Three More Collage Challenges - Weeks 33, 34 and 35

I'm still doing the Margarete Miller weekly collage challenges. Some weeks are more challenging than others. The prompts are often so diverse that it's difficult to bring together a cohesive collage.

Week 33

Prompts:

1) bug or insect (round image from a scrapbook paper)

2) piece of lined or graph paper (two lined papers)

3) sequence of numbers (in the three labels)

4) something "rough" (green textured paper)

5) piece of dictionary page (upper portion of background)

Bonus: sticker (postage stamp)

I also added some patterned paper, green washi tape, pieces of drywall tape, stamped greenery. I like the color way of this page - it feels serene.

Week 34

Prompts:

1) pattern paper (stripes and floral)

2) something gray (Leaning Tower of Pisa)

3) an illustration (image of woman doing laundry)

4) something in shape of hexagon (die-cut honeycomb and multiple punched hexagons)

5) text from book page (upper portion of background)

Bonus: paper that has a stain or is stained (avocado-dyed pink paper in center of background)

this one was difficult to bring together. I added the butterfly and floral images to add some contrast but it still feels bland to me - not my favorite page!

Week 35

Prompts:

1) something found in an office ( images of typewriter and scissors, ledger label with staples, paper clip)

2) brown paper (upper left)

3) game piece or puzzle piece (puzzle piece lower left corner)

4) something that is alive (heron, dragonfly, cattails)

5) barcode (upper middle and lower left)

Bonus: "light", whatever that means to you (lightbulb and image of Northern Lights)

I added music paper and dictionary paper with the brown paper to make a neutral background and then added a piece of colorful paper to the lower left corner to balance the image of the Northern Lights.

 

August Vintage Junk Journal Page Swap

 There was no specific theme for August's junk journal page swap, so I used some of my favorite vintage images of children.

For the front of the page I collaged a few papers on the background and then created a tri-fold booklet that I attached to the page as a top-loading pocket. I used a little metal tab on the right to secure it closed. I added the image of these darling girls on top of a piece of avocado-dyed doily and embellished with ribbon flowers.

For the tag inside the pocket I adhered an old book page to a paint chip card and used another vintage image for the focal point along with some numbers and a piece of measuring tape.

This is the trick-fold opened up. I collaged the entire background with scraps of book text and music paper. the left page has an old journaling card with button rub-ons as a border. The middle focal point is a stamped image and the right page has another vintage image with more rub-ons.

The back of the right page has an actual vintage photograph along with some fussy-cut images.

The back is simply covered with avocado-dyed paper. Did you know that dyeing with avocados results in a beautiful pink color?

August Swaps/Challenges

The theme for August's Altered Trading Coin Swap was "On the Pond." I used some alcohol ink backgrounds for the base of the coins, then stamped some leafy sprigs in brown ink. I added dots of   pink and white Posca pen for tiny flowers and added a dragonfly which I had stamped and gold-embossed on vellum.  Gold pen edges the circle.

Another swap this month was to create a "doll tag" using this YouTube video as inspiration. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ4HKSHSjjE&feature=share

I created this tag using an index card as a base.. The background is Distress crayons and stencils with acrylic paint. The face is a Dina Wakely stamp. I added the butterfly to "ground" the head a bit. This was a fun and quick little project.

Last week's online challenge was to alter a library card. I used a blank one I had in my stash and added bits of book text, striped tissue paper and drywall tape for the background. The focal point is a vintage image of a little boy (so cute) with embellishments of a postage stamp and a few stamped labels. The tab was punched from some scrap paper.

Catching Up - and Collage Challenges #31 and 32

 I've been in the mountains of New Mexico for ten days with my entire family. It was a much-needed respite from the Texas heat and great to have the family all together after so long. Of course, I didn't get any art done during that time but have caught up on a few of the weekly collages and a few other projects since returning.

Week 31

Prompts:

1) something found in a desert (cacti)

2) fiber, yarn or string (fibers on specimen tag)

3) cursive handwriting (upper left corner and on tag)

4) an art scrap (collage scrap on left side under ribbons)

5) eating or cooking utensil (spoon)

Bonus: piece of coloring book page (lower left corner)

Week 32

Prompts:

1) something sticky (lollipop)

2) something drawn or written in pencil (handwriting in back of portrait)

3) window or door (magazine image of window, lower right)

4) something that starts with J (glass jug, jar of buttons)

5) chewing gum or cough drop wrapper (didn't use this prompt)

Bonus: a person (vintage image of woman)

This page was a real challenge to get all the various items to come together. It certainly is not my favorite page but I think it finally works.