On making a hobbit-home shadow box

Variations of this idea have been stewing for a long time. About five years ago I created a 'deep picture', where I took apart a picture into layers, drew each layer seperately and cut it out. Two years ago, for our wedding, I started playing around with LEDs more. Additionally recently beautiful shadow-boxes have been showing up.

So when a friend said they had fifteen very difficult stressfull days away from home and with limited access to the internet, all the ideas clicked into one item: a shadow-box countdown activity. Every day you cut one layer or assemble one thing that requires enough focus to bind your mind but is not overly complicated, especially in mental capacities. Everything needed is included: the frame, the LEDs, a small cutting mat, cutter, the paper layers themselves, padding for between the layers... and as one big common denominator to this friend is the Tolkien universe, and as there is little that symbolizes comfort and home as much as a hobbit hole, it's a hobbit-hole shadow-box countdown activity set! (Say that five times fast.)

I find it very difficult to describe how I take an image apart into layers. Basically what I did was take a photo and try to imagine it as different planes. Then I drew around the outlines that I could see for each plane. And some elements or layers I added from other images, e.g. the trees and the fence in the foreground, the trees in the very back background, the night sky.

After I drew the whole thing out, I scanned it and copied it twice, so I and another friend could test it out. Once you have the design, the process is quite straightforward.

Frist you cut out all layers (I had twelve or thirteen, depending on which you count). 

Then you cut strips of your distance-material. I used 1mm card stock that is intended to mount artwork, so it already has one side that is coated with glue. With 12 layers I cut about 48 strips, each 0.5cm wide and half 20cm, the other half 19cm long.

Then, into my 20cm x 20cm frame I placed the first layer of the image, then edging around all edges, the next layer, edging, etc. 

The backdrop was created by sticking paper to the back of the frame, then taping down an LED strip, cutting a small notch to guide the wire outside and then attaching the battery pack to the outside of the back of the frame with rubber cement. Put the back back into the frame, turn your LEDs on, fiddle with their placing until you're happy and voilá, there you go.

Formalities:

• Material: printer paper, 1mm self-sticking card-stock, 20cm x 20cm deep frame, LED strip, batteries, rubber cement (or other strong glue)
• Tools: pencil, laptop screen (to trace layers from), cutter knife, cutting mat
• Time: design about 6 hrs, creation about 4 hrs

PS: The friend is through their difficult circumstances. The project helped them manage. I am very happy that it did.