Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Happy Birthday Howard Pyle-A Peek-a-Boo Project

Howard Pyle was born on March 5, 1853 in Wilmington, Delaware. He is famous for writing and illustrating children’s books, most significantly “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.” He was dubbed the Father of American Illustration. His work is credited with inspiring modern pirate costumes, including Johnny Depp’s look in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. A less famous work of his, and in his opinion a complete failure are the illustrations for Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shallot”. These are the inspirations of this artwork.



Supplies:  GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks , GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set , Printed Copies of Illustrations from The Lady Of Shallot, Turquoise Stencil Butter, Small Plastic Palette Knife, Fancy Cut Trimming Scissors, Green Brush Marker,  UHU GlueStick, Metallic and Brown Acrylic Paints, Paintbrush, WeldBond Glue

  1. Gather Supplies.
  2. Print Copies of Illustrations from The Lady Of Shallot.
  3. Use Turquoise Stencil Butter and a Small Plastic Palette Knife to Paint Edges of GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
  4. Use Fancy Cut Trimming Scissors Trim Edges of Illustrations.
  5. Use a Green Brush Marker to Smudge Edges of Illustration. 
  6. Glue Illustrations to Prepared GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
  7. Paint GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set with Metallic and Brown Acrylic Paints.
  8. Use WeldBond Glue to Attach GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set to Prepared GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
  9. Use a Hole Punch to put Holes in the Four Corners of the GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
  10. Use Two Needle Nose Pliers to Connect GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks Together with Steel Jump Rings.



Final Thoughts:

Quotes from “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood”

“I live in a Land where the forests are big, and the rivers are wide and blue. The sky is as big asa forest and the birds are as merry as my friends, the men of Sherwood.”



“Here, in Sherwood, where the trees are so green and the flowers are so bright, we live outlives in the company of friends”

“When a man is in trouble, there is no greater joy than to see friend coming to help.”

“Every man deserves a second chance. Every man deserves chance to be merry and free.”

“To be a merry man, one must learnt dance with the shadows.”



Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott” is a rather sad tale, without a happy ending. It seems like the sadder side of a magical kingdom. It tells the story of a young medieval woman mysteriously imprisoned on an island near Camelot. She must weave a colorful web and only watch the outside world through a mirror. If she looks at Camelot directly, she will be cursed.

It tells of unfulfilled dreams, entrapped in our own ivory towers.  If we only observe the world through our windows or reflected in our mirrors we will never know the fullness of the land of the living with all its passions and pains, its wins and losses, the calm and chaos, its  beauty and decay.

Where Howard Pyle saw these illustrations as failures I like their art nouveau appeal reminiscent of Mocha but more organic. We each have love hate with our creations. 


March is a month of changes, as children we would draw pictures of lions and lambs.  It is said that “March Come in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

It is indeed like a lion with its fierce winds roaring, the cold like long white teeth, icicles piercing through our skin: then the gentle softness of a billowing white cloud, as white and fluffy as fleece on an ewe, the sunny fresh aired days as innocent as a new born lamb.



Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Vintage Vegabond Valentine-A Peek-a-Boo Project



I have always loved this quote by J.R.R. Tolkien, All who wander are not lost." Here is the full poem

The Riddle of Strider

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.


From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.


This is the inspiration for this artwork.


Supplies:  GSLC Celtic Hearts, GSLC Steampunk Hearts, GSLC Grape Vines, GSCL Latin Script Background , Thin Cardboard, ScrapbookPapers, UNH GlueStick, Wide Washi Tape, WeldBond, UHU GlueStick, Paper Trimmer, Printer, Vintage Cardstock, Metallic Cardstock

  1. Gather Supplies.
  2. I am Using Leftover GSLC Hearts from Previous Blog 
  3. GSLC Steampunk Hearts Were Painted in Metallic Acrylic Paints-Gold, Copper, Bronze.
  4. GSLC Celtic Hearts Were Painted in Acrylic Paints-Reds, Pinks, and Neon Orange.
  5. GSLC Grape Vines From  Another Project They are Painted in Green Acrylic Paints and Dry Brushed with Gold and Neon Pink.
  6. Leave GSCL Latin Script Background Unpainted.
  7. Cut Thin Cardboard Into Two 5 by 6 Inches Pieces.
  8. Use Washi Tape to Create a Hinge Spine for two Pieces of Thin Cardboard.
  9. Cut Scrapbook Papers into Same Sizes and Glue to Thin Cardboard using a UHU GlueStick.
  10. Use WeldBond and UHU GlueStick to Make a Pleasing Composition of GSLC Pieces.
  11. Press Flat with a Weight Object.
  12. Type and Print J.R.R Tolkien Poem and Greeting. Trim to Size.
  13. Cut Metallic Cardstock to Make a Frame Poem and Greeting.
  14. Glue Poem and Greeting to Inside of Prepared Card.
  15. Add Silk Ribbon to Add Texture and Intrigue



Final Thoughts

I think the song Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros summarize my feeling about a Vagabond Love.



I also love this cover of Neil Young's Helpless   by Cowboy Junkies.

"Helpless"


There is a town in north Ontario,

With dream comfort memory to spare,

And in my mind

I still need a place to go,

All my changes were there.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,

Yellow moon on the rise,

Big birds flying across the sky,

Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless

Baby can you hear me now?

The chains are locked

and tied across the door,

Baby, sing with me somehow.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,

Yellow moon on the rise,

Big birds flying across the sky,

Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless.





This is the greeting I included inside of my Vintage Vagabond Valentine

Happy Valentines Day 

To My Vagabond

Companion.

Wherever We Travel 

You are My Home.

With You By My Side

I Am Never Alone.











Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Celtic Clockwork Kinda of Love-Peek-a-Boo Project


I have written 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 than 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.”

We continue to grow in love and respect for each other as we endure the daily grind with its joys and sorrows. They are the inspiration for this artwork.



Supplies:  GSLC Celtic Hearts, GSLC Steampunk Hearts, Metalic Acrylic Paints-Gold, Copper, Bronze, Acrylic Paints-Reds, Pinks, and Neon Orange,Chipboard, Cutter, Scrapbook Paper, UHU GlueStick, Permanent Ink Pad Brown, Ink Blotter

  1. Gather Supplies.
  2. Paint GSLC Steampunk Hearts in Metallic Acrylic Paints-Gold, Copper, Bronze.
  3. Paint GSLC Celtic Hearts in Acrylic Paints-Reds, Pinks, and Neon Orange.
  4. Cut  Two 5 by 5 inch Squares from Scrapbook Paper Using a Cutter.
  5. Cut One 5.25 by 5.25 Square from Scrapbook Paper Using a Cutter.
  6. Glue Scrapbook Paper to Chipboard Squares Using a UHU GlueStick.
  7. Use Permanent Ink Pad in Brown and an Ink Blotter to Darken the Edges of the Squares.
  8. Use a UHU GlueStick to Layer the Painted GSLC Hearts onto the Prepared Squares.
  9. These can be Framed and Would Make Very Attractive Wall Display.






Final Thoughts:

I love the concept of of yin and yang, dark and light, good and evil, a time for everything under the sun. My husband and I seek balance in our life, knowing fully it is ebbing and flowing, to and fro from one day to the next one may be sad the other happy, one’s pain can be soothed by the other. Life is about give and take, the ups and the downs, burdens and days of joy, the soft and the hard, the rough and the smooth, the content and the restless. We are in constant flux but we can choose the perspective we will embrace.

To know someone fully is to dive into the depths of the deepest oceans. When we first fall in love we do not dive in too deep, it’s a drop in a cup of water or the shallow waters of a springtime shower. It’s only as we stay together and weather the storms that we discover the magnitude of our lifetime companions.



I love this song by Natalie Merchant, 

The Feast of Saint Valentine


In the deep and darkest night of your soul

When you curse and rue the day

That you did dare to give your heart away

Take courage in the thought you belong

Good comrade, you're not alone

We're here to give you shelter from the storm

In the blindness and confusion of the fight

When the blood is soaking through

We'll come to you, we'll come to bind the wound

We'll come to you

March on, march on you soldiers of the heart

You ragged, weary crowd

You retreat in your defeat but you move on

Such a vast uncharted wilderness to see

Strange lands, strange beasts

But I'll go where you lead

Where you lead

I'll go where you lead

I'll go where you lead

And on the feast day of Saint Valentine

In the bleak mid-winter cold

Come lay your blood red roses in the snow

Come lay them in the snow

Don't stop your search now

Go, by the grace of God

Keep your courage, keep your faith

And take this paper heart to keep you safe

Keep you safe, keep your hope and faith

Love will lead you safely on

Love will leave you wounded

Love will bring you harm

Love will be the curse and be the charm

Love will be the bruising and be the balm

Love will set you free 

And love, love love, will be your bonds

Love will win

Love will conquer all