Collage and painting with the kids

We had Monday off from school and work last week.  I spent the day in the studio with Kara and her friend Sydney.  They love to create.  We spontaneously decided to make collages on canvas board from all of my scrap paper.  I then had the idea to share Kelly Rae Robert's book with them. Kelly is a mixed media artist that creates beautiful paintings which typically start with a paper collage. She paints with everything from her finger to bubble wrap. I thought her paint techniques would be fun for the girls to experiment with on their collages. They loved the idea.

You do not have to run to your local craft store for this project. Dig out your scrap paper! If you don't have scrapbook paper then get creative. What about all those subscription cards from magazines, clothing tags, old school work, junk mail (think envelopes), catalogs....are you getting the picture? We made our collages on canvas board that I keep around for projects. We could have just as easily glued our paper onto cardboard cut from cereal boxes. You just need a lightweight chipboard cut to size.  The glue of choice is Mod Podge. You'll need some inexpensive paint brushes to apply the Mod Podge. It does ruin the brush so keep that in mind.

 Sydney's paper collage

Kara's paper collage

The girls picked out their paper and cut and placed pieces until they were happy with their composition. I took pictures of each collage to help us remember the placement.  Then, we glued on each piece by first applying Mod Podge to canvas then back of paper.  Use a very thin layer of glue and press down hard to remove air bubbles. Any remaining air bubbles or wrinkles will disappear as it dries...trust me!  

I even played a bit with some other materials to create a quick collage.  I was looking forward to painting with the girls. Which will explain the lack of pictures during the painting process. Sorry!  After the Mod Podge dried for 15-20 minutes, we applied coordinating paint with a brayer (rolled in paint) in various spots on the pieces.  I then gave the girls bubble wrap. They applied paint directly to the bubble wrap and then "stamped" it onto their canvas.  We also found a piece of mesh cotton that made a fun pattern and a gift card that made lines when dipped in paint.  The girls used their fingers too and applied paint around the edges of their canvas, like distress ink.  They really had fun. There is no wrong answer here.  You can paint with anything!

Didn't these turn out great?  I love to watch these little artists experiment with all kinds of mediums. Mixed media art is such a gift because there are no boundaries and no one technique to be mastered that defines whether you are an artist.  I only realized that a few years ago. I'm glad I can share this with my daughter at such a young age so that she can soar.  I'm looking forward to our next day off from school!

Speaking of Kara...We will be joining her for the district spelling bee on Friday. She won her school spelling bee last month! We are so proud of our little fourth grader. Will you do me a favor and say a little prayer that she has a great day?  We want her to be confident and feel proud of what she has accomplished. Of course, we'd be thrilled if she did well. She is one of the youngest so it will be a challenge. Have a great week! xoxo

More purchases from Renningers!

Hello, friends! How has your week been so far? I am finally going through my other purchases from my trip to Renningers last weekend. If you missed my last post about the awesome shabby white window frame I brought home, go here.  I love this pile of ephemera too. The envelopes were mostly addressed to a Mrs. Ann Offerman c/o Mercy  Hospital in Pittsburgh. Many say "Maternity Ward."  Isn't that sweet?!

I found some great tins, buttons, rhinestone pieces, lace and trim to play with in the studio. The pictures speak for themselves.  I also found some great vintage hardware for my assemblage projects. Take a peek.

I have some projects in the works that required "wings."  These pieces are ideal. Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate your follows and enjoy reading your comments so much. I'm still working on something special for my next giveaway. Stay tuned!  By the way, did you see my new button at the top left? Please feel free to grab it for your site.  I've also created a Rusty Rooster Shop blog with the help of Karen Valentine. No merchandise yet, but one step closer.  So many wonderful things going on here.  Thank you all so much for your support and friendship.  Linking up to these parties -

VIF party

A sweet find from Renningers

I big puffy heart this little find. Thank you Kelley and Cathleen for letting me be the one to take her home. I've been filling her with some old envelopes and Easter postcards.

The little hearts that Kara and I made were too cute to put away after Valentines Day. They look just perfect hanging here in their shabby frame.

I don't use much white in our house, but this little shabby window frame called to me. My friend Jodi has one hanging in her kitchen that I love and posted about here.. This little gem seems to work very nicely in the hallway to my kitchen.

I'm in love! It really is a fun piece to hang little treasures. The possibilities are endless. Do you like her?  I added the "M" on top which I found at HL on clearance. I can't decide if I should leave it gold or paint it. What do you think? There is some dark wood furniture nearby. Perhaps a stain? Maybe a rusty finish? That's starting to sound a bit more like me.  Linking this to -

Renningers junking pictures

I spent a sunny and 80 degree day at Renningers Antique Mall in Mt. Dora, Florida yesterday. My friends Kelly and Cathleen came along. We had a really good time.  It was one of those trips where no one needed any big ticket items. We were simply looking for supplies and enjoyed the hunt.

This particular vendor did not disappoint. I really stocked up on small items that I use in my artwork. I love a dealer that displays items in small groupings and has their prices marked.

I had the point and shoot with me for this trip. I snapped a few photos of things the girls and I drooled over or dreamed about for the house.

There are always some unique pieces for sale here too.  It is just fun to walk and window shop with your homemade lemonade in hand.

I'll save a few pics for my next post.  I made some fun purchases that I'll be sure to photograph tomorrow. How about you? What did you do this weekend? Please tell me it warmed up for you. I've got some news coming this week! Stay tuned.  Hugs! Joining a new party today. I hope to make some new friends and preview some fun junk! Join us!

 Thrift Share Monday!

Sonya's giveaway!

Have you met my friend Sonya at Counting My Blessings?  Well now might be just the perfect time! She's having a fabulous giveaway.  This gorgeous collage above along with this sweet soldered necklace below is gift #1 for a lucky follower.

 She's not stopping there! She made a second collage and necklace too. How generous! Take a peek.

I hope you don't mind that I hijacked your pictures Sonya?! Hurry over for a visit. Add yourself as a follower and leave Sonya a comment telling her that I sent you please.  I hope you win!  Want to see something cute?

This is Buddy, Sonya's cat, claiming the new antique doll bed she just brought home. lol  Sonya just got back from a visit with Barb from Treasures from the Heart.  She got some great things. You'll see!  I'm off to Renningers tomorrow for some antique shopping. I can't wait to share my finds. Have a safe weekend, friends.  xoxo

Thrifty Book Find - Classic European Furniture Design

 

This was a great thrifty find for me a few weeks back. This book is full of black and white sketches of European furniture designs over the centuries. It is three volumes in one print and nearly 900 pages of this -

It will be great to use for collage work or maybe even book wreaths.  It would make a great background when framing vintage hardware too, like skeleton keys.  Look for upcoming projects and scans!  The best part about the book?  The price!

It was 50% off...which means I paid $1.00.  This may be one of my best thrifty finds yet.  Lots of inspiration here.  I think I'll link this up to -

VIF party

I'm off to Renningers Antique Extravaganza in Mt. Dora, Florida tomorrow. It's about 40 minutes from here and totally worth the drive.  I'll share pictures on Sunday.  Have a safe weekend. Thank you so much for stopping by!