Friday, March 8, 2013

You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)

I have that song on my Ipod. Sorry for the earworm. But it's a great song. :)

It's also perfect for today's reanimation, which uses the amazingly archaic phonebooks that continue to be delivered to my door. Yes, in 2013. Phonebooks.

Every time they show up, I recycle them into art. Not garbage. They are a wonderful source of nice, thin, collage-worthy paper with beautiful, finely detailed text.

Today's MIX-Ability challenge on Splitcoast - MIX6 is the keyword if you upload to our gallery - is to use gesso and newsprint - the most perfect combo in the world!

I used Trudy Sjolander's new release - Swirly Bird - since she is having her blog hop today! Her little bird looks so sweet tweeting people's phone numbers! :)

This was actually a really quick project. Here's what I did.

I painted one page of the phonebook with gesso and let it dry. Then I cut a 4 x 4 square to form the background. I rubbed this with Tempting Turquoise, Orchid Opulence and Pacific Point ink from Stampin' Up! I used a sponge to dab white acrylic paint on this after it dried for the clouds.

I cut two more 4" wide strips of the gesso'd paper and hand cut the hills out of them. I sprayed these with Stephanie Barnard Banana and Spearmint sprays and then rubbed Memento Pear Tart ink over them. You just have to experiment until you get the color you like.

Then I dotted red acrylic paint on (I used Golden Fluid Acrylics for this) for flowers onto the hills.

The hardest part is waiting for everything to dry before collaging.

I put it all together with matte ModPodge. Word to the wise - I was using water based mediums so the Mod Podge will transfer those. However, if you just keep a wet paper towel handy you can keep any colors from bleeding permanently.

Want to see the rest of the hop?

Check out all this amazing talent!

 >>>>> Lydia Fiedler <<<<<

46 comments:

Unknown said...

This is such a bright and fun canvas! I love that you used the phone book page too.
Thanks so much for using my stamp set my friend!

Hugs,
True :D

Lisa Lara said...

Awwwwwwwwwwwe this is TRUEly sweet Lydia. Love it!

Sara said...

Beautiful creation and I love that you repurpose the phone books (great idea!). TFS!

Debbie Littlejohn said...

Nice work! So happy and bright. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Sue said...

Great Art and recycling too!

Anonymous said...

WOW Lydia! This is beyond gorgeous! You are a true artist! Hugs! Sean

Cat Tidwell said...

How awesome Lydia! So bright and springy! Love it!

Sharon said...

What a creative design - love the bright colors.

Sherri said...

cute!!

crazihunibabi said...

Mixed media is so fun. tfs!

ulrike said...

Love your spring landscape and the sweet swirlie bird.

Sabrina said...

What a beautiful collage and a great way to recycle a phone book!!

Mrs Beez said...

This is an adorable canvas. Too cute!

Verna Angerhofer said...

What a delightful card. I just adore that cute little bird.

meemee48 said...

I am just amazed at all the creativity here and it's also green! Great!

Allie Gower said...

Gorgeous canvas!

Linda Palmer said...

Wow!! I love what you did with the phone book. It is amazing and beautiful. Great job!

Sherry Kushibab said...

Best use of a phone book I think I have ever seen. Creative, lovely colors, very 'tweet' (come one you expected someone to say it - didn't you!)

Anonymous said...

Love the elements on the canvas.

Jennifer said...

This is really cool how you used all this colour and the sweet birdie!

Cheryl Walker said...

Beautiful!!! Love the new stamps!

Myoriah said...

LOL! I guess I better hurry and go get at least one of the phone books out of the recycle bin. I love this and thanks about the tip about using Mod Podge with water based medium. That bird is so adorable tweeting the phone numbers. I love it. Very creative!

Sherry said...

very pretty artwork!!

Bev Gerard said...

Oh my word .... those phone books are going to be 'admired' here in a brand new way ... thanks to you! **Smack!** I could'a had a phone book art moment!! (Instead of vegetable juice!) Shakin' my head with delight & admiration here, "South" of Oklahoma! ;)

((((hugs))))

MsMad said...

love the bird !!!!!
Barbara Bird/DT Gecko Galz
Mdstrwbery@aol.com
MdStrwbery.blogspot.com

morentin1326 said...

awesome creation... thanks for the chance...
morentin1326ATaolDOTcom
adventureofthecreativemind.blogspot.com

Sue D said...

Very sweet and I like how you used phone book pages.

Chris said...

This is so cute. The birds are adorable.

Mary said...

Love the whole concept. The bird tweeting phone numbers! Love the telephone book background. Very clever

Lynne said...

Have never used mod podge, looks like fun

Noreen said...

Just enough of the phone book page shows through to make it interesting. I like that idea.

Noreen
http://craftyjournal.com

Denise Bryant said...

Very fun project! Love the phone book page and the pretty colors, and the Swirly Bird!

Anonymous said...

I signed up a few years back to not get phonebooks anymore because I would just put them straight in the recycling. Bin. So now, I am asking everyone to give me their old ones when I run out! Thanks

marg0006 said...

Great card with all the vivid colors.

marg0006 at verizn dot net
Loving Scrapper 101

Donna Jones said...

Love your collage, great idea for using a phone book :-)

Mom-Mom Gail said...

You are so clever..love recycling!

Gina said...

I love the birds. Another great card with the birds.

April said...

Well I wish I hadn't recycled my last phone book into the trash. You can be confident the next one won't be thrown away! Thanks for the tip.
April

Else49 said...

Love the different media that is used for 'stamping'.

Bonnie Garby said...

What a fun and colorful project. I love that you used your phone book to creat it!

Shannon White said...

Wowie!!! Awesome mixed Media project!! Love the Sweet Sunny scene and the little birdie is too CUTE! 8-)

Hugs
Shannon

Unknown said...

I love this canvas! So cute and bright! Made me instantly smile!

Rhonda Miller said...

What a gorgeous page. I love how you recycled the phonebook pages.

Wendy Zick said...

I never would have thought to use a telephone book like this, very cool!

Anniebee said...

Love this! The bright colors and True's sweet little birdie just make me happy! TFS!

Carisa said...

This is awesome! I love love love mixed media. :D