As I have stated before one of my favorite bands is Over the Rhine, their latest album titled “Love & Revelation” in one of their more sorrowful, soulful ones in my opinion. It feels full of lamenting to me and I’m drowning in their luscious lyrics.
But for this blog I return to an older song titled “All My Favorite People Are Broken”
Believe me
My heart should know
Some prayers are better left unspoken
I just wanna hold you
And let the rest go
All my friends are part saint and part sinner
We lean on each other
Try to rise above
We're not afraid to admit we're all still beginners
We're all late bloomers
When it comes to love
All my favorite people are broken
Believe me
My heart should know
Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers
Step forward
You can stay right here
You don't have to go
Is each wound you've received
Just a burdensome gift?
It gets so hard to lift
Yourself up off the ground
But the poet says, We must praise the mutilated world
We're all workin' the graveyard shift
You might as well sing along
All my favorite people are broken
Believe me
My heart…
This is the inspiration for this art piece.
Supplies: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Flying Heart Wall Hanging, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Steampunk Hearts, Magazine Images, Pencil or Pen, Sanding Block, Coarse Sandpaper Sheet, Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage, Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger, Weldbond, Matte Varnish Medium, Vallejo Red Oxide Paste, Spices-Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange, Suave Hair Spray, Rubbing Alcohol in Spray Bottle, Wow Embossing Pad, Ice Resin Enamels in Copper Glitz, Raspberry, Garnet, and Tarnished Brass, Allure Embossing Powders in Charred Gold and Hammered Metal, Wendy Vecchi Red Germanium Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Weldbond, Alligator Tool, Grommets, Deerskin Lace, Scissors, 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire, Tweezers
1. Gather Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Chipboard Pieces: Barbed Wire Shape Set, Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle, Flying Heart Wall Hanging, and Steampunk Hearts. Take out piece you would like to use for your composition
2. Find Magazine images you would like to use on the two large frame portions from the GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging Kit.
3. Trace using a pencil or pen, so they will fit securely onto these pieces.
4. A fun technique to age glossy new magazine images is to place them on top of a course grit sandpaper sheet and gently rub is a smoother sanding block until you get your desired patina.
5. Use Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger on back of newly distressed images, some will bleed through onto the front this is part of the technique.
6. Now edge and patina the front of your image with Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage.
7. Glue onto your backboards using Weldbond.
8. Give a quick coat of Matte Varnish Medium to seal the pictures in.
9. While this is drying quickly add Vallejo Red Oxide Paste with a paintbrush to the corrugated cardboard pieces from GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging.
10. To add a rustier appearance, use Spices of Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, and Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange sprinkled randomly over the pieces.
11. Seal and secure with Suave Hair Spray and Rubbing Alcohol from a Spray Bottle.
12. Attach these corrugated cardboard pieces to the backboards using Weldbond.
13. While these are drying and pressed flat, begin embossing your other pieces.
14. I used Ice Resin Enamels Copper Glitz and Allure Hammered Metal Embossing Powders on the GSLC Barbed Wire Pieces and cured with a heating tool.
15. I used Ice Resin Enamels of Raspberry and Garnet and Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium Embossing Powders and Chili Powders on the Hearts and cured with a Heating Tool.
16. The wings and key were treated with Allure Charred Gold and Ice Resin Enamels Tarnished Bronze and cured with a heating tool.
17. Assemble composition and Glue into place using Weldbond.
18. Press flat to dry thoroughly.
19. Once dry use the alligator toll to add grommets to the appropriate locations.
20. Use brown Deerskin Lace to attach the two backboards together and to give it a loop for hanging from the topmost portion.
21. I used 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire and Tweezers to secure the key to the bottom of the wall hanging.
22. Your Project is now ready to hang in the location of your choosing.
Some final thoughts.
Another of my favorite Over the Rhine songs is titled, “I’d Choose You” It reminds me of my love for my partner and how we are a bit of an odd couple, different in many ways but a perfect pairing. I celebrate him on this my birthday month. I’d not be the man or artist I am without his amazing love.
If the moon fell from the sky
Rendering everything black and blue
I’d want you
I’d want you
If the swallows fell like snow
Tumbling tiny angels with wounds
I will lay my body down
When the storm is finally through
If my faith should ever fail
Faltering look what I dragged it through
If the music all went still
Enabling all my fears to come true
I'd want you, I'd want you!
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!
