Mixed Media Bird collages

I found these two wood Easter plaques at Goodwill, but they had come from Target’s Dollar spot.

I like the using ‘box type’ design for making collages.  The sides of these were already colors and designs that I liked and could work with!

I had some pretty new paper napkins with bird eggs on them that I was itchin’ to play with, so I decided on a bird theme for these two plaques.

A few layers of book pages, then the napkin, then a couple more book pages cut into ‘fancy shapes’, then a rectangle from a Chinese magazine and a bird illustration from a bird book.  A quote from a book and of COURSE, a crown!

What do you think of my new photo backdrop?

With all the warm and dry weather we’ve been having I got a few ‘personal’ painting projects done.  One of which was this shelf and the table it sits on.  This ‘shelf’ is actually 1/2 of an old coffee table that was once a display shelf in my booth at Stars.

These are the pictures from ‘back when’ I used them as display shelves in my booth.   I’m now using the half coffee table as  a shelf atop halr of a dining table that is in my ‘office’ (which should be the dining room!)

The lamp has always been in this spot.  I bought it to go with this collection of similarly shaped bottles; which used to be on a shelf in my living room.  I had hoped to figure out a way to display them all together in the living room; but I just couldn’t make it work.  So I settled for this set up; which I like just fine.

And the second collage; styled fairly similarly to the first one.

I extended the napkins over the edges, and they are sheer enough that the original side color and design show through.

This is really my FAVORITE part of them!  hehe

Since the pieces were rectangular in shape, I oriented them in different directions.

They are available for purchase in my booth at Stars.

Another mixed media collage

I bought ‘a bunch’ of these wire topped wall plaques at the dollar store, YEARS ago!

I didn’t really like them for what they WERE; rather for what they could BECOME.

That’s what I did with them ‘back when’ we had our own gift store.  I found ONE last one recently and decided it was time to use it up.

First I covered with assorted papers; including some vintage pattern paper as the last coat.  Using them as the last coat adds a nice ‘softness’ to the look and sort of ‘blends them all together’.

I painted a heart with wings; glittered the wings, and cut out words form a old book to put on the heart.

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NOW I just need to figure out what I want to do with the rest of these backgrounds that are ‘ready to go!

STILL in ‘collage mode’ . . .

Getting a few ‘Valentin-ish’ ones made.

These wood hearts with wings were purchased unfinished from Dollar Tree several years ago.  Glued vintage sheet music to it first then embellished a bit.

Just slightly altered gift box.  Such a sweet faces little cherub on this thrift store box, I HAD to buy it!  I filled it with my custom blend of paper shred (as I do with ALL my gift boxes) and added the love definition on the left side, the stamped ‘bliss’ tag and gave her a hand cut gold glittered crown.

Super simple bird collages.  Scrap book embellishment birds mounted on old book pages in repainted and antiqued thrifted frames.

More birds in similar frames but with a more layered background.

The birds have a little bit if shimmer to them.

Old dictionary pages and scrap-book paper with script writing for the background.

More layers of papers and paper lace on this backing.

Having used up all the birds I had, it was time to move on to the sea life embellishments.  Seahorse in a tiny frame and pair of starfish on dictionary page with tea stained backing.

Seahorse and starfish.

Seahorse and sand dollars.

Sea shells.

In the past, I have also done assemblages like this using REAL shells.  Leave the glass out and use a sand paper or burlap backing to glue the shells to.  (for gluing on bulkier things like that I use e6000 adhesive)

Another KEY collage?!?!?  This one is just a sticker though.  I’m really trying to USE UP a lot of the scrapbook paper and embellishments I have ‘invested’ in over the years.  I buy a lot of this kind of stuff but so seldom actually USE it.  And I am NOT even a scrapbooker!  I just love the STUFF!!!!

Paris chic fleur de lis.

These metal fluer ‘charms’ (BIG charms!) I bought at the craft store.

Wishing now that I had bought more of these when they had them.  Thinking they would be neat to use on furniture.

Metal pocket watch ‘charm’ bought same as the fleurs.  Wonder what they were intended to be used for???

Bought these glitter crowns a while back from a wholesale website and had NO IDEA how I would use them.  finally came up with this.

I hand stamped the saying.

NOW, I really have to start doing some OTHER kinds of crafts!!!

Altered tins

Got these cute rectangular tins EONS ago; when we were still doing primarily primitives in our store in Hillsboro.  I think they had repro vintage laundry detergent labels on them.  They were on clearance and super cheap, so I bought a CASE of them; in sets of 3 graduated sizes.  The smallest about the size of a box of band-aids.

I did sell a few of them ‘as purchased’ in a little laundry vignette in the store with old wash tubs, wash boards, old clothespins etc.  (the above three are currently at Stars)

STILL had a lot of them left.  So I made primitive tea stained labels to put on some of them to sell alongside the vintage bottles that I similarly labeled.  (photo from Stars 2010)

You can see the can a little better in this picture.  So I did that with a bunch of them and sold them as such.  Then I started working on more of them and got as far as covering the original label with dark brown or tea stained paper; then I stopped.  Recently found that box of them; and with those ‘blank canvases’ made these new altered versions:

So I dug through my piles of scrapbook paper and embellishments and started layering stuff on!

even did the sides of some of them!

And some had to be covered on the backside too because they were all scratched up.

From my previous experience with selling these in our store, I knew that people would HAVE to take the lids off.   That’s the first thing they did when they would pick them up to look at them.  Take the lid off.  Even though they are obviously EMPTY.  It’s just human nature.  We want to SEE what’s inside.  But the lids were a very snug fit and it took time to get them back on.  Hence, at the end of every day at the store, I had to walk around and puts the lids back on all the tins!  sigh.  Since I can’t ‘be there’ to replace  the lids at the malls, and don’t want them to ‘go missing’  (you’d be amazed at what ‘walks out’ of those places!?!) I GLUED them on when I started this project!  (which does NOT necessarily guarantee that I WON’T find them with the lids taken off!)  double sigh!

I just sat at my coffee table in front of the TV one evening, glue bottle in hand, and altered away! (Aleen’s tacky glue is the ONLY glue I use!)

The ‘fauxen’ (faux frozen!) Charlotte’s are ones I molded with Sculpey clay.  Bought the mold to make them on etsy.

The moon face is molded clay too.  (Got this mold at the craft store)  The key is from a pack designed for paper crafts; flat on the back side so they glue down nicely.

And the top of that one.

Another face from the same mold set.  Embossed butterfly bought in a package at craft store.  You’ll notice that I also used these as wings for some of the Charlottes.

And another flat back key.

Vintage looking photos from an embellishment pad.  TONS of great stuff in that thing!

Bingo card from the same pad.  Tiny clay moon face on butterfly.

These particular crowns are made from a paper die cut.  (not a die cut MACHINE; don’t have one of those YET!  But the little single ones you can buy at the craft store)

Another (smaller!) Charlotte.  I used my Ralph Lauren tobacco glaze to ‘antique’ the Charlottes and moon faces.

The biggest Charlotte of the bunch.  These wings I cut myself from scrap paper.

The top.

Pink!

Vintage dictionary page is from an actual old dictionary.  I use the paper from it a LOT.  Really inexpensive to buy at a thrift store.  Another ‘flat back’ key.  The vintage post card images are cut from a 12×12 sheet of scrapbook paper covered with them.

Top.

Half a Charlotte???  Well, I didn’t have enough clay left to make a whole one and I didn’t want to waste that last little bit of it! (what can I say?  Waste not, want not!)

Top.

Bird cage die cut from an embellishment pack.

Top.

Just layers of papers and a single embellishment.

Top.  ALL the tops have at least a strip of paper on them.  I only took pictures of the tops that I added MORE than just the paper to.

Another vintage look picture from the pad.

Top.

Funny cartoon image from the embellishment pad.

And another one of those flat keys.  Now that I’ve actually USED the keys, I’m wishing that I had bought MORE of them!

But more often that not, I buy stuff like that ‘when it catches my eye’ and it’s sometimes YEARS before I actually USE it.  And by then, if I decide I want MORE, they don’t have them anymore?!?!  But maybe that’s a GOOD thing!

I did all of these in one evening, in front of the TV.

Summer HAS arrived in the Pacific Northwest!

And with a VENGEANCE!  Hoooooo-EEEEEEEEEE it is ever HOT!!  I have been waiting ever so patiently for ‘good painting weather to arrive’ and it just NEVER came?!?!  We went from WET spring weather to HOT summer.  A few sunny days here and there prior to this, but never long enough to drag several projects outside to work on at the same time and not have to put them back in every night.  

I just do NOT do well in the heat anymore.  I’ve been keeping wet wash cloths in the frig and grab one to wrap around my neck as I head outside to do a little painting.  I last maybe 10 minutes, head inside for a new cold cloth and cool of for 15-20 minutes before I venture outside again.  

The paint sure DRIES fast in this weather; that’s for sure!

So I’m trying to finish up a bunch of little projects inside until it cools down a bit.  I made this fauxzen Charlotte in the gold oval frame a while back.  Decided to attach it to a black frame.

And made this framed key to coordinate with it.

Cute little duo.  Not sure where they are headed just yet though.  Time for more lemonade!

A few new paper pretties

Well I haven’t had time to break into my new GINORMOUS Costco pack of embellishments, but I did finish up a few other little projects to show you.

OUR WEBSITE:  www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

Unique collages

I already have ‘The Feathered Nest’ blog listed in my sidebar along with my other favorite blogs; but these wonderfully made items were deserving of their own entry.

When I first saw this one I really thought it was the top of an old suitcase!  But it’s a wood TRAY with an old suitcase pocket added.  How clever!

I just love all the new ‘collage’ and altered art kinds of things so many artists are creating these days.  I’d have NEVER thought to create a collage on an old plate!  How pretty!  And it has my new favorite colors and subject matter (eggs and nests!) 

Here’s the direct link to the page with more pictures of these creations.

http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/2008/02/please-visit-my-new-store.html

Altered coffee filter book tutorial

 Complete step by step directions (and pictures) for how to make this altered coffee filter book:

http://ewenmeprintables.com/shop/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=18

 The site also offers a printable kit to make the book from:

http://ewenmeprintables.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=273

 OUR WEBSITE:  www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

Memory jar

How sweet is this?!?!?!  And what an ‘adaptable’ idea for just about ANY occasion!  I could see a ‘Christmas version’ of this with tinsel and little ornaments and a picture of Christmas morning. 

One for a new baby containing the hospital bracelet and name card and a pair of booties tied to the top.

There are SO many great little charms and embellishments in the scrapbook supplies these days that the possibilities are endless!  Nearly anything that you might do a scrapbook ‘page’ of could also be make into a memory jar.

MORE tags!

Using up the rest of the papers from those other bundles.  For these I used stickers, and satin ribbon for the tie.

Many of the coordinated paper packs are packaged with a heavy piece of card-stock for stability.  You can also use that for backing your paper!

OUR WEBSITE:  www.cscrafts.com/aj.html