Painted Paper and Floral Collage

Hello there! Today we're going to paint some paper and make a collage out of it.

I learned this technique from Andrea Nelson at Workshop Week. If you're not familiar, Workshop Week is a series of virtual art classes that will definitely turn your creativity from blah to TADA! If you'd like to participate this year (June 2 to 6, 2025), you can sign up here. It's free to join!

Andrea's session, "Watercolor Floral Collage," was super fun, approachable, and anyone can do it, whether or not you have experience making art. 

I followed along as she demonstrated the project -- I made a tiny version in my sketchbook (top left corner)...TADA! 

Here is a closer look. The vase and flowers are paper cutouts that were glued to the page. While the leaves, background, and table surface are painted on using watercolor.

Let me show you how it's made:

Get a blank sheet of paper. Andrea uses regular copy paper and I'm using this brown paper bag. I cut open the sides and bottom so I can spread it out. That way, it'll be easier to paint.  

Paint the paper using acrylic or watercolors. This part of the paper will be the flowers. Make sure to vary the shades and values of color to give your flowers dimension. 

I'm also making some blue flowers. The paper painted black will be for the flower centers and the abstract side (black with white marks) will be used for the vase. Remember, this is just a guide. You can use whatever colors and patterns you want. 

Once the paint is dry, cut them into shapes. The flowers are freeform or you can use a rubber stamp and ink pad for more defined flowers. Cut out small circles in a contrasting color and glue these to the center of the flowers. 

You can also draw the flowers on the paper with a black marker before cutting them. Experiment with different shapes and sizes.

To make the collage, get another sheet of paper (this is cardstock) and have your glue ready. Cut a vase shape out of the patterned paper and glue this on the cardstock. 

Paint on some stems and leaves using watercolor and let this dry. 

Layout the flowers and when you've decided on where you like them to go, glue them in place. I like to use an odd number of flowers (ex. three, five, seven, nine, etc.).

Paint on a surface (ex. tabletop) and some shadows just below the vase. 

And here it is, our floral collage...TADA! Wasn't that simple?

I made a few more versions in postcard form: 

This is the cover of a blank greeting card...TADA!

And this one is a page from my art journal...TADA!

Isn't it so easy to make art? And it's equally easy to turn a brown paper bag from blah to TADA!

*****

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Outgoing Mail: Letters for our Men and Women of Service

 One of my favorite things to do is to write letters, even letters to strangers! 

I'm a member of The World Needs More Love Letters, a global organization combining the power of social media with the art of letter writing to handwrite and mail love letters to people in need around the world.

One of the letter requests was from the American Legion Auxiliary in Virginia. It says: "One of the many programs we have is sending care packages to our active duty men and women serving overseas. We send them all over the world such as Iraq, Australia, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, Kenya, South Africa, and many other countries. One of the most important things that we include in these packages are letters of encouragement and support. These letters are treasured as these soldiers are away from their family and friends for extended periods of time. The soldiers read and re-read these letters all the time and many have said that they are the favorite part of the care packages. Our letter bin is getting a little dusty and maybe you'd like to help us write letters to our soldiers."

How could anyone say no to that? Cheering up our service members with a simple letter and turning their day from blah to TADA! is such a simple task. I got to work instantly. 

I wanted to enclose a small card that the recipient can easily refer to. I chose a dove because of what it symbolizes (peace, hope, freedom, transformation, and kindness to others during difficult transitions). I made it by tracing a dove-shaped cookie cutter on yellow cardstock and cutting around it with scissors.   

It's the same cookie cutter I used to make this peace dove ornament...TADA! Note: It's okay to use cookie cutters for other purposes too.  

Once I had several dove cutouts, I used watercolors for the details. 

I used a limited palette and made a variety of lines, ruffles, and florals to decorate each dove...TADA!

At the back of each dove, I wrote some words to uplift our men and women of service. 

For the letters, I made my own stationery...TADA! This is just regular copy paper and the blue border is watercolor. 

I also made matching envelopes...TADA! These are plain white envelopes with a swipe of blue watercolor where the names will be written. 

Just to give you an idea, this is one of the letters I wrote.

I tucked the letter and a dove inside the envelope and sent them on its way. I'm really hoping our service members will know they are valued and that these letters will turn their spirits from blah to TADA!

If you'd like to get involved, you can visit More Love Letters and other organizations such as Support Our Troops. 

*****

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Three Thoughts for May

Welcome to the merry month of May!

A month of warmer weather, flowers in full bloom, and daydreams of slowing down or planning adventures...what's not to love?  May is also a time to celebrate some very important people: 

Here in the U.S., Mother's Day is on May 11. Why not invite your Mom or a special mom in your life to a relaxing activity: a yummy meal, a massage, or a long drive. If your Mom is far away, maybe you'd like to make a Mother's Day card like this one, or this one, or this one. Show them how much you appreciate them with little gestures of kindness. It will turn their day from blah to TADA!

May is also graduation season...TADA! To all the graduates of 2025, congratulations on this milestone. Bravo also to all the parents, family members, and the community that supported you. You all deserve to be celebrated!

In May, we have Memorial Day (last Monday of May). On this day, which is also a holiday, we remember all deceased service men and women. Most towns have parades and in national cemeteries, American flags and flowers are placed on each grave. Personally, I love watching the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS that's filled with heroic stories and uplifting music...it always makes me tear up. 

It's good to pause and remember all who served for their bravery and sacrifice, even if we don't personally know them. And for those who continue to serve, I have a special craft next week that we can do together. It's a little way to say thank you for their service.

Have a memorable May!

Brown Paper Bag Junk Journal

Hey, hey, let's make a junk journal today!

Junk journals are handmade notebooks made from paper remnants, found sheets like old book pages, as well as cardboard and packaging material. They are commonly used as scrapbooks or art journals where each page can be decorated with mixed media to yield unique patterns.

I've made a few junk journals in the past like this one using scrapbook and notebook paper with a cover reminiscent of childhood.

Here's another one made from bill envelopes and was even featured on Strawberry Moon Magazine!

We'll be using brown paper bags. You may have some around from take-out meals or shopping trips. This is just a regular sized brown paper lunch bag.

Fold the paper bag in thirds and cut them at the fold.

 

I secured the open edges together with glue.

Then I folded each page in half. Now they resemble small journals...TADA! They are a blank canvas ready to be embellished. 

Determine what kind of journal this wants to be. I'll use this as a multi-page greeting card, decorated simply with watercolor paint. 

There's a secret inner flap created from the brown paper bag's side gusset. 

I continue the floral and brush lettering theme from the first page.

This is the centerfold. I just painted on more flowers and left the top part empty to write a letter. 

Here's the other secret flap/side gusset painted with a sweet sentiment.

This is what the back of the junk journal looks like.

And that is how I transformed brown paper bags from blah to TADA!

*****

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A Field Trip: Sant Jordi Festival in Barcelona

Today, I'm going to take you on a field trip.

It's really a throwback trip. Same time last year, I was in Barcelona and on my last day there, the city was celebrating the Sant Jordi Festival (April 23). 

via Casa Batllo

Sant Jordi (Saint George) is the patron saint of Catalonia, the region where Barcelona is located. Legend has it that Sant Jordi saved a princess from a dragon. Roses grew on the ground where he slayed the dragon and as an act of chivalry, Sant Jordi offered a rose to the princess.

During the Sant Jordi Festival, its tradition for men to give ladies a rose.  

And the ladies exchange the gesture by giving the men books. But these days, women and men can receive both roses and books (maybe thrown in a cute stuffed dragon, too). It's their version of Valentine's Day!

You'll find book stalls everywhere, even on the streets and in the airport. Bookstores even invite authors for book signing events.

Roses are for sale on street corners, supermarkets, not just flower shops. A wheat stalk typically accompanies the rose and these are wrapped with a ribbon highlighting the colors of La Senyera (the Catalan flag).

Roses in pots are another option.

Even bakeries create special pastries decorated with roses or dragons. 

Popular tourist spots like the Barri Gothic (Gothic Quarter) are decorated with roses. 

Even the balconies of Gaudi's Casa Battlo bloom with roses!

April 23 also happens to be World Book Day, and here in Barcelona, you could really feel it. What a lovely reason to celebrate: books and literature!  

As a souvenir, I got this bookmark (it will last longer than a real rose) and a Spanish version of The Little Prince.   

The rose bookmark is from a darling stationery shop called Papirvm. 

And the book, El Principito, is from the bookstore aptly named Llibreria Sant Jordi.

I hope you enjoyed our trip today and I wish you many travels that turn your life from blah to TADA!

*****

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