Collaged Birds

I attended an arts festival last week,

in which I demonstrated how I make

animal collages. 

I began this bird at the demonstration,

but found I ended up adding lots more

bits and pieces too him once I got home. 

I forgot to take any pictures of it before the final bits were added.

All of the bits of paper in this collage 

are from papers that I decorated

by colouring and stamping and mark making onto.

(tea bags, tissue, my handmade paper)

I prefer using paper I have decorated in my collages

but occasionally a bit of old envelope of something

also appears.

This was the next piece I created during my demonstration

It too was added to once I was home.

(once again I have no before picture)

You can see bits of papers using Seth's stamps 

(see previous post for more about his new stamps)

....in  the legs, wing, tail, ground & behind the eye and the beak.

Collage Fun - Just Tear and Paste!

I then had a bit of fun playing with these birds on my computer. 

New Stamps from Seth Apter

Seth Apter is a mixed media artist, 
author, teacher and art community maker/gatherer.

He is just releasing a new line of stamps, 

and sent me the set 'Pattern Play' to have fun with.

 

 

The set includes - 'Mosaic Tile'

'Bar Code'

and 'Birch Bark'

I played in my usual style of stamping onto a variety of papers

 

Which I proceeded to rip into tiny pieces and glue together.

My 'Patterned Play' stamped bits became
 a patterned landscape that my trees grew from. 
 

Here you can see the backside of my accordion book

decorated with a long strip of 'Birch Bark' decorated tea bag.

After completing this creation, 

I still had pieces of stamped paper sitting on my desk

So created some little houses with the little bits.
And then stamped a bigger background piece 
to put behind them.

The little bits of paper were getting smaller, 

but I thought they would look beautiful
decorating a paper pulp bowl
 that was waiting patiently on my art desk.

I love the lines that each of these stamps create, 
and know that they will be showing up in a variety of my creations.  

As I write this I haven't seen the other stamps or creations that other people have created, but am excited to check out the following links!

Seth Apter

Mary Beth Shaw 

Marjie Kemper 

Linda Kain 

Pam Carriker

Brian Kasstle

The full line of stamps can be viewed or purchased from
 Impression Obsession


THANKS  SETH!

 

Luminaries.......Once Again

For those of you that have been visiting my blog for sometime,

you may recongnize these creations. 

It has been a long time since I have made any.

These round luminaries are made from tea bags

which I open and empty and add botanical bits and paper/fabric, ink 

and other bits and pieces to.

They can either stand on a window sill

and have the light that shines through 

show off their bits and pieces

OR.....

 

I add a battery operated tea light

inside the tube 

and when turned on gives a lovely glow.  

I really love how the light shows off 

the tiny flowers, stems and bits and pieces 

in each one. 

I have been thinking about creating an online class 

to show how I make these

...... but so far it has just been on the 'thinking about it' list.

Here are a few packaged with paper instructions

(which means no light shows through - so they are not so pretty)

ready to go to the little art gallery in town.