Today is part 2 of the Naughty Secretary Club 3 day special on collage. Yesterday I chatted all about my adventures taking a piece of paper with purple paint and transforming it into a pair of one of a kind earrings. Today is about using collage in more of a home decorating type of way. Over the weekend while chatting with my collaging partner in crime Traci Bautista I mentioned that I had the urge to create some art. Not the kind that you wear, but the kind that you hang on the wall. I’m never going to have art hanging in the Whitney, but I managed to whip up something that I would not be embarrassed to hang in Casa Perkins.
The basis for my picture started out using a little different collage technique that Traci taught me which was fill your paper with paint and smoosh another piece of paper on top of it. I opted for some groovy bright 60’s colors. The added bonus of this technique is I have two pieces of collage background to play with.
I have a big jar of keys that I bought ages ago at a Flea Market knowing that one day they would come in handy, and this weekend their day to shine finally came. Using my sticky back fun foam and various keys that said things like “Sears” and “Donner” I made myself a custom stamp.
Next I covered my stamp with aqua blue paint and stamped the key pattern all over my hot pink, yellow and orange collage paper.
I needed to let my collage dry and by this point it was the wee hours of the morning and Traci and I were getting sleepy. I hate going to bed with an unfinished craft project looming, but alas as a pregnant chick I don’t have much control over getting tired these days.
The next day my collage was dry enough to run through my printer and make a copy. That way I can use my original collage over and over again for various projects. On the color copy I applied one of my Antique Frame Hambly Rub-On’s around one of my favorite key prints that said “Sears”. You might recall the rub-on’s from the Transfer Me Jewelry project in The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry.
I knew I wanted to mount everything on a large wooden oval (the same I used for the Phoning Flo Necklace in The Naughty Secretary Club book) and traced this oval over some Hambly Mini Bicycles paper. Last of all I painted the wood a maroon color that matched my frame and let dry.
After the paint had dried I trimmed the oval in aqua blue yarn around the edges. Realizing now I wanted to frame this piece, there was really no point in me painting the back, but to start I didn’t know if this was going to be a large pendant or not.
While the glue on the yarn dried I took Traci to her first Hobby Lobby where her line of Collage Pauge was spotted yet again!
At Hobby Lobby Traci and I scored various crafting supplies to add to our collage madness. I was looking for a small frame to put my key art inside and brought home two options. I also picked up some yellow scrap booking paper to use as a background to lay my Hambly Raffle Leaf Overlay over in the background.
Here’s my little project all framed up. Whatcha think? Should I quit making jewelry and start trying to book art shows? I once won an art contest in 7th grade for a picture of Axl Rose I did with colored pencils, maybe art is my true calling. Then again maybe not, but either way I had a ton of fun making this collage and can’t wait to find just the right place to hang it up.
Remember tune in tomorrow for the 3rd and final installment on collaging with my buddy Traci. Tomorrow I take collaging to a whole new jewelry level with necklaces and earrings!
Oh I can so relate! I’ve had the urge to do some painting…I think we need to experiment with other mediums so it keeps our creative well full.
I think it looks great! And I love how you shared the process. I’ve never been good about combining a bunch of patterns and images together and you do is so effortlessly.
Why not do both jewelry and art? I think I’ll always have some graphic design project going on. My handmade paper projects/work give me a nice creative balance. I also find that some ideas from affect the other. Maybe
Oh I’m not really quitting the jewelry biz, I was just joshing. A girl can just get burned out on one medium all the time so as you said Candie it is always nice to dabble in other mediums to keep us sharp and inspired. I get inspired a lot by color and making collages sure involves a lot of that. Just like you said Pat the two mediums effect each other and it’s hard for me to do much of
um, Rad!
I think you should make that right there into a giant necklace… or maybe make smaller ones into pendants.
I say have your cake and eat it too!
Art shows & jewelry.
I find that a lot of the creative ideas I have don't necessarily fit into what Im doing with Model Citizen so I try to get my hands on illustration jobs for mags and websites to fulfill all
Are you serious? It is AWESOME! I am truly in love! I know you would not quit the jewelry biz, but YES, home decor? ABSOLUTELY!
I found that when I was expecting, all sorts of creative ideas came to me! It’s one of the best times to create! Oh, and after my girl got here….the REAL inspiration came! Just you wait! Good luck Jennifer! Once again, you are wonderful!
Warmly,<
Longer days, more energy and more hands – then we would be set! I think I might play around with the art side more. Your right Bonnie not everything has to fit into the parameters of Naughty Secretary Club as they currently are – jewelry and purses. I am always inspired by Lisa Congdon’s story of how she didn’t start making art until she
Ain’t that cute!
I am totally inspired.. love the paint techniques.. i remember doing some of it in grade school. Love the keys as stamps. You go girl
you are truly an Artiste!
Good gravy, you two are so talented! You’re going to be such a fun Mom! 🙂
This comment has been removed by the author.
I lurve it! Now where can I see the pic of Axel Rose?
Very cute! Love the frames too. I bought some similar plastic frames (like the round cornered blue one) at 99 cent store awhile back, now I wish I had bought more. I second that, I’d like to see the Axl drawing too!!
I really think that the Axl picture might have gone on to a better place. Who knows where he is. I’ll look when I am home next I have a giant roll of old posters from my Boy George through my Ministry phase so maybe it is tucked away in there.
i can relate! it feels so good to do something new and different and shows that your talent stretches out in so many directions, you have a lot of avenues to travel and draw from! great project!!!!