Graphic 45 Le Crique Copic/Stamping Altered Cigar Box and a GIVEAWAY!!!!

Do you love altered work? If you do today I am sure you will enjoy the details that I applied to the Cigar Box that I altered. I wanted something special for my BFF, so I decided I would make a Stamping/Copic Marker box for her since she hasn't had a chance to get any of the markers yet.
To begin with I purchased a cigar box from our local Cigarette store for $1.50, can't beat that. I decided I want the top to be extremely unique so I started by making a basket weave of 4 different pieces of Graphic 45 papers. The strips were 1/4" strips so it became very tedious to do the top but so worth it when it was finished. I also glued it to a piece of chipboard to give it more dimension.

If you love dimension you will definitely love the top of the box. I made some accordion flowers using my Tim Holtz flower die. The roses is made from a piece of paper that I tore making a circle, I began tearing it to form a spiral and then rolled it up from the outside part of the spiral using my tweezers.

Here is what the left side of the top of the box looks like. Don't you love all of the detail, do you see the elephant that is at the bottom of the box. He was fussy cut from one of the Graphic 45 Le Crique papers and placed on with pop dots

This is actually the lower right corner. The center of the accordion flowers are made using my I Top, one medium and one small I Top brad.

I decided to angle pictures so you can see all of the pieces a bit closer. I am definitely not a fan of flat areas, but if that is the look that you like it would be just as beautiful. See the Tim Holtz Pen Nib, I had to place it there because I was a 1/2" short on my blue satin ribbon but yet it worked out perfectly. Remember, there is no mistakes in scrapbooking or paper crafting it is just away to become more creative. Aren't the legs magnificent. I just love them.

This is the inside cover of the box. I tried very hard to keep it fun and circus like since my friend has a collection of clowns that she received from her mother in law when she past away.

Here are more of those fabulous elephants. I tied small red twin string to each of their tails to make it look like they were connected.

In the bottom left corner I added a Tim Holtz Clock Face and Game Spinner along with some Happy Birthday metals. I wanted it to look like I was telling my friend "Happy Birthday Time".

I fussy cut some of the LeCrique papers and placed it on the inside of the box lid, made a black string type wire and place my little acrobat on the string.

I made two compartments in the bottom of the box staying along the same theme. I added a ribbon to the right side of the bottom of the box and glued it to the top so it formed a hinge for the box.

Of course it wouldn't be a Copic/Stamping box without copics and stamps. I know as she gets more Copics she will either add them to the box or use the box for something else special. I hope you enjoyed seeing my special gift and try making something out of a box for yourself or for a friend. ENJOY!!!

OH!!! I almost forgot no birthday celebration is without presents so please leave a comment and IF I make it over 500 followers guess what there will be a giveaway!!!! A present that you will be suprised by!!! So please post on your facebook and Twitter accounts and help me go over that 500 follower mark!!!!