Don't Judge a Book by its Cover-A Peek-a-Boo Project

This is Jon David Lowe for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts, I am hoping that all of us has a few life time friends that I've known us through the accomplishments and annoyances, the beginnings of something the chapter ending, the fears and the glories, the highs and the lows, the meandering negotiations, the ordinary preciousness of quiet reflections, the sublime times, the unique voyages, wandering, yearnings with zeal of our crazy journey called life. I've mentioned some of them in my blogs before. Along with these longer known friends are those that come into our lives at just the right time to encourage us to be more than we are. This artwork was inspired by them.

"Never judge someone by the way he looks or a book by the way it is covered; for inside those tattered pages, there's a lot to be discovered." -Steve Cosgroves

This art work is a second "collab" with PM Artist Studio and the dynamic duo of Patricia and Mariah. I am using gel print with nested circles and a broken squares stencil, lovingly sent to me to use as I felt best. It will also highlight the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts pieces I have 

Some blog post are like those comfortable gatherings with forever friends, others are like an introvert going to a multi media extravaganza, awkward and exhausting. The process for this project is the later. Put on your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

1.  Gather Supplies.

2.  Cut Pieces of Bookboard That are Slightly Larger than the GSLC Layered Frames.

3.  Use These Pieces to Cut Pieces of Gifted Gel Print Paper.

4.  Use Turquoise Stencil Butter and Acrylic Hazelnut Paint to Paint Bottom Portion of Layered Frame.

5.  Use Black Embossing Paste and Gold Design Creme to Paint the Top Portion of GSLC Layered Frames.

6.  Use Weldbond to Glue GSLC Frames Together, Dry Fully Flatted and Weighted Down.

7.  Use Weldbond to Glue Down Gifted Gel Print Paper Pieces on Outside Covers of Book.

8.  Glue Magazine Collage Pages  and Strips of Gifted Gel Print Paper to Inside Covers Using a UHU Gluestick.

9.  Use a UHU Gluestick to Glue Tyvek to Book Spine.

10.                Paint Spine with Turquoise Stencil Butter and Acrylic Hazelnut Paint.

11.                Use Sanding Block to Distress Edges of Book Covers.

12.                Use THz Mermaid Lagoon and Rusty Hinge Distress Stains to Add Some Colored to the Sanded Edges.

13.                Seal Everything With ArtDeco Matte Varnish Gel.

14.                Use and Awl and Spine Template to Put Holes Into Spine Protecting Table with Art Foam Sheets.

15.                Use Weldbond To Glue GSLC Layered Frames to Front Covers.

16.                Choose Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Hypercium Berries you Want Highlighted.

17.                Paint Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Hypercium Berries With Neon Paints.                           

18.                Use Gloss Accents to Add Dimension to Berries, Dry Flat and Fully.

19.                Paint Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Catweed Shape Set With Neon Paints.

20.                Cut Out Portion of Used Broken Square Stencil.

21.                Glue Catweed and Stencil on Inside of Book Covers with Weldbond.

22.                Glue Dried Hypercium Berries to Front Covers with Weldbond Flattened and Pressed Down.

23.                Use Micro Screws and Screwdriver to Add Miniature Hinges to Connect Book Parts Together.

24.                Use Wire Cutter to Cut off Screw Tips and Sand Down with a File.

25.                Distress Covers with Rust Paste, Turquoise Stencil Butter, Black Embossing Paste and Acrylic Hazelnut Paint.

26.                Seal With a Stain of Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Gold Green Acrylic Paint and Matte Varnish Gel.

27.                Add Detailing with a Turquoise Marker.

28.                Add Even More Details with Liquid Pearl Dots.

29.                Cut Pictorial and Plane Papers to Fit into Book.

30.                Make a Pages Template with a Scrap Piece of Paper.

31.                Use an Awl and a Book Cradle to Punch Holes Into Book Signatures.

32.                Add a Vintage Button and Deerskin Lace to Front and Back Covers.

33.                Sew Signatures Into Book With Nylon Thread and a Needle.

 

Some Final Thoughts.

I told you it was going to be a bumpy ride, I'm grateful that you've read this far. I am calling this a gratitude journal, although I won't be using as one. I will probably add it to my inventory and sell it at upcoming show.

There are many friends I am grateful for through the years, I will try to remember them all and honor them in my life, here I will mention but a few and none by name.

Fun Loving Coworkers from Friendly's at Lycoming Mall. My Youth Group Buddies form Moreland Baptist Church. My many College Companions. A borrowed friend from a college roommate. A misunderstood first impression becoming a brother from another mother. Church friends from various congregations. Bible Study Cohorts. Neighborhood Families. Lifters of the Light, Mindfulness Musketeers. Summer Sojourners. Room Enhancers and Encouragers of my Craft. Hiking Husbands. Cellar Dweller to Czech-Slovakia Spring Break Memories. Kayaking Coworkers. Royalty Ragers. Artist Allies.  Soul Mate Partners. Gladyses. Patron Saints, Collectors of my Art. Keeper of Secrets, Confidants of My Heart.

-A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden. -unknown

-Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.

-Maya Angelou

-Good Friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they're always there -unknown

- There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met-Jim Henson

-A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.

-Donna Roberts

-The real test of friendship is: can you literally do nothing with the other person. Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple. -Eugene Kennedy

-I have learned to be with those I like is enough. -Walt Whitman

-As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. -King Solomon

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Layered Frames, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Catweed Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Hypercium Berries, Gifted Gel Print Art Paper, Chipboard, Cutter, Turquoise Stencil Butter, Acrylic Hazelnut Paint, Black Embossing Paste, Gold Design Creme, Weldbond, Magazine Collage Pages, UHU Gluestick, Paintbrush, Tyvek, Sanding Block, THz Distress Stain Mermaid Lagoon and Rusty Hinge, ArtDeco Matte Varnish Gel, Awl, Fun Foam Sheets, Spine Template, Fluorescent Neon Acrylic Paints,  Glossy Accents, Scissors, Micro Screws, Screwdriver, Miniature Hinges, Wire Cutters, File, Rust Paste, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Gold Green Acrylic Paint, Turquoise Marker, Liquid Pearls, Pictorial Papers, Plain Papers, Book Cradle,  Vintage Button, Deerskin Lace, Nylon Thread, Needle,

 

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!

A Different Type of April Shower-A Peek-a-Boo-Project

 I've always said a good sense of humor can get you  through many dreary days. Others have said it better. If you could choose one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor."Jennifer Jones "Life is so much easier with a sense of humor." "A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles."Mignon McLaughlin It is with my warped and twisted sense of humor I bring you a cheeky new take on the phrase "April Showers..." I first found Victorian images of woman with umbrellas then tattooed men. I quilted them together in honor of April, National Humor Month.

1. Gather Supplies.

2. Search Pinterest for Desired Images-I Used Vintage Victorian Women with Umbrellas and Tattooed Men.

3. Quilt Together into a Grid.

4. Make Copies on Both Cardstock and Transparencies.

5. Layer Transparencies on Top of Cardstock Images.

6.  Attach with Double Sided Tape.

7. Paint Base of GSLC Frames with Black Acrylic Paint using a Paintbrush.

8. Use Embossing Ink and Red geranium Embossing Power on the Top Portions of the GSLC Frames. Cure  With a Heat Tool.

9. To Add Interest and Texture Use Dry Brush Technique to Add Lumiere Crimson and Metallic Russet Acrylic Paint to the Top Portion of the GSLC Frames.

10. Use Scrap Pieces of Cardboard to Add Backs to all of GSLC Frames.

11. Carefully Choose Portion of Quilted Double Exposure Images to be Included in Each Frame. Cut Out.

12. Layer Frames and Glue Together Using  Heavy Gel Matte Medium.

13. Allow to Fully Dry Under Heavy Books.

14. Once Fully Dry add Bits of Used Tea Bags on Portion of the Images to Give a More Vintage Sepia Look with a Paintbrush and Matte Gel Medium. Once Again Allow to Dry Fully.

Some Final Thoughts.

I hope you have enjoyed my take on "April Showers!!" I think many of us could benefit from a cold shower from time to time when the stresses of everyday Living get too much for us. If you are allowed the luxury a bubble bath is even better with lit candles and meditative music and sipping a guilty pleasure beverage of your choice.

"I have a knack for finding humor in all sorts of things, no matter how grim. My sense of humor is wry and a bit on the warped side. (Well. more than a bit depending on whom you ask.)"Gerri R. Gray

"Laugh as much as possible, always laugh, it's the sweetest thing one can do for oneself and one's fellow human beings" Maya Angelou  "A sense of humor...is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that person down deep has a pretty good grasp on life" Hugh Sidey  "People with a sense of humor tend to be less egocentric and more realistic in their view of the world and more humble in moments of success and less defeated in times of travail." Bob Newhart "You've got to have a sense of humor to keep your sanity." Lance Bass "Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing."Clive James

 Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Layered Frame Aria, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Layered Frame Felicity, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Layered Frame Tulip, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Frame Lavinia, Collection of Found Images (Victorian Woman with Umbrellas, Tattooed Men),Printed Images of Card Stock and Transparencies,  Double Sided Tape, Embossing Ink Roller, Red Geranium Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Black Acrylic Paint, Lumiere Crimson and Metallic Russet Acrylic Paint, Paintbrush, Heavy Gel Matte Medium,  Scraps of Cardboard, Heavy Book, Scissors, Black Sharpie, Used Tea Bags, Matte Medium,

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!