Oktoberfest Observations-A Peek-a-Boo Project

October is one of my favorite months as it a time of changes and hopefully the return of cooler temperatures. A long ago tradition of one of my dearest and longtime friends to host an Oktoberfest on one of the uncles wooded farmland outside of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I wrote of this property in this April 2021 Blogpost. I have also been lucky enough to attend an Oktoberfest-type Celebration when I traveled to Europe the summer after graduating from college so many years ago. These are the inspirations for this artwork.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Hearts Playing Cards, Copies of Vintage Kem Cards Featuring  Oktoberfest Themed Face Cards, Vintage German Script Pages, Scissors, UHU Gluestick, Saddle Brown StazOn Ink Pad, Blending Tool, Embossing Pad Reinker, Seth Apter Vintage Beeswax Embossing Powders, Heating Tool, Fine Tip Sharpie or Pencil, Shades of Red and Florescent Pink Acrylic Paints, German Silver, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Slicked Smoke Embossing Powders, Wendy Vecchi Black Embossing Paste, Weldbond,

1.  Gather Supplies.

2.  Make Copies of Vintage Kem Cards Featuring  Oktoberfest Themed Face Cards.

3.  Use Top Part of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frame to Cut Cards to Proper Size.

                       

4.  Use UHU Glue stick to attach Face Card Images to Vintage German Script Pages.

5.  Once Fully Dry Use Saddle Brown StazOn Ink Pad and Blending Tool to Soften the Edges of the Cards so They Appear More Unified.

6.  Use a Paintbrush to Carefully Coat Prepared Pages with Embossing Reinker Gel.

7.  Randomly Sprinkle with  Seth Apter Vintage Beeswax Embossing Powder on Both Sides.

8.  Ever so Carefully Using a Heating Tool to Cure the Embossing Powder.

                    

9.  Use a Fine Point Sharpie or Pencil and  Top Part of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frame to Cut Prepared Pages to Proper Size.

10.                Use a Paintbrush and Shades of Red and Florescent Pink Acrylic Paints to Randomly Paint Bottom Portion of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frame.

11.                Use a Versa Mark Pad and German Silver, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Slicked Smoke Embossing Powders, and Heating Tool on Top Portion of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frame.

12.                Once Full Dry Add Wendy Vecchi Black Embossing Paste to Top Portion to Make it Look More Vintage.

13.                Use Weldbond to Glue Prepared Images to Back Inside of Top Portion of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frame.

14.                Use Weldbond to Glue Top Portion and Bottom Portion of GSLC Heart Playing Cards Frames Together.

Some Final Thoughts.

I grew up in home where alcohol was  never consumed not even a beer, and it was grape juice served at communion on the Lord's Supper at our small Baptist Church. I went to a small Christian College where we signed a policy waiver saying we would not drink alcohol or use any controlled substances. But I was a rebellious lad and did go off campus drinking and even got called to the dean's office for having Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers hidden in my closet. I  was turned in my roommate Willie.

In my twenties and even early thirties I was a big beer drinker actually I enjoyed a variety of alcoholic beverages, some may even say I was a binge drinker or an alcoholic.  I know I drank more than my fair share and I'm happy that it no longer consumes me nor do I need it to escape or interact in social situations. I still enjoy a drink with friends or socially when out to eat.

So in my younger years I looked forward to the Oktoberfest Celebrations hosted by my dear friend on one of the uncle's wooded farmland properties. It was a family affair with a huge firepit, many tents, and lots of lovely food. So much merriment and camaraderie.  That sense of community and belonging is the spirit of pubs that I visited with one of my other college roommates after graduating from college so many years ago and what my above friend has created near our hometown in Williamsport, Pa. If you are ever in the area be sure to visit the Moon & Raven Pub.

While in Germany and Austria my roommate and I would take our evening meal in one of these Old Style Pubs reminiscencing of our days adventures. We also visited his families homeland is Oslo, Norway, stayed on a friends farm near Kalmar Sweden, named Öland Island, seeing sites of where Sound of Music were filmed, the majestic Matterhorn reflected best in a puddle, going to Lucerne, seeing its famous lion monument, reconnecting where my father had visited while stationed in Germany during WWII, attending a Oktoberfest type beer garden with its huge soft pretzels and even larger beer steins, watching U2 in concert, taking a Rhine River tour are but a few of the events I will forever remember. It was my first time flying and traveling outside of the US. My roommate should have been sainted for taking me with him as I now know I was not very helpful in planning all of our stopovers. He has since gone on to become a world traveler with his family and has been to all 50 states in the USA.

May the memories you make along the way come to cheer you on some of your darker days. Godspeed. Prost! Zum Wohl!