Japanese boxes and the story!

Hi Everyone, I have something I haven't done for a couple of years today, I hope you like them. It's a long post with a few piccies.

Visiting my youngest brother and SiL a couple of weeks ago, she asked, as they have been adding an extension and decorating a new bedroom suite, that I make her a copy of boxes I did for her a few years ago, but in a Japanese theme. I was thrilled she had asked.

This is the story - so off I go to get supplies, but I searched and searched for the 4 x 4 boxes in a tray for days, nothing in crafty shops  and nothing on line either, seems the previous supplier had closed down.

Then a follower email arrived including what I thought I wanted. I rang the local shop, nope, they don't have them, I knew I hadn't seen them LOL. He said that a shop further away had them, so off we go for a car ride and there were similar ones but no tray. I bought them anyway and have to say the lad assistant was so very helpful, even looking in the shop back store, searching for a tray which may fit the boxes.

Japanese paper wasn't available around here either! I had beautiful paper in my files, but didn't want to use it in case the inkjet ink ran when covered in the glue.  So a LONG online search found it, whew!

boxes - The Works

 Kaisercraft "Hanami Garden" paper pad - Ebay

let me know if you need the seller info

PVA glue, watered down

I forgot to take a piccie of the before, except of one box.

I painted the boxes with acrylic paint, then realised I didn't need too as I was papering all surfaces - duh!

 although I also painted the inside 

These are the boxes covered and inked on the edges. There were a few pages with gold embossing, so I decided to use them for the tops.

here they are with their tops attached and after being covered with the watered down glue which strengthens the paper, making it very hard wearing in use.

side views too

I still felt they needed a tray as the originals had, so into my Cameo and designed one that JUST fitted the 12 x 12 mat, to enable a one piece tray. I did strengthen it by adding another layer on the bottom and the sides before using PVA glue, watered down to add more strength, as I had done on the boxes.

I added a peel off, which added to the gold embossing I felt. This was also covered with the watered down glue.

Here they are complete.

 I glad to say she was over the moon with them.