Misunderstood Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet-A Peek-a-Boo Project

They say January is the time of year to make resolutions and to turn over new leaves, not that there are any leaves on the trees outside of my windows. My latest post about H. P. Lovecraft had me thinking about the wonderful creatures he created. I've always loved the old classic monster movies and it is the inspiration behind this blog post. So back to doing new things, I've rarely used words in my art projects and would never think to use the Alphabet Stencil Blanks that came in my last kit but I was intrigued and challenged myself to use them in a uniquely Jon David Fashion.  I came up with the idea for my GSLC Misunderstood Monsters and Mysterious Creatures ABC's. I'll be presenting a few letters each month until I have completed the whole set. 

Something else you might not know about me but I hate "messing around with art supplies", I am product driven and not process oriented. I'm the annoying person you know who always asks, "Are we there yet?" I like to start each day with a plan of action and I struggle to live in the present to simply "be" so I've also challenged myself to see how many different ways I can alter the chipboard. Join me in this journey of self discovery and introspection.  

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Alphabet Stencil Blanks, 3 small 5" by 7" inch IKEA wooden frames, Matte Medium Ice Resins in Torched Copper and German Silver, Aged Hunter and Aged Copper Embossing Enamel, Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain in Walnut, Heating Tool, Finnabair Rust Pastes in Greens, Browns, and Orange, Transparent Burnt Sienna Ink, Paint Brush, Tim Holtz Distress Stains-Crushed Olive, Brushed Corduroy, and Fossilized Amber, Tim Holtz Distress Grit-Paste, Ferro-Copper Paste, Snake Skin Stencil, Alcohol Inks in Browns and Greens, Tim Holtz Distress Oxides-Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, Walnut Stain, and Fossilized Amber, TH Distress Marker in Vintage Photo, Various Printed Images of Monster and Mysterious Creatures using Inkjet Printer some on paper some on transparencies, and Weldbond.

1.  Take GSLC Alphabet Stencil Blanks from Package.

2.  Print Images of your choosing to represent each letter, I have decided upon a Monsters and Mysterious Creatures one and not sure what I will find. I was inspired by Dave Bell Graphic Artist of Classic Monster Posters and will start with them.

3.  I am using 3 small 5" by 7" inch IKEA wooden frames to showcase each of the letters.

4.  I am a texture type of guy so I want to alter the frames and give them added interest. I want them to look similar but not the same like they are part of a collection.

5.  For the first frame I used various Ice Resin Enamels in German Silver and Torched Copper and Embossing Enamels in Aged Hunter and Aged Copper. I layered them and cured with a heating tool. This method can also be used on any of the GSLC chipboards as I will probably use later in my project.

6.  I added Tim Holtz Distress Sprays in Walnut Stain to add additional patina.

7.  The second frame was aged using Finnabair rust pastes in greens, browns, and orange placed on randomly with a paintbrush. I then used transparent burnt sienna ink to fill in any empty spaces. Once again this technique can be used on any of the GSLC chipboard pieces. 

8.  The final frame was given a patina using Tim Holtz Distress Grit-Paste and Ferro-Copper Paste applied with a thin plastic spatula using a  Snake Skin Stencil and further distressing with alcohol inks in browns and greens. Once again this technique can be used on any of the GSLC chipboard pieces. 

 

9.  Now you are ready to start your alphabet collection.

I chose to begin with D is for Dracula as I had a Dave Bell Image to use, I left the GSLC Alphabet Stencil Blank in its original state as a I wanted to showcase it in its purest form.

10.                I also found some bright classic monster posters and used them behind the GSLC Alphabet Stencil letter "D" securing with Weldbond.

 

11. Next I layered the Dave Bell Dracula image with a transparency of the same and composed my first Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet.

              12.  Next up was the GSLC Alphabet Stencil letter "F" for Frankenstein.

13.                This time I gently added patina using Tim Holtz Distress Stains-Crushed Olive, Brushed Corduroy, and Fossilized Amber and a spray bottle of water. I like the subtle look sometimes on the GSLC chipboard pieces.

.             14.   I composed my second frame using GSLC Alphabet Stencil letter "F" Frankenstein and some bright classic monster poster images I used previously securing with Weldbond.

15.                The final two for this installment of my Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet were GSLC Alphabet Stencil letter "M" for Mummy and "N" for Nosferatu. This time to patina the GSLC pieces I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxides-Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, Walnut Stain, and Fossilized Amber layering and spritzing with water and a heating tool and edging with a Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Vintage Photo.

16.                I composed my third frame using GSLC Alphabet Stencil letters "M" Mummy and "N" Nosferatu securing with Weldbond seeing if I could stack the letters. I was not thrilled with the results and in the future give each letter its own place in the frame.
17.                This begins my first installment of GSLC Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet. Each month I will be adding additional letters and highlighting different techniques you can use to embellish the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts chipboards. I hope I can find an image for each of the letters the challenge is on!!

Some final thoughts.

"D" is for Dracula prince of the night sky.

 "F" is for Frankenstein a misunderstood guy.

"M" is for Mummy a tortured soul.

"N' is for Nosferatu from whom Dracula's name stole.

Snow Day Dreaming a H.P. Lovecraft Shrine-A Peek-a-Boo Project

On cold winter days I like to snuggle up with a good book or listen to Podcasts. My new favorite is The Vault of Lovecraft read by Mike Bennett. The Shadow Over Innsmouth and the Music of Eric Zann are two of my favorites. If you are unfamiliar with H. P. Lovecraft he is an American Horror Fiction Writer. They are classic ghost stories that transport your mind to the many imagined locals of this tortured soul. He is perhaps most famous for the Call of Cthulu, The Rats in the Walls, At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Out of Time. His stories and Mike Bennett Podcasts has me hoping for snow days.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Pen & Ink Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top, Coming Soon Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Stamp Brick Wall and Stone Wall, Wooden Tray, Black Heavy Gesso, Paintbrush, Homax Wall Texture Spay, Tim Holtz Distress Sprays Shades of brown and yellows, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Blue, Lindy Sprays Metallic, Images of H. P. Lovecraft Inkjet Images and Transparencies, FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints in Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White, Magenta, Autumn Leaves, Blue, Green, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold,  DecoArt Matte Varnish, DecoArt Medium Gray, Weldbond, Ultra Thick Black Embossing Enamel, Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Embossing Powder, Ice Resin Iced Enamels Chartreuse, Versa Mark, Heating Tool, Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf, Wooden Block, Script Stamp, Black Archival Ink, Transparency, Alcohol Inks Tan, Yellow, Blue, and Brown, Candle, Lighter, Clamps, Mini Screws and Nails, Hammer, Screwdriver, Red Sealing Wax, Skull and Crossbones Poison Stamp
1.  Cut out Gypsy Soul Laser Cut Pieces- Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Pen & Ink Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top, Coming Soon Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Stamp Brick Wall and Stone Wall.

 

2.   Cover Wooden Tray with Black Heavy Gesso, you can use a tray that has other small flat decorations on it as it will add additional texture.

3.  Once dry in is well ventilated area randomly spray entire try with Homax Wall Texture.

4.  Once fully dry randomly spray with Tim Holtz Distress Sprays in Brown and Yellow, Tattered Angel  Glimmer Mist-Blue, and Lindy Metallic Sprays-Allow to dry fully. I normally do this outside on a sunny day and cover area with a large trash bag.

 

5.  Use Weldbond to put on a layer of Ultra Thick Black Embossing Enamel and cure with heating tool.

6.  Randomly add Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Embossing Powder and Ice Resin Iced Enamels Chartreuse with Versa Mark and curing with heating tool  until you are pleased with the texture on  outside of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top.

7.  Paint Background of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top with FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Magenta and Autumn Leaves.

8.  Layer H. P. Lovecraft Inkjet images and Transparencies  onto to Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top.

9.  Secure with Weldbond and clamp together to dry fully.

10.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Magenta and Autumn Leaves on GSLC Brick Wall Foam Stamp, randomly stamp onto dried wooden tray.

 

11.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White on GSLC Stone Wall Foam Stamp and randomly stamp onto wooden tray.

 

12.                Create a glaze of Deco Art Matte Varnish and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold to Paint Entire Tray Quickly and Randomly. Repeat with another glaze this time with DecoArt Matte Varnish and DecoArt Medium Gray paint.

 13.                Paint GSLC Feather Quell with FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White for first coat then add  FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Blue and Green.

 

14.                Use Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf to paint the nib and add additional texture to quell.

15.                Use Texture Acrylic Paints of Brown and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold to paint GSLC ink wells, Highlight with Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf and FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Blue.

 

16.                Cut a small wooden block to add largest GSLC inkwell to for additional dimension on shrine.

17.                Use Script Stamp and Black Permanent Ink on Transparency.  Shade with Alcohol Inks of Tan, Yellow, Blue and Brown.

 

18.                Cut Desired area of transparency and use lit candle to burn/melt edges-Do this in a well ventilated area.

19.                Attach all pieces with Weldbond and Micro Screws and Nails.

20.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of magenta and Autumn Leaves and a skull and crossbones to label ink wells.
21.                Drip Red Sealing wax over entire project.

22.                Shrine is completed and can be displayed from both sides.

 

Some final thoughts. Some H. P. Lovecraft Quotes to whet your appetite.
"I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me, What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams"
"Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane."
"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places."
"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind."
"I couldn't live a week without a private library-indeed I'd part with all of my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1,500 or so books I possess."
I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!