FABRIC/PAPER COLLAGE

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite blogs belonging to Frieda Oxenham, a wonderful quilt and mixed media artist from Scotland. You can visit her blog by using the link on my sidebar titled "Frieda Quilter". She has done some amazing pieces by adhering paper and ephemera directly to muslin fabric! You know I had to try that! All of my favorite things, fabric, paper and paint! I began by mixing a solution of Mod Podge decoupage glue with water, 1 part glue to 4 parts water. Using a large bristle brush I saturated the fabric and then started laying down interesting papers, pieces of fabric, tissue paper and pages torn from magazines and an old book. I also used torn pieces of paper towels that I had previously used to clean my brushes so they had some wonderful colors on them.

When the paper towel pieces are glued to the fabric, they make wonderful textured ridges! Brush the glue solution over all of these to hold them in place. I also tore some pieces of cheesecloth and glued that down. While the entire piece was still very wet, I took a medicine dropper and dropped Dye-na-Flow fabric paint in any white spaces that were still showing. This fabric paint is very thin and ran beautifully in the creases and spaces. After the entire piece was dry (which took way too long as I am NOT a patient person!) I put a small amount of acrylic paint on a sheet of glass and coated a small brayer. I rolled this paint very lightly over several parts of the piece. When the brayer hit the ridges of the paper towel pieces it coated just the tops of the ridges which made a dramatic effect on the whole piece. Yes, that is my first grade school photo of many years ago! I printed it off on fabric and drew doodles all over my face. I also used some red spray glitter in several places. (you really can't have too much glitter). So, of course I had to do a second one immediately! Here are some photos of both of them. I am not sure how I will use these but there are several possibilities. I can cut them to make ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) or postcards. I can use cut pieces in assemblages or journal covers or in altered books. I could also use parts of them in wall art quilts! The possibilities are endless.

Do you have any old fabric? Some old magazines? Some paper towels? Some tissue paper? Why not give this a try? It is fun to get messy with glue and paper and a real surprise when something beautiful appears right before your eyes!