Truest of Friends

Hello Friends,

What a fun time I have had working on this collage.  In fact, I cannot wait to start another!  This all began with one of the blank canvas boards I painted last week when I was in a funk and couldn't think of anything to make.  I'm now down to only one canvas from everything I painted, so I guess painting structures to challenge myself is working.  Today's post about this collage is informative but there are so many variations, from color to stamps, that I hope you take this as more of a jumping off point for your own work.

 

I gathered a few supplies for todays project.  I saw Cassie use this Media Marks 2 set (or maybe the smaller version - Mini Media Marks) on a card she posted and it really inspired me to use it today.

As I said, last week I painted a 9 x 12" canvas board along with a few other substrates.  It was easy to go into the craft room today and pick this up to start working.

I adhered a long strip of vintage ephemera across the center with Collage Medium.  This came from an old attendance book.

I used my rotary cutter to cut random sized strips of Memoranda paper.  I'm using the page at the back of the pad with four, 6 x 6" papers.  I chose this because you get different papers when you cut it into strips.

Adhered them above and below the ephemera.
I also painted a wash of Picket Fence paint over the Tumbled Glass paint.

Once it was dry, I used Hickory Smoke Archival Ink to stamp the image of rings from "Halftone and Rings" stamp set from Stampers Anonymous.  I could have gone with black ink but I don't really want the rings to be the stand-out.

Distress paint...haven't used it a while other than base painting but after Tim's Facebook Live on Saturday, I was inspired to get it out and use it.  I know I have picked some bright colors but many layers will be added so not to worry if that's not your jam.  I squeezed a little paint onto a piece of deli paper (easy clean up) then used my fingertip to add a large dot in each of the stamped images.

The hardest part is waiting for it to dry! uggg...you can't rush paint!

I decided to add a large Velum Scene to the canvas.  These are normally meant to be used with lights behind them to illuminate the velum but I decided to add it here to create a backdrop.

Please beware, the velum is quick to bubble over glue.  I've done this technique twice, once it was perfect and this time I went to dig in the drawer to find my brayer (novice move on my part).  When I came back, I had a bubble down the center.  90% of bubbles dry completely flat in 24 hours, but because I walked away from it I got a permanent bubble.  With that said, have your clean brayer out and ready to go before gluing.  If you don't have a brayer, I'd suggest a big heavy book or two.  Lest you think a bubble will stop me, it will not.

So I still had the painted space at the bottom of the canvas to work on but I didn't want to repeat the top "candy dots" so I went with stripes.  I hand cut small strips of paper and added them with Collage Medium in a random fashion.  I used stamps from Media Marks 2 to add details in between the strips of paper.  I thought I should add some color to match the top so I just painted some stripes with skinny paintbrush and used a cotton swab to add the dots of color in the stamped circles.

Can you see how small the print on the paper is?  I cut up paper at the back of the Memoranda Paper Pad which has 3 x 4" images of each paper.  Everything is scaled way down, which is great when you need small scale prints.
*Walnut Stain Distress Crayon was eventually added to match the top of the canvas.

So you know I couldn't leave the candy colors as they are right? 

1.  The first layer is Walnut Stain Distress Crayon.  Scribble it on and use a damp paintbrush to move it around.

Again, I always follow crayon work by pouncing over the top with a wet wipe.

2.  Picket Fence Crayon was added to each color circle on the center left and rubbed in.
3.  Walnut Stain Crayon was scribbled on the glass mat and picked up with the water brush and added to the right side to give the appearance that the dot is now a sphere.
*I will add more color and dimension once I finish the rest of the piece.

This stamp is also from the Media Marks 2 set.  I stamped with Archival ink onto Plain Collage Paper.

Then used the Detailer Water Brush to cut away each stem from the paper.

I added the leaf to the canvas with Collage Medium.

This is a great way to add images, especially when going over uneven surfaces where stamping could be a problem.  The added numbers came from Collage Paper Typeset.

I added a few more pieces of Collage Paper before moving on.

You could leave the stems as they are but I decided to color them with Peeled Paint Crayon and the Water Brush.

Use a Distress Splatter Brush to add flecks of white paint over the canvas.

Then the center piece...the three girls from Paper Dolls.  I created the pattern on the dress of the girl on the left by pouncing the tip of the Water Brush over the dress.  You know I love coloring the Paper Dolls and making patterns makes me even happier.  I used Dusty Concord for the dress and Fossilized Amber, Stormy Sky and Aged mahogany for the flowers.

The Paper Dolls were added to the canvas with Collage Medium.  I did not put Collage Medium over the top.  Clipping Stickers were added and well as marks using a white Posca paint pen.

You know I love the Clipping Sticker Book.  It's just so convenient to create short phrases using the stickers.  It's my favorite part of every project.

Now back to the candy circles.  I did two more things to the circles.
1. I still had lots of Distress Crayon colors scribbled on the palette of my Glass Media Mat.  I used a paintbrush to pick up some crayon and dry brush over each circle.  You can see that Aged Mahogany was used over the Twisted Citron and Peacock Feathers circles to add a contrast of color.  This is where working on a canvas surface is cool because the texture/weave of the canvas helps keep the contrasting color on top.
2. Use a Stabilo pencil to doodle and add pencil lines.

 They are not just candy dots anymore!

Because of Covid-19, I couldn't go out to get a frame so I used the next best thing, a frame I found when I cleaned out the closet in my office last weekend.  It had glass, which I disposed of.  I glued the canvas directly to the mat that was already in the frame.  Who knew a canvas panel I chose at random last week, would work with a frame long forgotten in a closet.  Perfect.  Like it was meant to be.

I hope you can glean some inspiration from todays project.  I'm grateful for the extra time to be creating more and sharing more!  

Now carry on,
paula

We Must all Stand Together

Hello Friends,

Today's project has a masculine feel and I love it.  I also loved working with the Divided Drawer because it's made from wood, which means you can nail directly into it.  I wanted to combine wire, with other metals and paper in the idea-ology line and this substrate allows me to do that.  It's also not as big as the Divided Box so it's a great place to start if you have never done a mixed media piece.

I gathered a few supplies I thought might work for the project.

Both the Divided Drawer and Box are easy to work with because the shelves pull out leaving the entire box open for painting or adding paper.  For this project, I painted the drawer and the large Finial with black paint, letting it dry completely, before sanding the wood to expose the grain (see below).  Once I wiped away the dust from sanding, I took the Vintage Photo Distress Ink Pad and rubbed it directly over the painted surface to "brown up" the exposed wood.  And in a final step, I painted a thin coat of Collage Medium over the wood to seal it and give it a rich finish.
I did add paper from the Abandoned Paper Stash to the back wall of the drawer, although it is hard to spot in the finished piece.  Once the paper was in, the two shelves were glued back into the drawer with Collage Medium.  NOTE: the three compartments are not even, so make sure the larger compartment is at the top of the box.

I love these Finials because they make any shadowbox project seem complete.  Here, I added an eyelet to a small label and tied it to the Finial.  In a project like this one, I always rub Collage Medium over the front and back of the label (or any hanging item) to strengthen the paper.  This simple step will make it last much longer. 

Top Compartment:

The two back pieces are able to stand up with the help of small wooden blocks glued to the back. 

Registered card - Urban Layers

Phrase "we must all stand together" -  Clipping Sticker Book

Playing card - Baseboard Junk Drawer

Round card - Urban Layers (fits perfectly into the Monocle)

Key - Locket Keys + string
Monocle - red paint was used in the number

I thought I'd show you how I got the Monocle to stay in place on the lip edge of the drawer.  I cut a piece of wire and began wrapping through the hole at the top of the Monocle.  Make sure you leave wire on both ends (kinda like two tails).  Around and around until I had 4 loops on each side.  I drove a tack nail into the side of the drawer, about a 1/4" below the top edge.  Using needle nose pliers, I wrapped the two "tails" of wire around the tack nail leaving enough slack so the Monocle could sit flat on the lip edge.  I did add a bit of glue under the handle of the monocle to keep it level.

Center Section:

I cut 20+ pieces of  3 x 3" Distress Heavystock. With all the cut Heavystock on a craft mat, I sprayed them with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and dried them with the Heat-it Tool, repeating on the back side.  Next I glued ripped strips of vintage book paper to the center of the cards, so when folded, the text would show up.  I also inked the edged with Walnut Stain Distress ink and sprayed some of them with Iced Spruce and Weathered Wood Oxide Spray.  Once dry, I stitched down the fold line, leaving the threads long so they can be seen.

Before adding them to the compartment, I glued some together, added other ripped pieces and bundled a few with string.

The photo is from Photobooth.  I tinted it and roughed it up by bending the corners.  I added the eyelets with my Crop-a-dile, then ran a piece of wire through one eyelet, and up and out the other.  I hammered two tack nails into the edge of the wood, then wrapped the wire around each tack nail.  I was a bit worried about the sharp ends of the wire so I bent them back with small needle nose pliers.

Bottom Compartment:
The target has been cut on the left side to fit in the box (it is a whole circle in the pack). The pieces stand up with the help of small wooden blocks glued to the back.  All pieces have been rubbed with Distress Crayons in Walnut Stain or Evergreen Bough (in the case of the target).

Number card- Urban Layers
Target - Urban Layers
Metal bolt in the center of target - Machinery Heads
Small Arrow - Adornment Arrows with Gold Mixative Alcohol Ink + Mushroom Alcohol Ink
Number label - Field Notes Ephemera Pack
Chess piece - Small Finial painted red

Well, that's it!  I hope you liked todays tutorial.  The Divided Drawer makes a great substrate for so many things and so many styles.  This would look totally different if it was painted white and had flowers and butterflies inside.  The thing is, it would still work.

Now carry on,

paula