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14. After spreading a layer of acrylic paint over a surface, before it has fully dried, spray or spritz water in different areas, then blot gently with a textured paper towel. Not only will you lift off some color (leaving lighter spaces for rubber stamping, for example), you might leave a texture on the surface. (You could try painting with one color, let it dry, paint over it with another color layer, then spritz the top/wet layer as above.
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13. I have found that I have more inspiration to create art when I go to the art room with the intention of cleaning, sorting, clearing the work table, etc. Or, if I threaten myself with the necessity of throwing away the clippings and snippets and magazine pictures in piles here and there. All of a sudden they become quite vocal about being made into collages. That's when I get the most mail art pieces made in the art room. Funny how that works.
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12. In abstract art and culture, the Japanese prefer using odd numbers to even numbers. (Westerners prefer even numbers.) This is based upon the Japanese connections between numbers and words and the meanings behind them, some of them very negative or foreboding. When I was constructing a fireflies wall quilt, a well-traveled artist urged me to include 3 or 5 fireflies instead of 4.
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11. Cardboard collage: to help adherence of clippings from food- and cosmetic-packaging (i.e. color codes, logo's, designs) made of thin cardboard, leave a slight margin while cutting around the image. Then carefully pick apart the layers to leave a thinner piece which will hold glue better, trim, and apply to your project.
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10. When layering Deli wrap waxed paper (available at Amazon.com) onto card stock base, use matte gel medium to adhere, and for the final coat. (I use this paper for brayer wipe-off while Gelli Plate printing.) Collaged strips of the same type of paper will seem to melt very smoothly into the bottom layer. (Rubber stamped images can add detail if desired.)
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9. Economy envelopes: Paint or collage 8+1/2" x 11" sheets of card stock, let dry, fold in half. Embellish with rubber stamped images, collage, etc. When ready to mail out, tape three sides (or zig-zag stitch with sewing machine).
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8. Resists: quickly block out portions of a painted Gelli Plate by arranging rubber bands, draped string, torn paper strips, etc. before pulling the image onto your sheet of paper. Or try drizzling rubber cement over watercolor paper, allow to dry, then paint with different colors watercolor paint. Let paint dry, peel off rubber cement.
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7. To make up a quantity of post card or ATC background papers, either paint (stencil, Gelli plate print, water color, etc.) or collage a full sheet of 8"+/2" x 11" card stock, then cut down to sizes desired.
Finish off with further collage, rubber stamped images, etc.
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6. When using paper punches on flimsy paper like magazine pages, or on sticky paper like label sheets or Magic Mesh, paper jams occur. Slide a piece of card stock behind the image you want to punch out (circles, squares, etc.) and Voila! no sticking or jamming of the punch.
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5. Post cards and ATC's can be stored neatly in plastic page protectors (source: eBay and maybe Amazon or office supply stores) which fit into 3-ring binders.
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4. Protect ink on art or labels printed with an inkjet printer by rubbing clear candle wax (or canning wax) over the images once they have dried. This may help ink from running during damp weather.
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3. Make your own labels/stickers by importing clip-art or your own photo's, printing on full-sheet white or clear label sheets.
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2. Small snippet clean-up from work surfaces is easy with a loop of duct tape, clear packaging tape or leftover sticker paper scraps wrapped around your hand. The lint brush may also work. Or you could drag out the vacuum cleaner...
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1. To enlarge text on your computer screen, press the "control" button and the plus sign button at the same time. Repeat as necessary. To minimize, press the "control" button and the minus sign button at the same time. This may not work in every program.
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