"If you hear a voice within you say, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." --Vincent van Gogh

Friday, May 1, 2009

Old News

Or at least that's what I used as a base for these ATCs I made yesterday ... They are for a swap on the Fiber Art Traders group called "Recycle Spring". I am keeping the one on the lower right with the red flowers and trading the other three.

The requirement for the swap was to use recycled materials and not buy anything new. Works for me! I decided to try something a little different and I'm pleased with the results. I hope to work this into a larger piece sometime. I took an old newspaper (a few days old ... truly headed for the recycle bin) and tore some of the articles into small bits. I collaged them onto my Peltex base and painted them. Once they were dry I stitched them by using up all the bobbins of colorful thread that were left over from projects gone by.

The moose in the upper right is from the top of the wrapping of a wine bottle. The three red flowers (lower right) and one larger flower (lower left) were punched from a soda can ... scraps from another project. The large flower was colored with alcohol inks.

Around the edges I couched some yarns from a rope toy that Rosi destroyed in about a day. On the back (which you can't see) are scraps from an old map. And finally, because I could not resist, each piece has a recycled spring on it - some were painted and others were colored with alcohol inks. I could not help but to truly "recycle spring".

7 comments:

studioGypsy said...

oh i LOVE them!! they are soooo very cool! ;) xo

Nikki said...

Love your recycled treasures!

debmck said...

Very clever! Your work always has such color and excitement! thanks for sharing..
debmck

TracyB said...

omg, LOVE these, especially the drinking moose, where did you come across him, lol!!

These are just fabulous!!

Karen said...

Very cool, so do you actually mail these through the post office as is or put them in an envelope?

Cathie said...

These are so pretty. Love the hint of wordiness and the colors - yum. I can actually spot your stuff - even if I didn't know you made it. You've got a signature style going on here.

Marilyn said...

These are great!! And you did truly recycle -- even some things I would never think of.