collage | The Contented Crafter

There’s a lot going on, I have another painting underway and I’m still making other stuff.

One of the exercises in the Life Book course was to make a Gratitude Jar. Every day you write at least one thing down that was good, date it and pop it in the jar. It’s a nice idea and I had a rather large, spare jar sitting around, so I had a go. It hasn’t photographed that well, I took the shots into the light……. [sigh!]

I collaged the jar to death making lots of texture, made a label and stamped the name, drew flowers all around the jar and painted them a stunning shade of teal mixed up from three different colours of paint and I bet I’ll never get this particular hue again!

I coloured the faux metal lid with alcohol inks, hot glued a chain of silver butterflies around the edge and hung a variety of charms and paper hearts from an old bracelet chain.

And there she is – a bit of fun! Already filling up with memo’s of the joys of each day.

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You all know how I hate waste and love re-purposing stuff – well I’ve been at that again.

I had an opportunity to buy some black fingerless gloves for less than a dollar a pair. They are classed as ‘seconds’ and without the intervention of an entrepreneur would end up in the landfill. I was happy to pay the price asked, the flaws are minor and easily fixed, I love fingerless gloves and have a bag of end bits of yarn looking for something to do ….. So to while away the warm summer evenings I started to play and made these

Aren’t they cute – here’s one on my slightly paint grubby hand

And a pink pair

I love that I can take something that is flawed and destined to become rubbish and turn it into something that has a life and is fun too. These are going to be great when the season changes! Hands up if you like fingerless gloves – I have another ten pairs to make up………..

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

Hi there my bloggie friends, just a quick post to round off my weeks work – I set to and finished my mixed media girl.

Here she is to remind you:

I painted the background viridian green and when it was dry over painted it with cerulean blue which I then wiped back getting a lovely aqua colour. I stamped randomly using a brown ink to give the pristine background the worn look of experience, collaged a flower into her hair and gave it a glittery centre for a touch of bling, ran white chalk around the outer edge of the paper ………. And finally gave her a mantra that I have learned in my life to be so true:

‘Experience is what happens to us,

Freedom is what we do with what happens to us.’

She’s gorgeously bright with her purple hair and red dress and blue-green background and will look fabulous in a frame!