Alcohol Ink & Gesso Altered Photo Frame

OK this is going to be a fairly long post (I think), so if you wanna skip my waffle and just look at the pictures do feel free. I know time is limited for many of you!

We're coming upto that time of year again where we all start frantically scrabbling around for gifts for teachers. I personally hate it as I never know what to get. I steer clear of Toiletries and Chocolate as I know that many teachers are so inundated with them that they end up giving them away. This year is particularly tricky as I really haven't gotton that close to my son's teacher and so have no idea of her likes or dislikes, the only two things I do know is, one that she has two small children and secondly that she has lost a fair bit of weight which makes me suspect that she won't appreciate chocolate!!

So after much deliberating I decided to make her a photo frame for her desk, that will also double as a card. I've stamped a thank you message on the card and DS has written his message on the reverse (sadly for DS he's going to have to do it again as I've managed to stamp the sentiment at a slight angle and only noticed when I went  to photograph the frame - Doh!!). Once the "card" is finished with she can simply pop a picture of her kids in there.

The frame started out life as this:

I initially tried removing the mirrored images, but it would've taken ages and when I googled for chemicals to assist me I decided that it was possibly going to be more effort than it was worth. So armed with my alcohol inks I made photo frame mark one.

Now this frame was OK but when I placed it with bright light behind it I could still see the images which obviously wasn't acceptable. In addition it was a lot darker than I'd wanted. So I had a little think and decided I'd try covering the frame with a layer of Gesso. Once I'd covered it I could just about see the images and so contemplated a second coat. However, I decided that I'd try it as it was and if that was no good that I'd do a second coat over the top of the AI's. This is the result:

As you can see it completely obliterated the images and enabled me to use far lighter inks. The only thing is that the Gesso has given the frame a very slight texture, which I personally don't mind. I decorated the frame with Sizzix 3D Flowers and a Little Claire's Fern Die. The butterfly is from an EJ Designs set (one of the first sets of stamps I ever bought). I also had a mini brain wave when I was embellishing the frame that I should make it so that it can be used in landscape mode as shown, or so that you can display a portrait picture, thus:

I hope the teacher likes this frame, if not then it could end up in a charity shop near you!! LOL

Thanks for stopping by today
Claire xx

I'd like to enter this frame into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenge - Try something new (using AI's over Gesso)
Incy Wincy Designs - Nature
Pink Elephant - Teachers Gifts
Paper Sundaes - Shabby/ Vintage
Sentimental Sundays - Anything but a card