I've
collected Martha Stewart Magazine Images from when I used to be a subscriber.
The one article was about collecting insects and the photography was rich and
organic, it is the inspiration behind this masterpiece. It also honors the recent sale of our family homestead in Pennsylvania. We are healing and moving on, standing on the shifting sands of time dipping into a cool oasis of memories.
Supplies:
Gypsy Soul
Laser Cuts-6 by 4 Specimen Box, Gypsy Soul
Laser Cuts-Acorn Border Set, Gypsy Soul
Laser Cuts-Honeycomb & Queen Bees ATC Sized, Gypsy Soul
Laser Cuts-Gothic Cross Miniature, Uhu Glue Stick, Vintage Text, Mister with
Water and Rubbing Alcohol, Cloth, Sanding Block, Matte Varnish, Gold Nickel,
Acrylic Paint, Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Sprays-Pistachio, Marmalade, Amber
Fired Brick, Cheap Hairspray, Spices, Magazine Images, Washi Tape, Clear Embossing Ink Roller, Allure
Charred Gold and Vintage Beeswax Embossing Powder a, Heating Tool, Black
Sharpie, Golden Hansa Yellow Light Acrylic paint, Nail Polish, Rub'n Buff
Autumn Gold and Gold Leaf, Weldbond, Double Sided Foam Dots,
1. Cut GSLC 6
by 4 Specimen Box. I am using unorthodox techniques and definitely not
prescribed by most designers.
2. I first
randomly glued pieces of vintage text all over all of the pieces of the
specimen box.
3. Once dry I
rubbed off part of the text using a damp cloth.
4. Next I used
a sanding block to rediscover the slots I will need to assemble the box.
5. I then made
a glaze out of Matte Varnish and Acrylic Nickel Gold Paint.
6. I assembled
the box using Weldbond to hold it all together.
7. Once fully
dried I sprayed with TH Distress Oxides and added water and alcohol to I found
layers I was pleased with.
8. Once fully
dry I sealed with Cheap hairspray.
9. While hair
spray is still wet I sprinkled with spices to give it a dusty organics look.
10.
Not satisfied with the layers I cut up magazine
images and patch worked together the individual chambers.
11.
I added edging to the sides of my specimen box with
strips of paper and washi tape.
12.
Still not feeling the project complete I want into
my GSLC stash and settled on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Acorn Border Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Honeycomb & Queen Bees ATC
Sized and added the to my vignettes.
13.
I used Clear
Embossing Ink and Charred Gold Embossing Powder on the Acorn boarders.
14.
I used a Black
Sharpie, Golden Hansa Yellow Light Acrylic paint, Nail Polish to decorate the
bees.
15.
I used Clear
Embossing Ink and Vantage Beeswax
Embossing Powder on the Honeycombs.
16.
I used Rub'n Buff
Autumn Gold and Gold Leaf on the GSLC Crown and Crosses.
17.
I finally assembled
my specimen box using Weldbond and double sided foam dots to layer all pieces.
Some Final
Thoughts.
This art project had many twists and turns,
many setbacks and follow-throughs. I had to problem solve and step away but in
the end I like the story it tells. We are families of our own choosing, stuck
together through thick and thin, sometimes sweet as honey others as bitter as
vinegar, we carry our crosses for other to sometime see but often hidden
beneath out crooked crowns, We are busy as bees collectors of curiosities.
Layers upon layers, hidden and healed, brilliant and perplexing. this project reminded me of one of my favorite podcasts I like to listen to, Here Be Monsters, it took me a while to get into it because there are layers and the topics they discuss are sometime challenging and makes me feel uneasy. They describe it as a podcast created by and for people interested in pursuing their fears and facing the unknown. It's a bit of a "freak show" a collection of curiosities, which I find intriguing and interesting. There is an image on my project that is distorted in the upper right hand corner, she appears to be a dog-faced woman I wonder what story she has to tell and how all these curiosities fit together.
