Anchovies Tin Shrine by Julie Ann

Hello Everyone. It's great to be here at Calico Craft Parts Blog. Today I'd like to share a project inspired by something that happened 30 years ago! My husband and I were visiting Russia and during a tour of the Kremlin we lost the rest of our party and found ourselves alone in a snowy courtyard. An old woman, typically Russian with a vivid floral headscarf brightening her drab layers of warm clothing, appeared out of nowhere and beckoned. She led us to a vast, heavy oak door, which she pushed open to reveal a tiny, dimly lit chapel. We gasped to see a vast array of be-jewelled icons, glimmering with gold - magnificent yet unexpectedly intimate . She spoke no English, but simply swept her hand around proudly, clearly enjoying our wonder and delight.

 A humble anchovies tin among my collection of 'alter - ables'; some bits and pieces discarded from past projects and some Calico Craft Parts inspired me to try to re-create in miniature a fragment of that moment, reminding me that sometimes beauty awaits us in unexpected places.

I always enjoy the early stages of a project - the excitement of gathering the elements that will go to make up the finished piece.

The heads from 2 small doll kits would combine to make the Madonna and Child, with a scrap of Dresden for a halo. I decided I would frame my anchovies tin with this beautifully decorated ATC frame. I wasn't absolutely sure how I would do this, but I wanted different layers to my shrine and I envisioned the ornate cross projecting out a little from my background.

I began to add more to my frame and centre-piece, although I was still not sure how I could create the glimmering, mosaic background I recalled from the tiny chapel. I love the shape of the Calico keys, which recall the heavy wooden doors and the significance of keys in Christian iconography. Bits of broken jewellery, crackle and gilding were beginning to evoke ancient splendour in an intimate setting.

Now it was time to create that background. I painted my tin with acrylics and decorated the interior with fragments of doily, touched with gilding paste and bead gel. My mosaics were created by stencilling with 3D gloss gel, allowing this to dry and then painting and gilding it before snipping it into squares and fixing to my background with heavy gel medium.

Time to bring the whole piece together. I found a little wooden cube I could adhere to my tin and also my cross so that it would stand out from the background. I am indebted to Alison Bomber for this tip! I was pleased with the way that my anchovies tin shrine seemed to invite the viewer in with welcoming arms. I hope that you will find time this week to create something from an item or items you might normally have thrown away. Thank You so much for stopping by today.

Calico Craft Parts Used

ATC with Engraved Fleur de Lis Frame
Curlicue Flourish Cross, small
Standard Jointed Art Doll Kit, small, style 2
Mini Greyboard Hearts
Sheet of Mini Angel Wings, style 1
Mini Keys and Keyholes