year end collages

I fell woefully behind in my 365 endeavors in December - the holidays totally used up all my time and energy - and that's as it should be.  So, even though I technically didn't finish in 2013, I really wanted to finish my 365 collages.  Rather than show you all 40, I'll just share a few of my faves.

The next couple collages I made after being inspired by my friend Lorinda's stripe series

A bit of silliness.....  (I watched Finding Neverland while I was too sick to do much else and that inspired me to be ..... silly).

The following I made challenging myself to use just three elements......

Thanks so much for sharing my collage journey with me - I'm proud of myself for sticking with the project, pleased that I tried new techniques and new styles.  It was such a rewarding journey - but I'm not sure I'm quite ready to jump in and commit to another year.....

Hope you all enjoyed a safe and fun New Year's.  Here's to a productive, creative, and exciting 2014!

365 in 2013 and AEDM #20

More collages, more AEDM....

#315 - In the Round   - using strips of my scraps

#316  - Louisiana   - a 3x6" collage using book pages, a piece of an envelope I received, gifted paper and a cool stamp

#317 - Stir in Blueberries  

365 in 2013 AND AEDM

Missed a couple days of Art Every Day Month, but caught up by making collages for my 365 all weekend.....

#310 - Mariner   - blue cardstock background and all the papers are from my stash of gifted papers - thanks ladies!

#311 - Sing Tweetly   - about 5x7" bits and pieces and painted music.

#312  -  Analyze This   - blue cardstock, gifted paper (on the left) and painted paper circles

#313  - Sweet Innocence   - painted book page, magazine images

#314  - Try These Colors   - random text scraps, stamped tissue paper, paint chip & painted colors

Visit AEDM to see more wonderful creativity!

Thanks for browsing my site - it's so appreciated!

365 in 2013 and AEDM

A few more collages and mail art for my creative endeavors:

#307 - Purple Koi  - light blue cardstock about 5x7, mix of papers from magazines, painted, gifted, etc.  I'm pleased with this one.....

#308 -  Whoa! - using up text scraps

#309 - Just for Grownups  - a map background, papers & text

Are you joining in for AEDM? Visit and wander through all the links to creativity for a few minutes.  It's a delight!

AEDM #11 and collage

Two, two, two challenges in one - 365 collages and AEDM:

#306 - Chukar  - I picked up a bird guide at a thrift store and have been using the images everywhere. This is from the partridge family (ha!) with a map as its base.  A little mail art that's headed out soon.

I love visiting as many of you other participants as I can (though there are a LOT).  It's always inspiring.

aedm #8 and 365 collages

Worked on a couple more collages.....I stayed with the bird theme

#304 - Tweet II    - another mail art with vintage invoice, painted music page and paper obscured a bit by a layer of tissue and a collaged bird on top....

#305 - Life Spirals   -a 5x7"; the main piece is a crumpled piece of shiny gold wrapping paper, some paper bits, a piece of veneer and some yarn in a spiral

There are so many participants in AEDM that there's no way I can visit every single blog.  I try to visit half a dozen or so each day and see what you're all up to.  It blows me away that there's just SO much creativity flowing around out there.  I love being a small part of it.....

aedm #7

Today my creative efforts are directed back to my 365 collages.....

#302 - Offsides   - (looks like I need to clean my scanner, sorry for the blobs) - scrap papers.

#303 - Tweet  -  a layer of vintage papers, stamped tissue and postage stamps covered with tissue and topped off with a collaged bird from my painted papers (this postcard is flying out soon)

Visit Creative Every Day and take a gander at all the creative types and what they're doing every day.....

365 in 2013: #294 -301 and AEDM #5

Another installment of 365 collages - celebrating fall and birds and painted papers and stitching and......

#294 - Perch  - a book page from a Shakespeare play, printed tissue, stamped tissue, bird (this one is going out in the MMSA bird postcard swap)

#295 - Marysville  - a Thomas Bros map page is the base, the blue is a piece of my gelli print, random papers.  (also mail art going out very soon!)

#296 - Apparently  - black cardstock, scraps, wrapping paper

#297 - Constrained  - I keep a couple of shallow boxes by my collage table and toss in small scraps - warm colors, cool colors, neutrals.  I grabbed the 'warm' box and sat at my sewing machine and just stitched what I pulled out next......kinda fun.

#298 -  Constrained II  - more random piecing and stitching.

#299 - Volcano  - playing w/ shapes .... painted paper, book paper, art postcard, postage stamps

#300 - Stacked  - gifted paper for a background

#301 - Fall Leaf   - simple background of 3 papers (scrapbook, map pg from a pocket calendar and painted) then a pressed & painted fall leaf on a 6x6" piece of cardboard.

That's it for another installment.  I'm always so inspired by Lorinda and Hanna's weekly efforts and how they seem to develop a theme.  Even when I intend that, I rarely can seem to put more than 2 or 3 together that fit a "theme".  This week I'm going to make more of an effort and definitely find a theme.  Just because I haven't done that.

I'm also submitting this for AEDM ....

365 in 2013: #287 - 293 AND AEDM

More collages as I move closer to 365.  And I'm contributing this to AEDM (art every day month).

#287 - Traversing Space - also going out as mail art...snippets of my painted papers, scrapbook paper and a postage stamp

#288 -  Regimented Blues   - a 6x6" cardboard backing covered with random strips.  I like this one....it's a fun way to use up stacks of scraps.

#289 -  Skinny  - A long narrow piece of watercolor paper (maybe 1" x 12") is the base for this collection of scraps from my table.

#290 - Bejeweled  - the large flower is from a napkin - other bits on blue cardstock.

#291 - Birdies on a Branch  - collage bits, washi tape and birds stamped on tissue paper.

#292 - Drifting Feather  - fence stamp, papers, feather and bird image from a book I picked up at the library sale.

#293 - A Bird's Life   - silk leaf, postage stamp, feather and bird image

You might notice a bit of a theme - fall and birds are in the air :)