cloth paper and collage-SWAPPING

I absolutely love cloth paper and love making it.
Earlier on in this blog, I journaled about my friend Yolana and I, and how we made cloth paper and sent each other a piece to then journal and collage on. Then we sent each other a piece that was journaled on. It was great. Yes, my friend Yolana's dad was from the Czech Republic. She has such a great personality and such a creative one. She can make anything out of a cardboard box. So, when I offered her to make cloth paper with me (I got the idea from a book), she went out and bought the book too. I would like to do more projects with her but just have ran out of time lately with alot of hospitality and excitement with our church.

SWAPPING-If you want to make cloth paper and swap with me, let me know. I will do it with you, I have some free time ahead. I will even teach you how to make the cloth paper if you do not know how to. Take me up on it and we can be swapping cloth paper buddies

Cloth Paper and Collage

My girlfriend Yolana are in the process of sending each other cloth paper that we made.

Yolana's paper was so different than mine. She used red white and blue and I used greens, yellows and whites.

Now what we are to do:

1. I cut her piece in half
2. I began to create two collages with various papers
3. When I am done, I will keep one and send her the other

RESULTS: We will both have a piece of each others cloth paper which is cool
We both will have worked on each others papers coming up with various
ideas
Then we will be swapping again, receiving our original paper with the
others art work on it.

The below picture is Yolana's paper with my working on top. I have gessoed, and have cut and tore papers to apply on top.

The cloth paper I created was much more textured than Yolana's. I added dried flowers into the surface with more glue added. My base cloth paper was canvas.
Yolana used cotton plaid fabric and papers with type.

I wanted to implement her type into my finished collage collecting my own type papers and applying with gel medium and surrounding texture with gesso.

Mona Lisa

I honestly wonder how many times the Mona Lisa has either been in an art book, a history book, hanging in a museum, re-copied to be used in a new piece of art?

Many years ago, I had Mona Lisa's picture in a frame on my wall overlooking my bed. It was kind of funny because I always felt like she was looking at me so I took it down.

Well, this time, I found a little chunky art book on France in a second hand book store. It is almost perfect in it's square shape, it's paper is glossy but a nice thickness and it has many pages. The photography is so interesting in this little book I am not sure how I want to cover the pages. I don't know if I should glue all of the pages together, cut into them to make a thick frame, and insert something into it like a shrine or work on each page leaving some of the photo that is there to be implemented into my work. Decisions, Decisions, but good ones and fun ones to make.

Plain Water Transfer

This is 140 lb water color paper. I wet one side of the paper with a paint brush and water, then placed the image down on the wet, used the wallpaper seamer roller and rolled it out well. I also did a transfer with the extra heavy gel gloss medium and painted the paper, the ink copy and layed them together. Rolled that one with the roller also.

Blow drying your images I find is a great help. Let them sit for about 15 to 20 minutes after you have used the blower or heat dryer to let the ink bond with the paper. Your using a bone folder and or brayer of some sort makes the air bubbles come out between the two surfaces. You can use your finger or anything that is blunt (not sharp)to rub these surfaces together. The blower dryer sets the ink. If you desire to wait longer, that is o.k.

The plain water transfer can be lightly removed without adding more water. the gel transfer will need water sprayed on the back.

Voila!

Elmers Glue and Cloth Paper

Today, I began to make a piece of cloth paper prior to my going out hunting for "yarrow".

A friend of mine was going through a hard time and I know she loves to sew so I had seen "Stitch Alchemy" a wonderful book that I have wanted. I made mention of it to her, she looked at it online and ordered it. It took her mind off of things and onto things she loves. This book has a twist for her though. She has sewed clothing, costumes, stuffed animals and things like that. But this collage stuff is different for her. So, I just picked up the book for myself with birthday money.

I took a piece of canvas 18x12" and layed it on a glass cutting board. The book suggested freezer paper but I didn't want to stop my project because I did not have freezer paper.

I mixed elmers glue two to one ratio with water and applied it with a paint brush that I don't use much except for oil paintings. Apply the glue to the whole piece of fabric (you can use muslin or cotton fabric-preferably cream or white)and begin to add tissue papers and other vintage papers. I had about 6 tissues papers I have saved from packages and old pages from an old bible. Yolana and I are christians so I figured she would love the scriptures from Genesis in the piece and the colors I was using were green, yellow, aqua blue, a bit of pink and just a floral look. The first paper I used was the aqua blue and layed pieces down on the soak covered canvas (glue all over it, don't worry which way your brush strokes go, just cover the fabric good), and then lay a piece of tissue paper down, fill your brush up with glue and apply, dabbing or lightly brushing. Keep adding your papers how ever you want all over the fabric. I tried added layer upon layer of the same colored tissue paper to see how dark I could get the color. I applied another tissue paper over another type to see what I could see underneath. Use the underside of the tissue paper to get a lighter color. I then began to tear pieces of the Genesis pages and put in different areas of the canvas. Then, I thought, this looks like oriental home made paper, so I got my dried herbs, flaked them a bit on the glue cloth, and then filled my brush with glue and patted it on the herbs. So I am getting some nice texture and color. I stopped for awhile to take my walk and to let it dry. If your glue is too sticky add a bit more water. I used a whole small student sized bottle for this days process. I need to buy more perhaps at the Dollar Store.

When I am completed with this cloth paper, I am going to cut it and send Yolana a half. She will do the same project with her supplies and send me 1/2 of her 18x12 sheet. Then more fun will begin. I am going to teach her to collage and mix her medias!