FLOWERS AS INSPIRATION!

I was given this sweet bunch of flowers, which I put in my small studio pottery jug - see top right picture.  I used them as inspiration for these collaged double-sided bookmarks - see above.  I did not have to cut out the cardboard shapes, as I recycled the packaging which came with some socks I ordered on-line! I painted them with gesso and acrylics to make a background for the design.  To finish I added ribbon and gift tags, using the punched holes which were already in the cardboard shapes.

I also made a birthday card for a friend, continuing the flower theme, and using a scrap sheet that I used to try out colours etc. as a background...

BOOKMARKS TO SEND INSTEAD OF CARDS!

Here are some of my new bookmarks which are for sale in the One Craft Gallery.  They are double-sided - the top pics show one side and the pics underneath show the reverse.  I collaged my drawings and found pictures on top of handprinted and painted backgrounds.  I looked at the colours and shapes in the background to see what subject they suggested.  Each one has a gift tag and is supplied with an envelope so they can be sent instead of a card...

NEW BOOKMARKS FOR THE ONE CRAFT GALLERY!

My bookmarks have sold well in the gallery - often as end of term gifts for teachers - so I needed to restock!  I raided my experimental samples, painted on A4 cartridge paper, and I folded and cut them so two bookmarks were made from one colourful background.  Painted papers - punched out and cut up with some illustrations and extra embellishment, were put together to create these bookmarks.

Each set of photographs show both sides of the seven new bookmarks. I sell them with an envelope and gift tag so they can be sent instead of a card...

The bookmark on the left was done on a background left over from another project.  It had a lot of shiny gold paint splattered on it which led to me using a religious icon theme on one side...

COLLAGED BOOKMARKS

At the moment, I am spending my time sorting and clearing out stuff from my studio area.  There has already been one trip to the Recycling Centre with loads of papers, cardboard and redundant equipment and I am busy collecting another load! When I do get a chance to do some artwork, I work in sketchbooks and small projects, such as these bookmarks.

They are made from card and are double-sided.  Both sides can be seen in the photographs. The snowman one was personalised for my Grandson, Theo, who is an avid book reader.  I am hoping to get back to some larger projects once I have established a more clutter-free environment...

HAVE A GOOD READ!

I have just made some more bookmarks.  I used natural brown coloured card stock, which I felt was too flimsy to use as cards.  I stuck the two sides together, and cut them in half vertically, to create two bookmarks. These were then collaged in several layers, with various papers and punched out images, which were outlined with a thin black marker and white gel pen.

The photographs, above and below, show both sides of the bookmarks.  To finish off, a hole was punched at the top, with ribbon, a gift tag and brown envelope added, so they can be sold as a present and card all-in-one!

SNOWDROPS AS INSPIRATION

I have been working on snowdrops as inspiration, as there is a Snowdrop Festival in Shepton in February.  The gallery has been asked to do a window in celebration of the festival, so I have been making bunting, cards, bookmarks and gift bags - all with the snowdrop theme.

These were all done in a similar way - the brown paper background was crumbled and treated with paint.  I sketched out the snowdrops and leaves onto white tissue with alcohol markers and attached to the background with matt medium.  Once fully dried, I added further details with marker pens and some glitter glue to give extra sparkle! 

TEATIME BOOKMARKS

These collaged bookmarks have a 'tea' theme.  The top pic shows the front side and underneath is the corresponding back to each.  People often buy these as an alternative to cards as I supply them with an envelope for posting and a gift tag...

BIRD AND BUTTERFLY BOOKMARKS

I have just produced some more bookmarks to sell in the gallery as I noticed that I had almost sold out!  I have made all these from A5 card stock which meant less cutting out.  I could work on both sides at once before folding and glueing the card together and cutting in half to make two bookmarks.  Another advantage is that they are a perfect fit into standard envelopes...

For the backgrounds I have collaged papers - napkins, tissue, paperback pages and photocopies of material and my own artwork onto the card. Then, when they were cut up and assembled, each bookmark was treated separately with extra embellishments - cutout letters, flowers, butterflies, or birds.  They were finished off with a fine black marker and protected with acrylic wax.    

The photographs above are arranged so the front of the bookmarks are on the top row and the reverse side are shown below.  Bookmarks are a good alternative to sending a card as it is something people can keep and use...

BOOKMARKS FOR CARDS

I enjoy making collaged bookmarks as they make a good alternative to cards and I can try out ideas on a small scale.  My latest is to mark a friend's 60th birthday - 'Sensational at 60' on one side and a stylised vase of flowers - deliberately done in the style of Mary Quant and the 60s on the other.   I rarely work on one at a time, so also illustrated is the other one - 'Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!' - with another stylised floral design on the other side.

For these works, I took a photocopy of a black and white place mat to cut out the vases.  Photocopying or scanning favourite textiles, flat objects, such as, feathers, leaves etc. is a useful resource of papers to collage. The blue background is decoupage paper of jeans pockets. I could have scanned some of my stash of vintage denim for a similar effect.  For the flowers, I used simple shaped punches and hole reinforcement rings.

RECYCLING ARTWORK

Top row shows the right side and bottom row the reverse.

My bookmarks have been selling well so I quickly made some more for the pop-up shop which we have just had at a local Open Gardens (see July 4th post). To save time, I recycled bits of artwork that were destined to be cards but never made it and some hand collaged cards that were damaged.  With some cutting, glueing, embellishing and sealing with acrylic wax they were ready to have gift tags added.  I add gift tags so that a personal message can be added and a bookmark could be sent instead of a card.

MORE BOOKMARKS!

Here are some more bookmarks that I have made.  On the left are the two front sides and on the right the words and illustrations I have put onto the back.  These two sort of involved as I delved into my stock of cutout words and flower illustrations.  For the background I collaged my painted papers in shades of blue and green.

For these bookmarks I started with a theme - one on London and one on the 70 year celebration of D- Day.  I recycled old stamps, advertising bumph, and old napkins.

Finally, I needed a gift for my aunt as next weekend I am attending a family 'do' at her house.  The background are old book pages and the foam raised letters came from a kiddies craft section.  And yes, my aunt's name is Joy!

COLLAGED BOOKMARKS

I have found that making bookmarks is an ideal vehicle for doing a collage warm-up for larger pieces.  I do several at one time so one can be left to dry while I am doing the next stage on another one.

I experiment with different backgrounds and play with different materials.  I can work quickly and spontaneously without having to worry too much.  I make use of scrap papers left from other projects and small images, such as stamps, that can get lost on larger pieces of work, and I can try out various ways of adding text.

For the supports I have used recycled materials - inner cardboard rolls from kitchen paper, offcuts of mount board or long, thin greetings cards with front and back glued together.  Sizes are 2 - 3 inches in width and 8 - 9 inches in length.  Holes were punched in the end and cords added. The finish is a layer of acrylic wax which gives them a slight sheen and makes them durable. The bookmarks are double sided - the illustrations show both sides.

I enjoy making these as I believe that people keep them longer, as compared to greetings cards, although according to my friend who works in a library, many bookmarks get left behind!

BIRTHDAY BOOKMARK

A sudden invitation to a birthday dinner meant that I needed to create a card/present quickly, so I thought of putting my bookmark idea into practice. As the recipient is a keen gardener, I went for a gardening theme. For the background I used some purpose made scribble papers. I added flowers shapes and illustrations of garden implements cut from some wrapping paper. The quote is 'gardening is an exercise in optimism'. As I made it too long for a standard envelope, I made one from sugar paper.

BOOKMARKS

I have been trying to think of something to make to sell in the gallery which can be sent, like a greetings card, but has a use as a gift. The idea I came up with is bookmarks.  I know a lot of people use Kindles, iPads and other tablets for reading but there is still a huge following for the physical book - my young grandson just can't get enough of them!  These have a 'fishy' theme with the words - 'There are plenty of fish in the sea...'

These bookmarks can be sold with a gift tag and envelope for posting.  I used mount board, collaging techniques with my own painted papers and finished them with a protective coating of acrylic wax.  I am going to try out some other designs before seeing if they sell!