ScrapHappy #1 April 2019

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I’ve been meaning to join in with the monthly ‘ScrapHappy’ blog share for years – so many opportunities have come and gone and I never quite had my act together. But at last the time has come!

So here I am, joining in with Kate over in Chiconia and all the other scrappy people all over the globe because I’ve been making bookmarks with my painting scrap paper.  Sometimes I make cards or notebook covers with the output too, this time it has just been bookmarks.

When I paint I generally have bits of scrap paper lying about on which I wipe my brushes. It might be plain copy paper, it might be kitchen towel paper, it might be baby wipes used to wipe away paint on the canvas and expose a bit of the under layer, sometimes it’s a bit of proper heavy duty mixed media paper that went wrong.

Here’s some examples – because of course I hadn’t photographed the actual papers I used here before beginning the process of change –

No matter what it is there comes a time when the wiping is finished and the paper is full and of no further use. Once I used to bin them and grab a fresh sheet and start over. Then one day, when a full sheet was dry and I was about to chuck it out I looked again and thought that has potential and it didn’t go in the bin. Ever since then I have saved those sheets and when I’ve got nothing better to do with my time I gather them up and begin to play.

Sometimes I lay down a bit more paint through a stencil, sometimes I grab a stamp and make marks that way. Sometimes I pick up sharpies or gel pens or crayons and start to doodle. Doodling is my favourite occupation.

These ones were mostly made by laying down stencils and paint on the gelli plate and layering until I liked what I saw – or I ended up with sheets of virulent looking colours or oddly disposed messes – but look what happens when you cut them up and frame them out:

‘Framing them out’ refers to the noble art of edging each piece with black ink which all card makers and mixed media people are very familiar with. One is fully edged in the photo below, the other is partially complete

Next comes a backing – here’s the box of paper and card off-cuts that are utilised for this part of the operation. They themselves are leftovers from card making and die cutting and sometimes are leftovers from other gelli print making sessions.

I lay down a few different backing colours to see what I like. The process is generally careful for the first two or three, then it’s anything goes and lets see what happens. The photos below are the same painted piece on different colour backings. Do you have a particular colour combo you would have gone with?

And finally after a couple of days here is a sampling of some book marks – this is a mere fraction of the amount I made in this session. I have bookmarks for Africa!!

The finished painted pieces are texture rich and interesting. I make them smaller than I used to because I have learnt from my friend Derrick that it is fun to leave the bookmark in a book when you have finished reading it. Especially if you note the date on the bookmark. They aren’t for keeping, like books these are made for sharing round.

Thanks for coming by today, I’m so happy that you did!

If you want to see what the other scrap happy contributors are making, follow these links and I’m sure you will find the rest of the contributors

Kate Gun

55 thoughts on “ScrapHappy #1 April 2019”

  1. So your pretty bookmarks are going to Africa Pauline? That’s really special. How did you connect with someone there? Through blogging? I do like the idea of using the towels you clean your brushes on. I’ve often looked at my wet wipes I use in the craft room and thought, “those are pretty”, but unlike you, I’ve never actually got organized or motivated to do anything with them. Bravo for you ! I do like the idea of opening a book to find something so special, dated by the last person to have read it. That’s fun xo K

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    • Hello there Kelly! Oh dear, it’s another of our silly old sayings I’m afraid – having something ‘for Africa’ means having loads of it/them 🙂 Sorry to give you the wrong impression. I did end up making close to 100 bookmarks by the time I was finished and some have already been given away to voracious book readers and more will be sent off – some may even end up in Africa 🙂

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  2. Those are so beautiful, Pauline, and so imaginative. I’m always amazed at what artists can create out of scraps that others might toss out. I think it comes down to a way of seeing the potential in things that others don’t see. It’s a special talent. ❤

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  4. It’s incredible what you manage to do with what we would throw out. Love those bookmarks. Now I need to get something made and hopefully soon. The house is full so no progress for another week and a half. But I’m enjoying the company.

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  5. Gorgeous, Pauline! I’ve kept a few abstract pattern scraps over the years, but nothing as beautiful as these! My hubby always frames his photographs out’ with black surrounds on screen to better judge them. And just to add I love printed effects and sometimes use embossed wallpaper samples, stroked with paint, and them printed onto a canvas for textures, which can them be worked into as necessary or as desired, so I can totally relate to your pleasure in doing this kind of work. Good going!

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    • Thank you Lynne! A bit of black works wonders doesn’t it. You’ve reminded me about wall paper – I have a partial roll tucked away somewhere, I used to use it a lot for texture and had forgotten about that as an option. I might try wiping off my brushes on some ….. 🙂

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  6. Gorgeous as ever. I live in scrap heaven here though this is a textile version. This year the cast off elements have been converted into lavender pyramids using our harvest. I admire all your scrappers. And leaving bookmarks is a cracking idea.
    The next scrapping? My old and now redundant work ties…

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  12. What wonderful art. They are all so beautiful. I love the bookmark right after the bright blue. I read all e books now. I had forgotten the beauty of a bookmark and the thrill of choosing the perfect one.

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    • This is the problem with ebooks – and audio books too- no lovely covers to admire and no bookmarks to collect either. Perhaps real books will return to being the works of art they once used to be and then we will want to collect them again…..

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      • Yes, I miss the good cover art. I also miss the feel and the smell of a book. I also miss turning pages and feeling the paper. It really took me a long time to adjust to ebooks. I read so much that it came down to economics: the ebooks are cheaper.

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  13. These look lovely. I’d not heard of ‘framing out’ either. What tool do you use to do it and how do you give it the faintly ‘smudged’ look? Nosy ain’t I?
    I liked the pink backing best, since you asked and absolutely love the idea of leaving bookmarks in books and hope somebody does it for me one day if they are as lovely as your ones.

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    • I love being asked questions Lynn – it’s not ‘nosy’ it’s ‘interested’ 🙂 If you look at the third photo down where the edging process is being shown you will catch a glimpse of the two tools involved. A black inkpad and an ‘ink blending tool’ though a cheap makeup sponge, like the ones you buy in the $1Shop, will do just as well. The smudged look just happens as you swipe the sponge down onto the edge of the paper. Easy peasy!! Just as well I went with the pink backing then 🙂 Leaving them in books is such a cool idea isn’t it – my friend Derrick does it and I think it should be universally adopted!

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  14. I’ve never heard of “framing out” before but what a difference it makes! This project is, perhaps, the happiest use of real scraps I’ve seen–I mean, really, old paper towels and baby wipes?! And they turn into such lovely, useful bookmarks. Only you, Pauline . . .

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    • I don’t know if it is a commonly used term Kerry, but ‘framing out’ is what I call it. It makes an off-cut into a statement piece 🙂 I love that you think I’m unique too, but really there are lots of mixed media folk doing arty things with their paint wipers – though I do like to make useful things.

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  19. Oh what fun! And also repurposing. I like them all. And, I agree with Derrick on leaving the bookmarks. I do that as well as leave the receipt. I’m not sure I could leave these beautiful bookmarks tucked inside for long. They’re little works of art—all of the color combinations!

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  21. Lovely! I do love your exuberant colours, and it’s always fun to see non-fabric ScrapHappiness. I might have to steal your idea of leaving bookmarks in books; something to think about when I borrow library books.

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