5 posts tagged “collage”

In typical fashion, I had a list of things to do this weekend.  Most of which pertained to gettin' crafty.  There was "take stuff to storage" that I have yet to scratch off the list.  Ugh, that is so mundane!  I am proud to announce that while I have yet to take crap to the storage unit, I did indeed get crafty!

First, I finished a project that had been started a long time ago.  I just realized that I have not blogged about the pieces, so it is really "new" to you!  My very first attempt at beeswax collage (and second attempt) were two small-ish pieces, 5x7 and 6x9 roughly.  I used some loose tarot cards along with pages from books, various metal ephemera and natural gemstones.  I had them up on the wall, but the background for both is the plain eggshell color of canvas.  Against the plain eggshell color of rental apartment walls, well--they pretty much just faded in.  I decided to use some decorative paper as a mat of sorts. 

These look so much better in person, and close up.  Click on the image to zoom, if you care to.  

The first collage is the bigger of the two.  It has two tarot cards used, the Page of Rods and the Nine of Cups.  They are obviously from different decks.  I have an old key under wax, and a metal frame with a very small lion door knocker on the top.  I used green and gold crayons to add color.  The first layer includes a page from a Japanese book.  Not sure which one, sorry.  I also have a piece of garnet in between the cards.  The green paper I choose really goes well with the muted tones of this piece.

The second collage is the smaller of the two.  I actually used the lid from a cigar box for this.  I think the lid was cut off because the box itself was used for the Grandma Shrines.  This collage only has one tarot card, due to space issues.  It is the Seven of Cups.  I have a little image with a mermaid sitting pensive like under the sea on the bottom corner.  The first layer is a page from a French book.  Like the Japanese one, I do not know what book it is from.  On top of the French page, I have a page ripped out from a separate book.  The image is of a lion and the text under him reads "Tales of the Lost Land".  I tried to incorporate some purple alcohol ink, but it came out a little screwy.   I have a piece of Galena, which is a crystallie form of Silver and lead on the top right corner.  I got the stone at The Guiding Tree.  The paper I choose is an irredescent orange paper that reminds me of Rainbow Brite's dress, but in orange instead of blue.   It really pulls out the orange tones of the French paper. 
I enjoy incorporating symbolism in my collage's.  You can pretty much guarantee that the cards and items chosen for these pieces have meaning.  I will let you do the research!

The second project that I completed was a collage using a four-set picture of myself.  The picture was taken last year, 6/7/08, at a wedding.  It was pretty much one of the last things me and the ex did before The Big Split. The couple had a photo booth for their guests to jump in and get their pic taken. The idea was that you were to leave the pic in a vase for the couple.  For whatever reason, we decided to keep ours.  Maybe it was to cherish the precious memories of being completely uncomfortable and loveless.  Or maybe because I knew it would make a fantastic collage!

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This piece is around 8x10, and on white foam core.  The background paper is by Glitz Designs, the pattern called 'Glam Doodles'.  I adhered the paper to the foam core using Yes! paste.  I used Lumiere by Jacquard paint in Emerald to paint in my own green swirls.  The glittery butterfly on the top is actually just a found object.  I did not make it, and I have no recollection as to where I got it! The swirly thing that is holding my pictures in place is Tim Holtz Grungeboard.  Grungeboard is a very strange tagboard-like material.  It kind of feels like leather, but it is supposedly of the earth.  I covered the swirl with ColorBox Cats Eye pigment ink in Sapphire Silk.  A word to the wise: pigment ink on Grungeboard takes an eternity to dry naturally.  You WILL need to use a heat gun. Even though the Cats Eye stamp pads are tiny and easy to use, I still used a sponge dauber to apply the ink on the narrow surface of the swirls.  I applied a Grungeboard crown to the top of my head in the second frame.  I painted it with--you guessed it--Lumiere!  I went with Royal Purple for contrast.  I applied a white, purple and pink rhinestone strategically on the collage for added texture and appeal.  Lastly, I included the date on the left and the title of the piece on the right.  The title is "Absolutely nothing is missing".  This title is fitting because as one could guess, half of the photo is conspicuously absent.  Not missing.  It was intentionally removed.  I would like to take this moment to say that I removed a certain someone from the image not because I am bitter, but because I personally thought I looked totally adorable in the picture and thought that there have been better pictures taken of him.  That is to say: the camera was not as generous to him as it was to me in this instance! I also really enjoyed the fact that the four pictures don't really look like me at all.  It is kind of funny!

The third project I completed was part of an idea that has been hatching in my brain for some time now.  It is part of a series, I think.  I have a bunch of very decorative and pretty 12x12 paper that I always thought were too pretty some how to be covered up with pictures and tossed in a scrapbook.  I thought it would be cool to just have the paper almost as a focal point of the collages.  Since I enjoy words, I decided to use different ones that I liked on these collages.  The first completed one is 'Adventure'. 

Well, I can finally relax and---Craft for myself again!! YIPPEE!

On that note, I can also finally post the crafts that I made as gifts for people.  Sadly, I gave two things that I did NOT get pictures of.  One was an amethyst necklace for my mom that the lady at Beads Forever said "This is actually a very nice piece you have made" (giggle!).  The second was an asian noddle/rice bowl for my brother that I painted at Amazin Glazin.  I will have to ask them to send pictures. 

Kristen wax collage

This is the beeswax collage I made for my sister.  The background paper is indeed a music sheet for Waltz of the Flowers.  For her name, I went to Goodwill and bought a $5 keyboard and pulled off all the letters.  The 'I' and the 'E' were used in my brothers.  So I had to get creative with hers.  Since I already had the 'K' card, I decided to do altered alphabets with hers versus the brothers.  The rubon above the K is the definition of sisters.  Beneath that is a little patch that says "Be Yourself"  I used two miniature doilies and adhered them behind her ear to look like a flower.  I think it is really cute.  The tagboard next to her says "To Thine own self be true".  Below that is a poem about a young lady.  I think it is super cute. 

Michael wax collage

This is the collage for my brother.  The background music is LIebestraume Love Dreams.  The patch reads "Undeniably You".  That is an actual CD that I stuck on to the collage. I used Technique Tuesday stamps with Stazon ink to stamp "That only you can tell" (to go with the above "There is a story inside you".  There is a little mexican bingo card sticking out behind the CD that has La Violincello on it.  He played the viola all through school.  I really like this one, but the wax heated up around his eye so it kind of looks like he has a port-wine stain on his face.  He does not.  It was just the way the paper reacted with the wax and heat.  Plus, I am a novice. 

So there we are!  I got a Serger for Christmas!  I am gonna be a sewing maniac!  Just as soon as I am done being lazy.  I had kind of a long week.  I hope Christmas and the Holiday season in general treated you well!! 

I found this lovely lady at an antique store in Lincoln City during none other than Antique Week!  She became my third attempt at Beeswax collage, and first at failing it.  Which is a total shame because she was the one that I wanted to turn out right.  Of course.  Some mending later, including smearing adhesive on the mirrors (fixable, if not annoying), I realize I should have used Enviro Tex on her.  THAT would have looked cool.  Hind site.  Lame.

Pretty girl

There is a storm a brewin' here in the Oregon area, and I had already planned on calling this Saturday a crafty one. 

1. I need to finish making, sign and send Christmas cards.
2. I need to get started/complete a couple Beeswax collages I have in mind for gifts.  Check out this link if you don't know what it is.  Or check out this one. 
3. I have an "altering" project I have in mind for a gift.

Sorry so vague.  I think the few readers there are of this blog are the future recipients of the fore-mentioned gifts!!

*General complaint: I really don't like rotary paper cutters.  I will fight Fiskars-Fuzz any day of the week over the half-assed job a rotary paper "cutter" does.

*Another Complaint: Has anyone else noticed how Hermafix is not nearly as good as it used to be?  Let me rephrase that.  Hermafix used to be THE go-to adhesive.  Now it just pisses me off, to the point of wanting to write a letter to EK Success.  Not that that would do me any good at all.

It just dawned on me that the offending rotary cutter AND Hermafix are both from EK! I don't believe in coincedences!!  Sorry, no links- they don't deserve it.

That is off my chest.  For now.

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Remember those tags I included in the invitations?  This is where they will end up! 

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This is the side that will be the "cover" if you will for all the 'Wishes for Brylie' cards.  The was preprinted with the word Remember.  I typed up on my Royal typewriter "Brylie,".  The ribbon says 'Live Long Laugh Often", then I typed "and most of all" Love much.  Cute!

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This is the cover for the 'Advice for Azure' side.  The card is preprinted with 'She said'.  I typed with the trusty Royal "pearls of wisdom".  Between the two statements I bought 3 glass baubles and painted them with Pearl Alcohol Ink.  So they look like little pearls, but had the flat back so they were easy to adhere to the tag book!

I couldn't just present the tagbook as is, I needed some kind of holder.  And at this point, I can't just buy one.  See, this is the only problem with homemade things.  You set a precedent for the future.

Pail to hold tag book

I designed this pail using leftover paper from the invites.  Again, tying everything together.  The girl holding the star and the definition on top are rubons by Jenni Bowlin Studio.  I used Yes! Paste adhesive to adhere and coat the paper onto the pail.  The rubon stuck to the partially dried paste like glue- I did not even have to rub it on!  I will say, I then did another coat of Yes! Paste on top of the rub on, but the paste kind of appeared "wet".  Hard to explain, but it was not uniform in apperance on the rubon.  But it did the job.  Oh yeah, and it stayed tacky for a while-- think 3 days!  On Saturday morning before the shower I was waving a heat gun madly over it.  That did the trick!

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The back and side of the pail.  I can't recall what company made the large words rubons.  The cute tage that says "Open Please" is by Cavallini. 

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Pretty much all components within this project were purchased at Collage.