Inside the Apothecary Emporium-A Peek-a-Boo Project

This is Jon David Lowe from the GSLC DT and as I stated in my last post I have had a long fascination of apothecary  but not in the traditional sense I described there but more of that of the Harry Potter stories, those shops found on Diagon Alley-Slug and Jiggers Apothecary-although not mentioned often as compared to the other shops, it's definitely an exciting place to think about. It is where the Hogwarts students buy ingredients for potions class. I like to think of the weird and magical ingredients found there.  I like to image the twee boutiques, with their eclectic  collection of herbs bundles, unpredictable potions, intoxicating elixirs, cleaning crystals, oozing ointments, jars of jubilee, and other magical enchantments. These are the inspirations for this artwork.

1.  Gather Supplies

2.  Coat GSLC Tiny Apothecary Bottles with a Layer of DecoArt One Step Crackle Finish and  Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional  Medium.

3.  Sprinkle on Micro Clear Glass Beads.

4.  When Fully Dried Add Alcohol Inks Randomly.

5.  When Dried Again Carefully Remove Tiny Apothecary Bottles from Their Base.

6.  Use Tim Holtz Curator Ephemera Pack for Labels for the Bottles.

7.  Attach Using Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional  Medium as an Adhesive.

8.  Cover Back Portion of GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine with Wooden Grain Pictorial Paper.

9.  Cover Inside Portion of GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine with Tim Holtz Vintage Wallpapers.

10.                Coat Frame of GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine with a Mixture of Cosmic Shimmer Lava paste, Transparent Red Iron Oxide Paint, Nickel Azo Yellow Paint, Art Alchemy Metallique Hazelnut Paint Spreading  Randomly with  a Small Plastic Palette Knife. Use this Same Mixture to Coat Small Strips of Bookboard.

11.                Cure with a Heat Tool.

12.                Splatter Tim Holtz Vintage Wallpapers with  Tim Holtz-Scattered Straw, Salty Ocean, Bundled Sage  Distress Stains.

13.                Make Small Shelves for Flaps of  GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine.

14.                Screw Frame and Tiny Shelves into Place Using a Screwdriver and Microscrews.

15.                Add Halloween Stickers to Background of Shelves.

16.                Edge  GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine with Folk Art Painted Textures Moss.

17.                Hold   GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine Together with Clams and add Hinges with Microscrews and a Screwdriver.

18.                Use Painters Tape to Isolate Hinges.

19.                Make a Concoction of Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Crackle Texture Paste,  Transparent Red Iron Oxide Paint and Nickel Azo Yellow Paint. Spread on Hinges and Cure with Heat Tool.

20.                Add Highlight to GSLC Tiny Apothecary Bottles with Interference Blue(Fine) Paint.

21.                Use More Halloween Stickers To Decorate Back Portions of GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine.

22.                Coat Entire Artwork with Hairspray of Matte Gel Medium.

 

Some Final Thoughts.

I found this poem, The Apothecary's Den, by Hybrid Doll intriguing:

 

In the heart of the woods

An aromatic hovel stood

desolate is vivid disarray.

A  hopeful asylum for ailing strays,

A flimsy curtain between life and death,

For souls hanging by abysmal thread.

 

Herbal Remedies, by Gothicghost95, explores the magical medicinal properties found in these sometime flamboyant flora sometimes pedestrian plants:

 

Lavender, Basil, Rosemary and more

happily spread you love forevermore.

The ancient battles of timely folklore;

Aloe Vera does not mind the gore.

 

Chamomile, Foxglove, and St. John's Wort too.

blithely bring relaxation to you.

The deadly might of Aconite is true,

just like the terminal poison of Rue.

 

Agrimony, Comfrey, and great Yarrow

hire the dire wounds of any fellow.

Demon Protection helps you to mellow

use dainty Mugwort's Flowers of yellow.

 

An Eye disorder or aliment we fight

with the healing herb of mighty Eyebright,

Profound melancholy, vertigo, fright

the very curative Feverfew shall smite.

 

A gift, immortality surely would,

if only majestic and noble Sage could

Absinthe infused with bizarre Wormwood

Careful! for far too much cannot be good.

 

To soothe burns with Poplar you must combine

jointly with Poppy and Henbane in time

Chives and Garlic, Oregano and Thyme

used in cooking is superbly sublime.

Echinacea, an awesome herb to trade

purifies blood and is never delayed

But Lobelia, Saffron and Nightshade

will only cause your life to slowly fade.

 Supplies:  GSLC Tiny Apothecary Bottles, GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine, DecoArt One Step Crackle Finish, Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional  Medium, Alcohol Inks, Micro Clear Glass Beads, Halloween Stickers, Tim Holtz Curator Ephemera Pack, Tim Holtz Vintage Wallpaper Pack, Wooden Grain Pictorial Paper, Cosmic Shimmer Lava paste, Transparent Red Iron Oxide Paint, Nickel Azo Yellow Paint, Art Alchemy Metallique Hazelnut Paint, Small Plastic Palette Knife, Heat Tool, Tim Holtz-Scattered Straw, Salty Ocean, Bundled Sage  Distress Stains, Strips of Bookboard, Micro Screws, Awl Screwdriver, Folk Art Painted Textures Moss, Clamps, Hinges, Painters Tape, Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Crackle Texture Paste,  Interference Blue(Fine) Paint, Matte Gel Medium, Hairspray

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!

School Daze

Sad to see September come, it's that time of year when all middle school teachers wish they create some kind of magical spell to make summer last  forever as we cry louder than our students who are returning for the new school year. This is the inspiration for this artwork, titled "School Daze"

1.  Take the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Arabian Triptychs Apart, keep the GSLC Tiny Apothecary Bottles together as we will be decorating in a later step.

2.  Find a piece of 12 by 12 Scrapbook Paper you'd like to use for the back of your triptych. I found mine in DCWV Vintage Memories Pad.

3.  Print Random Alchemy Images you find online-I have an ink jet printer.

4.  Print random images for small inside panels on regular paper and on transparencies-use the one designed for your printer.

5.  Trace Alchemy images using triptych as your pattern, do the same for 12 by 12 scrapbook paper.

6.    Fussy Cut all six pieces and use Weldbond to glue to appropriate side of back portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych.

7.  Once dry, gently sand edges with wedge sanding sponge to give it a distressed look.

8.  Spritz ink jet images with water and rubbing alcohol and allow images to fade before hitting with heating tool.

9.  Use a crackle stamp and Staz-On Saddle Brown to add  an ancient look to both sides of triptych.

10.                Distress edges using Tim Holtz Distress Stains of Tea Dye and Brushed Corduroy.

11.                Paint front portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych with Craft Smart Vintage Gold Acrylic Paint.

12.                 Once dry- dry brush quickly and randomly with Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Acrylic Paint.

13.                Once dry-dry brush quickly and randomly with Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paint.

14.                Layer again as needed.

15.                Use Versa Mark and a script stamp to randomly add "magical instructions" to Alchemy Backgrounds.

 16.                 Sprinkle with Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium Embossing Powders and cure with heating tool.

17.                Glue Frames to back of GSLC Arabian Triptych using Weldbond.

18.                Secure with clamps and allow to dry fully.

19.                Make transparency and printed images sandwiches and secure with grommets, staples, or glue. Allow to dry.

20.                Use GSLC Foam Crackle Stamp to add interest to GSLC Tiny Apothecary Bottles-I used same three colors we used on frame.

 

 

21.                Stamp bottles using script stamp and black permanent ink.

22.                To add shadowing to bottles use a small paint brush to paint one edge with Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paint.

23.                To add a glistening to the bottles randomly add Golden Interference Blue (Fine) Acrylic Paint to each bottle.

24.                Glue Transparency "Sandwiches"  to bottom center of all three frames.

25.                Add Apothecary bottles to each side.

26.                To give the frames a finished look paint sides of GSLC Arabian Triptych with Craft Smart Vintage Gold Acrylic Paint.

27.                 Once dry- dry brush quickly and randomly with Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Acrylic Paint.

28.                Once dry-dry brush quickly and randomly with Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paint.

29.                Layer again as needed.

30.                These could be displayed in a frame with a nice piece of tapestry material, mine will most likely be added as an embellishment to one of my handmade art journals or Houdini-Hideaway Boxes. 

Some final thoughts. As I begin my 30th year of teaching I realize there is no magical elixir or spell that can make summer vacation last forever until I one day retire, then all days will be Saturday. But, so much of life is how we perceive it, I've always been an optimist and tend to see the good in people and the world. Hope has carried me through many a dark days. "People are Capable at Any Time in Their Lives, of Doing What They Dream Of" said Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist and I tend to concur with his sentiment.

Another Quote by him that helps me as an educator is, "No Matter what he does, Every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world, AND normally he doesn't know it!" I hope that my students know how wonderful they are and how big the world truly is.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Arabian Triptych, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Tiny Apothecary Bottles, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Crackle Foam Pad-Coming Soon, DCWV Vintage Memories 12 by 12 scrapbook paper, Printed Alchemy Images, Scissors, Transparencies Designed for Your Printer, Pencil, Weldbond, Fine Wedge Sanding Sponge, Misters with Water and Rubbing Alcohol, Staz-On Saddle Brown Ink Pad, Crackle Stamp, Tim Holtz Distress Stain-Tea Dye and  Brushed Corduroy, Small Paint Brush, Craft Smart Vintage Gold Acrylic Paint, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Golden Interference Blue (Fine) Acrylic Paint, Deco Art Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paint, Versa Mark Ink Pad, Script Stamp, Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Clamps, Transparency and Copies of Random Images, Grommet, Black Acrylic Paint, Black Permanent Ink Pad, Tim Holtz Blue Distress Marker

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!