2022 Topic 09: Leftovers {by Nikki Acton} with Tracy Scott stamps

Hi everyone, it's Nikki here with you today and I'm here to share with you a small book of collaged pages using up my leftovers.

Like many of us, I have lots of leftovers, there is the box under the desk from when I last had a tidy and then there are the boxes and piles on the desk of more recent 'leftovers'! I got quite organised recently, having a leftovers tin for die cuts, one for materials and ribbon and one for for paper / prints. I decided collage had to be the way forward..... but the little book idea evolved as I created.

I collated my leftovers to see what I had! Paper tends to be printed paper and leftover gel prints. If you have read one of my posts before you may know I often make more backgrounds than I need - just in case !!

I selected some prints, and scrapbook paper scraps that I thought might work together..... 

 

 

I noticed that the blue/grey prints and the black prints were leftovers from previous PaperArtsy blog posts - so it seemed a good idea to use these! If you are interested, the links to the original projects are here:

Mark Making Subtle or Bold - March 2020

Shaving Foam - Making it Grungy - November 2019

 

I cut these down to A7 size and added some random stamping...I cut about 10 pieces and began working on them in pairs.

 

I started with some of the 'shaving foam technique' leftovers. I collaged some torn gel plate leftovers and strips of printed paper to start.

This dark background needed some colour so I took a Tracy Scott stencil PS224 and sponged some PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic - in Mermaid to one area of each card.

 

At some point during collaging my cards I decided that triangles (Tracy Scott stamp set - TS054) were going to be the theme that ran through each one.

 

Some scraps from my material box and die cuts were added along with some punched mini circles.

Tracy Scott stencil PS224 and stamp set TS054 were used on all pages to bring some cohesion or a theme to the different collaged pages.

There are four pairs of pages in the concertina book. Another example uses the blue/grey/grey gel print leftovers as the start point.

Some collaged paper added, including book paper - but then I got brave! I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Little Black Dress to cover some areas.

 

 

Using the the same stencil and Mermaid paint I added stencilling over these areas - not worrying how perfect it was. I also toned down some the collaged elements by dry brushing with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Chalk.

 

The triangles once again form the focal point - with some ink died ,frayed calico added

On each of the pairs there is some stamping with Tracy Scott's marking making stamp set - TS065. Here you can see the crosses stamped with paint and the larger numbers stamped with archival ink.

The last couple of pairs followed the pattern - but using the triangles in a different way each time and varying the collaged leftovers. 

Here you can see the front of the concertina book when it is tied together.

 

The fabric layers on the final pair include hessian, dried coffee bags, some handmade paper scraps and twine.

 

With each page complete I adhered to the concertina base. 4 on the front, 4 on the back. I used some ink-stained seam binding to tie it all together.

I really wasn't sure where I was going when I started this project. Once I started simply; small bases, adding layers - it evolved. So often the ideas come as we create, rather than before we create. Don't let a lack of ideas / over thinking stop you making - just start and see what happens.

Nikki

Blog: Addicted to Art

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