Bizarre Souls-A Peek-a-Boo Project

 

I have written of how differently my husband and I are in past blogs:

“My partner and I are vastly different as the ocean from the desert. A love that can endure the differences and embrace the substances that matter last a lifetime. We are a mighty team, better together that apart, fuller because of our emptiness and sweeter because of shed tears. I love seeing what dreams will still come true, we have some huge ones left to dream.”

In The Frog Prince by Brothers Grimm a Prince is turned into a frog under a wicked Fairy’s spell. He must convince  a spoiled princess that he is indeed a prince in this rather unusual disguise. In the original Grimm version of the story, the frog’s spell was broken when the princess threw the frog against a wall, as she found him disgusting, at which he transformed back into a prince. In the Grim Version the prince only wanted to be companion with the princess, not her forever mate.

While in the modern versions the transformation is triggered by a princess kiss.  Thus the saying “You gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.” These are the inspirations for this artwork.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Layered Steampunk Frame-*Coming Soon*, Packing Tape, Turquoise Stencil Butter, Color Shift Equal Flash, TH Mermaid Lagoon Distress Stain, Gold Design Creme, Metallique Hazelnut  and Flame Acrylic Paint, Paintbrush Plastic Spatula, TH Iced Spruce Distress Stain,UHU Glue Stick, Clamps 

1. Gather Supplies.
   
   
2. Create Digital Design of your Downloaded Images- Mine are Bizarre Souls from Etsy 
3. I Removed Backgrounds, Changed Sizes and added Rag Rug Background.
4. Print You Digital Designs.
5. Cover with Packing Tape to Secure Ink Jet Images.
   
6. Use GSLC Top Frame to Trace Individual Images for Your Triptych Collection.
   
7. Use Turquoise Stencil Butter on Bottom Portion of GSLC Layers Frame.
   
8. Add Color Shift Aqua Flash Using Same Dabbing Technique you Used to Add Previous Color. 
   
9. Fill in Any Bare Areas with TH Mermaid Lagoon Distress Stain.
   
10. Use a Plastic Spatula to Squish on Gold Design Creme, Metallique Hazelnut  and Flame Acrylic Paints.
    
    
11. Once Fully Dry Fill in any Empty Gaps with TH Iced Spruce Distress Stain.
    
12. Cut Out Prepared Images and Secure to Top Frame with an UHU GlueStick.
    
13. Now use the UHU GlueStick to Secure Bottom Portion to Frame’s Top Portion.
    
    
    
14. Hold Securely Together with Clamps until Fully Dry.

Final Thoughts:

In one of my all time favorite GSLC Blogs  I dis Misunderstood Monsters and Magical Creatures ABC’s. In This Completed Collection I wrote:

“ In a world with wolves in Sheep’s clothing,

Comes misunderstood monsters and magical creatures.

Take a closer loo, a deeper inspection.

Look beyond their gore son unbecoming features.

Like you and me they may more be,

Longing, wondering, lost and lonely.

Stuck and afraid wanting to be free, 

Defying you to run towards the, and not flee?

Each of us upon closer inspection  may find. Good and evil in our lives entwined.

A monster to one, may be magical to another.

It is rare in life to have one without the other”

As I said in the original telling of the Frog Prince, more aptly named “Iron Heinrich”  The prince had a loyal male servant, named Heinrich, who had three iron bands affixed around his heart to prevent it from breaking in his sadness over his master’s curse, but when the Prince was reverted back to his human form. Heinrich’s overwhelming happiness caused all three bands to break, freeing his heart from its bounds. There was no true love kiss and if we were able to see beyond the ending maybe it would be Heinrich and the Prince who would ride off in the carriage together. 

I’m thankful my husband looked behind my disguise. We are Bizarre Souls, Found Friends, Forever Connected in our desire to see other as humans and to that them the way we wish to be. I love going into local shops and have workers eyes light up because they know know with us they will share good laugh and the hearts will be lightened. 

The images I used were perfect for the two of us. The background is rag rug , which also reminds us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In the Swedish Culture of the rag rug dating back to castles and manor houses, they were a kind of status symbol. At that time, textiles were a very expensive commodity, and laying textiles on the floor was considered very extravagant. 

In Britain, the craft was a sign of poverty. The materials used were things that would otherwise be thrown out and the rugs were necessary to keep the cold flag flagstone floors and floorboards  warm before today’s luxury of fitted carpets.