Crazy Quilts and Woven Friends-A Peek-a-Boo Project

I've always loved Crazy Quilts. I'm lucky enough to have one of my paternal grandmother's rescued from the dusty attic of our homestead. She worked in a pajama factory that also did custom upholstery, frugal like my mother she collected the scraps and made the amazing tapestry I now own. When my mother passed in November of last year a dear artist friend gave me a care package that contained one of her felted hearts, and other small paper ephemera, there are the inspirations for this project. Our lives may appear as crazy quilts to some, tattered and torn, weathered and worn best to be replaced with luxurious, expensive duvet cover, but as for me and my menagerie of friends we find comfort in oldfangled, rescued, family treasures.  

 

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Large Tags, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Mini Tudor Rose Singles, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Henna Doodles 1, Collected Embellishments, Scrapes of  Magazine Pictures, Black Acrylic Paint, Paint Brush, Fiskars Paper Edger Scissors, White Gesso, Small Paint Brush or Toothpick, Versa Mark, Embossing Powders or Enamels in Reds, Greens, and Blues, Heating Tool, Sari Ribbon, Weldbond
1.  Take apart GSLC Large Tags,  GSLC Mini Tudor Rose Singles and Heart Shapes from GSLC Henna Doodles 1 Set.

2.  Paint GSLC Large Tags with black acrylic paint, allow to dry fully.

3.   Choose collected embellishments from your stash. I am using a felted heart and two paper ephemera.

4.  Choose some magazine pictures within your color palette. 

5.   Cut random shapes from magazine pictures using pinking shears or Fiskars Paper Edgers.

6.   Glue pieces onto painted tags, you are attempting to create a quilt-like pattern.

7.  Use a small paint brush  or a toothpick and white gesso to stitch your paper quilt pieces together.

8.   Use versa mark and red embossing powders or enamels to color the GSLC heart pieces. Cure with a heating tool.

9.  Use versa mark and green and blue  embossing powders or enamels to color the GSLC Mini Tudor Rose Singles. Cure with a heating tool. Some final thoughts.
11.                Choose sari ribbons to add texture behind the GSLC embossed pieces and to further the illusion of a quilted piece.
12.                Assemble securing with Weldbond and weighting down with plastic bag filled with kitty litter.

Some final thoughts: "In the Quilt of Life, friends are the stitches that hold us together" is a befitting quote for this project. Others could be: "A good friend, like an old quilt is both a treasure and a comfort.", "A friend is like a quilt designed by heart, pierced in time, sewn by hand and bound to keep you covered." and "When things are in pieces, quilt them together." There is a category of photography titled urban decay you can look up on Pinterest, I find it organically intoxicating. It is what I seek to exude in my living and in many of my art pieces.

  

Misunderstood Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet-Installment B, C, and P-A Peek-a-Boo Project

 I will be reusing the Small 5" by 7" Wooden IKEA frames I added to patina to the last time and have included those steps here for reference. This time I will be using stamps and acrylic paints to alter the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Alphabet Stencils for "B" is for Bride of Frankenstein, "C" is for Creature of the Black Lagoon, and "P" is for Phantom of the Opera. These are once again David Bell images I discovered on Pinterest. Remember this technique can be used to alter any of the GSLC chipboards.

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, White Gesso, Lace Stamp, Blue/Green Metallic acrylic paint, Swirl Stamp, TH Distress Stain-Antique Linen, Pieces of Scrapbook Papers for Backgrounds, Red Acrylic Paint, Script Stamp, Color Shift Black Flash Acrylic Paint, Various Printed Images of Monster and Mysterious Creatures using Inkjet Printer and paper, 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 Holts 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.  For altering the GSLC Alphabet Stencil Blanks this time I will be using acrylic paints and stamps.
10.                For the GSLC Alphabet Stencil "B" I used a lace stamp and white gesso  to give it a vintage feel.

11.                For the GSLC Alphabet Stencil "C" I used a swirl stamp and blue and green metallic paints and filled in the negative spaces with TH Distress Stain of Antique Linen to give it a seaweed type of feel.

 

12.                For the GSLC Alphabet Stencil "P" I used a script stamp and red acrylic ink and edged it with Color Shift Black Flash acrylic paint to give it an old world patina.

 

13.                Find complimentary scrapbook paper for backgrounds of you GSLC Alphabet Framed Designs. I used a gilded script for the "B", a Steampunk seaweed paper for the "C", and a red curtain paper for the "P".

 

 

14.                Cut and glue the appropriate images for each of Framed letters, securing with Weldbond.

15.                Our GSLC Alphabet Stencils are complete for Letters "B", "C" and "P"
Some final thoughts.

 "B" is for the Bride of Frankenstein with striped hair electrified and stacked up high.

"C" is for Creature from the Black Lagoon, not wanting to be part of any fish fry

 "P" is for Phantom of the Opera whose haunting image made most of the young ladies cry.

Stay tuned for the next instillation of  GSLC Alphabet Stencil Blanks. I cannot wait to see what new images I discover.