Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Screen Door is Always Open-A Peek-a-Boo Project

This is Jon David Lowe for Gypsy  Soul Laser Cuts, as I stated in my last post I grew up in Pennsylvania in the countryside. Our family homestead was sold in 2021 after the passing of my mum. Before I moved in our condo, I had a screen door from the property that was rescued from the woodshed before it was torn down in 2019. All that remains is a photograph of my grandfather sitting on the front porch of their humble home with that screen door behind him. Memories linger on long after the properties or the touchstone keepsakes have departed. My momma had an open door policy, but it wasn't known as that back in day. They are the inspiration for this artwork.

1.  Gather your supplies.

2.  Use a variety of acrylic paints to paint GSLC Acorn Border SetGSLC Queen Anne's LaceGSLC Fern Fronds, and GSLC Honeycomb & Bees Small.

3.  Cut a piece of Bookboard, for the Section of  Small Vintage Screen Door Reproduction you Will be Using.

4.  Find a Magazine Picture you find Pleasing.

5.  Use a Sanding Block to Add Patina and Scratches.

6.  Use TH Distress Stain to Highlight Areas you Have Distressed.

7.  Decide on How you Would Like to Arrange Your GSLC Painted Pieces.

8.  Make Transparency Copies of Stained Glasses you Will Use for Top Panels of Small Vintage Screen Door Reproduction and a Stain Glass Pattern for the Larger Portion.

9.  Use Golden Heavy Gel Matte to Attach GSLC Painted Pieces.

10.                Use Double Sided Tape to Attach Prepared Pieces to the Small Vintage Screen Door Reproduction.

Some Final Thoughts.


A screen door on a porch seems so enchanting to me. The screen door on my parents back porch was well worn and often left open much to my momma's chagrining. You could hear her calling "Close that door, were you born in a barn? You'll let the flies in!"

Strange the memories that stick, the childhood embarrassments of being from the wrong side of the tracks or not as affluent as those living in the towns, become the badges of grace and gratitude in our older years. I'm thankful for my upbringing and the values I grew up knowing.

 My momma always said anyone was welcome into our home as long as they did not mind the mess. We were not fancy people and never ones to try to impress our neighbors. My parents never had a credit card, if we didn't have cash to pay for it we didn't need it.

Our garden was not planted just for us was always plenty to share, our kohlrabi, rhubarb patch, and beets were favorite of many who would stop by. Growing up going to a small Baptist Church-where mom was on the flower committee, it was with pride that we would carry the wildflower mixed bouquets up the alters before anyone arrived and we always ask who were gonna give the flowers to after the service.  Momma was certain our bouquets were prettier than those who bought them from a florist. If were ever given a casserole or a pie we never returned the dish empty but always  added a treat of our own. It was the philosophy of "leaving it better than you found it, if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all, and please and thank you."

"If the sight  of blue skies fill you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things of nature has a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." Eleonora Duse

 "Be thankful for what you have. Appreciate the small and simple things."Kyle Carpenter

 We have found that if we are happy with the ordinary we do not need the extravagances that other believe will make them happy, the better job, the bigger house, the prettier lover, the expensive vacations, the list goes on and on. We have two things we like to do each weekend we are home Sushi Saturday and Challah Bagels on Sunday Morning. These two pleasures make the worst of weeks bearable and worth the effort to endure.

 Supplies:  GSLC Acorn Border SetGSLC Queen Anne's LaceGSLC Fern FrondsGSLC Honeycomb & Bees Small, Variety Acrylic Paints, Bookboard, Magazine Picture, Sanding block, TH Distress Stains-Blue, Brown, Yellow, Vintage Screen Door Reproduction, Transparencies of Stained Glass Panels, Heavy Gel Matte,

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!

 

Monday, May 16, 2022

Bracket Edge Double Mini

 

 Hello everyone.

Karolina here. I am sharing with you my new inspiration. I wanted to create an album, and I decided to work on this project using Bracket Edge Double Mini. What an amazing product!!! I love it! So easy to fold and work on it. Just perfect!


I start the project by coating the edges of all pieces with white Gesso. Then using a trace cardstock, I measured out all of my paper pieces, cut them out and adhered them to the chipboard. I've coated the edges a gold wax as well.



 
I did the same for the pages of the mini albums. Also, I decided to distress the edges using distress ink.




When the mini albums were ready, my next step was to work on the Beach Shape Set elements.


I coated all pieces with white Gesso. To give those elements an extra texture, I added a structural paste using different stencils and painted them.


Then I coated the shape of the word "Album" using acrylic paints.


When all elements were dry, I used them to decorate mini albums. The final step was to decorate the front cover of the Bracket Edge Double Mini.





Here is the link to Bracket Edge Double Mini. Check it out if albums are your thing. Now I will let the pictures do the speaking for the finished album.





GSL product used:


Bracket Edge Double Mini

Beach Shape Set

Layered Album Words


 Other supply used:

White Gesso, glue, acrylic paints, Spectrum Noir sparkles, hot glue, embellishments, gold wax and distress ink.

I hope you like what I've made, and I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Please share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook.

Thank you for stopping by!

Karola






















































Sunday, May 15, 2022

the usual suspects by Rachel Harries

 

For my post this week Ive made a trio of ATC Coins, I started off by adhering parts of the Mandala to my coins, which I then gave a coat of white gesso and added colour to.





I then added colour to the Ginko Leaves and snipped the words from the Word Tickets to which I added a little embossing powder.


I then took the Butterflies and Dragonflies added some tiny skulls and some colour before assembling all my pieces with a little sisal.




for this project you will need ;
ATC Coins
Selection of paints 
Sisal
mini skulls 
embossing powder