Deja-Vu Doo for Macabre Monday

Happy Monday? No. 

Maybe not an especially happy Monday, but it is Macabre Monday, 

and that means the second week of the theme 

Deja-Vu Doo has begun.

The challenge is to revisit a relatively recent project or supply

and use it again, but in an entirely new way.

I decided to try my hand at another altered box.
I made this one a few weeks ago, in case you missed it. 

This time I went with a hinged coffin box made of wood.

I sealed the blank wood box with Americana sealer from DecoArt

before doing anything else. I've learned that this is beneficial to the overall

effects I am trying to achieve here. 

Next, I painted the box with a black acrylic paint. I applied two coats of the black

paint and let it dry completely (with the help of a heat gun), before applying the

Weather Wood medium. I used this project once before but didn't get good results.

Now I realize I misread the directions the first time, but I got it right this time.

The key is to apply a nice, even coat of the WW medium, ending up with a nice,

glossy finish. Let that dry completely. Try to be patient and let it dry by itself to avoid

burning the paint or the medium. Ask me how I know this....  

Once the Weathered Wood medium has dried completely, I chose a highly

contrasting color of acrylic paint. The key to getting a good crackled finish

is to apply a thin coat, quickly. And try not to go over the areas you have already

painted, as it decreases the crackled effect. Work fast, and in the same direction

as the wood grain. 

As a side note: I have had this paint for 17 years....

Once it was all dry, I was thrilled with the weathered effect, but that paint

color was just too garish, and bright for this coffin box.

So I made a wash of watered down brown paint,

and applied it, and wiped it off almost immediately, leaving it in the

recesses of the coffin for an aged effect. I think it toned that purple

down nicely. 

I still felt it was lacking a bit, so I added some

Inka Gold Metallic Rub in green yellow to all of the edges.

This really made it all pop.

I glued a bat I made (using polymer clay and a Martha Stewart mold)

onto the front of the coffin. I like the simplistic look of it. Since there is

so much going on with all the textures and layers, this felt right. 

I glued some wooden balls to the bottom of the box for feet.

I think this makes it feel a bit more special than just a box that sits on it's bottom.

I decorated the inside of the box using various collage cuts from

Itkupilli , and random stuff from my stash. 

It felt like something was missing, so I added some Tim Holtz Halloween rub-ons

to the edges of the box.  

Yup, that's what was missing. I like it. 

More rub-ons, and green metallic rub.

That's it for me. 

Thanks for stopping by today.

I'd like to enter this box in the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenges - Favorite Things

Halloween is my favorite thing in the entire world.

I bleed orange and black, 24/7.

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics - Anything mixed media/altered

PunkyouGirl - Anything Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes - must be altered art