Room at the Inn-A Peek-a-Boo-Project

Traveling through England many years ago I was  intrigued by the beautiful pub signs. Visit this page to see a Collection Of Pub Signs. When I first saw Mini Crest Signs Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts, I knew I wanted to use them. The Christmas story recorded in Luke 2:7 reads “And she gave birth to her first-born and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” This is the inspiration for this installation.

 

1.  Use a paintbrush and Golden Acrylic Paints-Indian Yellow Hue, Quinacridone Crimson, and Nickle Azo Yellow and Deco Art Cobalt Teal Hue Paint on the middle sections of the signs.

2.  Paint edges of signs with Lumiere Metallic Copper Acrylic Paint.

3.    Use Rub’n Buff Gold Leaf to paint the keys.

4.   Add details to keys with Lumiere Metallic Copper Acrylic Paint.

5.  Trace Angel Images using sign as template.

6.  Cut out and glue to sign using Weldbond.

7.  Seal with Matte Medium and one Step Crackle Finish, allow to fully dry overnight.

8.   Cut Two pieces of bookboard using a cutter.

9.  Use drybrush technique to add patina to the bookboards. I used Golden Titan Green Pale and Micaceous Iron Oxide and Deco Art Medium Grey Value Acrylic Paint.

10.                Make a mixture of Deco Art Texture Sand Paste, Paprika, Chili Powder, Lemon Pepper Spice Blend and Golden Transparent Red Iron Oxide Acrylic Paint. This is a bit of a mad scientist experiment.

11.                Once satisfied with texture and consistency use a small plastic spatula to randomly add bricks to prepared bookboards.

12.                Use needle nose pliers to add jump rings connecting the keys to the crest signs.

13.                Use colored pencils to add depth and interest to brick wall and signs. Then seal with Matte Medium.

14.                Attach a scrap piece of wood to top of wall panel with Weldbond.

15.                Hold into place with metal clamps.

16.                Once fully dry attach Key portion of sign with Weldbond allowing crest to swing freely. Hold into place with metal clamps.

Some Final Thoughts.

 

I’m not one to have religious debates with others and was raised going to a Baptist Church. I’ve seen religion used to isolate and interrogate others, but I have also seen it heal and unite others. My partner and I practice an “all are welcome” philosophy as we interact with others. I was impressed with the teachings of Brother Lawrence as he devoted his time in the monastery working in the kitchen and repairing his brothers’ sandals practicing the presence of Christ.  Several of his quotes:

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”

“I did not pray for any relief, but I prayed for strength to suffer with courage, humility and love.”

“The difficulties of life do not need to be unbearable. It is the way we look at them-through faith or unbelief-that makes them seem so.”

“That all things are possible to him who believes, that they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves, and still more easy to him who perseveres in the practices of these three virtues”

I often think that churches should be more like pubs, where everybody knows your name and lets weary thirsty people know that relief is in sight.

 

 

 

Supplies:  GSLC-Mini Crest Signs GSLC-Small Brick Wall, Images of Your Choosing, I Used Angels, Paintbrush, Golden Acrylic Paints-Indian Yellow Hue, Quinacridone Crimson, Nickel Azo Yellow, Titan Green Pale, Micaceous Iron Oxide and Transparent Red Iron Oxide, Deco Art Fluid Acrylic Paints-Medium Grey Value and Cobalt Teal Hue, Lumiere Metallic Copper Acrylic Paint, Rub’n Buff Gold Leaf, Weldbond, Matte medium, Deco Art One Step Crackle Finish, Book Board, Cutter, Deco Art Texture Sand Paste, Paprika, Chili Powder, Lemon Pepper Spice Blend, Paper Plates, Small Plastic Spatula, Jump Rings, Needle Nose Pliers

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!

Brick Wall ATC

Hi crafty friends!  Today on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog I'm sharing words of wisdom and a really cool brick wall ATC.  It's my kind of graffiti!

The small Brick Wall is a great stencil for molding paste (after a layer or three of Krylon tarnish, that is -- see this post for the technique) BUT that's not how this wall was constructed.   Instead, I used the bricks themselves and mortared around them.

First I used a thin blade to release them from the stencil, then lined them up row by row on the chunky ATC/ACEO.  I used a reposition-able glue that sets after a bit.  This allowed me to slide the bricks if needed.  Laying bricks with tweezers is fiddly.

While the Zig glue dried, I put the ATC Stand together with a little white glue.  When the bricks were set, I used sharp scissors to cut off the excess.

The mortar is molding paste laid on with a spatula.  Allow this to dry completely, then paint a layer of gesso.

You can't quite see it in this next photo, but I used a thin wash of brownish-yellowish-blackish water to color the mortar.  Since the bricks haven't been painted red yet, I needed to protect the mortar color, so I added a thin layer of matte varnish.  This allowed me to use a tool (fingernail, skewer, paper towel, etc) to wipe excess brick paint because I'm messy.  I'm not convinced this is a necessary step, but I did it just in case.

Once dried, I lightly sanded it off the bricks.

The brick coloring is a mix of red, black, brown, and dark orange.  Just keep adding color layers until your happy, just let them dry in between layers.

I sanded the edges to smooth out the dried molding paste/varnish/paint and cut brick edges before painting with black gesso.

I printed my graffiti on card stock but it wasn't thick enough.  I used Mod Podge on saved cardboard packaging.  Once dried I cut  them out, inked the edges, and glued onto the brick wall with white glue.

The last step is to seal with matte varnish.

Thanks for your visit today.

Cheers,
Susan


GSLCuts Used
Brick Wall Small #D174W
ATC #C33O
ATC Stand #C43M

Other Supplies Used
Zig 2-Way Glue Pen
White gesso
Acrylic Paint
Mod Podge

Dream of faraway places

Hi everyone,
Jess here today.  I don't know if you've noticed, but I really love the house shadowboxes Gina has in the shop.  They come in so many fun sizes.  For today's project I used the Mini House Shadowbox #4.

I started by lining the inside of the house with paper and gave it a quick whitewash.  I glued the house together and started working on the exterior.  Using the Brick Wall Small I added grit paste to both sides. 

Once the paste was dry I added color.  

Watered down black acrylic paint made the first layer

A thin layer of tan for the second.

Greens and a touch of gold finish the brick. 

I covered one of the tages from the Extra Large Tag Set with paper and distressed the edges using Distress Crayons.  This will be the base for the project.  I glued the house to the tag and finished embellishing it.  

Moss and flowers cover the roof.  

Flowers climb up the side of the house.  

My little girl was colored with Distress Oxide ink and given a bouquet of vintage flowers. 

The quote token finishes the piece. 

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.  

Jess

Scary Halloween Tags by Barbara Rankin

Hi everyone! Barbara here on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog.  Well, Halloween is nearly here, and I have a few last minute tags you can make using the new Tim Holtz Distress Oxides (DO) and the cool chippies from GSL.

Before I ever glue anything down, I like to do what I call a "dry-fit" to check how things will look.

I decided on this placement of the String Alongs - Gothic onto each Chipboard Decorative Tags X Large.  For the two tags on the right and in the middle, I simply cut the "string" section above the hole, glued that tiny piece and then moved the rest of the string along down below the hole.

Next, I used clear gesso to prime the front and back of each tag.  I used clear gesso to "seal" the chipboard, but leaving the brownish background to add the color to.  The gesso will also keep the chipboard from acting like a sponge and sucking all the paint or color up, thereby using less paint or inks.

adding gesso to back of tags first

Next, I used the Distress Oxides with a blending tool to cover the background, as shown.  I spritzed with water and used my heat tool to dry the ink.

Then I hit the chippies and the edges with the black DO and blending tool.  I spritzed with water and used my heat tool to dry the ink.

I used a soft brush to add the green DO inside and next to the chandelier, then spritzed water droplets over the background to form these circular ripples, using my heat tool to dry it.

To intensify the colors, I used the soft brush to pick up the colors from the ink pads and brushed it randomly over the tag, blending some as I went along.  The brush allows you to get close to the chipboard and to control where you put the colors.  Spritz droplets over background again and dry with heat tool.

Cut a random shape from the Brick Wall Small, lay onto Candied Apple DO pad and, using blending tool, add color to the chipboard.  Dry with heat tool.

Lightly add Black Soot DO with blending tool, just to add dimension.

Glue pieces to left side of tag, as shown.  I also darkened the chandelier string along with Black Soot distress ink, then picked up more colors with my brush and deepened the colors where I felt it was needed.

Now that I knew I wanted to adhere pieces of texture sheets to the remaining two tags, I went ahead and glued them down before adding the colors.  I used pieces cut from the Texture Sheet Diamonds on the left tag, and pieces cut from the Chainlink 8 by 8 Inch Panel on the right tag.  I also painted the texture pieces with a coat of clear gesso to prime them, just as before.

On these two tags, I added the same Distress Oxide colors using a re-inker, a brush, and water.  I liked this technique a lot because I could get stronger colors down much quicker than I was able to achieve with the pads.  If you don't have the re-inkers, you can still pick up the colors from the ink pad, as before.

Continue adding colors with the brush and re-inkers.

Next, use blending tool to add Black Soot DO to the edges and chipboard embellishments on top of the tags.

Mist backgrounds with water and water droplets for the organic look from the Oxides and dry with heat tool.  Use brush to pick up any colors and "dry brush" any areas that you feel need improvement, such as blending or deepening colors.

Place a drop of Black Soot DO from re-inker onto craft sheet.  Use wet paint brush to make a wash and flick drops of the black over the backgrounds.  If you don't have re-inkers, just rub the pad onto the craft mat and make a wash with the ink from the pad.

Add spooky phrases to each tag.  You can computer generate them if you don't have these stickers from Tim Holtz.  Use a black pencil to shade around each sticker, and add distress oxide colors to blend in with the background.

 

Supplies Used:

GSL Chipboard Decorative Tags X Large
GSL String Alongs - Gothic
GSL Brick Wall Small
GSL Texture Sheet Diamonds
GSL Chainlink 8 by 8 Inch Panel
Distress Oxides Ink Pads & Re-inkers
  Spiced Marmalade
  Wilted Violet
  Twisted Citron
  Candied Apple
  Fossilized Amber
  Black Soot
Distress Ink - Black Soot
Blending Tools (Ranger)
Tim Holtz Halloween Clippings Stickers
Paint Brush
Water mister bottle
Wire edged ribbon

I hope you enjoyed my creepy Halloween tags, and that you will be inspired to make some for yourself with any of the laser cuts available from Gypsy Soul.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a super safe and fun Halloween!

Barbara