Sunday 15 September 2013

Show & Tell- Use It Up!

YAY!!! WEEKEND!!!

I have my home full of arty crafty stuff, my kitty cat, a coupla cool movies, snuggly jim-jams (that would be pyjamas, in case you're confused)  and a nice *yummy* bottle of wine.... couldn't be better!

I've had a few days of bits and pieces - you know, little bit of this, little bit of that....lots of little jobs to do and stuff to catch up on. As with the rest of the week, arty creative time has been at a minimum, mostly at lunchtime whilst catching up on Youtube videos, or late at night while I wait for my brain to switch off. So when it came time to thinking of a thing to post here for the Artists In Blogland: Show & Tell Saturday link, I thought I'd go with the theme of the week and introduce you to one of my use-it-up art books....not really a journal as it's more for, well....using stuff up! All those ends of paint pots, last dribbles of Glossy Accents, the scrap-ends of papers and die cuts that have festered at the bottom of the bits box for MONTHS! You know the kinda thing.... Well I do hate waste - O I so really do - so rather than let these things fade into wasteful oblivion, I select some at random and challenge myself to create a page spread using NOTHING but what I've chosen.... Not as easy as it sounds... it seems really limiting, but actually it forces me to think outside the box and REALLY work with only what I have which turns out to be really quite liberating.

Anyhoo - This week's 'use-it-up' was sparked by some off-cuts left over from making some cardstock gold medals for my mum to record how awesome she is (wall of medals - keep at it, mum!)...They were already painted a pretty gold colour so I just COULDN'T throw them away! I added some 7 Gypsies rub-ons which just had a couple left per sheet, two colours of Cosmic Shimmers that needed using up, a handful of Neocolor II wax pastels and a couple of pens and started adding things to the page. To be honest, I was interested to see what would happen as I really hadn't a clue where I was going! Anyhoo  - here's the result:


Hmmmm.....it reminds me of all the programmes I've watched about under-sea archaeology so I quite like it!  Here are a couple of earlier pages -


This was a 'using up dregs of Glossy Accents' page - that stuff is AWESOME fun to use as a texture on a page - only downside is the dry-time.


Using up old die-cuts. Very smooshy and very much its own personality again as the restricted media gives the art a chance to fight back against my will and intent more than usual. Not always the most amazing artwork, but it's always fascinating to see how it turns out.

As an extention to the use-it-up thing and combining the quick-art theme o' the week, I used up some scraps from the studio floor - yes, floor ....I work, stuff falls, but as always waste is not an option SO, out with the scissors, the multi-medium gel and awwww.... a completely random, weird piece of art is born! 


Ta-daaah! Proving that creativity doesn't NEED all the latest expensive craft releases (lovely though they may be)... When you look at the items on your arty/crafty wish list and realise you'd have to be Bill Gates living in Buckingham Palace to afford and house them, it's time to reassure yourself that it's YOU who brings creativity to the table - so resist the urge to add to your hoard for one more day, pat yourself on the back and award yourself that gold medal and have some fun with what you've got around you.  As for the hearty/cloudy piece above... I think it might wrap nicely around a tin can or cardboard tube and make an awesome pen holder - I can NEVER have enough of them!!

Okee - thank you for visiting! I hope some of this (admittedly slightly random) rambling has been interesting or useful? As always, please feel free to comment or contact me if you have questions or if you just wanna say hi, and don't forget to pop over to the spectacular Artists in Blogland and look at some of the site links there - I could spend for ever just enjoying the GORGEOUS eye candy on those sites! New posts are ready and waiting so y'all come back now!

Love and hugs as always - Shroo:) xxx


13 comments:

  1. I absolutely love this idea. I'm afraid my pennies certainly don't match my ever expanding wishlist and I long ago (about a years or so back) decided I would only buy what I absolutely NEED and not be swayed by the latest 'must have' product which I love the idea of but will never use. As a result I have a much less cluttered working area and everything gets used. Doesn't stop the occasional slobber fest though does it?

    I only recently discovered Artists in Blogland (thanks for coming to see me) but already I'm loving it. Very much enjoyed the peek into your beautiful book. And I love that you give your Mum medals :D

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    1. Oh so true! I have so many things on my wish lists it's insane! Haunting craft sites is an addiction! Is there a paperholics anonymous? There should be! I learned that the more I buy, the more I hoard, the less I use - and there's just no point to that...now my obsession is using up scraps!! Thank you squillions for commenting on my li'l bloglet - hugs from Shroo:)

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  2. I love your use of color especially in the first spread.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment, much appreciated! Best wishes - Shroo:)

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    1. Thank you squillions! All the best - Shroo:)x

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  4. adorable artwork -scrolled your page and couldn´t resist to become follower!

    xxx
    Susi
    from Austria

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    1. Thank you so much Susi! I'm truly honoured! Sending hugs - Shroo :)x

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  5. So beautiful and otherworldly!

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    1. Thank you for leaving a lovely comment - best wishes, Shroo:)x

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  6. Excellent compositions! I love those colors, splendid and beautifulg!

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  7. OK, I am going to take your compliment as it is...and jump up and down because of it ;-) Thank you sooo much for your lovely words. It is so nice to read your words. I will cherish them and simply tuck away my doubts.
    I really like the things you do.
    Have a lovely day - Irma

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  8. Wow absolutely gorgeous and inspiring.
    xx Monique

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