On Saturday, Jen took us through the process of creating a collage using photographs. We were asked bring some prints of our photos, or we could use one of hers. I brought some pictures taken on a trip to Florida where I visited Sea World and the Mote Marine Laboratory. Jen taught us a technique to remove the emulsion from the photograph and then add in some new color.

The one I chose to use for my collage was the flamingo – it wasn’t my favorite of my flamingo pictures, but I liked the way it turned out.

Jen provided us with a blank rectangular canvas and a large variety of papers. The collage began to take shape, with a wallpaper sample, some printed music, a floral napkin and some paper with French text. An illustration of a dancer from a vintage book was also chosen. The components were attached to the canvas with gel medium and layers of color and ink were applied.

I began to think about what I wanted to say with this piece, and I was reminded of how flamingos, although quite odd looking in some ways, are considered beautiful, elegant, and graceful. Words I never thought applied to me. But a large part of this retreat was about affirming who we were. I do have grace, elegance, charm and beauty and I will embrace those qualities in me.

When we were finished with our collages, Jen showed us how to apply a coating of beeswax. Jen’s way of teaching this retreat – leading us through the process and teaching techniques, but having us chose the style and direction we want to take, was a new experience for me. I had to find my own artistic voice. It’s still a bit soft, but getting stronger all the time.

I worked on two other necklaces on Friday, although neither was finished that day. The first one started with an old ampere meter, a lizard brooch, (both of which came from a stash Jen brought to share) and a tassel provided by Jen. I was able to pry the back of the meter off, which allowed me to punch holes at the top and bottom. I used wire and beads to hang the tassel from the bottom of the meter. I removed the pin back from the brooch and attached the lizard to the meter with apoxy sculpt.

I brought another beaded link out of the top of the meter, with a faceted opalescent crystal and a green square bead. My upper component was a hinged metal piece to which I attached a wooden block with the letter “e”.

In order to attach this to the beaded link on the meter, I shaped a piece of copper wire to thread through the hinge, curled the ends, then place a paddle ended copper wire through the curled ends. Jen calls this a trapeze connection. It worked perfectly.

To finish, I created a messy copper wire bail around the top of the upper component and strung it from a black leather cord. I finished the ends with a spiral link and a hammered hook.

My third necklace began with a piece of driftwood, a smashed penny, a resin piece “speak”, a metal moon (deconstructed jewelry part) and an owl button. I began by drilling holes in either side of the driftwood. I drew a bead on the end of two pieces of bronze wire, then attached them to the driftwood with beads and finished with wrapped loops. I used metal stamps to impress the word “softly” onto the smooth side of the smashed penny.

I added some fiber beads and some crystal beads as I linked parts together. I didn’t like the silver color of the moon, so I changed it using gilder’s paste.

The owl button was the wrong color and I wanted to make more owls, so I made a mold of the button. When the mold was ready, I poured in some resin. That had to cure overnight. The next morning I painted the owl with black acrylic and highlighted with gilder’s paste. I do love that product.

I finished the necklace with more torn silk fibers and a hammered wire clasp.

Both of these are fun to wear. I could have spent all my time making jewelry, but Jen had collage and assemblage to teach us too. So much more to come.

Love You Lots is a Stampin Up set available only as a hostess gift.  Worth hosting a party to get this set, if you ask me.  So cute with the animals and sayings.  Here are the four cards I made with this set.

The adorable hedgehogs simply embossed onto brown cardstock and cut with Spellbinders nesting rectangles.
Ladybugs in love embossed in black on red cardstock.. Cut with Stampin Up scalloped nesting circles.

Elephant and mouse embossed in black on grey cardstock. Cut into tag shape and backed with funky patterned paper and the bubble punch edge by Creative Memories (pink mounted over black).

The frog embossed in black on green cardstock. Cut with the Stampin Up scalloped nesting circles and laid over patterned papers with oversize flowers.

At a recent family gathering, we played with some of our new Stampin Up sets.  My sister received the Avant Garden and Artistically Asian.  I tried a coloring technique on these stamps, using Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  I colored the parts of the stamps in the shades I wanted, breathed on the stamp to add back moisture, then stamped the images.  It resulted in a watercolor look that I like. 
(Avant Garden) I used a Spellbinders nestabilities rectangle set to cut each of the stamped images and coordinating color mats.

(Artistically Asian) The floral images were accented with distress ink shaded onto the edges.

(Artistically Asian) The matted images were then mounted onto patterned papers from my stash.

(Artistically Asian) Finally, each image was accented with a large sticker. These were found at a local dollar store.  They are very nice, made from heavy cardstock.  Four more cards into the stack.

It’s nice to have a box full of completed cards. I had two friends who recently lost their husbands. I was able to pull out a nice card, add a sentiment and a note inside and get the card sent to them in a timely manner. Perhaps I should make cards in bulk every year.

Elizabeth