ranger at a store near you. Dina's books Art Journal Freedom and Art Journal Courage are available now. Also look for three new North Light DVDs starring Dina, available this month: "Art Journal Mark Making and Throwing Ink," Art Journal Color Courage," and &q

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