Fresh Prints of Bel Air

Okay, so this is a little bit of a stretch, and a bit long winded, but here goes anyway.

Last week I attended a "funktion" for art educators and art people who utilize recycled materials in their art work. I would think that all artists use a bit of recycled materials, or at least most of the ones I know do, so here is what I did.

At the "Funktion", there were all sorts of giveaways, ranging from huge poster size pieces of silver cards to baskets to upholstery samples to pieces of buckskin. I gathered up a few treasures and hoisted them into my trunk, where they sat for a day. I had to wait until hubby wasn't around to "unload" my stash, as he is always bellyaching about the "junk" I bring in.

So in my collection of stuff were these document separators, made of just the right weight of paper that I normally buy to use for my background tags for beach bracelets and other items I make from polymer clay. After I have the name of the items printed on the computer, I cut the card stock up into the right size. First, however, I "decorate" the card stock with spritzed paints and sponged prints that I make up as I go along.

They never look like much, but I only use about 1/6 of the design for each card, so in small size, they are fairly attractive. After the paint is dry, I iron the card stock, and use a piece of recycled gift tissue wrap between the iron and the card stock. The decorations of faint red circles you see on this image is the extra ink from the tissue which also transfers to the paper, creating unique prints that I rather like.

After that, I print the information I've saved on my computer with names and descriptors of the items. I don't need to worry about the plastic tags and holes on the periphery of the paper, because I normally have to trim the cardstock anyway.

Oh yes, I also include a picture of some of the real stones I took a few years ago at a beach called "Belair" near where I sell some of my beaches bracelets, so that goes on the tag too. As you can see from the actual scan of the bracelet on the finished cardstock, the real stones aren't quite as colourful as my "factices", but these are the stones I would like to see on the beaches in my dream world.