"Up-Cycling"...a new lease of life!

Hello Crafters...
If you are wondering what the post is all about...it's something that I strongly believe and have been indulging in last 1year!!!! Now don't get me wrong...since I started crafting about a year ago, I was drawn towards altered projects and using a lot re cycled items and up cycling the otherwise "trash" or "scrap" lying around is what kindles my inspiration and satisfies me creatively too!
Well, todays project is a story about a thermal flask bottle carton...yes, this would have otherwise ended up in the trash can but a good friend of mine thought of saving its life by handing it over to me!
 And this is what I did to it....isn't this a cute baby! A second lease of life to the unassuming cardboard box!!!
This is a picture heavy post so, sit back and enjoy the ride! Firstly, what was a vertical box, I made the box open horizontally and gave it 2 coats of gesso.
 
 Once that was done, I decided to work with pastels this time...my friend apparently likes pastels so and with due respect to the lady who believed in my talent, I decided to make a lovely bangle box for her. I chose coordinating papers from the Recollections pack and covered the box with various PP...dots, florals and small flowers. I cut an opening on the top lid and stuck a transparent sheet(from packaging) just so there is view to the inside of the box.
The flowers are all handmade using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die and all inked and laced with glitter. Some of them have their petal heat embossed in silver, and some have glittery silver pollens too!
 

 
The sentiment is from Inkadinkado and so apt for the woman of today and especially to my dear friend who I plan to give this on Woman's day. a nice flourish with glitter adds to the glam and beauty of the top lid and gives life to the sentiment too!
 
Talking about the lid flap, have a closer look...does it look like some designer lace out there????
 
 Well, NO...it's just a strip of white handmade paper ,torn at the edges to form a pattern and then heat embossed a lovely design on it with silver embossing powder, inked it in green and finally laced the edges with silver glitter! It also flaunts a row of pretty pastel green pearls on the top. Phew...that was a lot of work, but it looks really pretty and gives a lovely texture and dimension to flap...which is going to be used quite often. Beneath the flap I have adhered Velcro fasteners.
I have kept the body of the box pretty simple with some handmade rose buds and a fabric bow made from green checkered cloth, again torn at the edges just for that shabby chic look.
 
The box when opened has a empty tissue roll used as the rod for hanging the bangles. It just fits snuggly into the box...a perfect pair! Both the box and the roll have been given their 2nd lease of life and am sure will enjoy their 2nd innings as a jewellery box, hopefully much happier this time.
 
 

Now isn't that exciting...I mean  to work with discarded scraps. Think about it...if we as crafters  start using discarded wastes like empty cartons, boxes, bottles, tissue rolls, bottle caps and others...I am sure we can make a visible impact on "land filling" and contribute to a healthier environment.

With that note, I would like to "Toast" to the idea of up cycling and urge all you lovely crafters out there to think twice before you chuck that waste!
"Scraps are precious...Don't throw them away"...join me in this.
Thank you so much for stopping by and being patient with my picture and message heavy post.
Am linking this to..
http://beyondgrey.blogspot.in/2014/03/bgc47-torn-flower-full.html


http://colorconceptionschallenges.blogspot.in/2014/02/glam-with-glitter-challenge.html
http://lulupu.blogspot.in/2014/03/challenge-27-lulupu-2nd-birthday-special.html
(Up cycling,lavender, pastel green, purple, transparent sheet, pollens, curled and torn, pearls,checkered cloth, polka dots, tissue roll, cardboard box,)
http://lovetocreatechallenge.blogspot.in/2014/03/challenge-105-recipe.html
http://open-mindedcraftingfun.blogspot.in/2014/03/challenge-5-use-something-green.html


Until then,
Happy Crafting and Re cycling.
Cheers.