Prima and Frank Garcia's - Memory Hardware Showcase ( with the help of Escape Kitty)
You can see the original post on Prima's blog here
I have a whole lot of scrumptious Memory Hardware going on. I love it . I actually have a tutorial if you scroll down– showing exactly how I used the hardware.
The Memory Hardware collection is bursting
with fun, unique and rich products. What can be more rich than a pirates
treasure chest filled with chains and trinkets. I had a lot of fun with
this piece utilizing so many wonderful items from the Memory Hardware line.
I have a helper who also loves the treasure chest. My little Escape Kitty makes a dashing pirate. I cannot lie. She prefers a chest filled with cat toys and catnip booty.
Because Escape Kitty cracks me up....here is a second photo.
The "Before" photos.
This was a treasure chest left over from a Halloween clearance sale. I love finding goodies on the "cheap". I admit I can get carried away with storing cool things for future use and I was happy to tell my husband that I actually used something from "THAT SHELF". "That Shelf" as he calls it -the junk shelf with all my clearance finds. It's a marvelous shelf of happiness.
Plus it was pre-painted. BONUS!
This is obviously the "Before and After" photo. Pretty dramatic. But honestly the project is only as good as the richness and quality of the products. Which is why I adore Frank's Memory Hardware collection.
How Did I Make This?
Typically, projects look complex and difficult when first viewed. When the steps are broken out, it suddenly becomes a little easier. This is not a difficult project. I'll show you:
Step 1. Cut paper to fit the chest and accent with Artisan Powders. I used Prima and Frank Garcia's wonderful French Riviera collection. My Artisan Powder is Umber.
Step 2. Once the papers are in place, I added Memory Hardware Antique Screws to each corner. I am going to drape some Memory Hardware chains and I want them to be secure. This is an easy and durable solution. When making an "off the page" project or altering home decor, I try to think durability.
The screws did twist into the wood without the aid of any tools but I had a paper piercing tool ready to punch a small hole just in case.
Step 3. Time to pull out the Prima Paper Clay and IOD Moulds.
Step 4. I let the moulds dry overnight then I started distressing them. I have a few different steps for distressing these.
I used all three Memory Hardware Artisan Powders even though only two are shown (Clay Brown, Black and Umber. ) I sprinkled a little powder on my craft mat and added a bit of water. Then I painted onto the moulds getting into all the crevasses.
Step 5. I topped the moulds with Prima Color Bloom in Antique Gold.
Step 6. Before I added the finished mould to my piece I wanted to distress the box. I felt the black pre-painted chest was too stark and unexciting. I created a wash by spraying Prima Color Bloom Antique Gold onto a paper towel and rubbing it all over the chest. This actually helped blend the paper and wood perfectly to create a more uniform look. A nice finishing touch.
Step 7. First of all- look at the warm golden sheen on my project. I love it. The wash is perfect.
I used a strong glue to secure the mould - Beacons 3In1, It holds almost everything - and is way more dependable than hot glue. Hot glue will degrade in a very short time. Give this chest a year on a dresser and the mould may fall off if I had used hot glue. 
Step 8. Next is to start adorning the piece with Memory Hardware chains. This is where my Antique Screws come into play. I simply string the chains through the screws. EASY
A better close up of my process.
Step 9. Time to gussy up the chest by adding treasures and trinkets. In this next step I combined two of my favorite Memory Hardware products to make a customized trinket.
I am using Beacons 3in1 glue here as well because it's strong, durable and dries crystal clear. I did be sure to dry this completely before continuing with the next steps.
Step 10. I did have to pull out my needle nose pliers for this step. In order to secure the chain to the trinket, I added Memory Hardware Rings to each side. I secured them tightly with the pliers. I'll show you both the front and the back. I used this trinket horizonally as I thought it was a better fit for my piece.
Here is the backside of the trinket
Step 11. A " whoops " learning moment. I added my trinket to the chain and continued to finish my project. I realized the trinket was a little too droopy and heavy looking without support.
I added another screw to the front of the chest and attached it to the trinket. I also needed my handy pliers for this as well. A little re-engineering backtrack and all was fixed.
Now I was ready to continue stringing the chains.
Step 12. I secured the chain by using a Memory Hardware Ring and dangling the coin trinkets from La Rochelle Trinkets pack. I honestly have no idea what a doubloon looks like so these are now my pirate doubloons.
Here is the finished Pirate Treasure Box:
( my stars were the cool Finnabair Mechanicals - Vintage Brads Stars)
Thanks a bunch for stopping!
and special thanks to Escape Kitty who does put up with a lot from me.
Here are the wonderful products I used:
