Where Witches Dwell-A Peek-a-Boo Project

One of our favorite “new” shows is Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I love whoever did the set designs for this magical show. There are layers and layers of colors and textures, I am often inspired by movie and television show sets. I’m always intrigued with the techniques they use to make such wonderful worlds. I also like how shows can teach useful life lessons if we are willing to listen. This is the inspiration for my current artwork.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Haunted Houses Set [D179I],Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Little Witches [D90RS],Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Cobblestone Small [D174R], Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Brick Wall and Decorative Stamps, Golden Van Dyke Brown Hue, Iridescent Stainless Steel (Course), Micaceous Iron Oxide, Yellow Oxide, Raw Sienna, Green Gold, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Crimson, and Nickel Azo Gold Acrylic Paints, Paint Brush, Prepared Acrylic Skins, Weldbond, Ranger Black Sparkle Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Wow Embossing Pad, Ranger Glossy Accent, Toothpick, Deli Paper, Clamps

1.  Cut Apart GSLC Haunted Houses, Little Witches, and Small Cobblestone pieces.

2.  Use Golden Dyke Brown Hue, Iridescent Stainless Steel (Course), Micaceous Iron Oxide acrylic paints to randomly add a base coat to each of the GSLC Haunted Houses.

3.  Use Golden Yellow Oxide, Raw Sienna, and Van Dyke Brown Hue acrylic paint and GSLC Cobblestone Small as a stencil and a paintbrush to add stone effect to parts of GSLC Haunted Houses.

4.  Use Golden Green Gold a paint brush and GSLC Decorative Stamp to add more details to other parts of the GSLC Haunted Houses.

5.  Use Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Crimson, and Nickel Azo Gold Acrylic Paints a Paint Brush and GSLC Brick Wall stamp to add more details to GSLC Haunted Houses.

6.  Use Weldbond to secure prepared acrylic skins to back of GSLC Haunted Houses to make them look like stained glass windows.

7.  Allow to fully dry, sandwiching in deli paper, and weighted down flat.
8.  Use Wow embossing Pad and Ranger Black Sparkle Embossing Powders and Heating Tool to add details to GSLC Small Witches.

9.  Once GSLC Haunted Houses are fully dry add Glossy Accents to windows using a toothpick to get into all the nooks and crannies.

10.                Once cured use Weldbond to glue GSLC Small Witches to GSLC Haunted Houses, be sure to dry flat and weighted down or use clamps to secure pieces in place.

11.                You now have a trio of tiny witch abodes ready to use for your Halloween decorations.
Some final thoughts.
I read an article from House Beautiful, titled “Netflix Has Hidden All Kinds of Easter Eggs in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina House” where they interviewed Lisa Soper, the production designer for the show.  She said “We wanted to create an environment that hasn’t been seen before but feels natural…We tried to build our own mythos- “she goes on to explain that they wanted to show something that was timeless.” I too am trying to do the same thing with my artwork. I want to hide “Easter Eggs” in my artwork in the layers of textures and techniques I use and continue to hone in on.

 

 
  

  

Sugar Skulls-A Peek-a-Boo Project

We are back to my favorite part of the year, and my favorite holiday, Halloween. When I received my treasure trough from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts I could not believe the intricate designs of these sugar skulls I am using in this blog post. I’ve also been experimenting with acrylic skins after taking a class with Kae Pea.

Supplies:  GSLC Sugar Skulls 1, 2, 3 C23A, C23Q, C23R, Stone Effect Paste, Art Deco Medium Grey, Plastic Spatula, Golden Iridescent Pearl (fine) Acrylic Paint, Awl, Prepare Acrylic Skins, Sharpie, Cardboard for Backing, Scissors, Weldbond

1.  Cut apart GSLC Sugar Skulls

2.  Use a plastic spatula, to randomly add Stone Effect Pastes to GSLC Sugar Skulls.

3.  Randomly paint GSLC Sugar Skulls with Art Deco Medium Grey and Golden Iridescent Pear (fine) acrylic paints.

4.  Use an awl to remove excess pastes from GSLC Sugar Skulls delicate openings.

5.  Select Prepared Acrylic Skins to place behind prepared GSLC Sugar Skulls.

6.  Glue Acrylic Skins to extra pieces of cardboard using Weldbond.

 7.  Glue GSLC Sugar Skulls on top of prepared and backed acrylic skins using Weldbond.

8.  Allow to dry fully securing with deli paper and pressed flat and weighted.

9.  Once dry carefully cut excess acrylic skins from the GSLC Sugar Skulls.

10.                Your GSLC Sugar Skulls are ready to use as you wish.

Some final thoughts.

Halloween is a time to try out different roles we’ve been wondering about, to show our true selves. A time to remember those that have gone on before us, to remember the lessons we’ve been taught. I know that Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead are not the same holidays but skulls are used in both of them.

 

 

 

Misunderstood Monsters and Mysterious Creatures-Complete Collection-A Peek-a-Boo Project

 

 

 

 

Misunderstood Monsters and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet- Last Installment K and X -A Peek-a-Boo Project

It is fitting that on 9/11 my one monster is associated with an iconic New York building and the whole series was to look at others differently. There are real monsters in this world but they are not always what people say they are. 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  Infusion Coloured  Stains and water to alter the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Alphabet Stencils for "K" is for King Kong, and "X" is for X-men many marvelous and mysterious creatures. Remember this technique can be used to alter any of the GSLC chipboards. 

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Alphabet Stencil Blanks, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Snowflake Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-String Alongs - Gothic,   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, Versa mark Ink Pad, Embossing Powders-Tarnished Gold, Copper, Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium, PEARLustre Lapis, and Ranger Black Sparkle, Pieces of scrapbook papers for the backgrounds, 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.
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 Infusion Coloured Stains and a spray bottle of water.

10.                I used different colors on both the GSLC Alphabet Stencil "K" and X". You can sprinkle them both on a nonporous surface and spray with water bottle or sprinkle directly onto chipboards and then mist with a water bottle. As they are water based and if they will be exposed to the elements they should be sealed in a matte medium.

11.                Find complimentary pieces metal for the backgrounds of you GSLC Alphabet Framed Designs. I used red for the "K", and a copper for the "X".

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

13.                Our GSLC Alphabet Stencils are complete for Letters "K" and "X" and actually for the whole collection.

Some final thoughts.
"K" is for King Kong, the story of a caged animal who just wanted to find love and to roam free.

 

"X" is for the X-Men, the story of powerful mutants  fighting in a world of normals for peace and equality.

 

Thank you for joining me in the journey of discovery and introspection. I'm proud of my resiliency and completing such a lengthy project. Now like from a scene from one of my favorite shows, Young Sheldon, when MeeMaw and Sheldon complete the game and they look at each other and say "Now What?"  and they decide to rush out to Radio Shack to buy new ones to master. I do feel a strange sense of sadness as I say goodbye to my Monster and Mysterious Creatures Alphabet. Maybe I need to arrange them alphabetically and show them in their entirety, but this is a task for another day.