Donna Salazar - September Challenge Part Two - Shelling

Donna Salazer's September Challenge was to create a gift for someone using some of her products. My gifts were for my husband's office at work.  He is an engineer and his office needs something other than wires and electrical panels and technical whatnots.  

I decided to create something from our summer vacation, which also happens to be a place we visit each year and consider our happiest place on Earth.   I hope this gift transports him to our happy place each time he looks at it.  

Shelling

Recently my husband and I went on a boat tour of the Everglades.  When we reached the tour site, no one else showed up for the tour.  The guide said that he was happy to take just the two of us out since we had already paid and he was already there at the boat.  These are the sweet romantic times that I will remember with my husband well into my old age (I hope). 

So off we went - the destination was a small, very small island that had some great beachy shelling opportunities.  I found a few large shells and was thrilled.  My project has one of the shells on it.  I loved the fact that this shell was really rather imperfect.  My husband's only comment on my find..."It's missing a bit Jen.  Like most of the shell". 

hahahahahaha silly man.  That's why I  love it.   

Now for the ratty frame. My mom had a yard sale a few years back and I saw the broken frame in her garbage can.   This was a total garbage pick - yes, as in plucking from the garbage can  and storing in my basement until further notice. I did have to hide it in my basement so that husband did not also determine this to be a ratty broken frame and toss in the out in our garbage. 

So it's been hidden in our basement for a few years waiting...waiting.....waiting for these Pion papers to salvage and re-purpose it's ratty framed self.  

This first photo is the start of my project.  I sanded down the frame a little to soften up the green vines. Then I painted a wash of gesso thinned with water over the top in spots and brightened it up with some Jasmine Mixd Media Inx.

I used these Donna Salazar Products on my project:

• Clearsnap - Donna Salazar - Mix'd Media Inx - Jasmine 

• Spellbinders - Donna Salazar - Shapeabilities Collection - Die Cutting and Embossing Templates - Shadow Flowers

Thanks for looking and taking your time in my blog.