Altered Cigar Boxes

(Above:  Forty-six finished, altered cigar boxes.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

They are finished!  All forty-six cigar boxes have been covered in decorative paper and paint, collaged with vintage and antique ephemera, waxed, and tagged.  I use ordinary, clear wax on all the surfaces.  This eliminates any sticking that can happen when two surfaces coated in matte medium are put together.  Heat and pressure cause acrylics to adhere.  Wax prevents it.

(Above:  Machine zigzagged cord and watercolor paper tags.)

Finally, I decided to add a permanent tag to every box.  I used watercolor paper tags and my thinnest cording.  The cording was made previously.  It is simply two strands of neglected yarn, zigzagged densely into a cord.

(Above:  Detail of a tag.)

Each tag was slipped through two holes drilled in the back of each box.  Thus, every box has both a number in the series and an inventory number in my permanent records.  The tags also have my name and date.  Finally, I photographed each box from the outside and inside.  Of course, these images don't include the sides and bottom.  All six interior and all six exterior surfaces are decoratively covered.

(Above:  Box One. Inventory # 4465. 4" x 8" x 5".)

I made these boxes in order to finally use the stash of vintage and antique prints I'd collected over several years.  I know that my intention was to finally USE these materials instead of continuing to store them, turn POTENTIAL into ART.  It was a goal and I accomplished it.  I'm very pleased.  They are all very, very pretty, but the truth of the matter is that I have no future plan to exhibit them. My plan was only the MAKE and FINISH them. Now, my only wish is that every one of them might find a home.  Thus, I'm offering them for sale at $125 including tax and shipping within the USA or $100 plus tax if purchased at Mouse House in Columbia (after I get home on May 14th) or from me in person.  So here they are!  Scroll down!  Enjoy!  I accept all forms of payment and can being shipping on May 14th. 

(Above: Box Two. Inventory # 4466. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Three. Inventory # 4467. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Four. Inventory # 4468. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Five. Inventory # 4469. 4" x 8" x 5".)  SOLD!

(Above: Box Six. Inventory # 4470. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Seven. Inventory # 4471. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Eight. Inventory # 4472. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Nine. Inventory # 4473. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Ten. Inventory # 4474. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Eleven. Inventory # 4475. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twelve. Inventory # 4476. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Thirteen. Inventory # 4477. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Fourteen. Inventory # 4478. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Fifteen. Inventory # 4479. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Sixteen. Inventory # 4480. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Seventeen. Inventory # 4481. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Eighteen. Inventory # 4482. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Nineteen. Inventory # 4483. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty. Inventory # 4484. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-One. Inventory # 4485. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Three. Inventory # 4487. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Four. Inventory # 4488. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Five. Inventory # 4489. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Six. Inventory # 4490. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Seven. Inventory # 4491. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Eight. Inventory # 4492. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty. Inventory # 4494. 2 1/2" x 8 3/4" x 7 1/2".)

(Above: Box Thirty-One. Inventory # 4495. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Two. Inventory # 4496. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Three. Inventory # 4497. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Four. Inventory # 4498. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Five. Inventory # 4499. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Six. Inventory # 4500. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Seven. Inventory # 4501. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Eight. Inventory # 4502. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Thirty-Nine. Inventory # 4503. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty. Inventory # 4504. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty-One. Inventory # 4505. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty-Two. Inventory # 4506. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty-Three. Inventory # 4507. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty-Four. Inventory # 4508. 2 x 8 3/4" x 6 3/4".)

(Above: Box Forty-Five. Inventory # 4509. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Forty-Six. Inventory # 4510. 2 1/2" x 8" x 8".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Two. Inventory # 4486. 4" x 8" x 5".)

(Above: Box Twenty-Nine. Inventory # 4593. 4" x 8" x 5".)

Time for Hand Stitch

(Above:  In Box CCCXXXIII.  That's Roman numerals for 333!  Unframed: 15"  11".  Layers of polyester stretch velvet on recycled industrial packaging felt with hand embroidery and melting techniques.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I don't make many of these piece even though they look rather similar to my other work.  The difference is easy.  These pieces are entirely stitched by hand.  My other, similar looking work is free-motion machine stitched.  I could likely finish three, maybe four, machine stitched pieces during  the time put into one made by hand.

 (Above:  In Box XXXCCCIV, detail.)

The other difference is that these hand stitched pieces are quite colorful.  I use three strands of embroidery floss.  All this thread comes from auctions and yard sales.  It isn't organized at all, just stored in a big, plastic container.  The contents sort of look like a rat's nest but it works for me.

 (Above:  In Box CCCXXXIV.  Unframed: 15" x 11".)

I was able to make two of these pieces because an art residency really is "the gift of time".  I've had time to do all sorts of things, especially projects that take hours and hours ... like hand stitching.  I'll frame these two pieces differently than the others ... once I return home.  That will not be until mid-May because I leave here to conduct two, back-to-back workshops in Wisconsin.  I'm excited about that.  It is always a joy to spend time sharing my techniques with other fiber enthusiasts.

(Above:  More than half the altered cigar boxes are finished.)

In the meantime, I'm on the home stretch with the altered cigar boxes.  The ones in the photo above have been finished and waxed.  Because I use matte medium, a fluid acrylic, I have to hand wax all the surfaces.  With heat and pressure, acrylics tend to stick together.  I couldn't risk stacking them this way if the wax hadn't coated the acrylic.  The wax also give each one a lovely, smooth feel.  Waxing all six interior surfaces and all six exterior surfaces gave me a real arm work out but it was worth it.  I have the flatter cigar boxes still in process and will blog them later.