Do you have a small object, a handful of shells, a very special photo that calls to mind a person, a happy memory, a certain time? A shadowbox is a great way to showcase a small memento or photo that might otherwise get stuck away out of sight and out of mind. Sometimes they’re called memory boxes, or personal shrines — whatever we call it, it’s simply a small box featuring a vignette of objects that are significant to your own, or a gift recipient’s, personal story.

As a mixed media artist I have made some fairly elaborate shadowbox-type assemblages. But the concept is simple — you don’t have to call yourself an “artist” to make one (but you can). Gather your small treasure or treasures and a few complementary elements and adhere them to the inside of an appropriately deep box. Here are some ideas for objects you could use: a photo, a postcard or small piece of art, kitchen items like cookie cutters or vintage tools, garden or other small hand tools, sewing implements, old letters, small figurines, shells, acorns . . . the possibilities are only limited by the size of your box.

For the box, anything that is deep enough to hold your object and sturdy enough to stand freely or be hung, will work. If you use a cardboard box, make sure it is a thick pressed (not corrugated) board. Apple’s boxes (iphones, ipads, etc.) work great. If the box is wood, you’ll most likely be able to leave it as is — maybe bring out the finish of old wood with a furniture wax or oil. But you will probably want to cover a cardboard box with paper or paint. Papering is a little more complicated in that you’ll need to measure and cut the paper to fit around the box — try one long piece to cover each end and a wide piece to reach around the sides. You’ll end up with two layers of paper across the back, but that will just help strengthen the box. The 12x12” decorative papers sold in craft stores are a good option, as is a heavyweight wrapping paper. If you’re going to paint the box, use a quality acrylic paint (like a soft body acrylic artist’s paint) that will cover any logos thoroughly in just one or two coats. Too many coats of paint will cause the cardboard to warp or separate into layers.

Next you’ll create a little scene — a vignette, within the box featuring your item or items. To embellish the scene you may want to add additional elements — for example, shells in a box featuring a beach photo. These elements will enhance your featured item — flesh out the story, so to speak.

The box pictured above was a gift for an avid bicycler. The 1930’s tin bicyclist figure is the focus item. Silhouettes representing landscape, and cut from a map, set the scene and speak to the cross country bike trips taken by the gift recipient. The picture below breaks down the components of the box and offers tips on how it was assembled.

The box on the right features a small figurine of St. Francis picked up as a souvenir in Assisi, Italy. These kinds of little tchotchkes are ubiquitous in popular travel spots and sometimes irresistible to pick up along the way. But what to do with them once you’re home? The St. Francis figurine is too small to stand alone on a shelf or bedside table. But he holds too many happy memories from a very significant trip to end up in a junk drawer, or worse — the trash. Here, he’s given his own little iPhone-box shrine. The addition of a “pedestal” base (a wood round available at craft stores) and clay tiles framing the edges give the piece enough substance to comfortably hold its own among other objects on a shelf or small table. A simplified version might include lining a small box with maps, brochures and/or postcards from the site, or of course, personal photos.

A note on using postcards and printed photos: They’re easier to work with if you copy them on to printer paper, but use a laser-type printer or copier — ink jet copies may run when exposed to wet glue. If you feel like the object needs more height in the box, raise it up by gluing it to a wood block or other item — like an overturned shell or even a small rock (use a very strong glue like E6000 and prop your object in place while it dries.)

The kitchen is the heart of the home and many of us have old family recipes, cookie cutters or other small kitchen tools that belonged to a relative and are meaningful to us, but we don’t use. Placing such items in a shadowbox makes it possible to enjoy them on a daily basis while also protecting them from deterioration. Below is a breakdown of the components and techniques used for just such a project. The delicate hand-written recipe and slightly rusted tin cookie cutter belonged to my great grandmother. (Consider color copying an old recipe to use in your display if you are concerned about preserving the original.)

Note: This project uses purchased shadow box frames — always an option and readily available at craft and even some home decor stores such as Pottery Barn.

And then there are holiday decorations — Christmas tree ornaments are particularly well suited to shadow box display because they’re small. A fragile ornament that belonged to grandmother may hold a special place in your heart, but not quite work on your current tree. Ensconced in its own shadow box, a precious memento can have a place of honor in your holiday decorating scheme. Find (or purchase) an appropriate box and complete the vignette with a holiday card and/or wrapping paper in complementary themes and colors.

A note on hanging your shadow box: Attach a sawtooth hanger with hot glue or tiny nails to the back of a wood box. Some sawtooth hangers come with pointed tips that can be carefully hammered into the wood surface. Cardboard is trickier because a glued on hanger may eventually pull away from paper or the top layer of the cardboard if the box has much weight in it. To create a sturdy hanging loop, use an awl to poke small holes inside the upper corners of the box. Knot a length of twine, ribbon or picture wire at one end and thread it through one hole inside the box. Thread it back through the opposite hole, knot it and cut off the excess. If the visible knots bother you, hide them behind a decorative element.

Finally, make sure you note on the back of the box the significance of the objects within. You can use a permanent ink pen to write directly on the surface, or create a label and glue it in place. Include the date the box was created and, if it’s a gift, the occasion. Record the item’s provenance if it has history — for example, “Grandma Busse’s recipe for Gingerbread”, or, “a souvenir from our anniversary trip to Italy”.

And now, basque in the glow of your creative conservation of cherished memories.

Happy Making!

So here we are at part three of this little series on creating gallery walls in your home — decor that is truly and uniquely your own. If you missed parts one and two, or just need a refresher you can find them here: Filling the Walls: An Eclectic, Nature-Themed Gallery (choosing a unifying motif and creating a layout); Filling the Walls Part Two: Simple DIY Wall Art (how to easily create your own art for your gallery). Now I love arranging and making, but if I’m being completely honest, this may be my favorite part of the process: shopping for vintage, antiques, and/or second hand pieces perfect for upcycling to suit my own style. Several of the shops we’re visiting also sell handmade crafts, prints and original art by local artists. Purchasing handmade and original pieces provides the additional value of supporting emerging artists within your community. [Ok, a little bit of self promotion here.]

Walking into a well-stocked antique mall or market gets my adrenaline rushing and the inspiration is endless, but I can also see how it might be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to go in with a plan — you’re looking for items that can be part of a grouping on a wall. You have an idea of your theme — subject, colors, etc., and the scale (size) of the pieces you need to fill a particular space. Or maybe you’re just getting started and seeking the first bit of inspiration to move the project forward. Either way it’s probably a good idea to bring the measurements for the wall hosting your gallery, a tape measure and even some note paper to do a quick sketch of how a piece might work in the space. And here are some tips on what to look for:

Art, of course, in the form of original works, prints, posters, as well as ceramic or fiber wall hangings (yes, 70’s macrame is back), carved wood or sculpted metal.
Frames. A very dated or otherwise unattractive print may have a really nice frame. As long as the price is right, you can always take a framed piece apart and just use the frame. You can also find empty frames, beat up or unattractive finishes can be painted and you can order glass to fit even the oddest sizes online.
Old Books often have great illustrations and interesting fonts, pages can be used as a stand alone element or as the base for your own project.
Plates are classic wall decor; many antique shops — and Amazon, keep plate hangers in stock.
Architectural Salvage can add interesting texture, dimension and variety to the grouping.
Old Shop and Advertising Signs sometimes highly collectible, and thus expensive.
Clocks
Small Shelves also provide variety and dimension, as well as a way to display small items that can not be hung. Don’t like the current color? Think paint.

Markets

The term “market” indicates a variety of goods — from food to candles, original art and even vintage. You will also often find soaps, cards, new decor and clothes. They make a fabulous one-stop-shop for decor, gifts and well, anything else the owners feel like offering. “Market” is a versatile term. Here are two of my favorites:

Bayleaf Market on Six Forks Road in North Raleigh, is set up to be “a community focused creative space that aims to bring people together.” The wide front porch welcomes visitors into the shop offering original art and pottery, as well as food items and handmade gifts — all locally sourced. Courtney Pernell, the markets creator, has her pottery studio on onsite and is planning on offering creative workshops and classes in the near future.

Neuse General Store is part of The Vintage Village complex on Durant Road, also in North Raleigh (formerly the location for SuzAnna’s Antiques.) The General Store is the centerpiece of the charming “village” of shops in refurbished historic structures. The building housing the General Store has been remodeled and finished to include bright lighting and heat and air (a big plus for those who remember visiting in its former life.) The store features multiple vendors in boutique-like spaces carrying everything from trendy clothes to kids’ items and a large selection of vintage and new furniture, gifts and decor.

Special Events

Aiming to provide entertainment along with great shopping, many market-style shopping venues offer additional activities and special events. Bayleaf Market periodically offers live music performances on their wide front porch and hosts food trucks in the parking lot, where you can also find the Seacow Mobile Market every Friday and Saturday. The Vintage Village holds an outside monthly pop-up market and has a wine bar and operating blacksmith shop on site.

Antiques Stores

So here’s where the serious hunting begins . . . My local favorites exemplify two different kinds of shop styles that both offer a great shopping experience.

Gresham Lake Antiques is a classic antiques mall — each vendor has a small space which they fill, often to the brim, with inventory. The emphasis isn’t so much on merchandise display, as getting it all in and as visible as possible. There is a lot to see. (Neither of my girls will go in an antique mall with me because they’ve experienced these little shopping trips turning into long excursions once too often. I’m hoping they grow out of that.) Go into an antique mall prepared for the hunt. You will need to do some digging and keep an open mind and a sharp eye — the perfect thing may be hidden or masquerading as something else entirely.

Flea Markets are related to antique malls but most often located outdoors; Raleigh has a fabulous flea market (once featured in Country Living magazine!) at the fairgrounds most weekends. Check out The Raleigh Market for hours, location and vendor information.

SuzAnna’s Antiques moved into a (air conditioned) shop space on Main Street in Rolesville several years ago. Having a slightly longer drive does not deter me from visiting as often a possible. The mother-daughter duo of Jenny Sellars and Susie Foster do a fabulous job of arranging their wares into appealing vignettes that rotate constantly. Just go in and browse — chances are that even if you don’t think you’re looking for something, you’ll find something.

And finally, do not overlook your local

Thrift Stores

Thrift stores can be a fantastic source for inexpensive art, frames and display items like wood shelves — especially if you don’t mind going a little DIY. Often, all a piece needs is a simple coat of paint to make it gallery-wall ready. I’ve found treasure at North Raleigh Ministries Thrift Shoppe in the Harvest Shopping Plaza on Strickland Road in North Raleigh. Not only do they have a steady stream of donations coming in the door, the organization is deeply committed to its core belief that “God desires for everyone to thrive.” Funds raised through the thrift shop go to providing benevolence and food assistance to community members in crises.

I could go on for a while about the joys of antiquing and market browsing, but let’s wrap it up here. And I do believe actively doing actually tops talking and reading about, so if you’re in the Raleigh area and up for a shopping trip — get in touch!

Happy Hunting!

Last month we looked at the process of creating gallery walls and toured the nature-themed gallery I created for my half guest bath (see Filling the Walls: an Eclectic, Nature-Themed Gallery). I explained that this project was a couple of years between start and finish, largely because I ran out of artwork to complete the fourth wall. I had three items ready to hang; but although it’s a very small wall, this was not enough to fill the space. Wanting to get this home project checked off the list in January, I looked around at what I had on hand (in closets, the studio, the attic) and found I could easily put together four additional pieces. The top criteria for each piece was that it had to be a project I could complete quickly and without spending any money. Here’s how I did it.

A quick note: I understand that everyone might not have a large supply of “raw materials” — canvas panels, craft wood, decorative papers, unused frames and art prints, etc. stashed away at home. But expand your options to include items you’d never think of framing and/or hanging on the wall, one-time favorite pieces that could stand some modification, stationary, giftwrap and so forth, and I’m guessing you have more to work with than you’d originally thought. With a little ingenuity you can, even if you don’t feel like an “Artist,” easily and inexpensively create custom, uniquely “you” art to hang in your home.

I found the tiny bird’s nest in the yard after a particularly windy night, no little eggs — thank goodness. I stored it in a ziplock bag and saved it for a project — it definitely felt meant to be featured in a shadowbox. Back in the 1990’s (!) my Nana sent me a favorite calendar illustrated by Marjolein Bastin because she thought I might want to use the pretty pictures for something at some point. She was right — I cut this little bird illustration from that calendar.

This little collage is simply a printed gift tag and scrap of linen with frayed edges adhered (with glue) to a piece of painted craft wood and embellished with bark, a mother-of-pearl button and some tangled loose threads.

This print is by the artist Jessica Roux, and I bought it at a handmade market pop-up in Raleigh several years ago. The ribbon is from May Arts. For more decoupaged decor examples and tips, see my blog post Decoupage Decor Tricks.

So that’s a wrap on how I made these four projects. The craft techniques featured here —

• constructing a shadowbox from an old frame

• upcycling a notecard and gift tag into art pieces

• inexpensive custom framing alternatives

can easily be adapted for what you happen to have on hand. Remember, you can always modify an existing piece to make it more custom or inline with the look you’re going for now. (Although creative re-working is probably best attempted on pieces that are not highly-collectible/expensive/etc.)

If you’re wondering where to find items that lend themselves to artsy upcycling, things like: secondhand frames, old books, inexpensive art prints and ephemera, then come back in March. We’ll take a shopping trip, and I’ll show you the kinds of places to look, the things to look for, and share hints for your treasure hunt.

In 20018 we moved back into our house after a major remodeling project and I was once again faced with rooms full of blank walls. But this was my third time around with moving into a house, and my second time with this house. So I had some very definite ideas in mind about what I wanted to hang on the walls and a fairly large collection of framed prints and other decorative items. I know and am comfortable with my “style”. So, I was starting with empty walls, but not exactly from scratch. One thing I knew for certain: there will be gallery walls — collections of assorted art as opposed to one or two big pictures.

Gallery walls are a natural fit — actually kind of a necessity, for someone who likes to buy and/or make art. Trolling antique shops, malls and markets is a favorite pastime for both my husband and me. (Ok, he’s maybe not quite as into it as me, but I’m fortunate he does have a taste for the hunt.) And if you’re reading this blog you probably already know, I love to make stuff. The other great thing about gallery walls is they allow for a completely unique and personalized space. I know, so do photos — I mean what’s more personal than your own or your dear ones’ faces? But collected art is about what’s going on behind the eyes, rather than the eyes themselves.

Today I want to focus on the guest bath — the half bath off the back hall. When we moved into the house in the early 2000’s this space had the original circa 1970 green tile. Knowing that a complete overhaul was a long way off, I just worked with the green tile and embraced kind of a “gardeny/nature” theme for the space. This involved green walls and a vignette of a decorative shelf with a few items, and a small piece of artwork above it. I liked this look and planned to stick with it, and then one day while flipping through The English Home I saw this:

I fell hard. This paper is a happy marriage of several vibes: nature journal, artsy walk in the woods, antiquarian . . . it has a lot going on and yet it all works together. I did not look into ordering this wallpaper because 1) I know it must be very expensive. Really nice wallpapers - especially those coming from England or Europe, just are. And 2) you wouldn’t hang anything else on top of this paper, it is the art. As much as I love the look, that would kill some of my fun. I could create a similar style with an assortment of original art and vintage pieces placed in a seemingly random pattern all around the room — in short, an eclectic gallery wall as wallpaper.

There are a number of ways to organize a gallery wall — to see a range of possibilities you can check out my pinterest board on the topic. Generally, the composition should have: a sense of balance in the arrangement of sizes and colors— you don’t have too many larger pieces on one side, for example; margins of about 3-4” around corners and window and door frames; similar, but not necessarily exact, spacing between pieces— they shouldn’t be further than about 6” apart; a style that makes all the pieces appropriate to each other and the rest of the room. This last point is a bit subjective, but you’ll probably recognize when something just doesn’t “go”.

In gallery walls, gridded and other symmetrical arrangements tend to look more formal. In this space I wanted a randomly gathered feel, and the opportunity to use different kinds of art and objects laid out informally. This can be described as “eclectic”. But to keep it from looking haphazard, this kind of arrangement does need at least one unifying principle — this can be a color scheme, frame material, subject, etc. I chose the “artsy naturalist takes a walk in the woods” theme and kept the frames to darker wood and worn metallics. Each of the pieces selected is appropriate to the others in its subject and an aged, somewhat rustic aesthetic.

Although in its final appearance an eclectic gallery may not look carefully planned — you must carefully plan the layout! Otherwise you will end up with lots of holes in your walls. Not something you want, particularly when starting with smooth, freshly painted new walls. I began to gather the pieces I wanted to use and started playing with potential arrangements on the (more spacious) floor in another room. Choosing one larger, or otherwise significant, piece as a focal point will make the project easier. This focal piece doesn’t have to be placed in the center of the wall, but it acts as an anchor with all the other pieces radiating out from it. This way, it’s possible to start with your focal point and build out around it with pieces collected gradually over time. Even if you’re doing the whole wall at once, having one piece that all others are placed in relation to simplifies the process.

I started my gallery with the wall the sink and toilet are on, the one facing you as you walk in the door. I had items to work with and even more “raw materials” for creating additional pieces. I knew I could get this small area done quickly in one project. Below are some tips for planning and executing your gallery wall.

You’re really only limited by your imagination as far as what to use in your gallery. Keeping the basic composition principles listed above in mind, of course. Here are some ideas: small art pieces, framed prints, 3D objects in shadow boxes or hanging directly on the walls, framed swatches of fabric or wallpaper, decorative plates, pages from old books, postcards or pretty notecards . You can creatively (and cheaply) “frame” book pages, prints or postcards by securing the item to a clipboard or hanging multiple pieces from string, like a banner. A gallery wall can very economical, especially if you’re using simple items and/or gathering things over time. I have only one “store bought” — complete in its frame, piece on the four walls of my gallery. (It’s the round-framed bird print.) All the others I put together from thrift store frames, prints and book pages I already had, and original pieces I made.

Since I like to switch things up for the seasons, as well as make stuff, I included pieces that are easy to change out. The pictures below show how I rotate items seasonally. Plate hangers, clip boards and pictures hung with ribbon loops can keep this process simple.

I started the bathroom gallery walls in 20018 and just finished the fourth wall. Doing one wall at a time kept the projects from feeling overwhelming. Earlier this month I gathered items I had. The last piece from a series of collages made from old sewing cards featuring songbirds would serve as the focal point (there was one of these on the first wall too). I had a postcard I’d earlier placed in a vintage frame and not used. I also had a fun print by Jessica Roux and the beginnings of a small collage using a pretty tag featuring a bird’s nest. A good start but not a full wall, even a small one. So I pulled out some raw materials and thought about what the arrangement still needed.

I see this post has gotten long, so to wrap up: do you have a wall that needs a little something? Do you have objects you love or small art pieces that are hard to find a place for on their own? A gallery wall may be the way to go. It can be done inexpensively, or not. You don’t have to DIY, you could run out to someplace like Homegoods and grab some things. Although for a number of reasons (originality, the environment, the value of things not made en masse in China . . .) I’d suggest first trying an antique mall, flea market (we have a great one in Raleigh) or even one of the local thrift stores. Just start with a favorite piece as your focal point, figure out your unifying elements (color, subject, etc.) and go from there (with some patience) — you could get it done in a few days or work on your collection over years. Either way, your walls will be unmistakably, originally, and creatively you.

Next month: a few ‘how to’s’ for simple wall art projects - we’ll look at the four pieces I just made to finish off the bathroom gallery. And in March, we’ll take a shopping trip to some of the places around Raleigh where you can find unique decorating treasure.

A few years ago I wanted to create an early summer vignette on my kitchen mantel. I had an antique oil painting, a landscape with grazing cows, that has a sort of pastoral vibe and the green colors I wanted. I also had a lovely little green pottery pitcher that paired nicely with the painting. Both items are small, and although the mantel’s not huge, something more was needed; and groupings tend to look best in odd numbers, three is better than two. What I wanted was a cow, preferably a vintage ceramic in faded, brownish colors. While such a figurine would make the perfect prize in an antiques hunt, it would also most likely take a very long time and perusing many places to find. I needed it now. So it was decoupage to the rescue. At that time the gem of a shop Ornamentea in Raleigh was still open and they sold small paper mache figurines by Decopatch. A French company started in 1933, Decopatch makes thin, almost tissue-like papers that are perfect for decoupage, as well as a huge line of sturdy animal figurines covered in simple brown Kraft paper. Ornamentea had a cow. So with my Decopatch cow, a sheet of vintage sheet music, Mod Podge, a bit of moss from a faux bird’s nest and a tiny linen flower — I had the completing piece for my pastoral vignette.

If you are looking for art or decoration in a specific theme, style or color, but don’t have a fortune to spend or hours to spend hunting — a little crafty decoupage can be your best friend. And you really only have to be just a little crafty, all you’ll be using is your surface, some paper and glue. You can decoupage just about anything — figurines, pots, furniture, and there are tutorials galore on Pinterest and Youtube. One of the simplest techniques is to make your own art. Take an image, glue it down to a flat surface, add a frame and/or something to hang it with — and you have a gorgeous oil painting for a few dollars. Here are some examples of ways I’ve created art for my home using decoupage.

I found both the sailing ship print and The Oyster Gatherers of Cancale (John Singer Sargent) in a book that was my Nana’s. The 1966 book is big — 12x15 inches, soft-covered and each full-page sized painting is easily removed. It must have been made so that people could remove and frame the pages. I used the ship painting as is, but copied the Sargent so I could reduce the size. A great place to look for images is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online Met Collection. The museum offers more than 400,00 hi-resolution images of public-domain work which can be downloaded, shared, and remixed without restriction (Public Domain means copyright free). That’s a treasure trove and you don’t even have to leave your house!

Create Your Own Decoupage Art

Links to listed supplies (I’m not an affiliate for these products, I just use them.):

Mod Podge
Liquitex gel medium and acrylic paints
Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Wax
Decopatch

I have another decorating DIY project on the horizon. It’s been sitting on my to do list for a very long time and I’m determined that July 2020 is the month it happens. I’ve wanted a folding screen to put behind the sofa in the living room since we moved in after the remodel and I specifically salvaged the doors from our former pantry for that purpose. The idea is to paint the doors black and decorate the raised panels with slivers of landscape. My dilemma is: should I hunt down copyright-free artwork to print out and decoupage , or should I try and do the painting myself? Hmm… What do you think? Maybe I’ll just haul the doors out of storage, get them painted and see how it goes.

We have been graced with some very beautiful days here in Raleigh during quarantine. Lovely weather, gardening season, the garden supply stores and nurseries being designated “essential” — these things have saved me, or at least my mood, during the past few weeks. My mind is full of flowers, and foliage, and what to plant where so it gets the best light. I love gardening and I (like most people, I’m assuming) love looking at pretty plants and flowers; I also find joy in reproducing them on paper.

Drawing (and painting, collaging, etc.) flowers multiplies the pleasure we take in viewing them, and that "drawing" can be as simple as a doodle. Who (at least among those of us with an x chromosome) hasn’t at some point doodled a flower? Maybe this is an activity we associate with being bored in a class or meeting, but it can also be very purposeful creative expression. The idea of sitting down in front of say, the vase of flowers you got for your birthday and making “art” might be very intimidating. But what if you just doodle them? The bar just got much lower and you could be on your way to a very satisfying art journaling experience. Here are some tips for an easy way to get the beauty of flowers down on paper.

In my last post, Tell Your Own Story, I showed you the art journal I made from a salvaged book spine. I wasn’t sure at first exactly how I’d use it — it’s not quite as sturdy as my “regular” art journal. But given the season and the recent online workshop I attended where we were encouraged to try expressive, free-hand florals, I decided to dedicate my new “junk” journal to flower and garden sketches of all kinds. It’s all about experimentation and, frankly, creative play. It’s one more way to celebrate the beautiful spring and enjoy the flowers. But you don’t need a hand-sewn book to make art journaling a part of your life, just grab a notebook and a pen and start doodling.

What is your favorite flower? Have you ever tried to draw one? Tell me in the comments below (sometime this month) and I’ll send you some happy mail . . . whimsical blooms made from salvaged fabrics and sewn to lavender sachets (yes I have been a little obsessive about the flowers lately:).

One more thing . . .The’re new listings on my Etsy store, the Muse and the Magpie!

At the beginning of March I signed up for a free online series of workshops entitled Sketchbook Revival. Beginning in the middle of the month the workshop hosted 24 different workshops over 12 days, each on a different technique or topic to try in a sketchbook. As an avid Art Journaler, this sounded made for me; it also turned out to be perfect timing, coinciding with the covid outbreak and stay-at-home orders. But before the workshop even officially began, the host, Karen Abend, posted a fun video with one of the presenters on how to make your own art journal/sketchbook/whatever you want to call it from an old book. I’ve managed to overwhelm myself with online learning opportunities during our quarantine, so I haven’t made it to many of the workshop sessions yet — but I jumped right on making my own book.

Given my love of books and paper in general, repurposing old stuff, making, journaling, sketching . . . it’s probably not surprising that I’m drawn to handmade books. This type involves removing the block of pages from an old — unused, damaged, gathering dust (I know some people are sensitive about “defacing” books so I want to insert a disclaimer), book and stitching new pages to the spine. A little book making terminology for you: book paper is gathered into folded packets called “signatures” and then the signatures are sewn or glued to the spine. A book usually consists of multiple signatures. I chose different kinds of blank paper, as well as some of the original text, for my signatures so the pages would work well for sketching. Often with this kind of handmade book people like to use a huge variety of printed, marked on, multi-textured papers that they will then further alter in a so called “junk journal”.

This was my first time with repurposing, or salvaging, an old book to make a new one; the first book I made was originally intended as a card — and grew. In 2017 one of my aunts was very ill and required multiple hospitalizations. I wanted to send her my love and concern, but a card didn’t seem adequate. I thought, "well I’ll make a card” and then “no, I’ll make a book”. I’d always wanted to try making a book and now I had a purpose. I made three single page signatures from heavy watercolor paper and bound the signatures together with a very simple stitch (that still took me lots of practice). I attached the bound signatures to chipboard pieces covered in fabric from a vintage tablecloth for the covers. The pages were filled with tiny watercolors, bits of sheet music and old textiles, rubber-stamped text and simple stitching. I hadn’t looked at the pictures of this little book since I sent it off, revisiting it for this blog I realized that I really love it.

Last fall I watched artist Caterina Giglio make a teeny tiny book with twigs as the spine on youtube (see here). I decided to try this technique as a gift book for my God daughter’s birthday in lieu of a card. Anna is a math major (I think that’s right, anyway, she’s great at math) at the University of Wisconsin. I found a quote about math by Galileo and used that as the theme for a tiny book that is mostly collage with some stamping for text. The signatures are heavy card stock, each sewn to a twig with the twigs stitched together.

One final entry in “Books I Have Made” — the little journal below is made from a grocery bag and was a little experiment I used as a kind of art warm up when we moved back into our house after a major remodel in 2018. The journal is loosely inspired by some of my favorite romances in books and allowed me to play with all kinds of techniques and materials I hadn’t used in a while. For these pages I cut pieces of paper grocery bags to the size I wanted and then layered them together, printed sides facing each other on the inside, with glue. I ran a brayer over the pages multiple times to force out excess glue which I wiped off with a paper towel, and then let them dry under heavy books overnight. Using grocery bags as the basis of your handmade book is a very economical (and green) method; it’s a great material for first attempts — you truly have no fear of “messing up” when you’re working on a grocery bag. The pages are also heavy-duty and will stand up to layers of painting and collage.

Would you like to give it a try? Here’s a short video that shows how to do a pamphlet stitch on a small grocery bag book with two or three single signatures. It really is quite simple. Mother’s Day is coming up, Hallmark is closed for who knows how long — here’s a way to send a very personal “thinking of you”.

Supplies like those used in the video can be found on Amazon. This is a good kit for beginners.

Yesterday — March 19th, was the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here in Raleigh it’s going to reach 80 today, it’s sunny, the cherry and crabapple trees are blooming away, the azalea bushes are just beginning to blossom. Our lives might be turned upside down with most everything canceled or closed, but not Spring. Mother nature doesn’t quarantine.  We’re all spending much more time at home now, which makes it a very good time to look around for ways to make home a nice place to be. It’s a good time to tackle cleaning out that closet, painting a room, . . . or just smaller things, little touches. It’s easy to bring the sweetness of spring inside.

The front door is a good place to start. Have you hung a wreath to welcome spring? There are many places to buy one — Pottery Barn, of course, has gorgeous door decorations for all seasons, as does Frontgate. Locally, Homewood Nursery is a fun place to browse with a great selection of wreaths and other fresh and faux plants and decorations. Although  the pre-made variety can be pricey. A decorative wreath is a pretty easy thing to put together yourself: start with a grapevine wreath, some faux floral stems, and a glue gun. Experiment with the arrangement of your florals and any other decorative elements you want to include, then hot glue them into place on the grapevine. 

Moving inside . . . one of the first places we think of decorating is a table centerpiece. A plant or vase of flowers always works, but you can also group things together. A grouped arrangement can fill up space if a single item is not proportional to the size of the table; it also allows you to add a seasonal element to more everyday items. Do you have a serving platter, a flat basket or a cake stand you could us as a base? Add votives and a seasonal plant, and you have an arrangement. Do you have a decoration you’d like to use but it’s too small on it’s own to make a centerpiece? Look for other items to group with it and  arrange them on your base.

Accent tables, since they don’t require leaving the perimeter free for dining, can host a full tablescape (like a landscape, but spread across a table). This gives you the opportunity to create an entire scene, or a chance to use several items that get lost on their own. Again, the key is grouping. When arranging your items it helps to remember the “rule of 3” — you just about can’t go wrong with three elements in a group, but it’s not essential. Just make sure the items are proportional — there’s not one single piece that dwarfs all the others for example, and play around until you find an arrangement that pleases you.

And then of course there are shelves and mantels, the quintessential candidates for vignette arranging. Think of it as creative play! You might be attracted to cute ceramic bunnies but think: what am I going to do with one bunny? Let it be a “guest” on a bookshelf for March and April. I find that personal, timely touches around the house spark a joy that is worth an extra box at the top of a closet (actually I have an entire closet just for this purpose.)Marie Kondo doesn’t have to come over.

Decorative plates are easy to switch out. You can determine once where you want them, put your stands in place, and rotate the plates according to seasons, holidays, your mood . . . it will take two minutes at most. Vintage ceramic plates are a fun collectible. Pick a type, like transferware, or a color or theme and you’ll have something to hunt for in interesting shops and markets. Most of the plates I use are decoupage plates that I’ve made. Below is a very quick “how to” on that process. If you’re interested in a more detailed tutorial, let me know and I’ll do a post on it.

I hope you and yours stay well and have a

Happy Spring!

In art making, like in decorating, there are a number of advantages to limiting your choices. Too many options leads to project paralysis. One way to prevent your project from stalling out before it’s even begun is to use a limited color palette. 

Over the summer I wanted to play around with collage by making a series of small art pieces and cards. That was the goal: make some mini collages. That’s pretty open-ended and I could have gone in a million directions; my brain was just waiting for the signal to go on an idea rampage. So I drew some boundaries right from the start — every element had to be either black or cream (I could also say natural, off-white, beige, etc. They all fall into the warm-white category which I’m broadly categorizing as “cream”), and I had to only use items I already had. This palette works well with the vintage papers and fabrics I like; I had plenty of materials on hand to choose from.

 I had some small black frames that I picked up on clearance, at Michaels I think, a while ago. They had tiny prints of wine glasses glued to a plastic backing which I ended up discarding. I made a new substrate covered in vintage sheet music and simply glued the frame to it.

Once I decided on the composition of each piece, I assembled the collages using gel medium and in the case of the buttons, a needle and thread. To help me remember the order for each element, I laid them out at the top of my work space. I smoothed the layers with a silicone brayer and wiped away excess medium with a small, dampened sea sponge.

Here are some of the completed cards. For the cards I used a piece of mat board as the collage substrate and it’s possible to remove the board from the card front and display the card on a small easel. They are all similar and yet each has its own little story, a small piece of art in its own right. 

A starting point: a Dover clip-art book (circa 1997) featuring “old-fashioned floral bouquets” in black and white. I then pulled out my bin of neutral-colored papers, a bag of lace scraps, another bag of small fabric pieces and my jar of antique black buttons. Shuffling items around, playing with different lay outs — I decided to do a series of cards featuring the black and white botanicals, and three mini collages with buttons as focal points.

I’ve sent some of the cards out into the world; I’m still deciding on the fate of the little framed collages. My plan is to open an Etsy shop in the next few weeks, so the remaining cards and the mini framed collages will probably end up there. I’ll let you know when that happens.

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]]>The Advantages of Using a Limited Color PaletteArt and LifeRebecca DeGroodtFri, 18 Oct 2019 20:00:27 +0000rebeccadegroodt.com/blog53cc2280e4b00a460e570dd4:54160825e4b023c61d317c05:5daa0a4d4fe0ab0d8e9a9abe

The previous post on this blog dates to 2015.(!) Four years ago I thought it would be cool to start a blog about trying to be an artist and a mom. I thought it would be a great way to chronicle my own work, to hold myself accountable, to be ready with something to actually show people when asked “so what do you do?”

I’ve never stopped believing that, but it’s taken four years for me to sit down and actually write a post. Why??? Well, there just wasn’t enough time — I have two busy kids who needed to be driven around a lot. There wasn’t enough space — my “studio” was a small room that functioned more as storage for accumulated supplies for future projects than as an actual work area. And, if being honest, there has not been nearly enough confidence on my part that what I’m doing is worth doing, much less sharing.

Now my life, as life tends to do, has shifted. My girls are growing fast — the oldest drives herself and they’re both in high school. I have more time. We’re in the same house but it’s much bigger. Now I have a large, well-lit work space. I’ve been making more — exploring my ideas and techniques for expressing them, and valuing the exploration for the journey it is. And I’ve become more aware that stumbling blocks like lack of time or space are often just a cover for fear. 

Fortunately, I’ve also been reading and listening to people who have many inspiring things to say about how to nurture creativity and overcome blocks, especially fear. So thank you Elizabeth Gilbert, Danny Gregory, Marion Parson, Austin Kleon and others, I’m sure, for helping me understand that a journey naturally involves wandering, taking a wrong turn now and then, stumbling some. And there is nothing wrong with dropping something and picking it up again and then repeating the process until you’re able to carry it or let it go.

I can’t let making go, it’s woven too tightly into the thread of me. And I can’t seem to let go of the drive to share what I’m making, and the why and how of it. And the internet is perfect for that. So here is my blog, again. This time I mean to stay the course and document the journey. I invite you to follow along and hope that, along the way you’ll be inspired — maybe to make something, to explore something, or even to pick up a dropped dream and try it again.

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Next Up . . .

Working in a limited palette — black and cream

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