Wednesday, April 27, 2011

What's On Your Work Desk? Wednesday!


{The beautiful mess that is my desk}

I’m back to making bookmarks! Last month, I discovered Aimee’s collaged bookmarks over at Artsyville, and made a few batches looking for the perfect size bookmark. Since I love making small collages so much, I find myself coming back to this bookmark project again and again. Last week, I made these, using my stash of blue papers:



Now I have a new batch in the making, using my stash of green papers. That’s the project I have on my desk, pictured above.  I'll post them when they're finished!

I am also starting to think about yet another bookmark project, inspired by the April/May/June issue of Somerset Life. Diane Rose Geer uses vintage recipe cards, both handwritten and typed, along with lace, trim, papers, and other embellishments to create “cook bookmarks”. I am toying around with a version that uses recipes from old, discarded cookbooks. I’ll post my results when I get further along in the project, as well.

Also, I used an article by Susan Pickering Rothamel and Frankie Fioretti in the March/April 2011 Cloth Paper Scissors to learn how to make restructured paper. It is yet another way to make use of the bits and pieces of papers that we end up with from other projects. Making the paper involves coating scraps with Perfect Paper Adhesive and layering them onto a wet silicone surface. (I used an inexpensive cutting board from Bed Bath & Beyond.) It’s a nice, wet, messy process—definitely saved for moments when my kids are taking naps or have gone to bed at night. No stepping away to find a toy or settle a toddler dispute with glue coating both of my hands!

Here is the result of my first effort:

I'm not particularly pleased with how it looks, but I like the fact that I tried it!  There are a lot of other features to the project for me to explore:  I didn’t leave too much open space among the papers, which would have added more interest to the final piece. I also did not incorporate cut, punched, or die cut shapes to create recognizable focal points. Nor did I use acrylic glaze to add color to the piece.

The authors suggest that the paper can be mounted on a background paper (which will show through the open spaces), or that it can be used for other collages or cards. Since the process of creating the paper was fun and there is so much room for future “play,” I know that I will be revisiting this project again in the future!

So, that’s what I’ve been up to…what's on YOUR work desk today??

17 comments:

Janet said...

Your work space looks great....lots going on. I love the bookmarks! I've got to try that collage method. Maybe I can use up a lot of little scraps.

aimee said...

aw, i'm so glad to see that mine is not the only desk covered in heaps o' stuff -- but yours looks way more creative than mine! LOVE the new round of cut and paste bookmarks -- i'm going to have to revisit that one!

Andria said...

Great bookmarks ad creative space.
HAPPY WOYWW - ANDRIA~29

Terry said...

I love the look of your collaged bookmarks.

Hugs,

Terry #133 (blog candy giveaway Friday)

okienurse said...

Very busy and creative work space. Love the book marks and good for you trying the new techniques. Thanks for sharing! Vickie aka okienurse #35

Carin Winkelman said...

I actually love that paper that you made. Wonderful. The bookmarks are cool too. You make me want to go back to making really small stuff ;-)

VivJM said...

Loving those collaged bookmarks and the insight into your creative space! Looks like you are having great fun with all your projects :-)

I inherited some tiny recipe cards from my grandmother and have been desperate to use them in a collage...recipe bookmarks could be just the thing!

sandra de said...

Ohhh, I love your bookmarks and collaged paper. It was so sweet of you to drop by and comment on my she art girls. Their background starts out very similar to your collaged paper all glued to canvas then paint spread thinly over the top so you get little bits of colour peeking through. Love your easter photos, gorgeous girls.

Sherry said...

Your bookmarks look great! It's lovely when you get inspired by something - almost to the point of addiction.

Your CPS project looks (and sounds) interesting too.

Thanks for your visit to my desk too x

Sherry (47)

Kathleen said...

Love your bookmarks and experimental paper it's a messy process but fun and so satisfying creating something new from scraps.
thank you for sharing
Kathleen

Donna said...

Love your work space :) and the book marks! I am gathering up stuff to make some book marks when I go to PA in a couple weeks. Its small stuff good for travel!

Joyfulploys said...

Great work space...I love the collage you did...collage is my passion right now...nooo, I can't stop making postcards...thanks for coming by!
Mary

Anonymous said...

I love that reconstructed paper project, it's like collaging without a background.

I've never heard of that glue before, and now I'll be looking into it a bit more. I wonder whether watered down gel medium would work.

aprilmariecole.blogspot.com said...

Hello!!!
What a wonderful post.
Your desk looks very inspiring, "a creative mess" love it!
The book markers are great. :]
My drafting table looks about the same, art supplies scattered, piles of collaged paper,and unfinished projects.
You know what... I am okay with that.

Andria said...

Thanks to everyone for stopping by to check out my workspace! Andria...so fun to find someone who spells her name like I do! I think you are the first person EVER! Viv, I hope you will post your results if you try the recipe bookmarks...what a special project since they will use cards from your grandmother! Donna, the bookmarks would be a great "on the go" project, since you really just need glue and a big bag of scraps. Ayra, collaging without a background is a great way to look at that reconstructed paper. I don't know if watered-down gel medium would work or not; if you try it, let me know!

Julia Dunnit said...

Nice stuff Andria - love the background piece - would make great die cut shapes for embellishment.

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