Monday, April 27, 2015

Jigsaw Puzzle Wall Art Tutorial

A few weeks ago my DH (dear hubby) finished putting a jigsaw puzzle together.  It was so beautiful that he wanted us to prepare it for hanging on a wall.  I'm posting a tutorial here for making a jigsaw puzzle suitable for hanging.  This is my first tutorial so please bear with me.  I'll do the best I can.

 He put the puzzle together on a piece of plywood that was larger than the puzzle.  No photo for this.  Sorry.  I told you this is my first tutorial.  I'll try to do better next time.

Here are a few of the tools used for the project.

After he put the puzzle together I brushed a layer of Mod Podge all over it with a soft brush.  Then I carefully scraped off the excess with a putty knife.  The next day I put another thin layer of Modge Podge on it in the same manner.  This holds the puzzle pieces together. 

After the 2 layers were dry we carefully slipped a mat board the same size of the puzzle under it.  
 

Using 1 x 4 white pine my husband made a frame for the puzzle.  He ripped the wood pieces to1 3/4 inches wide.  He then cut out 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch inside the edges to inlay the picture.  He cut a pattern in the outside of the frame material with a router, then cut it into four pieces the lengths and widths of the picture.  He cut the corners forty five degrees. 


He used 4 penny nails and wood glue to hold the corners together.  He laid the frame on a piece of cardboard from a flattened box and stained it with wood stain.  When it was finished we placed the puzzle and mat board into the frame and used staples to hold it in place.  Then we put a screw eye about a third of the way down from the top on each side of the frame on the back, twisted the ends of the picture wire through one of them and twisted the wire to secure it. We put the other end through the other screw eye, pulled it taut, twisted the wire end and the picture was ready to hang.


 FINISHED PICTURE

I would like to say that it’s hanging on our wall, but it was not to be.  There’s a Native American young man who works at the golf course where my husband plays golf.  DH thinks highly of him and wanted to give the picture to him if he wanted it.  Unfortunately for me, he loved it BIG TIME!  It’s now hanging on his wall I presume.  Now I’m trying to find another puzzle like it for me.   















Friday, April 3, 2015

Skagit Valley Tulip Fields

So much for my goal to post here frequently.  I see it's been a month since the last one.  Since my husband's last heart attack my emotions have been all over the place...from totally numb to depression to anxiety.  Some days I have to push myself to do much of anything.  He still has a lot of heart issues to deal with, but he just keeps plugging along.  He has slowed down a lot, but he refuses to stop no matter how he feels.  He's one tough guy and I thank God for that!

I planned to post a tutorial, but my brain isn't functioning well enough to do a good job of it, so I'll concentrate on our Skagit Valley tulip fields.  They bloomed two weeks early this year because of the unusually warm winter and spring.  Tourists come from all over the U.S. and some foreign countries to view the awesome sight.  Anybody who planned to visit during the last half of April might be disappointed when they see that the tulips have been deadheaded. 

I haven't been out in the valley to see them yet.  It used to be easy to go early in the morning or evening, but the crowds keep getting larger, come earlier and stay longer.  We could wander through the fields, but now we have to pay to walk through them.  I don't blame the growers for starting to charge.  Not only does it give them income, but also limits the damage to the tulips.  Most viewers are courteous and careful, but there are some who don't have a clue.  The fields can still be viewed from the fence lines without paying and great photos can be taken from that position. 

Here are a few photos from last year.  Enjoy.