I Will Be Crafty If It Kills Me

Something about turning 50 makes me want to be creative.   The problem is that I have never been very crafty.   I failed Elementary School Art. A BIG FAT F!!   Not many kids can say that....but I think I frustrated every teacher at Byrns Darden Elementary School.   If we did String Art, I would have a lob-molly that no one could unknot.   Pinata's would have more glue and tissue paper stuck on my hands than on the paper.   I tried so hard, but could never quite do what my mind could envision.  

Flash forward a few years and I am in college taking Teaching Art to Elementary School Children.   The Professor assured me that anyone can draw when I expressed anxiety over having to have a sketchbook.  I very carefully followed every direction that he gave me, and when I finally had a sketch book check he remarked, "Well....maybe your book work will bring your grade up."   Thank God that I am very good at studying from the book!

Ever since my birthday I want to try it again.  I enjoy doing crafts, I just rarely ever turn out anything that looks good.   Today I decided to try my hand at crackle painting.   I watched several tutorials on you tube. It seemed straight forward enough.  I stopped by the Dollar Tree on my way home and picked up some picture frames to try it on.   I have some birthday cards that I have been wanting to display in frames.  I haven't been able to find any white picture frames...so I decided to make my very own crackle paint frames.

I started with this..

I tried to sand it and ended up with this.

So...I decided to do this and then hot glue it.   I ended up
with a cut from the little metal thingys and a burn on my
thumb....but I keep trying.

I painted my base color gray.  I added glue, and when it
was tacky, I added a coat of white.   It was supposed
to crackle, but it never did.   I keep adding multiple coats and sometimes
wipe it off....paint some more, wipe some more.

It just didn't look good for a long time.   But I finally gave it a final coat and came up with something I think looks alright.   What do you think?   

I think it looks "distressed."   Maybe all of my art work looks "distressed."   Yeah....that's a good word for it....

Update:   Finished Product....