A recent trip to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse turned up all of these great finds!
The interior pages of an old book, a 1979 street map of Orange County, CA, wallpaper samples, embroidery floss and several types of old paper.
I set out to get creative with these items and upcycle them into art!
The wallpaper was fun to paint on with watercolors. I created a postcard and several fancy bookmarks. I plan to use another wallpaper sample as a cover for a small book I'm making.
I used Prismacolor colored pencils to add a little definition to the watercolor paint, then glued a piece of cardstock to the back of the wallpaper sample to make an even place to write a message.
I painted loose watercolor florals on some of the book pages. I learned this technique from artist Wendy Solganik. You can find her wonderful course here:
Once the watercolor flowers were dry, I glued the pages to pieces of fancy wallpaper and added lace.
I love to read, and these bookmarks add a fun touch of whimsy to my reading habit!
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I plan to make more items with the materials I bought.
I've noticed that when I get "new" secondhand art supplies, I often get a surge of inspiration and fresh ideas. I've learned not to wait, but to strike while the iron is hot and get creating right away!
Are you spring cleaning? Maybe you'll come across some things that could be turned into art. Have you been out to a thrift shop and found funky artsy stuff? I hope you make use of the inspiration to get swept away into creating!
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