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