specimen box !

One of the many things that's been on my to-do list for ages is this box (btw I blame ALL YOU other bloggers for my VERY LONG to-do list. Can you please stop being so creative and posting about it - please, I can't keep up, and sometimes I just go and sit on the sofa with a cup of Earl Grey, because my head is spinning. Actually, that's a lie, I sit on the sofa quite a lot !!!)

Sorry, this is the only photo I took, but basically, it was full of dried petals and stuff, but I wanted it, because it was deep.

I needed a deep box frame for one thing. One thing that I found on the beach months ago, and which I treasure. One thing, like many other things I have found, only bigger. One thing, with such great colours, that the old geezer thought I had done a paint effect on it.

When I did a beach junk post over at A Place 2 Call Home I showed some of the other things to go in the box frame.

But I hid my favourite thing under that crab shell at the top. I needed to showcase the one thing that still amazes me.

Here she is.

Ok, so now you're thinking 'Fiona's lost the plot, she's going round the bend'. Seriously though, I can't get over the size of it. My hands are quite long, so this claw must have come from a really big old mama of the sea. I also love the colour and the fact that it looks like the colours have been painted on - especially with that arrow shape on the top claw.

Unfortunately, she cracked (hence the ribbon) - maybe being brought into the heat of my house (although I did try and blame it on my inebriated house guests at the time. I reckon they went to have a look at it, after we'd gone to bed - and dropped it !).

So mama needed a special box, and when I took the thing apart I discovered that the wooden dividers were really stuck to the bottom, so I put that section away for a different project.

I already had a large piece of beadboard given to me. So I cut a piece off for the back. I painted the frame white - what else, and distressed it. The beadboard I did dark brown, then put some crackle stuff on it, painted it white and did a bit of distressing and dry brushing. 

That's not coral, just a bit of seaweed I painted white.

All the crab claws are pretty amazing, and this worn crab shell has really pretty colours.

There are a few small fishing boats along the beach, and I'm guessing that many of the creatures get caught in the nets. I'm a bit squeamish, so if they look too real, I can't pick them up.

I couldn't touch this wee beastie because of the tentacles and eye sockets, but I was just amazed at the colour - it looks way too exotic for the South Coast of England. 

Weeks later, I found smaller sections of the same lobster so I was able to collect some specimens !

My big old mama's claw is the same size as that whole other lobster's body !

The box frame was £5, but as I said earlier, I've made two things out of it, at no extra cost, so £2.50 for my crab and lobster specimen box is pretty good, and goes well with my stencilled 'coral' walls.

So, it's back to the long list. I wish all my blogging friends could just come over for a coffee and help me focus. Perhaps we'd make some cakes and swap stuff. I have so many things to decoupage, I'd love to give some away. I have a trunk full of fabric, a box full of beads and numerous ribbons. There are paintings stuffed under a bed and loads of blank canvases. There is furniture to do and citra solv to buy and try. There's a chair needs covering and a pelmet needing to be made and ..........................

I think I'll get an Earl Grey and go watch some trash on tv !

Happy blogging x

Linking up with

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Terrific under ten Tuesdays @ At Home With K

Cowgirl Up @ The Farmhouse Porch

Weekend wrapup Party @ Tatertots & Jello

Saturday Showoff @ Nutmeg Place

Spotlight Saturday @ Classy Clutter

Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer