I did this collage using letterpress makeready. Makeready is what happens when you get ready to print something new. I use scrap paper to get my colors and position correct on press. You can get all sorts of interesting patterns and overlays on the scraps. Sometimes it's one big mess, and sometimes the results are save-worthy.
Instead of a collage, here are some vintage kimono designs for inspiration. I'm not actually sure if they are for kimonos, or obis but they are very beautifully done in gouache (opaque watercolor).
I purchased a stack of original art from the 1920's - 1930's. They came from Japan all folded up so I had to carefully scan each piece and retouch out the folds. These show the whole piece of art. Each one is embellished with gold
I was going through my stash of playing cards and found this one with the blue star. It goes perfectly with vintage stamps and an international envelope fragment.
The background for this collage is a postcard that came with an issue of Uppercase Magazine. If you don't know about Uppercase Magazine, it's a design magazine published in Canada, full of all sorts of inspiration and interesting articles.
These collages are great for using up some of my scraps. I call this one No 19 because of the scrap of type left from a vintage receipt. If I had planned better, this would be the 19th collage but...
I'm running a little late posting my last collage for January but better late than never.
This collages uses random scraps in shades of teal. The background is from a bingo game, there is a piece of vintage wallpaper and some vintage money.
Two collages tonight since I am trying to keep up with the calendar.
This collage uses some textured straw fabric, a piece of a Bingo game, hand made papers and a postage stamp.
This one uses a hand print that I did from a hand carved linoleum block on an old letter. I've used this image before on some other collages. I like the black, white and gold together. I still wish the pages didn't get so wrinkly. If I used a glue stick, that would help but I have found that it doesn't last over time and I don't want bits and pieces falling off.
Here's my first collage in the calendar. Because the paper is wrinkling on the back from the glue, I'm going to collage only on the right side of the book.
For the bird, I tried an image transfer with Modge Podge. I don't know if I like it since it leaves a shiny residue on the paper. I also used a piece of vintage wallpaper, an old letter and a vintage Hungarian postage stamp. Still needs something....but, you gotta start somewhere.
Way back in 2007, before I was addicted to vintage papers, I purchased this calendar.
I loved the way it looked like a vintage ledger (so maybe I was addicted back then and didn't know it). I never actually wrote anything in it, and it was way too nice to throw away in 2008, so it has been on my bookshelf for 15 years. I always like it when I see other people post online their notebooks full of collages but I never wanted to commit to gluing something in a book. This year, I am taking the plunge and collaging in the book. The nice thing is that the book is not as delicate as an actual old ledger although maybe next year...
The calendar was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing for River House Media in 2007 and was called "A Song In My Heart". The bird collages throughout were done by and artist named Greg Johnson. It was re-printed (with a different cover) in 2012 and some copies are still available on Amazon.
2 collages to start off the year, made with lovely vintage French documents and other bits and pieces.
It's a new year and I'm committed to posting more often on my blog. I wanted to post earlier but our electricity was out New Year's Eve and as a result, we had no internet for the past week. I actually spent the time reading books instead of surfing the web.
So we start 2022 late. Here's the month of January from my 2022 calendar.
Stay tuned for a new collage project...
I'm working on a series of collages based on vintage postcards of Japanese Geisha from the early 1900's.
This collage is a portrait of the a Geisha named Sakae. She was very popular and is featured on many postcards. I scanned the original postcard so as not to ruin the original. It's combined with pages from a vintage Japanese book, handmade washi papers, and a fan letterpress printed from my own design.
I thought I'd do a spring-y collage. I used antique French documents including one dated 1898, vintage floral wallpaper and a butterfly stamp from the Republic of Guinea. This collage is available for sale in my collage shop, The Torn Letter.
Sometimes I do a collage that after a while I look at it and think to myself, "I could use that canvas for something better". You won't see the before, but here is the after.
I used some vintage Japanese documents, washi paper, and a piece of a damaged print by Keisuke Serizawa (1895-1984). Serizawa was a master of katazome stencil dyeing and in 1956 the Japanese government made him a National Living Treasure. I have several of his limited edition calendars and have posted them previously (although it may be time for another post!)
Here are a couple of new collages. Vintage documents, postage stamps, handmade papers - all of my favorite things to collage with. On the first collage, I also used a metal bird and branch with a nice green patina. I purchased them a number of years ago to make some jewelry that never happened.
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| Soon to be for sale in my Etsy shop TheTornLetter |
I did this collage using a bunch a letterpress scraps and various papers in shades of blue.
I made a few mini junk journals from various scrap papers and some kraft moleskine journal covers that I ruined when printing but decided were still good for something. I took the original notebooks apart, collaged the covers, added my own papers and re-stitched the down the middle. These two notebooks are for sale in my Etsy shop, The Torn Letter.
In my wandering on the web, I came across letterpress books by British artist Julia Humfress. She has printed 3 books highlighting wood type and I was lucky enough to be able to purchase the 3rd book. The books are beautifully printed and bound in a limited number. (Book 1was completely sold out but I was able to buy the digital version of Book 2 and while nice, definitely not the same as having the original letterpress version.) The book is really tactile with rich colors. If you love letterpress, definitely worth having in your collection!
Here are some highlights of the third book which may still be available on Julia's website https://www.woodwordsletterpress.com/ She also has prints available and you can see images from the first 2 books
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| book front |
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| opening page |
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| my favorite spread |
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| back cover |
