Upcycling Finds from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse!

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:

https://willa-workshops.teachable.com/p/watercolor-leaves-and-florals  

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!

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!

Happy Creating!

Upcycled Stamps

A Sunday morning in my art studio got me inspired to create some new stamps for my journaling and collage projects.My materials were: wine corks, a gum eraser, a pink eraser too old & hard to erase pencil marks any more, an X-acto knife, a pen, a pencil and ink pads.

I began with sketches of ideas, then drew my design onto the surface of the cork or eraser with a ballpoint pen or pencil.  

With the X-acto blade, I cut away everything that wasn't the design, and left what you see above as the stamp. I tested the stamp out, made any changes I needed, and then stamped away.

It's exciting to see your new design printed on paper! I use mine in journals, on cards & letters, and to decorate my daily planner.

I've been making cork and eraser stamps for years, and have collected them into a pretty box.  The dividers inside are fashioned from cereal box cardboard.  Several of the stamps above were made from old shoe soles (see the cardboard X handle?😉).  

I love repurposing old junk into art supplies!

Many of my materials came from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  They have erasers, a barrel of wine corks, loads of different papers, and I've found stamp pads there, too. 

I hope you'll give this art form a try!

More Upcycled Affirmation Cards!

Collage is an easy medium to work in -- there's no need for exact lines or perfect composition.  In fact, I have an 87% rule -- If the layout is 87% of the way there, I grab the glue and stick it down.

I simply lay down a base layer that I like (a Gregg shorthand or Magic Squares book page for instance), and add bits and layers -- stamps, typewritten messages, cut paper, and perhaps a top layer of old sewing pattern tissue as I've done on these two.

A few layers later, something organically has arisen, and I realize that words that I need to remind myself of are now artfully before me.

The joy is that I can share these little cards.  I make extras with the same affirmations, tuck them into a drawstring bag, and offer friends, family and folks along the way the opportunity to "Take what you need."

If someone else is reminded to believe in their journey, or that they are enough exactly as they are, we are all lifted up.

These cards are made of upcycled papers and thrifted stamps on old playing cards purchased at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.

If you're lucky enough to live in the Pittsburgh area, 

I recommend giving yourself the gift of a trip to the PCCR shop.  

Friendly staff will help you find what you're interested in, from fine art materials to vintage papers, 

office supplies, frames, fabric and even photography equipment.

Happy Creative New Year!

Art Journaling in my Trader Joe's Grocery Bag Journal

I often write a journal entry on a piece of lined paper as part of my art journaling page.  Making pockets to tuck these folded pages feels like play!  The above pocket design is created with book pages & watercolor paper decorated with Indanthrene Blue & Burnt Sienna watercolors and India ink.

I recently was inspired to try intuitive painting after watching this YouTube video by Jackie Schomburg.  When I finished, I realized my painting represents how I feel about the autumn and the coming winter -- a last celebration of the summer sun, warmth & color.  

Yin & yang.

Sometimes, I doodle in my art journal. 

I picked up some watercolor crayons in an art supply swap I held in one of my Osher classes, and played with them on gesso-covered pages.  I love the rich, bold colors and the way they blend with a wet brush!

An art journal is your space to explore whatever you desire -- from a new set of paints to the thoughts and feelings within you.  I hope you get a chance to play with art supplies just for self care soon!

Upcycled Art Journal from Trader Joe's Grocery Bags

I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's grocery store.  I love the staff, and the food! 

Over the last few years, I amassed a collection of their sturdy paper bags.  Determined to recycle them, I turned them into a journal.

I got the idea for creating a faux leather cover from an idea I saw in a YouTube video.  

I cut my paper bags into pages, wet them and crinkled them for some extra texture. 

After letting the pages dry, I sewed them into a journal and added a cover.

On the pages that have print, I gesso and paint over, or simply collage. Here I've used music sheeting and old book pages, acrylic paint, homemade stamps, and Sharpies.

I copied a wonderful "permission slip" from The Unexpected Gypsy.  It's helpful to write down your intention in a journal, and to remind yourself that you are allowed to create without judgement.

I love the brown craft paper surface of the unprinted pages. I can use white paint pens and black ink to contrast. I've sewn in a string of battery-powered lights to this page to remind myself that nurturing myself helps my inner light to shine.

The beauty of upcycled materials for me is that I've saved something from the landfill, so it feels like there's no pressure to make anything "pretty." 

A beautiful way to slip past perfectionism.

Why not create your own art journal from materials around the house?

Upcycled Tea Bag Art Cards

Years ago, I discovered the thrill of turning used office paper, junk mail and dried flowers into handmade recycled paper.  A mere blender and a window screen gave me the power to turn trash into artful stationary.  It felt revolutionary.

The excitement of turning cast off items into art never left me, and recently, I discovered the idea of turning used tea bags into tiny artworks.  

The procedure is simple. As soon as your tea bags have served their job, been plucked from the hot water and cooled, you can carefully open them up and dump the tea leaves into a compost pile or flower bed. 

 Rinse the paper tea bag to remove any excess leaf bits.  Let them dry, and put them to use!

I have a collection of stamps I made from wine corks and old erasers.  The wobbly little stamp designs suited my teabags ideally.

I experimented with creating collage cards, and noticed that the tea bag paper is porous.  When I tried using liquid PVA glue on my stamped teabags, I had troubles with the ink running, and with the glue showing through the paper.  

Glue sticks worked better.  The stamped design didn't run, and the teabag paper was tough enough, in spite of its gossamer nature, to withstand the pressure of running a tac glue stick over it.

I like the transparency & earth-tones I find in teabag paper, and discovered that it works beautifully in layering and letting designs beneath it show through -- this time with liquid PVA glue (below).

Scraps I used for testing watercolor paint swatches became collage pieces that matched the tea color of my teabag papers.  Magic!

One of the most fun parts of creating with upcycled materials for me is the experimentation phase, when I discover what a material can do.  

My teabags came in two sizes -- 2 1/2" round bags, and 4" x 6" rectangles.  I found that the rectangular pieces made delightful stationary on their own.  I wrote a letter to my best friend -- an ideal paper for concentrated thoughts and focused ideas. I made sure to put a scrap piece of paper underneath the teabag paper as I wrote with a rollerball ink pen -- the porous paper let some of the ink through.

Why not brew up some iced tea, unfurl the teabags, and create your own miniature artworks this summer?  A lovely way to spend time in artful self-care.

The Magic of Upcycled Gratitude Journals

One of my favorite daily rituals is to drink my morning tea from a china teacup and journal what I'm grateful for.  I used to keep chickens, and accumulated a stack of brown paper chicken feed bags.  The simplicity of these bags charms me, and makes them feel ideal for upcycling into journals. 

I never face the "fear of the blank page," because I'm writing on something most folks would just throw away or compost.  That gives it a magic that delights me.

 

I use the bag's original stitching as the binding, and then add grommets for fun.  The bag is made of three layers of brown craft paper -- designed to hold 50 pounds of grain, the layering adds strength. That gives me six pages to write on -- enough for a month of entries.  

Valentines Update

This time of year, with the snow and cold blustering outdoors, I find myself drawn to bright, bold colors and making Valentines.  Tonight, I brewed up some green tea, carved a new Valentine stamp, and tested it out on papers that I had previously painted with intense Dr. P.H. Martin's Liquid Watercolors.  Nothing like the thrill of bold black lines against vivid magenta, tangerine and violet!

The Speedball Speedy Cut block I used to create my stamp was super easy to carve. 

I painted on sheet music, pages from an old shorthand textbook, and dictionary pages.  The print added another layer of texture.

A finished card.

New Classes for the New Year!

If you are ready for a fresh art project, new inspiration, or just a way to schedule some time for creative self-care, I invite you to join me in these upcoming classes!

Pittsburgh Figure Drawing Meetup

Guided Workshop: Drawing the Model

It's difficult to get started in figure drawing if you're not enrolled in a fine arts program, or able to commit to an expensive, multi-week course. In our 3-hour workshop we'll guide you through proven drawing exercises designed to get your eyes, brain, and hand working together to capture the human form on paper. Attendance is limited to 8 so our instructor can provide one-on-one guidance. Models will pose nude. Materials provided. $25 cash workshop fee. Instructor is artist and figure model Betsy Bangley. Models are Kathryn and David. Seating is limited. Free street-side parking.

Sunday, Jan. 5th, 2-5 pm
Metta: A Healing Arts Community, 5118 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Register online at the Pittsburgh Figure Drawing Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Figure-Drawing/or email: betsybangley@gmail.com

Community College of Beaver County Continuing Education

I'll be teaching these courses at the Community College of Beaver County.  You can register online for these courses here: https://my.ccbc.edu/ICS/Continuing_Education/
See the full catalog here: https://www.ccbc.edu/college-catalogs


Figure Drawing -- Back by popular demand
Do you enjoy drawing and want to take on a new challenge? Expand your artistic skills and connect with humanity by learning to draw another human being. Our models will dress in athletic wear, and will hold a variety of poses to observe and sketch. Each week we will start with quick gesture drawings and then work on proportions, foreshortening, hands & feet, and the face through longer drawings. Bring a pad of newsprint, drawing paper, a soft pencil, and charcoal.
Mondays, February 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th, from 6-9 PM
Cost: $59 + a $49 Lab fee

NEW! Handmade Paper Studio
Create your own artsy & unique papers out of a variety of upcycled materials in the first class. You will craft your paper into a journal, stationary or other creation. All materials are provided, though you can bring dried flowers, glitter, a favorite essential oil, or other items to include in your paper.
Wednesdays, April 22nd and 29th from 6-9 PM
Cost: $39 + a $10 Lab fee

New! Pen & Ink
Learn to capture natural scenes with the simple, sharp lines of pen and ink. Learn a technique to minimize the stress of inking, and allow your creativity to flow. You will be drawing natural scenes and subjects using reference photos or natural objects brought into the art studio.
Thursdays, April 9th, 16th & 23rd from 6-9 PM

Cost: $49 + a $10 Lab fee

Upcycled Valentines Coloring Book

I had a snowy afternoon, a Sharpie and some scrap paper.  Here's the result of the day:

I took 4 sheets of legal-sized paper, printed on one side, and folded them, printed side in.  I arranged the pages so that the fold was on the right, then placed the pages in a folded craft paper cover, and punched holes on the left side of the stack. I inserted grommets to bind the book, and then added decorative silver embroidery floss.
That left a blank book with 8 pages to fill. Add black Sharpie, and ...

Book cover

page 1

Last page