"Dad with Boutonniere" Keepsake Box

"Dad with Boutonniere" Keepsake Box, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is the project I finished yesterday, a wooden keepsake box. The image on the top of the box is a picture of my father as a young man. The original photo was a group shot in black and white. I used some digital sleight-of-hand to crop my father's picture out of the group and create an individual portrait, and then added color and texture. I collaged the image to the box, rubbing to get some of the wood grain to show through. Then I painted the box, trying to get a look that goes with the image. I spent a lot of time of details that don't really show: making sure the lid didn't warp, and smoothing the edges of the box top because the lid has to slide in grooves when the box is opened and closed.