Last month I watched Christine Middlecamp slowly build a very very impressive shadow box full of little embellished paper doilies:
Isn't it gorgeous?
Now Christine's style and my style are quite far apart. But I think inspiration can be found everywhere! Her doily project really made me reexamine all of my supplies and think about some different ways that they can be used. I also admire the fact that she does not hesitate to layer and cover things up. That's something I have trouble with. So I decided to try my hand at creating some mini collages with stuff from Prima's new release.
I spilled all my scraps and bits and chipboard and stuff onto my desk and started making tiny little collages. Take a peek at my finished canvas:
I started with a used canvas and added texture with patterned paper and gesso. I rubbed brown acrylic paint into the dried gesso to make it look aged. I'm loving the shabby chic feeling!
Check out each little collage:
At the very bottom you can see some leaves and a colorful flower poking out. That's a rub-on that I applied to vellum and then cut out.
I needed some smaller flowers, so both this flower and the one in the first photo are the center sections of larger flowers. Just pull slowly but firmly to pull the flowers apart.
That leaf is a new Prima stamp. It is so tiny and cute and I can see that I'm going to use it all the time! I colored the leaves with watercolor paint.
I gave my flower the measles! Actually I cut apart some Prima rhinestones and applied them *individually* to each petal of the flower. Yeah, that's as much work as it sounds like!
The large pink flower is actually part of a longer ribbon of flowers. But it was so easy to just cut off a single blossom! And those smaller flowers use that same rub-on on vellum trick.
The tiny rose was ripped off of a larger flower and then dyed with alcohol inks. Shell Pink is my favorite alcohol ink for dying flowers. It always turns out pretty. That pattern on the ruffle is from a new Prima stamp! Cool, right?
I painted the butterfly with watercolor paints and then added glitter glue and the rhinestones. Another really simple thing that makes a difference is that black line around the the edge of the chipboard. Simple, but makes a big impact.
Lots more rub-ons used on this collage. The butterfly, the red polka dot ruffle, the bouquet of flowers — all rub-ons applied to vellum. I added a dash of glitter to the butterfly to really make it pop.
I colored the flower with alcohol ink and then shabbied it up with some gesso. The leaves and orange patterned circle thing are both brand new Prima stamps!
It was one of the things that I was a little sad that I had to ship it off to CHA. I wanted to hang it up right away! But I know it will be coming home soon enough!
Thanks for stopping by!
Every flower is so gorgeous!
Every flower is so gorgeous!
Every flower is so gorgeous!
Every flower is so gorgeous!
Very cool. I love how you take inspiration from things. 🙂
Very cool. I love how you take inspiration from things. 🙂
Very cool. I love how you take inspiration from things. 🙂
Very cool. I love how you take inspiration from things. 🙂
It’s wonderful! Love all the details and layers you’ve accomplished!
It’s wonderful! Love all the details and layers you’ve accomplished!
It’s wonderful! Love all the details and layers you’ve accomplished!
It’s wonderful! Love all the details and layers you’ve accomplished!
I started watching this same blog, but didn’t see how it applied to me. Thanks for giving me a new way to look at things!
I started watching this same blog, but didn’t see how it applied to me. Thanks for giving me a new way to look at things!
I started watching this same blog, but didn’t see how it applied to me. Thanks for giving me a new way to look at things!
I started watching this same blog, but didn’t see how it applied to me. Thanks for giving me a new way to look at things!
Loved all the mini collages. I had never thought about using alcohol inks to color my flowers! Thanks for adding a new tool to my kit of techniques!
Loved all the mini collages. I had never thought about using alcohol inks to color my flowers! Thanks for adding a new tool to my kit of techniques!
Loved all the mini collages. I had never thought about using alcohol inks to color my flowers! Thanks for adding a new tool to my kit of techniques!
Loved all the mini collages. I had never thought about using alcohol inks to color my flowers! Thanks for adding a new tool to my kit of techniques!
gorgeous!!!!
gorgeous!!!!
gorgeous!!!!
gorgeous!!!!
Beautiful…love the “measles”.
Beautiful…love the “measles”.
Beautiful…love the “measles”.
Beautiful…love the “measles”.
I love these flowers/collages! Each one is gorgeous in its own way. Thanks for sharing.
I love these flowers/collages! Each one is gorgeous in its own way. Thanks for sharing.
I love these flowers/collages! Each one is gorgeous in its own way. Thanks for sharing.
I love these flowers/collages! Each one is gorgeous in its own way. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, beautiful collages!
Wow, beautiful collages!
Wow, beautiful collages!
Wow, beautiful collages!
This is so great! And I love that each cluster can be a stand-alone element in any number of projects. This is the sort of thing I think my daughter would love to do 🙂
This is so great! And I love that each cluster can be a stand-alone element in any number of projects. This is the sort of thing I think my daughter would love to do 🙂
This is so great! And I love that each cluster can be a stand-alone element in any number of projects. This is the sort of thing I think my daughter would love to do 🙂
This is so great! And I love that each cluster can be a stand-alone element in any number of projects. This is the sort of thing I think my daughter would love to do 🙂
wow, this is stunning! so so pretty!!
wow, this is stunning! so so pretty!!
wow, this is stunning! so so pretty!!
wow, this is stunning! so so pretty!!
They are both very beautiful!
They are both very beautiful!
They are both very beautiful!
They are both very beautiful!
I love it Julie!!
I love it Julie!!
I love it Julie!!
I love it Julie!!
Lovin’ these! Thanks for the close up shots!
Lovin’ these! Thanks for the close up shots!
Lovin’ these! Thanks for the close up shots!
Lovin’ these! Thanks for the close up shots!
This is amazing. It must have taken hours to make!!
This is amazing. It must have taken hours to make!!
This is amazing. It must have taken hours to make!!
This is amazing. It must have taken hours to make!!
Beautiful collages! Love all the details.
Beautiful collages! Love all the details.
Beautiful collages! Love all the details.
Beautiful collages! Love all the details.
I also read Christine’s blog regularly, and thought this project was a hoot. Loved your “take” on the idea too. But still way too much work for me! I follow the KISS method with my art (and life).
I also read Christine’s blog regularly, and thought this project was a hoot. Loved your “take” on the idea too. But still way too much work for me! I follow the KISS method with my art (and life).
I also read Christine’s blog regularly, and thought this project was a hoot. Loved your “take” on the idea too. But still way too much work for me! I follow the KISS method with my art (and life).
I also read Christine’s blog regularly, and thought this project was a hoot. Loved your “take” on the idea too. But still way too much work for me! I follow the KISS method with my art (and life).
this is stunning, julie. i kept staring at it at prima’s booth. gorgeous!
this is stunning, julie. i kept staring at it at prima’s booth. gorgeous!
this is stunning, julie. i kept staring at it at prima’s booth. gorgeous!
this is stunning, julie. i kept staring at it at prima’s booth. gorgeous!
Wowwww, this is beautiful!!!
Wowwww, this is beautiful!!!
Wowwww, this is beautiful!!!
Wowwww, this is beautiful!!!
i *love* where her inspiration piece led you!! just gorgeous!
i *love* where her inspiration piece led you!! just gorgeous!
i *love* where her inspiration piece led you!! just gorgeous!
i *love* where her inspiration piece led you!! just gorgeous!
This is fabulous! I love both yours and Christine’s!!!! I keep saying to myself that I am going to attempt but I have yet to begin it.
This is fabulous! I love both yours and Christine’s!!!! I keep saying to myself that I am going to attempt but I have yet to begin it.
This is fabulous! I love both yours and Christine’s!!!! I keep saying to myself that I am going to attempt but I have yet to begin it.
This is fabulous! I love both yours and Christine’s!!!! I keep saying to myself that I am going to attempt but I have yet to begin it.
love it!!!
love it!!!
love it!!!
love it!!!
love your take on this project….I liked the doily project but i really like the little bit of shabby grungy you did! TFS all the closeups!
love your take on this project….I liked the doily project but i really like the little bit of shabby grungy you did! TFS all the closeups!
love your take on this project….I liked the doily project but i really like the little bit of shabby grungy you did! TFS all the closeups!
love your take on this project….I liked the doily project but i really like the little bit of shabby grungy you did! TFS all the closeups!
I love your canvas it is one of the most inspiring pieces I have seen in a very long time…every time I see I see more and more that I didn’t see before!!
I love your canvas it is one of the most inspiring pieces I have seen in a very long time…every time I see I see more and more that I didn’t see before!!
I love your canvas it is one of the most inspiring pieces I have seen in a very long time…every time I see I see more and more that I didn’t see before!!
I love your canvas it is one of the most inspiring pieces I have seen in a very long time…every time I see I see more and more that I didn’t see before!!