Creative Christmas Calendar...my project!

Hello you all! If you came here through Riikka's blog...welcome! And of course welcome to my 'allready-followers'!
For Riikka's Creative Christmas Calendar I altered a wooden box in the shape of a book. It was pretty boring the way it was and it really needed some color!
I tried to make pictures during the process so I could show you a step-by-step from start to finish. I often work on my projects and art journal pages late in the evening, so some pictures are made without daylight and there are some flash reflections. Sorry for that...
Step 1: This is the box at the beginning:

Step 2: I covered the wooden parts with a layer of gesso. I sprayed two colors of Dylusions sprayinks to color the canvas with the word 'Paris' on it.

Step 3: I collaged some bookpapers on top. I always use ModPodge for this.

Step 4: I painted the background with acrylic paint and added some circles and stripes in a different colors. I stamped some gesso through a stencil and I stamped a layer with my backgroundstamps (written text and music sheet) and Stazon ink.

I did step 1 till 4 also with the backside of the box.

Step 5: I created an image out of magazine cutouts. (As you read more on my blog you will see that I love to do this! I have a big collection of cutouts and I love to puzzle and create new images with these.)

Step 6: I collaged the image on top of my painted background ( with ModPodge).

Step 7: I doodled the image with black and white markers...

...and added some journaling. I love to use quotes...

Step 8: The backside! I collaged another image with my magazine cutouts and glued it on top.

Step 9: More doodling and journaling...

Step 10: I covered the inside of the box with scrapbooking paper. (I used a sheet of Prima Marketing here, made of watercolor paper (I'm sorry, I can't remember the name of this collection.)

and I painted the sides of the box in rainbow colors.
I also made some white dots on the canvas to cover up the word 'Paris'.
And here is the finished bookbox:

The box is now 'sitting pretty' on my desk, filled with my collection of washi tapes...
Of course, the techniques I described here can be used for any object or simply in your art journal....which I do most of the times...If you would like to see more, please take a closer look at my blog or watch my video's to see more about the proces.
Thanks for visiting my blog and I wish you all a merry Christmas and may 2013 be the best year ever, with lots of creative happiness!

Sandra