A Month of Altering

Well, it has been a fun filled month of "altering" so I thought I'd bring it to a close with some wonderful eye candy from Paper Traders member Nancy Slaby.   I don't think there's much that Nancy hasn't very beautifully altered....bird houses, coasters, tins....you name it!   You'll be learning more about this very talented artist as she has consented to be November's Featured Artist.   Here's just a  taste of her artistry:

 

A Discussion on Composition

this is an old photo of my art table in it's usual messy state

Recently, I was contacted by a fellow Paper Trader:
"I wanted to ask you some design advice.  Your compositions are always so beautiful and well laid out.  Do you start with a pile of different images in the theme style and just start playing around or do you have a definite image in mind and then go find the pieces to fit?"

I was very honored by her compliment but I found it such a difficult question to answer and my reply was wishy-washy, at best:
"I guess I do both - although nothing is really well thought out.  I almost always start with creating a background I love and then find a central image for my piece...  from there, I will pull together a pile of stuff from my stash that might possibly work with what I've started and I pick and choose several elements, discarding and reorganizing until I find the right combination.  I usually add words last but occasionally I will pick a specific quote or phrase and let it guide my image choice instead.  However, in the case of my recent circus pages, I just printed A TON of images in varying sizes and picked through them, mixing and matching until I had all the layouts I needed - I did it this way because I wanted these pages to have a more jumbled feel and not a overly prominent central image like most of my other work.  I always have a ton of stuff that needs to be put away because this method of pulling out lots of things that end up not getting used isn't very organized!  On the other hand, I usually have a pretty clear picture in my mind of what is in my stash because I'm constantly sorting through it."

So, I'm just wondering... How do YOU design your work?  Do you sketch out an idea first?  Do you find a favorite image and build around it?  Do you just dig through your stash of ephemera until something catches your eye?  We'd love to hear about your creative process!

Legs ATC Swap announced

Open to Paper Traders Members Only

"Legs" 4-for-4 ATC Swap
Skill Level: 1 - Sprouting
Due: postmarked by November 28th

Here's a quick and fun swap for everyone!  Make four ATC's (similar or different) that prominently feature a pair of legs.  That's it.  Easy peasy.  Have some fun with it and let's see what clever creations everyone comes up with.  Send to me postmarked by November 28th.

Beckie Holso

Sixth Anniversary Project Announced

Open to Paper Traders Members Only

Sixth Anniversary Project
1-for-1 Altar Shrine exchange
All skill levels
Post photo in album no later than Dec 5, 2011; Mail to recipient no later than Dec 12, 2011
Hosted by: Beckie Holso

Our group is turning 6! Every year around this time, we honor our anniversary with a special group project. All Paper Traders Members are invited to participate.  This year, we'll be making altar shrines.  I created mine using a small wood block for the altar and attaching a taller chipboard piece to the back to make the shrine.  If you have a different or more creative way that you want to assemble yours, that's fine too as long as your altar shrine is approximately 7 inches tall by 3 inches wide.  This is a dimensional item and needs to include a little altar where you can display small tokens.  Please keep in mind that this is our sixth anniversary and try to include this element somewhere in your project - for example, I have six tokens on my altar and I also included a chipboard number 6 as well.  Be creative!  There is no additional "theme" to this project so have fun with it... Once you've completed your altar shrine, post a photo in the project album (on the Yahoo site) - your photo must be posted NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 5TH to be included in the exchange. On December 6th, we will randomize the names and assign a recipient to whom you will mail your completed project directly. They should be in the mail no later than December 12th. Have fun!

In case you need a little inspiration...
http://www.tentwostudios.com/autumnaltars/
http://www.tentwostudios.com/springaltars/
http://myartisticside.blogspot.com/2009/08/cowboy-shrine.html
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75442237/lady-gaga-on-a-half-shell-mixed-media
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangehula/2673244140/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katuragreetings/4727471947/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26413652@N08/2519191958/

An Obsession with Tins

I have a bit of a "thing" for containers of all sorts and particularly for tins.  I've been known to buy something for the vessel it's in rather than the product itself.    I use these containers to create assemblages.   I find the layering of elements and images both fascinating and calming.   Here's my method:


Scope out your tin or container.    Believe me, once you get hooked, your cupboards will be filled with them.   The one I chose has a window which I like very much.    I often choose the container first then give myself some time to match it with an idea.   In this case, the tin with the handle reminded me of the lunch boxes that we used to bring to school.   This was a perfect fit with the French Kissed  school- related images I wanted to use.    Sand the tin (you don't need to do the inside of the front if you are going to keep it closed when it is finished).   Wipe off the "dust" and coat with gesso.  Allow to dry.

Choose colours of acrylic paint for both the outside of the tin and the inside.  I like using Claudine Hellmuth's paint in particular as it has excellent coverage and a thick, buttery texture to it.  I tend to favour a darker colour for the outside and a lighter for the inside but it is entirely up to you.

Now it's time to do a little gathering.   Choose your focal image or images and gather related papers and embellishments.  You won't use them all but you'll have lots of choices when you are creating.  I find that hunting for these items while I'm creating is distracting.

Choose paper that will form your background inside the tin.   In my  case, it is a piece of scrapbook paper with a school theme.   I used  beeswax to build layers and add texture but you can use any technique  that you wish.   I then added the image of the school children and a  quotation that I found.
I never want all of the background elements to be flat on the background so I add foam squares to the back.   One set of squares for the first layer, two sets for the second  and so on.

Embellish as you please.   I used a key to highlight the word "school" and had the teacher holding a clock.  I also added a little wooden window to bring to mind  a one-room schoolhouse.

I like to have the background raised from the tin to give depth so I added foam tape to the back before I affixed it to the base.
I thought I needed a little something on the ground so I used my shredder to shred some vintage papers. These I glued to the bottom.
Once I was satisfied with the inside of the container, I closed it and began working on the outside.  I found that the film on the "window" added a murky look that I didn't like so I removed it with an exacto knife.  I then added the image of the little boy and additional embellishments.  As a finishing touch, I outlined the tin and the window with gold ink just to make it pop.

Featured Artist - Kim Smith

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
KIM SMITH

How did you find Paper Traders? 

I was referred to the group a year or so ago by someone I knew from another yahoo group...she has since left PaperTraders and I don't recall her name. I loved the variety of swaps that Papertraders offers and also that they are rated for skill level. It's a very nice group to swap with!


How long have you been a member?

 I joined about 2 years ago, was inactive for a while and now am an active member once again.


Where do you live?

 I live on a small hobby farm in Gettysburg, PA but I am originally from Baltimore, MD.


How have your surroundings affected your art? 

 Our property includes a small patch of wooded area so I get alot of inspiration walking in the woods. Also taking care of our horses and my dog Bear really help me to stay centered. I tend to be a bit scattered at times and being outdoors really helps me to find my creative muse, especially when I'm feeling a little 'dry'. I also love to wander all the great antique/thrift stores in our area....I get LOTS of inspiration and ideas from browsing antiques and vintage odds 'n ends.

Please share a little about your own art experience. 

 I have been creating for as long as I can remember. I loved  to draw and paint when I was in grade school. I was considered artistically gifted and went to summer school at the Maryland Institute College of Art for two years. This was around 1966 and it was so cool going to an art college in downtown Baltimore when I was so young. I saw alot of amazing art done by the older students during that time and I think that exposure has influenced my mixed media art now. I stopped drawing and painting when I was a teenager, something I now regret. But at the same time I found that I loved to make things....so began doing needlecrafts, sewing, crochet and mosaics. In my thirties I learned to weave and to make soft sculpture dolls. In my forties I went thru another dry spell and then one day I came across an issue of Belle Armoire magazine and there was a crocheted shawl on the cover. I made that shawl and then started looking at the other Stampington magazines. I bought an issue of Somerset Studio and I've been obsessed with altered art/mixed media ever since!


Do you have a blog or photo site?

http://www.tabithalenox.blogspot.com


What are some of your favorite techniques or genres?

I adore anything to do with beeswax and am currently learning to do encaustic painting, something I've always admired. I am very simple when it comes to creating...give me scissors, a glue stick, vintage paper/images...and something sparkly and I'm a happy girl!  I also would like to learn how to solder but I don't have much patience when it comes to things like jewelry making. As anyone who's been to my blog knows, I take ALOT of online workshops. I learn so much from each and every class. My current obsession is altered tins so that has been taking up most of my creative space these days. I also have several altered books in progress but they take a little longer so I try to have smaller projects to work on in between so I don't get burnt out. I love vintage, gothic, steampunk, grungy as themes for my art. I like art with a sense of whimsy, with lots of layers to pull you in and a touch of glitter...can't forget the glitter!



Who are some famous artists whose work you admire and what especially appeals to you about this?

I love Mark Ryden's work, although his art is a little strange sometimes...but his faces and the use of color are so beautiful. I love Mucha, Waterhouse and the illustrations you find in vintage fairytale books.


Describe your work area... Do you have your own studio or craft room?

I have a small spare bedroom to use as my craft room but it doesn't have much natural light so I do most of my art at the dining room table or kitchen counter. My computer, printer and tv are all accessible from the dining room so it works really well. I painted the spare room pink so my hubby and son wouldn't be tempted to put anything in there and that's where I store all my art 'stuff'. I also collect vintage dolls and clothing so I keep that in the 'pink' room too!

What tips or tricks have you found to help carve out a niche for your supplies and art?

Clean out your stuff and give away what you are no longer using or no longer makes you excited! I do a blog giveaway occasionally where I clean out my art stuff and sort it by color...the winners choose a color and get a box of art stuff from my stash. I have found it's one of the best ways to motivate myself to try something new, by cleaning out that unused stuff and clearing the energy for something new to come in.

Please share a little about your family and pets...

I am happily married to a wonderful man who supports my art obsession and we have a son who will be 21 yrs old in December. He commutes to college and is a great kid. He is into computers, video games, etc.  He doesn't 'get' my art but he's also very supportive. We have our dog, Bear, who is the sweetest, happiest dog I have ever met. He's an Alaskan Malamute, weighs over 150 lbs and is 3 1/2 years old. He likes to go to Petsmart because they always give him dog treats and one of  his favorite things to eat is the roses in my garden! 

This is Bear!

We have three horses....my horse, Scout, is an Appaloosa gelding, a very, kind gentle soul. And then we have two Haflinger geldings, Jake and Micah. They are very sweet but always in some kind of trouble. Having horses keeps me very busy but I love it!

One day I would like to have miniature horses...goats or chickens might be fun....and pot belly pigs are growing on me, they look so cute in the pictures I've seen! I love animals and would like to have a larger farm one day so I can grow my 'herd'.

Gallery: Altered Cabinet Cards

Abby L

Beckie H

Cathy C

Darlene R

Addicted to Altering

I think we as artists see objects differently that others.   What is it that they say, "One man's garbage is another man's treasure".   This applies to the little gems that we have tucked away in our art rooms (and other places throughout the house) awaiting inspiration.   I asked the question of Paper Traders members a couple of weeks ago, "What is the most interesting item that you ever altered?" and got some very creative responses.

Actually the idea was spawned by Lorna's altered hat box.   How amazing is this?  From hat box to stage!

Beckie Holso altered a box and a glove:

You can read more about Beckie's process of altering the box here and the glove here on her blog.

The clever Aimslee transformed a cigar humidor for her husband:

 
And yes, my cupboards are full to brimming with alterable objects too!   Here are some of my creations:

Altered CDs:

Microscope Slide Mailer:

A package that once held chipboard letters (I actually bought it for the box!!):

A wooden Christmas box:

As you can see, anything is fair game for altering!   Thank you to all of the talented artists who shared their artwork.

"Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue" Challenge

This Challenge is now closed.

Our new challenge,
is all about ships and boats.
Create a boarding pass,
a luggage tag,
a shipping label, etc.
And, there are literal thousands
of free images out there on this theme.

Bon Voyage!

You don't have to be a member of Paper_Traders Yahoo Art group to participate

but if you would like to join us and be privy to even more great paper crafting swaps and

challenges plus better than ever artistic support, that would be super!

When the challenge closes, we will pick a winning piece that best showcases the theme

of the challenge and/or supply requirement.

 Challenge Rules

1. Make a paper craft, mixed media or digital piece of art ( any size). The theme is

  "Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue". Your art must feature a ship or boat on it.

2. Post your art to your blog, Flickr, Picasa (online albums). Mention

   our name PaperTraders Art Blog with a link back to this post.

   You are more than welcome to grab our button and post it on

    your blog as well.

   The last day to post for this challenge is November 14th, 2011.

3. After posting your "Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue" art on your site,

   come back to this post and  use the Simply-linked widgit below

   to leave us a link to your post/image.

   You must include a direct link to your image or post,

    not a general link to your album or blog.

  NOTE: after using the Simplylinked widgit, you will need to refresh the page for
   it to show your submission link.

   Or you may create a link within the comment box below:

   All you will need to do is copy and paste the url address of your post found

   at the top of your browser window.

4. The winner(s) will be awarded our "Trader Treasure" blog badge which

     they can choose to feature on their blog.

    Their art will also be posted on the PaperTraders Art Blog for 2 weeks.

Free images to get you started!

credt 

credit

credit

credit

Member Inspiration

by Cathy C.

by Aimeslee W.

by Beckie H.

by Heather R.

Faux Batik Tutorial

Sample by Beckie Holso

FAUX BATIK TECHNIQUE   by Connie Holso

There are numerous ways to create a batik look in your paper craft projects.  This one is really quite easy to do and you will only need supplies you probably already have if you are a stamper.

You will need:

• White mulberry paper
• Rubber Stamps –crisp bold images work best
• Clear embossing ink
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat tool
• 2 or 3 different colored dye ink re-inkers
• Spray bottle of water
• Clean copy paper
• Iron

Be sure to cover your work surface to protect it, this can be a bit messy.  Start by stamping images with the clear ink all over the mulberry paper and heat emboss with the clear powder.  Apply ink by dripping drops onto the stamped paper.  Immediately spray with water to cause the ink to spread around.   When you are pleased with the look, lay the mulberry paper between sheets of copy paper and iron.  The embossing powder will melt into the copy paper.  Peel away immediately (while still hot).  If it sticks, reheat and pull off.  You may want to change paper and iron another time or two to remove all of the glossiness of the embossing.  This will make it look more like real batik.  After ironing crumple it up a bit to give it a more authentic fabric look. Tada you are done!

Product Spotlight: Glue

So, I was originally going to write this post about adhesives in general but I had SO MANY glues, tapes, dots, foam squares, etc. that I decided to "narrow" things down a bit and just stick to glues.  As you can see from the photo, I have A LOT of those too  =)

I use all of these for various purposes but I do have a few favorites in the bunch...

PPA "Perfect Paper Adhesive" - This is my absolute favorite for delicate paper collage.  I just glop some on the canvas, lay down the paper, and glop more on top, spreading everything with a foam brush.  It dries smooth and matte and holds everything together invisibly.  I even use this on the thinnest layer from a napkin - just be very gentle.

Nori glue - I recently discovered this and instantly fell in love with it!  This is a very slow-drying thin paste which is excellent for delicate papers and tissues.  Because it dries slowly, there is plenty of time for repositioning.  It's super smooth so you can literally slide the papers around once you lay them down to get them in just the right place.

Pioneer glue stick - This is the absolute best glue stick I have ever used!  You can even glue metal embellishments on with this stuff.  Incredible.

Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive - I probably use this glue more than anything else you see here (except for maybe my Pioneer glue stick).  Believe what it says: this glue is VERY fast drying!  Once your paper's down, it's down to stay; make sure you work quickly.

So, which are your favorites?  Do you use something that I don't have on my table?  If so, I'd love to hear about it...  Who knows?  Maybe I'll find a new favorite  =)

Our Halloween Challenge!

This Challenge is now closed.

Our Halloween Challenge has a couple of twists to it
as we are calling it " Spiders Hate Orange".
We want you to use spiders in it but NO orange.
Think outside the box of the black and orange,
traditional color combination.

You don't have to be a member of Paper_Traders Yahoo Art group to participate

but if you would like to join us and be privy to even more great paper crafting swaps and

challenges plus better than ever artistic support, that would be super!

When the challenge closes, we will pick a winning piece that best showcases the theme

of the challenge and/or supply requirement.

 Challenge Rules

1. Make a paper craft, mixed media or digital piece of art ( any size). The theme is

  "Spiders Hate Orange". Must contain spider(s) and have no orange color in it. 

2. Post your art to your blog, Flickr, Picasa (online albums). Mention

   our name PaperTraders Art Blog with a link back to this post.

   You are more than welcome to grab our button and post it on

    your blog as well.

   The last day to post for this challenge is October 30th, 2011.

3. After posting your "Spiders Hate Orange" art on your site,

   come back to this post and  use the Simply-linked widgit below

   to leave us a link to your post/image.

   You must include a direct link to your image or post,

    not a general link to your album or blog.

  NOTE: after using the Simplylinked widgit, you will need to refresh the page for
   it to show your submission link.

   Or you may create a link within the comment box below:

   All you will need to do is copy and paste the url address of your post found

   at the top of your browser window.

4. The winner(s) will be awarded our "Trader Treasure" blog badge which

     they can choose to feature on their blog.

    Their art will also be posted on the PaperTraders Art Blog for 2 weeks.

Free images to get you started!

Member Inspiration

by Beckie H.

by Cathy C.

by Karen B