Weekend Workout 14 - USING EPHEMERA

Welcome to our first weekend workout in July.

This month I set the challenge of using ephemera, if you sign up there are loads of free resources on Flikr.com here. This is the website I have used for this project but there are many free downloads available on the web.

 

I painted the background of a canvas board with yellow acrylic paint and then used a stencil to paint brown dots. I then went over to add orange dots, and painted over the whole canvas with white paint to tone down the colours. I used a sponge to apply the paint as it covers the board very easily and uses less paint, so dries very quickly.

I went around the edges with the sponge to add brown on all the edges.

Then I printed my ephemera sheets and started cutting out shapes for houses. They were glued on with pva, and I printed the words home sweet home. The finishing touch was a wired edged ribbon I used to hang the canvas up, finished off with a bow.

 

 

Hope you will have a look at Flikr and make your own projects with ephemera.

 Debbie x

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 Hello, Eleanor here.

Debbie's challenge fitted in just nicely with my current crafty activity, which is the construction of my very own SMASH books.

EXCEPT... mine are called STICK IT books, for obvious reasons (and because 'smash' just didn't sit right with me, felt too aggressive for this 'over 50' who loves to keep happy, gentle kinds of ephemera) (and now has somewhere to stick it).

I got rather carried away, trying different styles and techniques for the covers. Here is the first one, which was textured chipboard, which I zendoodled, stickered and rub-onned:

 

and here is number 4, (yes, I know!) which is possibly my favourite, because I worked the title to fit under the transparency, and zendoodled again, but in a letterish way:

Here are a few pages ready to be filled; I am using book rings, rather than the bind it all, as I want the option to open them up to insert a programme, or a leaflet, or birthday card:

Paper I like, stamped shipping tags and a pocket.

I have used lots of different writing paper sheets, like this Japanese one, above, and a Japanese paper bag below.

Into these books I am sticking my ephemera -  like this (a photo of my mum taken about 60 years ago, a note from my son, a cross stitch from inside a card):

and these (photos of old friends):

and these (a card from my husband, a drawing from my son, and the NATO alphabet - don't ask):

I have just one rule - for an item to qualify for sticking in, whether it be a map, a little note from a child, a photo, card, ticket, recipe, concert programme, invitation, song lyrics, poem, menu, postcard or even a lock of hair, it has to give me pleasure, bring a smile to my face, or quicken my heart. That's it. No nasty stuff, no horrid things, just happy mementoes.

Like this one:

Have you made your own Smash book? Let us know, we'd love to feature it.

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Comments

[Debbie Roberts]

Eleanor I love your stick it book and much prefer the name. I would never smash anything into a book but stick it sounds and looks great. Loving the doodles x

[Lynne V]

Great canvas Debbie.

Eleanor I love your stick it happy book.
I particularly like your zentangle title.

[jayne]

A lovely Canvas Debbie, i like how you mute the boldness of the colours.

Great stick in book and much cheaper & more personal than bought books.

[Jimjams]

Loving the zentangle doodling for letters - and agree that Smash is such a horrid name for something that's meant to be treasured.

I've ust finished one here for my son & girlfriend for their forthcoming travels throughout the Far East - I hope they use it!

[Jimjams]

Oops - the link didn't work - http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/2011/07/travelling-man.html

[Judy Williamson]

Just found you through Pinterest. Love, love, love your zentangled journal covers! How creative! That cover put a big smile on my face!