Four Seasons Altered Tea Tin– ATC Storage/Display

I had so much fun creating the holiday themed tea tins that I decided to make a Four Seasons Altered Tea Tin.  Just like with the holiday tins, this one is the perfect size to store and display ATCs.  The process started with decorating a wood window for each season.  I think using a window makes a great backdrop for the change of seasons.

THE WINDOWS

FALL

The windows are close to the size of an ATC.  I think they would also work great as separate pieces or attached to an ATC.

I used Alcohol Ink to color some of the brass leaves.  The clusters of red berries are beads.  I stained the window using Vintage Photo Distress Stain.

Alpha Stamps Products Used for the Fall Window:

Tiny Oak Leaf Garland

3 Connected Brass Leaves

Acrylic Leaves in Tin – Fall Havest

Brass Oak Leaves

Raw Brass Rose Leaves

Florentine Brass Leaves

Mauve/Red Bead Mix

Distress Stain – Vintage Photo

Winter Birds Collage Sheet

Crows #1 Collage Sheet

WINTER

 I stained the window using Brushed Pewter Metallic Distress Stain.

Alpha Stamps Products Used for the Winter Window:

Royal Christmas Red Drop Scallop Trim

Christmas Green Buttons

Snug in their Beds Collage Sheet

Winter Birds Collage Sheet

PlasticPearls (Strands)-Ivory

Small Brass Snowflakes

Giant Snowflakes – Antique Silver

Antique Silver Snowflakes

Fresh Snow Buttons

Metallic Distress Stain – Brushed Pewter

SPRING

I used Avocado Liquid Pearls to color the window. The gold and red acrylic sprays around the windows are originally clear.  I used Alcohol Inks to color them.  The orange roses were originally white.  I used Lemonade Stain to color them orange.

Alpha Stamps Products Used for the Spring Windows:

Liquid Pearls - Avocado – Used to paint the window

Clear Acrylic Bead Sprays - Wheat

Forget Me Nots - Orange

Small White Apple Blossoms

Old Fashion Roses – White – Colored with Lemonade Stain

Acrylic Leaves in a Tin – Spring Green

Distress Stain – Squeezed Lemonade

Butterflies Collage Sheet

Umbrella Kids #2 Collage Sheet

Puppies #1 Collage Sheet

SUMMER

The red material wrapped around the windows is cheesecloth died with Red Pepper Alcohol Ink.  The window is painted with a Metallic Pearl Paint Dabber.

At the Beach Collage Sheet

Paint Dabber – Metallic Pearl – Used to paint the window

Travel Stick Pins

Starfish

Seashell Sequin Mix

Gold Starfish Bead Caps

Antique Silver Seahorse

Acrylic Flowers in Tin

Alcohol Inks – Red Pepper – Used to dye the cheesecloth

The Tea Tin

I used the same Tea Tin as I used in the Holiday versions.  I covered the inside and the outside of the tin with paper from the Olde Curiosity Shoppe line.

I used a wooden egg cup for the base.  In addition to the fact that I like how the tin looks propped up on a base, it also made it possible to have decorative elements that hang off the bottom of the windows.  

To distress the egg cup, I started by staining the wood with Vintage Photo Distress Stain.  I used a cotton swab to get into the grooves.  

After letting the stain dry, I applied a thick layer of Picket Fence Crackle Paint.

You will see the stain bleed through the paint.  I let the Crackle Paint dry (you should see fine crackling).  I then applied a second coat of Crackle Paint and let it dry.  You should see more crackling and some parts of the paint flaking off.  I picked some of the paint off that was loose.  Once you get it the way you want, coat it with a sealer like Modge Podge to keep more paint from coming off.

Alpha Stamps Products Used for Altering the Tea Tin:

Square Tea Tin

CandlestickHolder

Oval Window Wood Flourishes

Picket Fence Crackle Paint

Distress Stain – Vintage Photo

The last step was to attach the decorated windows to each side of the tin. 

FALL

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

"See the Alpha Stamps newsletter Sunday morning for info about a year-long ATC swap that would be perfect for this project."