As the days wear on, I’m finding solace in just pushing around paper and glue…not creating anything big or spectacular but enough to provide a temporary distraction from the world at large.

I taught my Scrap Collage workshop in Portland at the end of August at a lovely setting, the new retail home of K.MARIE Vintage. There was plenty of distance under an enclosed patio, everyone had their own table to create and masks were worn. It was clear that a day of respite was heaven for all.

Since not everyone could attend…and I’ve been asked to do video classes…I’m providing what I can here…a step by step of my Scrap Collage process so you can replicate it at home and find some momentary pleasure playing with paper…

The idea for my Scrap Collages came about from the detritus of paper strips I accumulated when I sand off the excess paper from the edges of my mixed media collages. It seemed a waste to throw those paper scraps away…

The materials for each collage are rather simple…a pile of paper scraps, a base (in this case, a birch cradle board but an old book cover or a piece of wood scrap would work too), an old brush and glue. I usually use matte medium for my glue since it provides a protected surface for the paper once it dries. A sanding block for finishing the edges and a ruler for tearing up strips also comes in handy.

Its a three step process - the background of paper strips, a main image as a focus point and some words that tell the story. The image for the focus of your creation can be found anywhere…a picture cut from a catalog, an old photograph, a drawing from a well loved book…whatever strikes your fancy.

Words to tell the story can likewise be found anywhere - the morning newspaper, an ad in a magazine…and my favorite, a quote from an old book. My faves are the large print books that my local library often have on their sale rack…the larger type makes them ideal for art projects. And rest assured…using books in this manner is not sacrilege…you are saving them from the landfill.

You start by gluing the paper strips onto the cradle board, keeping them close together so no gaps show and extending the paper strips beyond the edge of the cradle board…I have found this last step very important! More times than I can count, I think that I have precisely cut the size of a paper strip and every time it is short…it is much easier to have the excess and sand it off once all of the strips have dried.

I also have a small container of water at the ready so that I can dip my finger in the water and smooth out the strips while they are still wet to eliminate any bumps and wrinkles.

Just to review - here are the steps in order…

Once everything is glued down and dried, its up to you on how you want to finish the outside edge…sometimes I slap on some paint, sometimes I encircle the edge with washi tape, sometimes I use additional paper strips…there’s no wrong answer.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

To show support to all of you who have been following along, either as a subscriber to my newsletter, a follower on Instagram or a buyer of my Etsy creations, I am giving away 5 Scrap Collage packages.

In each package will be

• a 5” x 7” birch cradle panel

• a hearty handful of paper strips

• a few interesting images that could be focus images

• a few pages from old books for a selection of words and quotes

• a mini sanding block

• a sawtooth hanger so you can display your collage when it is finished

• a nudge of inspiration to make your own Scrap Collage

Here’s what you need to do to enter the giveaway…

If you are not already a subscriber to my newsletter, I invite you to become one! The sign-up form is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Comment in the section below that you are a subscriber and that you want to enter the drawing.

If you do not follow me on Instagram, you can get an extra chance at the giveaway if you start following me.

That’s all…its pretty easy…the winning entries will be picked on October 10…and International entries are welcome (but be advised that given the current pandemic, postal services can take much longer than usual.)

Thanks again for all your support during these crazy times…I’m hoping, that like me, you are finding some solace in creating…we’re all in this together…