Hybrid Key Holder

After considering a wood framed canvas for this project I came across a nice framed mirror while going through and unpacking all my hybrid craft boxes after the move.

That became the basis for this new key holder that of late has become even more of an essential for our new abode. Yes, this house has 4 different sets of keys. We use three of them, and the other one they have not even given us yet.

The frame itself is made from MDF and is pretty solid so should hold up to daily use far better than the canvas may have. Having the mirror in there will also be handy for a last minute check before heading out the door.

The mirror comes out like a photo would. So after removing that and the back piece I measured the sides and the gap in the middle. Then in my digital editor I created a document that was the outside dimensions of the frame. To get my digital papers and design accurate I then used the guides in the program to show the middle area that would be removed so I could avoid putting the design there.

The guidelines in blue come in quite handy when centering or scaling a pattern too. I used some brushes from Jessica Sprague to make the edges look inked.

For this project I chose to use Red River Paper products. Their River Linen card is wonderful with a really authentic linen like texture and nice matte finish which is perfect for the look I wanted and the spot it will eventually hang.

Then came the fun bit! I knew I wanted to use digital key elements for the wording at the top and the search was on. Little projects like this can be made extra special by picking one dimension of a kit and using that. Which meant I needed a bunch of keys. You can of course go on a hunt in your stash. Or for a little more fun use the keyword search in The Shop, or ask in the Forums for the element you are looking for. Sometimes these little elements are not always so visible, then choose your favourites. The bonus is you may end up with a fabulous kit you missed! You can often just purchase the elements on their own if you don’t want the whole kit.

Here are the kits I used:

I also used a couple of papers from Le Petit Oiseau by Sugarplum Paperie. One of which I re-coloured using the hue saturation slider. Then layering one paper over the other and lowering the opacity gave me the tone and look I was after. If you like a paper and it is not quite right for your needs play around with layers and the colour slider and see what you come up with.

After arranging all the keys in a pleasing way, really working on the shadow layers for all the keys enhanced the overall look of the piece. I suggest trying different layers of shadows and variations in size and opacity.

After printing on the River Linen paper I allowed it to dry overnight. I usually do this (if I have time) when I am going to be gluing my printed papers.

In the meantime the frame was painted using a combination of burnt umber with a touch of black acrylic paint. I was after a rough edged kind of gurngy look so did not bother with a primer coat first. However I have found that it is best to dry brush the paint on rather than using water. It seems to stop the paint soaking in too much. Two coats were needed around the edges and I did not paint the back.

Turn your printed paper design over placing the frame on the top and tracing with a pencil the bit that needs cutting out for the mirror. Yes, you can see another paper design/colour trial on the back as I wasn’t sure what would look best where I want to hang the key holder. Rather than waste card I simply printed it on the back – the paper really is that nice!

You can see how nicely the paint coats on using the dry paint technique.I could paint the back but it is going on the wall and this way it saves on paint.

Cutting out the center piece using a ruler to keep myself yourself on track is the next step.

The using a stamp ink pad that matches your paint and a finger tip sponge go around all cute edges. Do both the outside of the paper and the middle. This helps your cut paper edges to seamlessly blend into the paint.

Here you can see the digitally inked edges. Kinda neat being able to do it without a stamp pad. Glue the printed inked paper to the front of your frame, add a few key or cup hooks to the front and it is ready for use. Don’t those keys look 3D?

Hybrid Key Holder

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