‘Romp and Frolic’
CM Anderson
Salvaged Remnants Studio
2014
Using Stazon Jet black ink
pad, apply ink to stamp, press onto heavy white cardstock, repeat. You should
have two copies of this stamp on your paper. With scissors, separate the
stampings. Prep your space to paint/color the images.
1a
1b
1c
Select a color scheme that pleases you. I like to use a color wheel device (1a) to to help me sort out this type
of decision. It also helps to keep in mind the tulle and frame colors that you
have chosen. I love using complimentary colors in my motifs/schemes.
Chose a medium to tint your images. I am using watercolor crayons to fill out
my images. They are easy to use, tidy, and somewhat forgiving in application.
Scribble a dot of a crayon
into the lid of the tin (1b), add
water to your micro-sized brush and dampen the pigment (1c). Don’t make it too watery, paint unto area of your image.
Adding water to the pigment on the paper will help blend additional strokes of
paint or new colors. Use the embossing heat gun ( with a heat mat under your
images) to gently dry the paper as you go to prevent “bleeding”. Layering and
layering the paint will build up the color in the image to achieve a specific
goal. Tiny crosshatching strokeswith a semi-dry brush, will aid in shading
specific areas.
2a
2b
The rubber stamp image in
this project is going to be seperated into two subjects-the octopus and the
lady.
Therefore, some areas of the
subject need to be filled in with a fine point permenant marker (2a). Using small dots/dashes, fill in
the areas of the octopus’ tentacles on the horizontal bar of the lamp post. Add
paint to soften the markings. Once the paint is dry, cut the lady away from the
lamp post as in photo 2b. Set the
octopus aside in a safe place until it is time to trim both sections of the
image. Using the second stamped image (2c),
repeat the steps for painting the octopus for the woman. Keep the painted
octopus handy (2d), for referencing
the “swing” that is comprised of tentacles.
2c
2d
3a
3b
3c
3d
Prepping the frame. Remove the faux photo from the frame and save for future template (3a). Cut the back easel insert away
from the frame (3b,3c). Store easel
in safe place, as we will be coming back to it. Remove glass. Or in this case,
remove the clear vinyl with an Exacto knife, you may toss it into the trash can
or use in another project (3d).
4a
Utilizing wet/dry sandpaper (4a) or a fresh, clean green scrubby,
distress the front and sides of the frame. This will remove some of the paint
and add texture to the surface for adding the acrylic washes.
4b
4c
4d
Color washes. I prefer Golden Brand acrylic paints for mixed media art (4b). They are specially formulated for
this type of art and worth the investment. Liquitex is a great option, just try to stay away from craft-type
acrylics as they are not capable of creating the effects used for this project.
The colors for this project are as follows in order of use:
Golden brand-Green Gold; Liquitex brand-
Prussian Blue; Golden brand- Irridescent Brilliant Gold.
The first two colors were applied watered down (4c,4d), dried with an embossing heat gun between applications. As
with the watercolor crayons, build up layers of paint to achieve your specific
goal. If so desired, remove extra/unwanted wet paint with the baby wipes, then
set with the heat gun.
4e
4f
With a dry brush, straight
from the tube, add a gilding of gold paint over the acrylic washes (4e) by skimming over the relief parts
of the frame. Let dry for next steps. Pretty! (4f)
5a
5b
5c
Remove frame hardware using
the side cutting (5a) and chain nose
(5b) pliers. Take care with the
cardboard easel, making sure not to rip or tear (5c).
6a
DeWalt 20 watt Variable speed drill-my best
friend in my studio!
Okay, we need some holes in
this frame and it is time to use “Big Girl” tools.
A variable speed drill has a
motor that can be controlled via the trigger. Barely pressing the trigger will
get the drill bit just started for a pilot hole, OR, in our case, can go through strange substances, like resin or
some metals, without a big mess! This $2 frame from Micheal’s craft store is
comprised of a hardened epoxy resin that melts when too much friction/heat is
applied. So, a SLOOOOOOOOOOOW rotation of the drill bit is required!
If you have never used a drill like this before, ask someone
that has to show you the how. You will need to know for this project, or you
may have to get even more creative! Wear
protective eyewear, PERIOD!
Note the small plank of wood
under the drill. This is the surface for the frame to sit on to prevent extra
holes being made in your workbench. Use clamps to hold the plank to your work
surface.
6b
6c
6d
Mark holes for hanging a
ribbon and decorative bead drop later (6b).
Using a 1/8 drill bit, rest the drill bit perpendicular to the surface, on your first mark. Very
slowly, press the trigger to start the hole. Let the weight of the drill press
down into the surface to create the hole. See that white powder (6c)?
That’s the resin being raised to the top of the hole.Stop drilling and
dust away that powder before continuing drilling all the way through the frame (6d). Repeat steps for the 2 remaing
holes. Groovy!
Now, don’t put that drill
away,yet! You’ll need a couple more holes in the frame in a few more steps!
7a-e
Adding decorative scrapbook
paper to the former “easel” part of the frame backing. Trace the opening with a
pencil unto the paper, cut with an Exacto knife. Insert the backing back into
the frame to trace the opening, center the paper unto the outline, and glue
down with a permanent glue stick!
8a-d
Tulle background. I cut a continuous strip of tulle netting, 3” wide by 24” long to weave
onto the 18” piece of 20 gauge copper wire. I made a little hook at one end to
keep the tulle from sliding off. Weave one end of the wire, in and out, about a 1/4” from the edge of the strip.
8e-h
Crimp all the gathers
together at the center of the wire. Make sure the 1/4 “ edge is bunched together
and not twisted into the longer side of the tulle strip. Slowly twist the wire
ends together and clip of ends about 1.5” from the tulle.
Measure and mark the paper
covered backing’s center and punch a 1/8” hole for the tulle wire to go
through. Tear up some small strips of masking tape to be ready for the next
steps.
9a-d
Insert the twisted tulle wire
through the front of the backing, bend and tape twisted wire to the back. Using
the masking tape, fold down the tulle strip end to the back of the cardboard.
Tape down the other end. Using a criss-cross pattern, tape down the edge of the
tulle to the cardboard,until all the tulle is adhered to the frame backing.
Your scrapbook paper should look like 9d.
If it’s a bit wonky, adjust accordingly by resituating the tulle on the back.
9 e-g
On the back of the frame, put
E-6000 glue on the area where the back sits in. Gently nudge the tulled section
into place. Let cure for about 30 minutes, remove tape and trim tulle with
Exacto knife.
10 More prepping of the stamped graphics.
This is the section where the
painted stamp graphices need some structural reinforcement. You can strengthen
them with any number of solid backings, i.e.,layers of heavy cord stock, mat
board, cereal boxes, metal, balsa wood, OR something you usually toss into the
garbage/recycling, a flexible,medium to heavyweight, blister pack! You know,
that stuff you need to buy a “Package Shark” for! Apparently, this material
makes wonderful shrink film, but I like to use it as backing for paper. It
needs to be on the thick/flexible side, not thin and brittle. This pice was
perfect, because it didn’t crack when I cut it with scissors. But, you can use
mat board or 400 lb watercolor paper to make the stamp graphics stronger.
I cut away the sides of the
packing and am using the top which is about 6”x4”. To give the surface some
“tooth”, wet/dry sandpaper scuffed it up nicely. Go diagonally across in one
pass and then diagonally across in the opposite direction. I did both sides so
I wouldn’t have to guess which was the proper side to glue.
Trim up the painted stamp
graphics with sharp scissors, leaving just the slightest margin outside the
black outline. Place the film on the frame to find the proper placement for the
octopus (the same process for any other stiffeners), as it will need
longer tabs to fit across the frame.
The girl can fit into a
remaining corner of the film.
In a well ventilated area,
using a bamboo skewer, spread some E-6000 on one of the figures. Adhere it to
it’s place on the film/stiffening material, flip the film over and firmly tamp
down on the back surface. This helps spread the glue out and make it less
“bumpy”. Repeat for the next stamp graphic. Let cure for about 30 minutes.
Sometimes longer for the film.You can add weight to the back, just take care
that any glue oozed out does not create complications later.
11 After the glue has cured sufficiently, you
can roll off some of the excess glue with your fingers or a clean bamboo
skewer.
Separate the two figures with
an Exacto knife. You can snap the scored lines by folding the film forward at
the cut lines.Leave plenty of additional space for the octopus at each end.
11 d-e Center the octopus figure over the frame to
draw extensions fitting over the frame.
12 Tint the white edges with Distress ink & a
sponge on both figures.
Alignment of the Lady & the Octopus. Set the 18” length of hanging strap below the holes
previously drilled for the ribbon. Make sure a small hole is designated “center” for the piece of hanging strap.
Use a Sharpie to make marks for drilling. As seen in Step 6, begin drill
process. Place octopus over holes, center, and mark for hole punches over
drilled areas.
Center for the octopus is
shown in photo 13e. Use 1/8” round
hole punch for marks at each octopus extended areas, designated center of
octopus, and at the TOP of the LONG tentacle on the girls figure’s “swing”. If
the figures are stuck to the hole punch, ease off with a metal ruler, back of
scissor blade,etc., DO NOT PULL! Be patient and take your time.
14 a-b Apply Stazon ink to both sides of hanging
strap, let dry, then distress by lightly going over with a clean,green scrubby.
Assembling the figures to the strap and frame. Cut an 18” length of 18gauge copper wire, bend into a
“U” shape (15 a).
String a size #8 glass seed
bead on to the center. Gently squeeze wire ends close together with the aid of the chain nose pliers (15b). String a decorative gear unto
both ends, then a spacer bead. String on the girl figure last (15d).
Pull the wired girl figure
through the center hole of the octopus and the small,center hole of the hanging
strap (15e). Add a little brass washer
to the back and bend wire down (not too tight) parallel to the strap (15f).weave each end of the divided
wire back through the coordinating hanging strap hole and octopus end (15g).
each end should now be coming through to the front of the octopus figure.
With the help of the chain
nose pliers, straighten out the wires. Add a gear,brass nut and glass bead to
each wire and very,very carefully, without
kinking,pull the wire end back through
the brass nut,gear,octopus,and hanging strap.use the chain nose pliers to
assist the wire back through. It should end up looking like photo 16b. The girl should be able to swing
to and fro.
Draw the wires from the
combined figures on the hanging strap through the holes drilled for the
octopus. Secure the wires behind the frame by crosing the wires together (16e). Gently twist the wires together
as in photo 16d. Clip off at about
1”, bend twisted end next to the cardboard, and affix masking tape to keep it
held down (16e).
Check your work from the
front. Make adjustmens with pliers to straighten out bent wire areas.
17 Remember the photo insert from step 3? Use
it as a template to cut a pice of fabric to glue over the back of the frame.Cut
a small piece of muslin to use as a label to sign & date your work with a
Sharpie pen.
These are metal cutting
shears, note the tin lids. You can also use a pair of aviation snips to cut
through the ends of the hanger strap. Cut into the ends of the strap with the
back part of the shears/snips to shape a ribbon “tail” (18b). Use a flat needle file to smooth out the strap ends,
rempving burrs and sharp points (18c).
Using a mandrel of some kind
(bail making pliers, Sharpie pen, large nail,etc) bend each end of the hanging
strap in half toward the center of the frame. Use your hands to bend the strap
over (18d) instead of twisting the
pliers. Bend the tail ends back toward the outside of the frame and squish c
the “ribbon” ends closer together with a pair of chain nose pliers or a rawhide
mallet (18e).
19a-b Cut a 4”-5” pice of 20 gauge wire for the
beaded drop. Coil one end to make a type of headpin, add ta brass nut and gear
o the wire (19a). String the wire
through the front of the frame at the bottom, bend at a right angle. Add three
round beads and the glass drop. Trim the wire down, if necessary, leaving a
tail to coil back a “stop” to prevent the beads from falling off (19b).
Check your work by holding frame up and adjust and
areas of the wire as needed. Double check to see if the swing can sway back and
forth.
Almost finished!
Cut 2 6” lengths of 18 gauge
wire. Use pliers to bend into a “u” shape (20a).
Slide one of the U-shapes through the pre-drilled holes left at the top of the
frame. Bend the wire ends over with the chain nose pliers to form a rectangular
shape (20b). Using your fingers and
the pliers, twist each wire end around the rectangle shape, like in photo 20c. Tuck the wire ends in close to the
rectangle shape with the pliers.
Last step!
Cut an 18” piece of wired edge organza ribbon and 2 5” lengths of 20 gauge
copper wire (21a). Thread the ribbon
through one of the wire rectangles, fold down the edge of the ribbon and fold
that edge back toward the ribbon long end over the wire rectangle. Weave the
5” piece of wire back and forth through the three layers of the folded ribbon,
cinch the ribbon to the center of the wire (like you did with the tulle in step
8). Coil the wire ends back over the ribbon to keep it in place (21c). Tuck the
wire end in the coil with the chain nose pliers. Repeat for the other side.
Congratulations! All finished!
