Dreaming of Snow Days-A H.P. Lovecraft Shrine

On cold winter days I like to snuggle up with a good book or listen to Podcasts. My new favorite is The Vault of Lovecraft read by Mike Bennett. The Shadow Over Innsmouth and the Music of Eric Zann are two of my favorites. If you are unfamiliar with H. P. Lovecraft he is an American Horror Fiction Writer. They are classic ghost stories that transport your mind to the many imagined locals of this tortured soul. He is perhaps most famous for the Call of Cthulu, The Rats in the Walls, At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Out of Time. His stories and Mike Bennett Podcasts has me hoping for snow days.

 

1.  Cut out Gypsy Soul Laser Cut Pieces- Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Pen & Ink Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top, Coming Soon Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Stamp Brick Wall and Stone Wall.

 

2.   Cover Wooden Tray with Black Heavy Gesso, you can use a tray that has other small flat decorations on it as it will add additional texture.

3.  Once dry, in a well ventilated area, randomly spray entire tray with Homax Wall Texture.

4.  Once fully dry randomly spray with Tim Holtz Distress Sprays in Brown and Yellow, Tattered Angel  Glimmer Mist-Blue, and Lindy Metallic Sprays-Allow to dry fully. I normally do this outside on a sunny day and cover area with a large trash bag.

 

5.  Use Weldbond to put on a layer of Ultra Thick Black Embossing Enamel and cure with heating tool.

6.  Randomly add Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Embossing Powder and Ice Resin Iced Enamels Chartreuse with Versa Mark and curing with heating tool  until you are pleased with the texture on  outside of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top.

7.  Paint Background of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top with FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Magenta and Autumn Leaves.

8.  Layer H. P. Lovecraft Inkjet images and Transparencies  onto to Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top.

9.  Secure with Weldbond and clamp together to dry fully.

10.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Magenta and Autumn Leaves on GSLC Brick Wall Foam Stamp, randomly stamp onto dried wooden tray.

 

11.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White on GSLC Stone Wall Foam Stamp and randomly stamp onto wooden tray.

 

12.                Create a glaze of Deco Art Matte Varnish and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold to Paint Entire Tray Quickly and Randomly. Repeat with another glaze this time with DecoArt Matte Varnish and DecoArt Medium Gray paint.

13.                Paint GSLC Feather Quell with FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White for first coat then add  FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Blue and Green.

 

14.                Use Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf to paint the nib and add additional texture to quell.

15.                Use Texture Acrylic Paints of Brown and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold to paint GSLC ink wells, Highlight with Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf and FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of Blue.

 

16.                Cut a small wooden block to add largest GSLC inkwell to for additional dimension on shrine.

17.                Use Script Stamp and Black Permanent Ink on Transparency.  Shade with Alcohol Inks of Tan, Yellow, Blue and Brown.

 

18.                Cut Desired area of transparency and use lit candle to burn/melt edges-Do this in a well ventilated area.

19.                Attach all pieces with Weldbond and Micro Screws and Nails.

20.                Use FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints of magenta and Autumn Leaves and a skull and crossbones to label ink wells.
21.                Drip Red Sealing wax over entire project.

22.                Shrine is completed and can be displayed from both sides.

 

 

 

 

Some final thoughts. Some H. P. Lovecraft Quotes to whet your appetite.
"I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me, What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams"
"Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane."
"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places."
"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind."
"I couldn't live a week without a private library-indeed I'd part with all of my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1,500 or so books I possess."

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Pen & Ink Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Triptych -Towers Top, Coming Soon Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Stamp Brick Wall and Stone Wall, Wooden Tray, Black Heavy Gesso, Paintbrush, Homax Wall Texture Spay, Tim Holtz Distress Sprays Shades of brown and yellows, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Blue, Lindy Sprays Metallic, Images of H. P. Lovecraft Inkjet Images and Transparencies, FolkArt Visual Texture Acrylic Paints in Tan, Yellow, Brown, Warm White, Magenta, Autumn Leaves, Blue, Green, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold,  DecoArt Matte Varnish, DecoArt Medium Gray, Weldbond, Ultra Thick Black Embossing Enamel, Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Embossing Powder, Ice Resin Iced Enamels Chartreuse, Versa Mark, Heating Tool, Rub-N-Buff Gold Leaf, Wooden Block, Script Stamp, Black Archival Ink, Transparency, Alcohol Inks Tan, Yellow, Blue, and Brown, Candle, Lighter, Clamps, Mini Screws and Nails, Hammer, Screwdriver, Red Sealing Wax, Skull and Crossbones Poison Stamp

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!

Winter's Calm

As you know one of my favorite bands is Over the Rhine, I love their winter song and Christmas songs because they are not your traditional holiday songs, they are full of longings, honesty and perspective. Now that we have made it though the crazy that can be Christmas I like to take a break and breathe in deeply, binge watch my favorite shows-The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and the new season of Dr. Who. This is the inspiration for this project and could be my holiday card if I sent them anymore.

1.  Take apart GSLC Small Cottage Windows an GSLC Little Folding House Shrine.

2.  Make copies of Winter Images and Holiday Greeting.

 

3.  Use Tyvek and UHU Glue to reinforce the hinges of the House Shrine flaps.

 

4.  Make sure side windows fold back completely and are flat.

5.  Cover entire structure in white gesso.

6.  While it is drying use Versa Mark to cover GSLC Small Cottage Window of your choosing and Aged Hunter Embossing Enamel and Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder Walnut Stain.

7.   Cure with a heating tool.
8.  Use red acrylic paints sand a paint brush to paint GSLC Brick Wall Stamp on front of side flaps.

9.  Make a wash of Matte Medium and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, paint over stamped bricks to add the mortar.

10.                Measure and Cut Winter Images and Holiday Greeting adding them to interior of hinged house shrine and also to the back outside using UHU Gluestick

 

11.                Edge entire project with a wash of Matte Medium and Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold.

12.                Use Exacto Blade to cut apart  GSLC prepared Small Cottage Window.

13.                Use Weldbond to secure GSLC Small Cottage window to brick walls and top part of house.
14.                Use micro screws to attach Decorative Metal Latch.

15.                Your small house shrine is now ready to give as a small holiday gift or sent in the mail as your holiday greeting.

 

 

This is one of those Over the Rhine Holiday songs I mentioned in my introduction,

Snow Angels by Over the Rhine

Once upon a winter
It seems so long ago
My one and only love and I
Fell down upon the snow

And as the dusk was falling
From our gray and goose down sky
We heard the old cathedral bells
Ring out our lullaby

Snow angel, snow angel
Someday I'm gonna fly
This cold and broken heart of mine
Will one day wave goodbye

Goodbye to this cruel wicked world
And all the tears I've cried
Snow angel, snow angel
I'll meet you in the sky

The rumors of a distant war
Called my true love's name
He packed his leather suitcase
And spoke no word of blame

We walked a while together
I tried to hide my fear
He told me not to be afraid
And whispered in my ear

Snow angel, snow angel
Someday I'm gonna fly
This cold and broken heart of mine
Will one day wave goodbye

Goodbye to this cruel wicked world
And all the tears I've cried
Snow angel, snow angel
I'll meet you in the sky

They brought my love home from the war
In a cart pulled by white mules
The Christmas bells rang out that day
Oblivious as fools

And as the snow began to fall
I kissed his frozen face
They told me in his woolen coat
His last few words were placed

Snow angel, snow angel
Someday I'm gonna fly
This cold and broken heart of mine
Will one day wave goodbye

Goodbye to this cruel wicked world
And all the tears I've cried
Snow angel, snow angel
I'll meet you in the sky

 
Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Cottage Windows Small, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Folding House Shrine, Coming Soon-Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Foam Brick Wall Stamp, Winter Images, Holiday Greeting, UHU Glue Stick, Tyvek, White Gesso, Paint Brush, Aged Hunter Embossing Enamel. Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder Walnut Stain,   Heating Tool,  Red Acrylic Paints, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold Acrylic Paint,  Deco Art  Matte Medium, Exacto Blade, Weldbond, Decorative Metal Latch, Weldbond, Micro Screws, Screwdriver,

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!