Lace Doily
Golden GAC 400 medium
Instant Iron and Instant Rust by Modern Options
Firm brush and styrofoam plate or tray
It took some looking but I finally found a lace doily just the right size and shape at a local craft store. When I went back for more, they were gone, but I was able to locate the same product online at the following link: Lace Doilies You could use any lace from which you can cut a frame shape to suit your photo.
GAC 400 is Golden’s version of a fabric stiffener, and it works better than most. But, painting lace is not easy! The best approach is to pour the GAC onto the styrofoam tray, lay the lace in it, and then turn it over so it is pretty well soaked. Use a stiff brush to poke the medium into any spaces that have air bubbles.
Pick the doily up by one end and let the excess medium run off. Blot on paper towels. Meanwhile, pour the left over medium back into the bottle and rinse the tray. Lay the doily back on the clean tray to dry. Dry for several hours turning now and then so it won’t stick to the tray.
When the lace is completely dry and stiff, use a sharp scissors to cut away the middle.
Choose your cut carefully in order to leave a clean border for your “frame”. The lace will cut pretty easily and not fray.
Take measurements of the opening so you can size your photo accordingly.
Rusting the lace is a two step process. Place the lace frame on waxed paper and paint it with Modern Options Instant Iron. You will need a stiff brush to get it into the holes. Apply two coats and let dry between coats.
When the second coat has dried, turn the frame face down and apply 3-4 coats of Instant Rust, letting each coat dry before applying the next. The rusting effect will be best on the side of the frame that is face down on the paper. Instant Rust is thin and runny and will soak through. For more info on this process, see the Treasure Bottle article in Now What? Volume 4.
You will want to use the inner frame dimensions to make a suitable print of the photo you will frame. Because this artwork will not be framed behind glass, the photo needs to be protected in some way. You could laminate it, spray it with an acrylic coating, or actually use a thin piece of plexiglass behind your frame.
I did not want any glossy surfaces in my composition, so I chose to make the print itself indestructible. I also wanted to create the illusion that the picture was on the naked canvas. I used an Epson C82 printer which has waterproof ink and printed on a sheet of Cre8it Water Proof Inkjet Canvas. You will see a little later just how indestructible the resulting print is.
