'CHESS IT UP WEDDING SHRINE' altered Chess Pieces by Leigh Snaith-Brunton -The Sharpie Domino Queen

Supplies:
Rubber Stamps:
Vintage ladies by Hearts in Touch - http://www.heartsintouch.com
Small chess pieces by Above the Mark
Large King & Queen by Stampers Anonymous

Unfinished wooden doll house cupboard - Craft store
3 triominoes - http://www.craftingsandthings.com
4 wooden dominoes
4 unfinished wooden blocks - Craft store
1 diamond shaped piece of unfinished wood - Craft store
Chess pieces: King, Queen, 2 Knights, 2 pawns
Pearlized bead trim - Craft store
Pearlized heart/leaf beaded trim - Craft store
Wide white organza ribbon - sample piece - Craft store
5 Wedding pick embellishments of pearls and tulle - Craft store
White alphabet beads - Craft store
Black & white picture of children dressed up as a bride and groom
Sticker jewels: circles, diamonds and triangles - Craft store
Paint pens: sage, white and metallic gold - Craft store
Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky glue - Craft store
White cardstock
Ancient Page dye ink pads: coal black, light and dark green - Craft store
Adirondack Pigment Pen: Dark green -
http://www.innovativestampcreations.com
Krylon Artist's Fixative Spray - Craft store
Opal glitter glue
Embossing Heat Gun/Tool
Pencil and ruler
Scissors

Directions:
Start the project by drawing lines with a pencil and ruler on the inside and the outside of the cupboard to form a chess board pattern. The squares on the inside are smaller than the ones on the outside. Then colour each square with a paint pen. Alternate sage and white squares to form a chess board pattern. Colour the floor and the ceiling in sage, then outline each square with a fine gold metallic paint pen. Colour the top, the front edge and the base of the cupboard with a broad point gold metallic paint pen. Also colour the 4 wooden cubes by alternating the colours then edge in gold. Colour the diamond wood piece in gold.

Assemble the 4 wooden cubes and the diamond wood piece to form an altar. Glue them together with Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky glue.

Glue the heart/leaf beaded trim around the top part of the cupboard and the ball bead trim around the base. Outline the little black & white photo with the ball bead trim too and glue the photo to the back of the cupboard.

Before gluing 4 wooden dominoes to the original legs of the cupboard do the following: edge them, colour the sides and the backs with the broad point metallic paint pen.

Then create the words "My Love" and "Wedding" from alphabet beads and glue them to the front of the cupboard. Adhere "I Do" after gluing on the pyramid finial to the top of the cupboard.

Make the pyramid finial from 3 triominoes. You don't need to prepare the surface of these game pieces in any way. Stain each tile first with a light/lime green dye ink and heat set them. Stamp a pattern onto the sides of the triominoes in dark green dye ink and heat set. Next stamp the ladies on the backs of the triominoes with coal black dye ink and heat set. Colour portions of each tile with the dark green pigment pen and heat set. Edge each tile with a broad point gold metallic paint pen then embellish the images with opal glitter glue. Once the glitter glue is dry assemble the tiles to form a pyramid by putting a line of glue along the touching sides. Hold them together until the glue holds. Spray the finished pyramid finial with 3 - 4 light mistings of artist's fixative to protect the stamped surfaces. Make sure each coat is a very fine spray, any heavier and you can risk the inks bleeding.

Before gluing the pyramid finial to the top of the 'shrine' first prepare some pearl and tulle wedding picks. Cut the wires off 3 of them and pull the pearl stems out of 2 picks. Glue 2 of the cut picks to the top of the 'shrine' and glue the pyramid finial over the ends (the finial hides the cut ends). Glue the pearl stems into the small hole at the top of the pyramid finial. Now you can glue the "I Do" saying in place.

Next stamp the chess piece images onto white cardstock with coal black dye ink and cut them out. Add a dab of fast grab glue to the back of each piece and then spread the glue around with your finger to coat the entire area. Glue the small chess pieces on the back of the cupboard in alternating squares, and the King and Queen images on the sides of cupboard. Glue the little "K" and "Q" tags, left over from the large King and Queen images, onto the front of the altar.

Now it's time to embellish the guests of honour and their entourage. Highlight each chess piece detail with metallic gold paint pens (broad and fine points). Highlight the diamond relief pattern on the Queen with diamond jewel stickers. Then add a circle and two triangle jewel stickers to the King to form a bow tie. Embellish the cross on the King with gold metallic paint (fine point paint pen) and a tiny circle jewel sticker. Add tiny circle jewel stickers to the eyes of the Knights and bigger circle jewel stickers to the pawns.

Before gluing the altar inside the shrine place a small piece of white organza wide ribbon inside first. Glue the last cut wedding pick at the base of the altar.

Then finish off the shrine by gluing the chess pieces in place.

You've now got a great wedding shrine that can be the topper on a wedding cake or can be given as a unique wedding gift. To make the wedding shrine more personal you could decorate it in particular wedding colours, add the Bride & Grooms names in alphabet beads or add the wedding date with number embellishments.

I hope you enjoyed this project. If you'd like to see more of my artwork then please visit the archived newsletters at The Stamper's Mall and my website at http://www.velvetpawcreations.com

Group Art Galleries
Main Gallery
Stamper's Corner
StampTalk

Contact Us