#box-maker

Of Triangles, Squares and Diamonds

When I first started making this box, I did not have a clear idea of what I was going to end up with. I knew that the main section will be the triangle box as taught by Bep van Gasteren. The lid and the bottom tray came about much by chance and I was led by the box into how it would turn out. 

I made this flottage paper earlier this year for a lovely friend/customer who wanted flottage papers in the tones of nude skin, terracotta and rustic pink. I ended up with a lot of pinkish papers that I find difficult to use (I am not a big fan of the colour pink). Turned out, when I used it for this box, paired with the terracotta book cloth, it worked brilliantly. 

The end result of the box turned out to look almost oriental, perhaps it is the choice of colours, the beads for the lid and how when placed together, looks like a little shrine of sorts. 

The Ugly Pumpkin Box

During Halloween, I am always very fascinated with the ugly pumpkins and gourds that are put on display at the local supermarket. They usually have knobs and bumps and to most people, they are very ugly. But to me, I love the textures and I often wonder if they are for sale. There is never a sign about whether if they are decoration or if they could be bought. When I was in Taiwan late last year, I saw a little ceramic tea caddy that was in the shape of a pumpkin, I really loved it, but decided not to buy it because I did not exchange much money, though now, I do really wished that I had bought it. 

When I found this hexagonal box, termed as the lantern box, all I could see is a pumpkin. And I wanted to look for a cloth or patterned paper that could bring out the distinctive shape of the box. I chose a piece of marbled paper by Jemma Lewis and it was ideal!

I must say, any box that is not square or rectangle, is really a challenge. The angles involved have to be carefully calculated and measured. Sometimes, when I make boxes, I tend to let the box guide me along with the measurements, i.e., it becomes almost organic and my boxes usually are extremely snug. But for a hexagonal box, I tried my best to be accurate, but when I was trying to measure out for the lid, it was no longer an even hexagon. It is almost oblong. During the making of the internal walls of the box, again, the angles at which I had to cut the board was mind-boggling.