Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Faucet Flowers-A Peek-a-Boo Project


  A nostalgia image of summer is kids splashing in a open fire hydrant or a lawn sprinkler. Growing up in the country I had my own summer fun as a creek was just across the road from our family homestead. We would spend our summer days building dams, looking for crayfish, or making our way to our favorite swimming holes. The homestead was sold last year and the renovations to the old home are bringing new life into the estate. My parents grew up in the Depression era and were frugal with their belongings. We were upcycling before it was trendy.  It is these memories and hopes for the new owners that inspire this artwork.  

1.  Gather Supplies  

2.  Use a Thick Plastic Spatula to Randomly Paint GSLC Propellers with Lumiere Metallic Rust, Metallic Copper, and True Gold Paints. This Unconventional Tool can be Used in a Spreading Motion or in a Dabbing Motion Depending on your Desired Effect.

     3.  While Pint is Still Wet Sprinkle with Cosmic Shimmer         Gilding Flakes.

4.  Secure Gilding Flakes Into Place Using Matte Gel Medium.

                 

5.  Spray with Aqua Net Hairspray and Sprinkle with Chili Powder and Nutmeg.

     6.  Seal in Place by Spraying with Aqua Net Hairspray.

7.  Use Matte Gel Medium to Adhere Seth Apter WOW Embossing Powders-Crusty Copper, Weathered Gold and Etched Platinum to GSLC Gears Shape Set.

8.  Cure with a Heating Tool. 

9.  Add a bit of Metallic Copper Paint to the Finished Gears Using the large Plastic Spatula.

10.                Paint the GSLC Hardware Silhouettes with Shades of Green, Blue, and Pink Acrylic Paints with a Large Bristle Paintbrush.


11.                Use Same Paintbrush to add Tiny Flicks of Metallic Copper and Neon Pink to These Pieces.

                   

12.                 Use These Same Steps to Color the GSLC Waterworks Shape Set.


  
           

13.                Allow All GSLC Chippies to Dry Fully and Flat.

14.                Use Large Plastic Spatula to Upcycle a Christmas Wall Plaque-Waste Not Want Not- I Dabbed with These Texture Pastes-Red Oxide, Russian Mud, Deep Brown. Allow to Dry Fully

                                


       15.                Add Blue Acrylic Paints to Cosmic Shimmer Lava Paste and Randomly Dab onto Wall Plaque. Cure with Heat Tool.

16.                Cut Strips of Leather from an Upcycled Vintage Pocketbook aka. Purse.

17.                Punch Holes into Leather Strips and Attach to Wall Plaque Using an Awl to Start the Holes for the Microscrew. Securing with Your Screwdriver.

18.                Preview and Plan the Design of Assemblage.

19.                 Use Heavy Matte Gel Medium to Secure Your Pieces. Allowing to Dry Fully Flat and Weighted Down.

20.                Braid Three Different Shades Of Deerskin Lace.

21.                Put Through Plaque Opening and Tidy up ends of the Leather Lace Wrapping With Thick Thread.


Some Final Thoughts.

I like unexpected finds, the treasure troughs found in junk shops, a swimming hole just off the long county dirt road, a roadside orchard or farmers market, a county fair full of concession stands  stand and all their naughty pleasures-funnel cakes, corn dogs, kettle corn, bloomin' onions, Italian Sausages, cactus taters-ribbon fries, whoopie pies, shoofly pie, pierogies, and birch beer. May we all take the time to safe a tossed out treasure, to dip our toes in the cool water of a mountain stream, to take a road less traveled and to constantly choose gratitude over grumbling.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Waterworks Shape SetGypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Gears Shape SetGypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Propellers, Upcycled Christmas Wall Plaque, Metallic Paints-I Used Lumiere Metallic Rust, Metallic Copper, and True Gold,  Large Plastic Spatula, Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes, Matte Gel Medium, Chili Powder, Nutmeg, Aqua Net Hairspray, Seth Apter WOW Embossing Powders-Crusty Copper, Weathered Gold, Etched Platinum, Heat Tool, Acrylic Paints-Green, Blue, Pink Tones, Paintbrush,  Upcycled Leather from Vintage Purse, Texture Paste-Red Oxide, Russian Mud, Deep Brown, Cosmic Shimmer Lava Paste, Blue Acrylic Paints, Micro Screws, Screwdriver, Awl, Heavy Gel Matte Medium, Leather Deerskin Lace, Thick Thread

 

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!

 

Saturday, July 17, 2021

Let's Go To The Circus

Happy Saturday, everyone! I have a cute little circus shadow box to share with you today that was made with a GSL 6 by 4 Specimen Box. This project was fun and came together really fast. 

Here are the pieces that make up the display. I started by gluing the box together and assembling the insert.

 

I glued the insert inside the box. I decided to add decorative papers after this step to keep myself from having to deal with a tight fit. I scrounged through my paper collections and found complimentary papers from Graphic 45's Le Cirque, BoBunny's Carnival and Paper Studio's Great Circus collections.

 

Before gluing the papers in place, I painted the interior walls with acrylic paint. For the floor of each cubby, I chose a cork adhesive sheet to emulate a sawdust floor inside the big top.

 

It makes for a nice foundation to add tiny details.

I used a combination of printed circus images and toy animals for the cubbies. I made little wagons from this caged cats artwork by making cardstock wheels and adding a tiny gold bead detail for the wagon hubs.


Little stages were made for some of my mini safari animals by painting scrabble tiles and adding details with Stickles.

The topper details include more printed images, scrabble tiles and some star shaped brads.

Thanks for stopping by!

GSL Products Used

6 by 4 Specimen Box

Other Supplies Used

Tacky glue

Acrylic paint

Graphic 45 Le Cirque

BoBunny Carnival Collection

Paper Studio Great Circus

Paper Studio cork adhesive sheet

Printed images

Scrabble tiles

Stickles

Brads

Safari Savannah Miniatures

 

 




 

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Travel journal (part II)

Hi everyone!
Myry again and today we start the travel journal tutorial! In this first stage we're going to make the internal structure of our journal; we don't work with the chipboads today so be patient!
You need 3 scrap papers of 6'5x17cm and 40 stained paper sheets with the same measures in a color that matches with the theme of your journal, blue in my case.
Make two folds to 13'5cm and 15cm on the scrap papers.
This will be the order of the inside of our journal: one scrap paper, 20 paper sheets, another scrap paper, 20 paper sheets and the last scrap paper.
I've decided to put the stained papers in the middle of the scrap papers but you can order it in the way that you like.
Measure the width with everything in order, 5'2cm in my case
Use a piece of cardboard at least 1'3cm wider than the previous measurement (5'2cm, then 6'5cm) and the same length as the sheets (17cm), and cover it with scrap paper.
A little comment here! Open your book cover ready to work, you'll also need a piece of elastic fabric and the cardboard piece.
Check that the cardboard fits comfortably into the space of the spine (better if there are a few mm left over)
The idea will be to stick the cardboard to the fabric and what is left over at the ends stick it to the covers. The spine will be loose, but we will do this later.
So make the next division on the cardboard: 0'8cm - 2'2cm - 2'6cm - 4'1cm - 4'4cm - 5'9cm.
Stick the scrap papers in the three largest spaces using the folds as a guide and sew the stained sheets in the middle (the darkeness lines than you can see on the paper). 
Start gluing one paper at a time.
Can you see that small space between the scrap papers? There you will sew the sheets.
Leave the outer ends alone.
Before sewing the sheets frame the scrap papers in the fold area with the sewing machine, this is optional but it works very well as reinforcement.
Now sew the sheets inside the space that was left between scrap papers as you prefer (with 3 holes or more, with the sewing machine...)
Try to seal all the threads after sewing with strong glue.
And so we would have the internal structure of our journal!
Easy peasy!


Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts items used:

Other items used:
Old book cover
Blue stained papers
Scrapbook papers or something else
Brown and gold cardstock, and acetate
2 different fabrics and sewing machine
Die cuts, shaker filler and some embellishments
Natural elements: shells, sand, branches...
Carboard, cutter, scissors, glue, gold eyelets and brads
Brown, cream, blue and crystal effect acrylic paint, blue and purple crayons and gold glitter
Gesso, brush, sponge, scoreboard and crop-a-dile