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I love how the copper piping links the pictures together. A very different take on the typical "family tree"!












I was trying to find a unique way to display all of the old black and white photos I found in my grandparents home after they passed away. I made this for my uncle's cabin so it is quite rustic looking which is what I was going for.  I have since done a piece that is more modern in style. I have to say, I do love the rustic look with these pics.
I used cut wood blocks, painted the back with a thin paint wash in an off white colour and wiped the access paint off so that you can still see the wood grain through the paint. I then applied a liberal layer of artists gel medium with a paintbrush, took my laser print photo and placed it on top of my wood piece(face down-picture will show in mirror image). I used a pencil just to help get all the air bubbles out and let it dry for several hours/over night(no less than 6 hours). Take a spray bottle with water and spray the back of the picture then start peeling off the layers of paper(it's messy and takes patience!) just keep rubbing off the layers of paper with your fingers until you are satisfied with what you are seeing. Paint on another layer of gel medium that I thinned a bit with water over the picture and let dry! I then arranged them in different depths using additional wood blocks or thicknesses of wood and played around with the copper piping in different ways for accent. once I had everything where I wanted it I used a spay drill bit the diameter of my copper piping and drilled my wood to fit my piping. I used a pencil to trace the markings of where I wanted to drill. I drilled about 1/4inch in(enough to hold my copper in place. I secured the copper in with a clear silicone. let it dry. I then glued my wood block pieces to the wood backing which I had already painted. let it dry. I then used screws and secured each wood block to the backing from the back. I attached picture hangers to the back and "wooden you know it", another project complete!
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The great thing about this rustic piece is it's imperfection. The wood was as old and weathered as the pictures. That's what makes it so charming!
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Adding the copper piping was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle but the result was so worth it for the look I was trying to achieve.