Native American Wedding Prayer

Native American Wedding Prayer           

The Native American peoples have many customs and beliefs that have been shared with us. This wedding prayer is one that I love and cherish….it is the words my husband and I spoke at our wedding twenty six years ago. I knew when these thin sheets of handmade paper dried that they would be perfect to use in creating this art piece. The finished piece will be an anniversary gift for Charles to remind him how much he is loved.

Supplies

• Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits
• Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels
• A sunny window
• Scraps of off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Scraps of off white matt board to die cut, 7 ¾ x 9 ¾” for backing
• Several colors of Sculpey® polymer clay (you will want to mix the colors to match the ink
   colors) I used Souffle': #SU 6001 Igloo, # SU6665 Cinnamon, #SU6301 Latte
• Petroglyph molds
• Dedicated clay oven

• Stamps:

Stamp A Mania™ (NA Wedding and large background petroglyph)

 Hampton Art™ (tiny Turtle petroglyph)

• Die: 

Feathers and small hand (steel rule dies)

• SpellbindersTM Platinumn™ die cutting and embossing machine

• Beacon Power-TacTM   and  ZipDry™ adhesives

• Double sided foam tape

• B & J Art Stamps™ Inkredible!™ Pigment Plus ink pads ( Dessert Peach, Terra Cotta and Straw

        Khaki)

• 8 x 10 x 1” substrate

• Old credit card

Instructions:

1. Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off
    white slurry and create two or more thin sheets of paper..  

2. Allow the paper to dry.

3. Use the Dessert Peach ink and the petroglyph background stamp to stamp all over two sheets of
    handmade paper. 

4. Tear four pieces of stamped paper into strips large enough to cover the sides and a little of the
     back edges of the substrate. 

5. When the ink is dry, use the cc to spread a thin coat of ZipDry™ adhesive onto the sides of the
    substrate and attach the torn strips.

6. Use the cc to apply a thin coat of ZipDry™ adhesive to the .front of the substrate. Attach the
    stamped paper to the front and sides of the substrate, smooth out any wrinkles.

7. Use the Terra Cotta ink to stamp the Native American wedding prayer onto a large piece of the
     stamped paper.

8. Tear the edges of the stamped paper.

9. Use the Dessert Peach ink pad to apply ink to all of the edges of the paper wrapped substrate
     and the edges of the stamped paper. (Vary the amount of color.)

10. Add touches of Terra Cotta ink to some of the edges of both the substrate and the stamped paper.

11. Die cut 2 of the feathers and 1 hand from the scrap matt board.12. Color the two die cut
      feathers and the hand with the inks.

13. When the ink is dry, stamp the tiny Turtle petroglyph into the hand with Straw Khaki.

14. Attach the NA wedding prayer to the right hand front of the substrate with ZipDry™ adhesive.

15. Mix tiny amounts of Sculpey™ clay to achieve matching colors (Terra Cotta and Straw Khaki).

16.   Place mixed clay into the petroglyph molds. Remove the clay from the molds and trim the
        edges.

17.   Follow the instruction found on the Sculpey™ clay package for temperature and baking time.

16. Allow the clay to cool.

17. Attach the clay petroglyph pieces to the stamped paper and the feathers with Power-Tac™

18. Overlap the feathers and attach them to the left side of the the substrate with Power-Tac™
      adhesive.

19. Add a small piece of double sided foam tape to the bottom part of the hand die cut and attach to
      the bottom right of the stamped paper.

20. Use ZipDry™ adhesive to attach the matt board piece to the back of the substrate.

21. Place it on a small rustic easel to display.

Close up of clay petroglyphs and die cut feathers

Close up of NA Wedding prayer

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TAGS: Arnold Grummer, Michele Emerson-Roberts, handmade, paper, Polymer clay, die cuts, stamping