Fabulous Vintage Faux Brick Frame and Collage with Perfect Paints
Hey, friends! It's Walter here on the blog with you today and I'm continuing on with the vintage theme of my last project. This time I'm sharing how you may use Perfect Paints products to transform a very inexpensive wooden frame into a fabulous frame with faux bricks and lots of vintage flair. I paired the frame with a gorgeous vintage collage that looks amazing housed inside the frame. Of course, you may use a picture or art of your own inside the frame. However, I find it so fun to create art with vintage items to tell a story . . . and what a story this project tells! Be sure to read through to the end to learn the story and symbolism of this piece.
I used the following items to create this project:
49 and Market Royal Spray Flowers - Ivory
Wooden frame from the Dollar Store
Brick Stencil or Die
Stacking Heart Dies
Lace Die (or pieces of lace)
Antique Key Mould (or actual antique key)
Foam Cosplay Clay (if making own key)
White Cardstock
Chipboard
Distress Inks: Antique Linen, Tea Stain, Vintage Photo, Scorched Timber, Weathered Wood
Black Ink
Mod Podge
Old Magazines and/or photos (or whatever you'd like to frame)
Directions
Let's start with how I made the frame. I removed the wooden back from the frame, set it to the side, and painted the frame with Halo Shimmering Matte Acrylic.
While the paint dried, I created a stencil for the faux brick using a brick cover die, a piece of cardstock, and my die cutting machine. You may also use a brick stencil if you have one. I decided to use the Shimmering Stucco for the faux brick effect as I knew it would provide the perfect texture for the brick. I mixed some of the Shimmering Stucco with some Shadow Shimmering Matte Acrylic to darken the color of the brick.
I decided to use the Shimmering Stucco for the faux brick effect as I knew it would provide the perfect texture for the brick. I mixed some of the Shimmering Stucco with some Shadow Shimmering Matte Acrylic to darken the color of the brick.
It was now time to stencil the faux bricks onto the frame! I aligned the stencil onto the upper left-hand corner of the frame and started to apply the stucco mixture with a palette knife. I worked down the left-hand side of the frame and then across the top and stopped when it was time to move the stencil. I would then align the stencil to start the next section of frame and apply additional stucco mixture, and continued until the entire frame was covered.
You may use the palette knife to smooth them over or correct the bricks if you're not happy with them. It's okay if your bricks aren't "perfect." I actually think it's better that there be imperfections as it makes them look older and gives the frame additional character. It didn't take long for the frame to dry since it's a thin coat of the stucco mixture on the frame. Once dry, I used ink blending brushes to rub some Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Weathered Wood) and a light coat of black ink over the bricks and frame. This adds a more vintage look to it and helps to add some additional color shading to the bricks.
The frame is now essentially complete! You may stop here if you're adding a photo or existing piece of art to the frame. I wanted to create a piece of art to be showcased in the frame and knew that I wanted it to have a vintage look to it. I decided upon a collage type of art piece using some printed copies of vintage publications. I fell in love with this picture of the couple on a canoe ride from the cover of the August 1908 issue of the Muncey Magazine. I wanted their story to be shared and told! I thought it would look really cool to have it set against a background of some old paper. I knew exactly where to turn for that - a page from an 1892 issue of the Ladies Home Journal.
I scanned both the Muncey Cover and Ladies Home Journal page, saved them, and printed them out on white cardstock. I cut the picture to size and added some additional aging to it with Antique Lace and Tea Dye Distress Inks. I then used a plastic knife to distress the edges of the photo by rubbing it around the edges and ran some Scorched Timber Distress Ink around the edges.
I then mixed a small amount of Vintage Patina Shimmering Matte Acrylic with Perfect Glaze Medium to create a translucent patina glaze to paint onto the article from The Ladies Home Journal. I think the greenish blue glaze provides a nice juxtaposition to the picture and the frame.
I cut the article to size and adhered it to the wooden back of the frame with Mod Podge. I had cut two triangular lace borders with a lace die, white cardstock, and my die cutting machine. You may also use pieces of real lace if you have them on hand. I used Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Inks to age the lace borders and then glued one down to bottom right and left corners of the article.
I then decided where to place the picture, put both double sided tape and craft glue onto the back of it, and pressed it down to the article. A small sentiment was created by typing "let me call you sweetheart" (a popular song of the times!) into my label maker and printing it out. I glued it down under the picture.
I now had to decide what additional items to add to the collage. I used Afterglow Shimmering Matte Acrylic to paint some Ivory flowers from 49 and Market and Vintage Patina Shimmering Matte Acrylic to add some nice sparkle to the leaves. I decided on placement of the flowers and leaves and glued them down to the collage.
I used Afterglow Shimmering Matte Acrylic to paint some to paint some small hearts cut out using stacking heart dies and chipboard. Once dry, I applied a thin coat of X-Small Glass Beads to the two hearts. I had also cut out a larger set of hearts from chipboard and painted those with Vintage Mercury Shimmering Matte Acrylic. I glued the smaller hearts into the centers of the larger hearts and glued them down to the collage.
The final piece of ephemera for the collage is an antique key. You may use a metal one, or even a paper one, if you have one. I had previously made one with a mould and some Foam Cosplay Clay. The foam clay is very light and the dried piece may be attached to the frame without adding much weight. I painted the key with Shadow Shimmering Matte Acrylic and added some Vintage Patina Shimmering Matte Acrylic to age it further. I gued the key down to the side of the frame.
The collage was set in place in the frame and the project was complete. Here are a couple of closeup views of it:
Not only did I create a beautiful frame and piece of art; I also created a beautiful story brought to life by them. This young couple is taking a canoe ride down the river on a beautiful spring afternoon. The young man croons "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" as the woman listens as she relaxes under her parasol. The flowers symbolize the growing love between them, the lace the intricate pattern of their love, and the key is the key to heart that is his for the taking.
I hope that you enjoyed this project and the story that I created around it! I look forward to spending some time here with you soon. Until then . . . be well!
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