Edgar Allan Poe Tunnel Shadow Box

Hello crafty friends!  I'm here today to share a new project made with elements from the Alpha Stamps August Kit:  Tunnel Book!

The kit comes with great seasonal papers and timely sunflowers, but my 4x4 Arch Tunnel Book is a little darker with an Edgar Allan Poe theme.  Hey, I'm a Baltimore girl and I can't pass up a Poe project opportunity!

The design team will show you different ways to use the tunnel. I made mine into a shadow box.

To begin, I chose the center element first.  This photo shows how I rigged it up so I could see the chipboard layers and plan the elements.  (Note to self: put wee lights in the next tunnel book.)

I painted all pieces with black gesso, then decided to cover with papers.  The easiest for me was to paint the adhesive onto the tunnel panels, then put that onto the paper and allow to dry.

I cut the centers out with a straight edge on a self-healing mat. See how ragged they are?  My fix for that is sandpaper.  I used two grits - first was 320 to sand the paper up to the chipboard, then a finer grit of 600 (or higher) to "polish" the paper and get it ready for the next step.

Using sandpaper on your projects is a lot like using a good knife in the kitchen.  Choose the right tool and it will do the work for you.  You'll only need the smallest amount of pressure.  And maybe more patience.

White core on paper makes me squint and squish my nose, so I use the edge of a brush marker to color it in.  If you want to try this, keep light contact between the paper and marker -- the paper will soak up only what it needs.  Polishing the paper with the 600+ grit sandpaper keeps the sanded area from soaking up too much ink, so it's an important step.

I used the brush marker (brown or black) to color the edges of all the collage sheet elements.  When doing this, make sure you always come from behind, as I've done in the photo below.  It's easy to "fall off" the edge of the element (especially fussy cuts) and accidentally swipe a dark brush stroke on the surface.  Much better to have that on the back than the front!

Here's a view of the panels, ready for assembly.  The polka-dot panel is already attached to the Edgar panel (the back of the book).  I was a little eager and didn't photograph before putting those two together.

There are so many great motifs throughout Poe's writing.  Here I've included a raven, heart, cask, skull, and, of course, Lenore, all from Alpha Stamps collage sheets.  There's also a pendulum, eyes, premature burial, and doubles.  Oh... if only I'd used the 6x6 Arch Tunnel Book!  :)

Back to the project at hand, Susan... To create the space in between, I used layered strips of excess chipboard to separate the panels.  I save all kinds of board "just in case".  I'm not a pack rat... just a planner!

Once all the panels were attached, I covered the sides and back with heavy black card stock, and used the same for the top and bottom.

Thanks for your visit today!  You can view my complete Alpha Stamps supply list HERE.

Cheers
Susan


Other supplies used
My Mind's Eye paper
Heavy black card stock
Mod Podge
White glue
Zig glue pen to adhere dresden trim
Gold paint pen around interior window openings
Black gesso and acrylic paint
Black Tombow brush marker