Handmade Artistry by Anita Garrison https://evergreenmosaics.com/ Fri, 10 May 2024 22:35:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://evergreenmosaics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/fav.png Handmade Artistry by Anita Garrison https://evergreenmosaics.com/ 32 32 200934866 Nestor Miranda Red Jewelry Box https://evergreenmosaics.com/nestor-miranda-red-jewelry-box/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nestor-miranda-red-jewelry-box Fri, 10 May 2024 22:35:05 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3413 I was really excited to receive a supply of really nice cigar boxes. This one caught my eye with its glossy red top, gold accents and red and gold inside lining.  I added  a set of vintage style feet and an inside bottom lining in a complimentary shade of red.  Nestor Miranda Cigars is a […]

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]]> I was really excited to receive a supply of really nice cigar boxes. This one caught my eye with its glossy red top, gold accents and red and gold inside lining.  I added  a set of vintage style feet and an inside bottom lining in a complimentary shade of red.  Nestor Miranda Cigars is a Cuban company started in 1964 and noted for fine cigars as well as beautifully designed boxes

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]]> 3413 SMALL SURPRISES BRIGHTEN THE DAY https://evergreenmosaics.com/small-surprises-brighten-the-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=small-surprises-brighten-the-day Sat, 27 Apr 2024 11:42:38 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3389 I’m so surprised! Came home last week to find a large heavy duty plastic bag, from a friend and fellow artist on my porch. Opened it to find it was filled with vintage cigar boxes-just the kind I love to repurpose and give new life and meaning to. Getting ready to start working on them- […]

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]]> I’m so surprised! Came home last week to find a large heavy duty plastic bag, from a friend and fellow artist on my porch. Opened it to find it was filled with vintage cigar boxes-just the kind I love to repurpose and give new life and meaning to. Getting ready to start working on them- watch for more details and pictures.

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]]> 3389 RePurposed Cigar Boxes https://evergreenmosaics.com/repurposed-cigar-boxes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=repurposed-cigar-boxes Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:18:35 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3380 I’ve always had a drive to rescue old or forgotten things and repurpose them, and cigar boxes give me the perfect opportunity to do that. I see them as small works of art, so I choose only the most decorative and unblemished boxes and work hard to give them new lives.  This involves sanding all […]

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]]> I’ve always had a drive to rescue old or forgotten things and repurpose them, and cigar boxes give me the perfect opportunity to do that. I see them as small works of art, so I choose only the most decorative and unblemished boxes and work hard to give them new lives.  This involves sanding all the wood surfaces until smooth, using paint, stains, wax, paper, embellishments and application of an acrylic sealant for extra protection.

Cigar box box labels are very colorful and vibrant; a result of efforts in the 1800’s by cigar makers to use colorful labels designed to catch the customer’s eye and make their cigars stand out from rival cigar companies, so I carefully preserve and use them in the restoration  process.  Box sides and lids are left open so that the beautiful wood graining can be seen.    Because they are upcycled,  minor imperfections can be expected;  they only serve to add to the overall charm of the boxes.

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]]> 3380 Organizing My Tile Supply https://evergreenmosaics.com/organizing-my-tile-supply/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=organizing-my-tile-supply Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:30:35 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3214 Finally finished a complete re-organization of my glass mosaic tile inventory. Things had gotten really random: different colors mixed together, small, medium and large pieces all jumbled up, things not as they should be.  One of my mottos is ” a place for everything, everything in its place”, so it was time to apply it […]

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]]> Finally finished a complete re-organization of my glass mosaic tile inventory. Things had gotten really random: different colors mixed together, small, medium and large pieces all jumbled up, things not as they should be.  One of my mottos is ” a place for everything, everything in its place”, so it was time to apply it to my supplies.  I have a wall of shelves that hold my glass tiles , sorted by size and color. (marble and wood live in another spot).  I use small, clear plastic containers so it’s easy to see the colors. Everything is sorted by color and size for easy choice when designing a mosaic piece.

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]]> 3214 Sophie https://evergreenmosaics.com/lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-printing-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-printing-3 Thu, 16 Nov 2023 04:55:04 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3160 I hosted a guest from Ningbo, China this week. Sophie loves to cook, and she made several delicious traditional dishes that you can’t get in Chinese restaurants in Chicago.  We also made a mosaic mirror, using blue and green glass tiles. Sophie has an eye for color and suggested adding a few yellow tiles for […]

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My friend Sophie

I hosted a guest from Ningbo, China this week. Sophie loves to cook, and she made several delicious traditional dishes that you can’t get in Chinese restaurants in Chicago.  We also made a mosaic mirror, using blue and green glass tiles. Sophie has an eye for color and suggested adding a few yellow tiles for contrast. Amazing what a difference it made! It’s great to have someone else to give me ideas;  keeps me from getting stuck too much with the same colors, and opens my eyes to new possibilities. I’m hoping to visit her soon.

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]]> 3160 Cigar Box Transformation https://evergreenmosaics.com/lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-printing-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-printing-4 Thu, 16 Nov 2023 04:52:57 +0000 https://aghandmade.com/?p=3158 I love finding things that have been discarded or devalued and giving them new life and usefullness. My favorites are empty cigar boxes Why cigar boxes?  For one, they are just the right sizes for potential use as containers for jewelry, photos, travel meories, cell phone holders, remote controls, bedsize boxes , cuff links  and […]

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]]> I love finding things that have been discarded or devalued and giving them new life and usefullness. My favorites are empty cigar boxes Why cigar boxes?  For one, they are just the right sizes for potential use as containers for jewelry, photos, travel meories, cell phone holders, remote controls, bedsize boxes , cuff links  and lots more.

The boxes may have some small imperfections. I clean, wax and paint where necessary, then apply a heavy duty paper to parts of the box.  Most of the boxes have beautiful wood grain surfaces that I leave open. There are frequently labels that are really colorful; those I use as part of the design.  Finally, I give each box a set of feet, and, depending on the shape of the box, either a knob or fastener, along with whatever embellishments that add an extra touch.

 

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