Crooked Tree Cottage Creations: Rust

I’ve always enjoyed the look of playing cards and fondly remember playing cards with my family growing up as we had no television in our humble home. The joker was my favorite card because sometimes he would become a “wild card” and trump all. So often the joker stayed in the box on the table and was not used at all. The joker is the inspiration of this “April Fools” Instillation. Trying to bring some humor into our crazy world.

Supplies: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Small Tag Set, Images of Jokers and Back of Plying Cards, Scissors, Acrylic Paint-Copper, Van Dyke Brown, Transparent Iron Oxide, Burnt Sienna, Paintbrush, Weldbond, Deli Paper, Sandpaper Blocks, Antique Linen Distress Stain, DecoArt One Step Crackle Finish and Triple Thick Glass Glaze, Antiquing Cream-Red Oxide, Burnt Umber, Patina Green, Matte Varnish,

1. Print Images of Jokers and Back of Playing Cards adjusting size to fit on GSLC Small Tag Set.

2. Use dry brush technique and Acrylic Paint-Copper, Van Dyke Brown, Transparent Iron Oxide to randomly paint all tags front and back.

3. Cut and glue images to front and back of each tag using Weldbond.

4. Crinkle a piece of wax paper or deli paper to dab on some of the above used acrylic paints.

5. Once completely dry sand the edges of the GSLC Tags making them looked aged and vintage.

6. Distress edges of GSLC tags using TH Antique Linen Distress Stain.

7. Make a glaze of DecoArt One Step Crackle Finish and Triple Thick Glass Glaze and Burnt Sienna Acrylic Paint. This will further the ancient, archaic look I am known for.

8. Once completely dry use Deco Art Antiquing Cream-Red Oxide, Burnt Umber, Patina Green to fill in the cracks, wipe off with a baby wipe.

9. Seal GSLC tags with a Matte Varnish.

Some Final Thoughts.

Although April 1^st was a week ago, I wanted to celebrate this often-forgotten holiday, much like the joker card itself hidden among the deck of playing cards. We need laughter in our lives, to look for the everyday joys that are sometimes hidden especially nowadays. Here are some fun quotes from the Joker of Batman Movies fame.

“I don’t suffer from insanity, I enjoy every (explicative) minute of it!”

“I keep telling myself to stop talking to weirdos but then I wouldn’t have any friends left.”

“I don’t care what others think about me I enjoy my Life with my own rules”

“if you are good at something never do it for free”

“Some people ant to see you fail. Disappoint Them!”

“Sometimes you have to play the role of the fool to fool the fool who thinks they are fooling you”

As I have stated before one of my favorite bands is Over the Rhine, their latest album titled “Love & Revelation” in one of their more sorrowful, soulful ones in my opinion. It feels full of lamenting to me and I’m drowning in their luscious lyrics.

But for this blog I return to an older song titled “All My Favorite People are Broken.”

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me

My heart should know

Some prayers are better left unspoken

I just wanna hold you

And let the rest go

All my friends are part saint and part sinner

We lean on each other

Try to rise above

We're not afraid to admit we're all still beginners

We're all late bloomers

When it comes to love

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me

My heart should know

Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers

Step forward

You can stay right here

You don't have to go

Is each wound you've received

Just a burdensome gift?

It gets so hard to lift

Yourself up off the ground

But the poet says, We must praise the mutilated world

We're all workin' the graveyard shift

You might as well sing along
All my favorite people are broken

Believe me

My heart…
This is the inspiration for this art piece.

Supplies: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Flying Heart Wall Hanging, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Steampunk Hearts, Magazine Images, Pencil or Pen, Sanding Block, Coarse Sandpaper Sheet, Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage, Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger, Weldbond, Matte Varnish Medium, Vallejo Red Oxide Paste, Spices-Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange, Suave Hair Spray, Rubbing Alcohol in Spray Bottle, Wow Embossing Pad, Ice Resin Enamels in Copper Glitz, Raspberry, Garnet, and Tarnished Brass, Allure Embossing Powders in Charred Gold and Hammered Metal, Wendy Vecchi Red Germanium Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Weldbond, Alligator Tool, Grommets, Deerskin Lace, Scissors, 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire, Tweezers

1. Gather Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Chipboard Pieces: Barbed Wire Shape Set, Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle, Flying Heart Wall Hanging, and Steampunk Hearts. Take out piece you would like to use for your composition

2. Find Magazine images you would like to use on the two large frame portions from the GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging Kit.
3. Trace using a pencil or pen, so they will fit securely onto these pieces.

4. A fun technique to age glossy new magazine images is to place them on top of a course grit sandpaper sheet and gently rub is a smoother sanding block until you get your desired patina.

5. Use Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger on back of newly distressed images, some will bleed through onto the front this is part of the technique.
6. Now edge and patina the front of your image with Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage

7. Glue onto your backboards using Weldbond.

8. Give a quick coat of Matte Varnish Medium to seal the pictures in.

9. While this is drying quickly add Vallejo Red Oxide Paste with a paintbrush to the corrugated cardboard pieces from GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging.

10. To add a rustier appearance, use Spices of Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, and Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange sprinkled randomly over the pieces.

11. Seal and secure with Suave Hair Spray and Rubbing Alcohol from a Spray Bottle.

12.                Attach these corrugated cardboard pieces to the backboards using Weldbond.
13.                While these are drying and pressed flat, begin embossing your other pieces.
14.                I used Ice Resin Enamels Copper Glitz and Allure Hammered Metal Embossing Powders on the GSLC Barbed Wire Pieces and cured with a heating tool.

15. I used Ice Resin Enamels of Raspberry and Garnet and Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium Embossing Powders and Chili Powders on the Hearts and cured with a Heating Tool.

16. The wings and key were treated with Allure Charred Gold and Ice Resin Enamels Tarnished Bronze and cured with a heating tool.

17. Assemble composition and Glue into place using Weldbond.

18. Press flat to dry thoroughly.

19. Once dry use the alligator toll to add grommets to the appropriate locations.

20. Use brown Deerskin Lace to attach the two backboards together and to give it a loop for hanging from the topmost portion.

21. I used 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire and Tweezers to secure the key to the bottom of the wall hanging.

22. Your Project is now ready to hang in the location of your choosing.

Some final thoughts.

Another of my favorite Over the Rhine songs is titled, “I’d Choose You” It reminds me of my love for my partner and how are a bit of an odd couple, different in many ways but a perfect pairing. I celebrate him on this my birthday month. I’d not be the man or artist I am without his amazing love.

If the moon fell from the sky

Rendering everything black and blue

I’d want you

If the swallows fell like snow

Tumbling tiny angels with wounds

I’d want you