Going headlong into the holiday...still working on projects that use what I have at hand for inspiration and materials. I wanted to create some original art that could be a gift...or an ornament...or both!
I had these paper napkins that I picked up at a summer yard sale...the napkins had a bird on the front - birds always catch my eye...when I looked at the package more closely, I saw that the design was by Gwen Frostic...I love Gwen Frostic...she was an artist from Michigan who was known for her woodcut designs and her inspirational books...she was very big among the camp counselor crowd I hung out with in the seventies...her look is very iconic and even Martha wrote about her designs in the March 2005 issue. How fitting that I should honor her with a collage piece...
I had a half dozen of these mini canvas frames...they had letter designs on the front...a coat of white paint obliterated all...I glued the paper napkin with the bird image onto the front of the frame using my gloss medium method described here...
You can also see the old gummed label at the bottom edge...it was the same bright red tone as the cardinal...it was the perfect highlight...after I typed in a single word...
I have an old Royal typewriter just for designs like this...there is nothing like the old ink from an old typewriter to give that authentic vintage vibe...
I carefully placed the label so that the type would be centered...since the labels were so small, it took a few attempts to get it right...
After I was done with the front, it was time to finish the back of the frame...they were pretty ugly looking on the back...a square of vintage map with that perfect touch of red would be ideal...
Then there were the sides of the canvas...something more was needed...I recently bought a couple of rolls of that fabulous Cavallini paper tape...with the numbers and letters on it...but this project is about using what I already have...and wouldn't the vintage original cloth tape be better than the imitation paper variety...
I thought so...
Once everything was dry and all the edges sanded smooth, I waxed each mini-collage and tacked the cloth tape around the perimeter of the canvas...and this project was done...
the backside of the collage...love the colors of the map complimenting the colors of the bird...the red ribbon hanger (a single length of red satin ribbon held in place with a trimmers tack) was attached afterward...I remembered that if these are to be ornaments, they need a hanger!
peace, joy, cheer, wish, hope...I think that sums up the season just fine...
Linking up to Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors...ornaments are the feature this week...
