pinterest love: collage

I decided to have a single pinterest board for collage and mixed media because, for me, there is often a cross-over.  So for this brief foray into my Collage and Mixed Media board I'll just focus on some of the cool examples of collage I've come across.  Maybe you'll find some inspiration here......


Found on Flickr.


By Jacki Long  - I like this unusual way of using text.




A New Direction by Felicianna on flickr  Her flickr pages are filled with fun little mail art sized collages and more.  I have pattern paper and never thought to really use it like this - great idea!


Delight in Summer by Kathy Z, flickr



By George Fischer


I've long been a fan of Melinda Tidwell's work.  She does lots with old book covers and cover papers - everything fairly neutral, and as much as I love color, I find myself drawn to her calmer work.


Another brilliant example of Melinda's work (with a bit more color) - look how she uses shades of bits of paper layered together.......love it.



Signals #1 by Julia Trigg  - she must have a great collection of ephemera to choose from!




Jill Ricci makes such fun collages and always has a variation of this shape as her base.....so appealing.


Another long time favorite collage artist is Donna Watson. She has an Asian aesthetic and often incorporates Asian text or dimensional elements - generally her style is spare and dramatic.


By Crystal Neubauer


By Umberto Manzo


Cut out a shape and overlay it on top of a stripey or dotty collage - idea by A Faithful Attempt.


By Hugo Werner (on flickr) - another great use of type to make a dramatic collage.....it's all about finding the right bits/pieces/edges/colors.

Well, I could go on and on and on.  Collage is endlessly fascinating and can be creatively challenging - I have the most fun gathering for collage - gathering magazines, menus, random bits and pieces of pretty or ugly or interesting paper.  Stacks and stacks of paper.  I may have to go back to 365 collages again next year to make a dent in all the paper!

Check out my Pinterest board for even more inspiration.......  Have a creative week.

ICAD comes to an end.....

I pronounce my second participation in ICAD (third year Tammy has hosted) a rousing success!  I completed all 61 cards and on time.  I tried new techniques, finally got my sewing machine out of mothballs to try the stitched collage look I've seen everywhere, played with monochromatic looks, vivid looks, vacation limitations and more.

Here at the end, I can say I've learned a little more about my style, my color preferences, and have thoroughly enjoyed the whole ICAD community - fearlessly and creative led by Tammy at Daisy Yellow. So, here goes.....my last week or so of cards.

I also doubled up on most of these and made collages so I could use them for my 365 collage challenge.  Now moving forward, my daily collages will be for me.....

#55  - magazine and flyer images and a little scrap of orange scrapbook paper

#56 AND 365collage #205  - Bunches More - gifted papers from Don, magazine pages, found text

#57 AND 365collage #206 - The City  - gifted black mulberry paper & city image, scrapbook paper, handmade & hand stamped papers

#58 AND 365collage #207 -  Clean it Up! - stamped space needle, gifted purple paper, gum box, washi

#59 AND 365collage #208 -  Ice Cream Party  - no I didn't eat 5 ice cream bars this week!  Well, maybe I did but in my defense, they were Weight Watchers (yum!) and I reused the sticks!  on a stamped background with washi trim

#60 AND 365collage #209 -  No Marriage Today  - scrapbook paper, found text & image, washi

#61 AND 365collage #210 - Wrap up!  - as it has often been the last couple months, scraps from my table!

Now we have to wait a whole year til it's time for ICAD.4 - I'll be eagerly awaiting next June!  Thanks again Tammy for all your hard work and thanks to all the participants who shared their work.....you're an inspiration.
Here's my ICAD mosaic for July (created at Big Huge Labs)

365 in 2013: #78-88

As you've kept up with your various blogs you read, I'm sure you've come across more than a few are doing "365 somethings" - photos, journal every day, sketching, etc.  Me, collages this year.  Though I'm a little behind (today is day 96 and I'm on #88), here's what I've been working on:

#78 - Eight of Hearts

Everything you make can't be your favorite and this isn't one of mine.  Too choppy and unfocused....ah well.

#79 - Vixen

This one, however, I do like.  Some of the papers are from a swap with Lorinda (thanks again!)

#80  - Gotta Love a Monkey

Came across this monkey from a flyer somewhere and thought he was the perfect addition....

#81 - Mapping Spring

This is one of my larger collages, 6x9", made from the cardboard backing from a tablet. I covered the whole thing with a map and then used the streets as the shapes for the collage pieces.

#82, 83 and 84 are all collages in the round made to send out for the MMSA round postcard challenge:

#85 - Lemon Fresh

Some cut up postcards, ribbon, gum box, my unloved art, painted paper scraps.

#86 - Porto Cruz

A 5x5" collage on a coke box where I painted over but could still see the outlines of bottles and silverware so I highlighted that a bit.....and since I actually drink Pepsi, I changed the name!  Also used a gum box, painted papers, and a label from inside a new dress for vacation.  (yep, we're going on vacation soon - more about that later)

#87 - Cruizin'

We love going on cruises (which is where we're headed next week) and these exotic locales just called to me. Maybe I'll get to see them all some day......

#88 - Pink Stripes

Using up bits and pieces from my tiny scraps pile - these always look a little jumbled to me, but I do like the mix of bright and earth colors in this one.....

365 in 2013: 65 - 77

Time to catch up on my collage work......

#65 - Jungle Fever - I came across this elephant napkin that I received in a swap somewhere and it became the basis for this collage.

#66 - Romance by Phone - photos from inside my Netflix envelope - somehow I like where this one ended up....

#67 - Blackbird Sings - bird cutout on hand painted paper stripes

#68 - simplicity journal - hand decorated papers and an inspirational journal page image

#69 - simplicity journal - a collage built around a fun lettering inspiration.

#70 - simplicity journal - more fun writing to inspire me - filled in with paper & washi tape.

#71 - Movement in Black & White:  I like the splash of color added to this one.

#72 - Surprise Mosaic:  I painted some stripes on a left over piece of cardboard, cut it up and rearranged the pieces.

#73 - Kitchen Sink - decided to try a few collages with NO paper!  Yes, that's right, no paper. This one is made on a 6" square piece of cork; a slice of sisal, some drywall tape, coffee stirrer sticks w/ ink drops, some painted bubble wrap, etc.

#74 - Wired Up - on a coardboard backing, the first layer is screening, then some found metal and a hunk of garden mesh and some jewelry and brass wire.....everything but the key had to be wired down.....

#75 - Movin' Up - totally fabric.....a brown felt base, various fabrics including a bit of leather, red felt triangles, stitiching.

#76 - Screen Print - all fabric glued to a cardboard base; the heart is felt wrapped in yarn, the green netting is flared out.

#77 - Tracey's Spring - this piece started with a strip of a painting gifted from Tracey Fletcher King right in the center.

I continue to love to be challenged by this goal of 365 collages.  The whole idea started with Hanna challenging others to join her in creating 365 'somethings' ......there are participants making all sorts of different things - sketches, faces, characters, etc.  Join in - start anytime, make your year start today.......