Breathtaking collages - I marvel at each one!

I don't need to say much - these pictures speak volumes! My favorite project so far, you can see how inspired we all were. With a huge counter-ful of treasures, a coffee table full of bonus and enough glue and paint to keep us going, I am amazed at the finished products. Why is it so relaxing to cut, combine and glue? Some did not finish yet, will post those and mine in the next couple of weeks (I will be off to PA for marketing school this week- can I make it fun?), but here are most of the masterpieces from Thursday night's class (Object of Interest pointed out on each one - denoted by "OoI":

Tess used the vintage wallpaper she plans on using in her house as the background. Those huge blue flowers on the milk chocolate background from the '40's! She added the "M" for Murphy, vintage jewelry pieces and a verses her grandmother had written on cards and saved. OoI, the little drops of bling she worked into the background
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Rachel and Jarrod with Brooklyn - this photo surrounded with Rachel's grandmother's (or maybe great-aunts) vintage buttons. OoI: The button with two birds under an umbrella - where do they come up with these things?

Lindy (my workout master) created a pretty romantic montage of her and Zach, her firefighting husband. OoI, the french sentiments were taken from a card accompanying flowers that he sent her-I can't remember what it means, but you can never go wrong with a little french!

Eloise will use this in her class as she teaches about Van Gogh - the words you can barely see, the OoI: "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" V van G said it!


Katie, my sweet daughter via Andy - Perfection in black and white shell/ocean motif with matching hymns. Vintage anchor buttons in a truly sea-ish green bring in the color. And the final pop of just right green ribbon. OoI here has to be the vintage transparent seashell button!

My own little Jill created this collection of all things fab. Beginning with her original drawing on the right and making a pretty delicious background wash, I love the combo of goodies! OoI has to be the boy running away at the bottom right. So clever!

Dee collages photos of her and sisters. I love the lettering, wonder at the Mona Lisa and OoI is the crown on Dee's head. She has earned it!

The sisters of creativity - Angie goes with a peacock tail floating crown motif. OoI : The pansy vintage jewelry in the upper right - perfection!

Angie's sis Casey - takes a vintage family color chart (raise your hand if you have a family color chart handed down for generations). The small print are the (OoI alert) "rules" of using color. Of course I can't remember what they were, but man they were strict. I do remember laughing heartily as we read them.

Here is my sample collage.

I put this collage together to go in my breakfast area. I have a collection of A Child's Garden of Verses, so I thought it would be fun to do a collage around one of cutest poems from this collection. I am sure I will keep messing with it because I can't leave well enough alone - I love the red and used tissue paper and pages from a vintage book for the background. I have some pages you can use and a few nifty illustrations as well.

The really cool thing - I ordered a box of vintage wallpaper scraps, and waited with great fear and trembling in case they didn't get here in time (no comments about my last minute tendencies). THEY CAME!

Look at the bounty! I spent last night sorting through and I must say they will be amazing for backgrounds for us. (Ordered from lynetteaprilarts at esty, click for link) I am inspired. And if my muscles weren't so sore (see Lindy Houston for some serious pain-inducing workout opportunities) I would be doing a little artsy dance. This week, the glue/paint/scraps will fly!!!

A little more ephemera because, why not?!?! BTW, click on "A Bit of Pink Heaven" under my favorite blogs for yet another really cool collage idea.

Just DAYS away!

Art friends - are you getting ready for our best night ever? Please be thinking of your word and color scheme. Have a general thought for the feeling of your collage. Sleek and bright, old fashioned and vintage, child-like, elegant - think freely!

These are some photos of ephemera Nanelle and Rachel are kind enough to share with us. You may like something you see and grab it (are you kidding - dancing fairies and the song to go with them!?!) Thursday night OR it may make you think of ephemera you have on hand. Things like old postcards, pages of falling apart old books, illustrations from cards or books, stamps, leaves, feathers . . . whatever you can affix to a canvas. Think of what you would like for a background - solid color, page of an old book, old postcard.

I am posting photos of some vintage buttons too- you may bring stuff to share, or you may just know you want to use it and that is OK too. Be lavish! Look at the pictures and let your imagination go crazy. Oh, you already are crazy. . .oh well, enjoy! Tomorrow - I will post the collage I created Sunday as an example! Be still my beating heart!

A quick reminder for my Les Arte des Amis girls!

THIS THURSDAY! June 18 is our next art group meeting and I am so excited about it, I blogged a few days ago - and in my frenzy, lost all my thoughts and momentum and oh well. Now I try again.
This month we will be creating COLLAGES.
So that we aren't all deer-in-the-headlights frozen, I want you to think long and hard about your inspiration. Here is what I am going to do to help you. . .
Go to these links and see how wild one can get with this method:

The creative group in this link posts a different collage project a week. They call them "catalysts" and several artists answer a question with a collage. I am linking to one of 63 (question o' the week: "What makes you, you"). Browse around on several and you will be inspired.

Go to flickr.com and search for "mixed media collage" - oh man, talk about ideas!! (or just click since I linked to the search).

AND TO HELP YOU IN YOUR MENTAL PREPARATION,
You are not allowed in the door next week without the following:
A word to illustrate.
For example - what word do you love the sound of (breezy, ethereal, oxymoron, flutter)? What is a word that describes you (clever, ditsy, happy, whimsical)? What is your favorite color (magenta, crimson, poppy, butternut)? State a mood(grouchy, smoochy, giddy, sleepy, gladsome). What about a flower (iris, poppy, bleeding heart, bird o' paradise). What word inspires you today (joyful, butterflies, nature, family) ?
More to come along with some photos of examples.

Still celebrating my B'day

I had to share the latest birthday gift from my Longview friend Marcia. These cracked me up and I found them oddly inspirational. These two were wrapped around chocolate bars. The second one is my new life motto.

These were wrapped around bath salts. Laugh and learn.